News and current affairs from Germany and around the world

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US-Israel war with Iran

Fighting has erupted in Iran and the Middle East after Israel and the US attacked the country, following a US military build-up in the region.

Kim Jong Un watches a missile launch at sea on March 4, 2026

News

March 18, 2026

Cuba vows 'unbreakable resistance' to any takeover attempt

March 18, 2026

US: Judge orders VOA employees to be reinstated

March 18, 2026

AFCON: Senegal stripped of title, Morocco crowned champions

March 17, 2026

US: Counterterrorism chief Joe Kent resigns over Iran war

March 17, 2026

Belgian diplomat faces trial over 1961 Congo leader killing

March 17, 2026

Vatican declares partial mistrial in cardinal's fraud case

Skip next section Developing

Developing

One of a few travelers walking through Terminal 1 of Berlin Brandenburg Airport

Live

Germany news: Strike halts flights to and from Berlin

Flights to the German capital’s only major commercial airport have been halted amid strike action. DW has more.

Indian vessel 'Nanda Devi' carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) arrives at Vadinar Port in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat state on March 17

India news: Crude tanker Jag Laadki reaches Gujarat

The Jag Laadki has arrived in western India carrying crude from the UAE, amid a severe LPG shortage. DW has more.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Africa

Denis Sassou Nguesso is pictured sitting in a chair during a summit held in Nigeria in 2024

President Sassou-Nguesso wins Congo-Brazzaville's election

Provisional results announced showed Nguesso with nearly 95% of the vote; his closest rival received less than 2%.

Asia

A Taliban security personnel walks as smoke rises from the site after overnight Pakistani airstrikes hit oil depots for commercial airlines, near the Kandahar airport

Iran war overlaps with Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict

With airstrikes on Afghan territory, Pakistan has declared open war on the Taliban.

Germany

Friedrich Merz, a balding man with glasses, looks out a window that is reflecting a parade of soliders

Where does Germany stand on the Iran war?

As the Iran conflict escalates and prices rise, Germany faces a legal, political, and economic tightrope.

Europe

Has Europe's center-right started relying on the far right?

With Europe's center-right increasingly teaming up with the far-right in the European Parliament, a shift may be afoot.

Middle East

Smoke rises above Fly Dubai planes at Dubai airport

No more big spenders: Iran war to dent Gulf state investment

Gulf states have spent, or promised to spend, trillions in global investment. Their focus may be forced closer to home.

North America

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a press conference

Pete Hegseth: Who is Trump's Secretary of War?

Christian patriot and far-right agitator: Hegseth is Trump's front-line soldier at the Department of Defense.

Latin America

A virtually empty street in Cuba with rubbish piled up in the foreground.

Cuba's tourist industry crippled amid US oil embargo

Cut off from Venezuelan fuel, Cuba faces a worsening economy, an energy crisis and collapsing tourism.

Video news

Latest show

Could you endure these rites of passage?

We meet boys facing deadly initiations, girls rejecting FGM, and Miss World Somalia turning pain into purpose.

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All Shows

Get inspired!

Discover DW's outstanding documentaries, exciting talk shows, news and magazines.

Explore now

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A closer look

Defense and military spending

Defense policies are changing rapidly, and military spending is surging worldwide amid growing conflicts and tensions.

An F-16 Fighting Falcon jet in flight in New Mexico fires during training in 2021

What does the Iran war mean for the US defense sector?

US defense companies are being called on to ramp up production to meet fresh demand from the war in Iran.

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, (THAAD) seen at a golf course in Seongju, South Korea in 2017

South Korea uneasy as US moves air defenses to Middle East

Reports of air defense redeployment come while the threat from North Korea remains as acute as ever.

A National Guard soldier operates a ground-based robotic system
Reading signs via remote control

Russia and Ukraine wage high-tech war in the 'death zone'

High-tech systems play a key role in Ukraine’s defense. In the Kharkiv region, DW witnessed how they operate firsthand.

Explore more

Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

USA Pittsburgh 2007 | Luis von Ahn in Carnegie Mellon University

The internet was supposed to be free. What went wrong?

Thirty years ago, counterculturalists declared the internet an independent space. Where did the hippie utopia go wrong?

A large building, the Gandhi Hospital in Tehran, that's been damaged in a nearby attack

War in Iran: Chronically ill fight for survival

Medical care for millions of chronically ill people in Iran is on the verge of collapse.

Inscriptions of gladiators fighting animals.

Ancient graffiti reveals scenes of everyday life in Pompeii

Researchers are turning to the Pompeii's graffiti to better understand their lives, humor and concerns.

Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino shake hands at the 2026 World Cup draw

World Cup 2026: Is the US-Iran war an ethical tipping point?

The US is the main host of the 2026 World Cup. But it's at war with Iran, which has qualified for the tournament.

Children and a man cross a bamboo bridge over a river

The 'green' mining boom poisoning rivers in Southeast Asia

Indigenous and rural, farmiing communities are trying to stand up to polluting mineral and gold mining.

Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026.

US wants help to guard Strait of Hormuz, but EU is not keen

As Trump dials up pressure on Europe to guard the Strait of Hormuz, Russia is taking advantage of the Iran war

Skip next section Most viewed

Most viewed

Iran war: NATO making 'mistake' on Hormuz, Trump says
ConflictsMarch 18, 2026
Germany news: Strike to block all flights at Berlin airport
PoliticsMarch 16, 2026
Is Iran's regime at a breaking point?
ConflictsMarch 17, 2026
Iran war: Germany's Merz distances himself from Trump
PoliticsMarch 16, 2026
The German village running on its own juice
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 17, 2026

Skip next section Specials & Events

Specials & Events

Living Planet

Why are fungi so fascinating? What's better, tea or coffee? This podcast puts a fresh spin on the climate debate.

Skip next section Living

Living

Chef Julien Hubert is holding two plates toward the camera. On the left is a typical Breton galette, on the right a sugared crêpe.

Galette: The savory side of the crêpe

In Brittany, the galette is a staple of traditional French cuisine.

Euromaxx reporter Anja Koch is walking through Vienna in sunny weather. Behind her is an ornate building with arched colonnades and statues made of white stone.

How to visit Vienna on a budget

Here are our top tips for saving time and money when you travel to the Austrian capital, Vienna.

A spectator arrives to watch the St Patrick's Day parade, wearing extra large sunglasses and costume.

10 things to know about St. Patrick's Day

Here are 10 important facts about the popular party celebrated each year on March 17.

A group of women are posing together while ice bathing in Latvia. They are wearing green costumes with a snakeskin pattern, along with matching make-up and headpieces.

Ice bathing in Latvia: A chilly tradition

These Latvian ladies blend ice bathing with art and body positivity.

American singer-songwriter Tyler Ballgame on stage

How American artist Tyler Ballgame learned to value himself

US singer‑songwriter Tyler Ballgame presented his debut album "For the First Time, Again."

Portrait of a Hasidic rabbi - father of the photographer Benyamin Reich - with a typical hat on a bench in an empty factory

New photos by Berlin-based Jewish artist Benyamin Reich

Benyamin Reich photographs Jewish traditions while simultaneously breaking free of them.

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US-Israel war with Iran

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