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The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks a turning point for African football. With the tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams, the African continent is enjoying unprecedented representation on soccer's biggest stage. Ten African nations qualified for this year's World Cup: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana and Cape Verde. In last week's opening match against Mexico — one of three host nations alongside the United States and Canada — South Africa faced a huge challenge in front of one of the tournament's loudest crowds. Though Mexico secured a 2–0 victory, Bafana Bafana, the nickname of South Africa's national football team, meaning "The Boys" in isiZulu, worked hard to move beyond their 2010 World Cup legacy.  The 201...

Reporting for this project was supported by a grant from the Pulitzer Center. For 12 years, Malaya*, a Filipino domestic worker, felt like her life was dictated by updates in the legal case against her former employer, an Emirati diplomat. She had been working for him in the United Arab Emirates before moving with the foreign envoy and his family to London in 2013. Court documents indicate Malaya was imprisoned for 89 days in what was described as slave-like conditions. Once she had escaped, filing a case turned out to be difficult — Malaya faced years of bureaucratic delays and dismissal because her employer was protected by diplomatic immunity. Earlier this year, a UK court ordered the UAE government to pay Malaya £270,000 (€312,290, $362,440) in damages for false imprisonment, unpaid...

For Moroccan fans, one thing is certain: The national team's 1-1 draw against Brazil in its opening 2026 World Cup match was just the beginning. They hope that their team will make history once again after its historic run to the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup. However, while attention is currently focused on this month's tournament, Morocco is already looking ahead to 2030. Along with Spain and Portugal, the kingdom will host the World Cup that year. For Morocco, hosting the World Cup means more than just having a global sporting event in the country. The North African country had unsuccessfully put in five bids to host the tournament before FIFA finally awarded the contract in December 2024. Observers say that the World Cup is regarded as one of King Mohammed VI's most important pres...

In the run-up to the expected formal signing of the Iran-US memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday, Iran's political atmosphere has grown visibly more tense. Hardline factions that stayed relatively muted during much of the war are now mounting a loud campaign against the leaked terms of the agreement, which has not been fully made public, accusing the negotiating team of retreat and betrayal. The backlash is no longer confined to speeches and headlines. It has spilled into the streets, where groups of regime supporters have staged protest rallies. Hardliners are calling for negotiations with the US to be stopped over fears the deal will reshape both Iran's foreign policy and its internal balance of power. There were reports that dozens protested outside a Foreign Ministry office ...

On June 17, 1991, Polish Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof Bielecki and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl met in Bonn — then the seat of the German government — to sign the Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland on Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation. The agreement marked a new beginning in Polish-German relations after decades of enmity and mistrust. Thirty-five years later, on June 17, 2026, both states — which are now close partners in the European Union and NATO — will mark the anniversary of the signing at a major event in Berlin, the German Polish Forum. 'Foundation of the new order in Europe' The Polish Senate, the upper house of the Polish parliament, last Wednesday praised the treaty as a "foundation of the new order in Europe after the co...

"Ships of the World, start your engines," US President Donald Trump said while announcing a deal with Iran to end the conflict he launched along with Israel more than three months ago. The online post on Sunday also saw Trump "fully authorize" the toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. "Let the oil flow!" he added. The US and Iran are due to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Geneva later this week. With the details still under wraps, Trump later said Hormuz would "fully reopen" only after the deal is signed. US, Iran announce initial 'peace deal'To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But unconfirmed reports on the MoU published in pro-regime Iranian media claim that Tehran's future role in Hormuz i...

Fuel supply bottlenecks are tightening in Russia, after Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries led to fuel disruptions in several regions. And this could just be the beginning, with pressure on the fuel market expected to increase in the coming months. If drone attacks continue at their current intensity and damaged refineries are unable to return to normal operations, local shortages could escalate into a broader crisis. According to publicly available sources seen by DW, fuel supply disruptions have been reported in more than 10 Russian regions in recent weeks. Some fuel stations have imposed restrictions or halted gasoline sales entirely. 'Logistical lockdown' in Crimea The situation in occupied Crimea is particularly tense. Fuel shortages ensued after recent drone strikes disrup...

The Pakistani government last week presented a draft budget to lawmakers that hikes defense spending by 18% to 3 trillion rupees ($10.8 billion/€9.3 billion). Pakistan's finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, said the increase was intended to make the country "invincible due to the uncertainty in the region." Analysts say key considerations are evolving military technologies and emerging threats. "Future conflicts will no longer be confined to two adversaries," said Islamabad-based defense analyst Maria Sultan. "They will be shaped by weapons and technology flowing from multiple countries, fought across land, air, cyber and electronic domains simultaneously." A changing security environment Sultan told DW that wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as last year's India-Pakistan con...

Anyone who wants to be taken seriously in the European defense industry shows up to Eurosatory, France's largest defense trade show, held every two years. This week, the industry is once again showcasing its latest advances at the sprawling exhibition grounds in Villepinte, near Paris. More than 2,000 exhibitors mingle with military officials, politicians, and industry professionals. With order books full, the mood should be upbeat. European governments want to reduce their defense dependency on the United States and are investing hundreds of billions of euros to advance that goal. However, the prevailing optimism is being tempered by disappointment. Europe's most ambitious defense project aimed at greater strategic autonomy effectively collapsed just days ago: Germany and France dealt w...