Choose your location
DPA
Guirassy's move to Dortmund on hold due to medical check issue
The planned transfer of forward Serhou Guirassy from VfB Stuttgart to Borussia Dortmund is on hold for the time being due to problems during the medical check. According to dpa information, a new medical check isn't planned until the beginning of the coming week. A video from the Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper showed Guirassy making his way back to Stuttgart from the Dortmund airport after failing the medical tests. Dortmund said on X on Wednesday: "During a medical examination of Serhou Guirassy, an injury was discovered and it requires further clarification." According to media reports, the player has already agreed to a four-year contract with...
The joke's on us: AI is now better than humans at writing comedy
Chatbots don't have or show any emotions - but still they just might be good for some funny jokes, two IT experts in Los Angeles say. Drew Gorenz and Norbert Schwarz of the University of Southern California (USC), in a recent paper in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, contend that ChatGPT can already compete with professional satirists in joke-writing and creating headlines. The researchers conducted three tests with participants who were kept in the dark as to who or what wrote the jokes being presented to them. One guidepost for the comparisons was the popular US satire magazine The Onion and its...
Swiss conservatives oppose using public funds to host Eurovision
Swiss conservatives are moving to block the use of taxpayers' money to put up the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest just two months after Swiss rapper Nemo walked off with the top prize. "The Eurovision Song Contest is an appalling propaganda occasion," the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU), a minority national-conservative political party with a largely Protestant base, posted on X on Thursday. The EDU is seeking referendums on whether public funds can be used in the cities that have applied to host the contest. The party will have to secure 2,000 signatures in each case to force a referendum. The competition is...
German police shows weapons seized in left-wing RAF terrorism case
German investigators searching the Berlin home of Daniela Klette, a suspected leftwing terrorist arrested in February, have secured thousands of pieces of evidence - including weapons and money, police and prosecutors said on Thursday. The search had revealed a Polish assault rifle, a Czech machine pistol and a highly convincing fake rocket-propelled grenade, according to officials from the state of Lower Saxony, which is leading the investigation. They published photos and called on the public to provide any information relevant to the case regarding the provenance of the weapons or where they might have been used. The dummy grenade, resembling a Soviet design...
Why there's no match for third place at Euro 2024?
England and Spain will start preparing for the Euro 2024 final in Berlin on Sunday, while the defeated semi-finalists Netherlands and France are heading straight home. Unlike at World Cups, there is no match for third place at the European Championship - and this year's tournament in Germany is no exception. European football ruling body UEFA explained that the match for third place was abolished as part of a change in the tournament's format from 1980 to 1984. "The match was not considered attractive and hasn't been part of the Euros since then," UEFA said on Thursday. There are also no plans to reintroduce such game. In 1980, Czechoslovakia beat hosts Italy on penalties in the last match for third place at a European Championship to date, with Germany taking the title. In recent World Cup editions, Croatia finished third in Qatar in 2022, while Belgium took bronze in Russia in 2018.
IDF: Two senior Hamas members killed over past week
The Israeli military has killed two senior Hamas officials over the past week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday. The IDF identified one as Hassan Abu Kuik, alleged to have carried out numerous attacks on Israel. He headed internal security operations for the Palestinian militant Hamas movement in the central Gaza Strip, the IDF said. The other was a team leader of Hamas's military intelligence, the military added. Israeli troops were continuing operations in the headquarters of UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the IDF said. Weapons had been found there on Wednesday, the Israeli army said. The...
EON, MAN to develop European electric lorry charging network
The energy supplier EON and the MAN truck and bus manufacturer are planning to establish a public charging network for electric lorries across Europe, both companies announced on Thursday. The first locations are expected to open this year. By the end of 2025, 80 locations are planned. They are to be set up within the existing MAN service network but will also be accessible to commercial vehicles from other manufacturers. An overall 170 locations are planned, providing 400 charging points, 125 of which will be in Germany. Others will be in Austria, Britain, Denmark, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The German government...
EON, MAN to develop European electric lorry charging network
The energy supplier EON and the MAN truck and bus manufacturer are planning to establish a public charging network for electric lorries across Europe, both companies announced on Thursday. The first locations are expected to open this year. By the end of 2025, 80 locations are planned. They are to be set up within the existing MAN service network but will also be accessible to commercial vehicles from other manufacturers. An overall 170 locations are planned, providing 400 charging points, 125 of which will be in Germany. Others will be in Austria, Britain, Denmark, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The German government...
The Killers interrupt concert to show final minutes of England win
US rock band The Killers interrupted their concert in London for a moment to show the final minutes of England's 2-1 victory against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-finals on Wednesday. The band stayed on stage as the last minutes of the game were shown on a big screen. After the final whistle, the around 20,000 concert-goers in attendance celebrated euphorically. Masses of red and white confetti were shot into the crowd before The Killers resumed the concert with their top hit "Mr Brightside," causing even more euphoria. Videos of the moment quickly went viral on social media, but many have been...
Bayern sign Portugal midfielder Palhinha until 2028
Portugal midfielder João Palhinha completed his transfer from Fulham to Bayern Munich on Thursday, the Bundesliga record champions said. Palhinha signed a contract until June 2028 and Bayern are reportedly to pay a fixed transfer fee of €46 million ($49.8 million) for the 28-year-old. "This is one of the happiest days of my life. I'm now playing for one of the top clubs in Europe. It's a dream come true for me, and I'm very proud of that," Palhinha said. Bayern were already close to signing the holding midfielder last year but Fulham vetoed the move on transfer deadline day because they couldn't find a replacement. "We kept at it since last summer and now finally have João Palhinha with us. He will be very valuable for FC Bayern," sporting director Christoph Freund said. Palhinha is the third new player in Munich, following winger Michael Olise from Crystal Palace and centre back Hiroki Ito from Bundesliga runners-up VfB Stuttgart. Defender Josip Stanisic and forward Arijon Ibrahimovic return from loan spells at German double winners Bayer Leverkusen and Italy's Frosinone, respectively. Bayern under new coach Vincent Kompany want to rebound from a first season without silverware since 2012. Pre-season training starts on July 15.
Germany's Frankfurt airport registers June passenger increase
Germany's Frankfurt Airport, a European aviation hub, has seen an increase in passenger numbers and is optimistic about the full year, the Fraport airport operator reported on Thursday. In June, Fraport recorded a good 5.6 million passengers, 1.4% more than a year earlier, it announced in Frankfurt. This is in light of seasonal factors which affected the figures. The Whitsun holiday period took place in June of last year, boosting figures then, but occured in May of this year. The current monthly figure is still about 14.4% below the passenger numbers from the pre-pandemic period in June 2019. The cargo business saw a significant rise in June. Around 178,324 tons of freight and airfreight were handled in Frankfurt, 11.4% more than a year earlier. "In the first half of the year, we increased passenger numbers by 1.8 million and welcomed about 28.8 million travelers in Frankfurt," said Fraport chief executive Stefan Schulte. "Without the numerous strikes at the beginning of the year, we would have served about 500,000 more passengers," he added. Despite this loss, Schulte said that Fraport is still on track for a full-year volume of 61 million to 65 million travellers.
Spain coach De la Fuente expects furious final against England
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente is expecting a furious final against England at Euro 2024 in Berlin on Sunday. "It's going to be a huge spectacle and we're looking forward to it with great hope," he said in a video message from the Spanish Football Association. Spain, who in the quarter-finals defeated hosts Germany, booked a ticket to the final after a 2-1 win over France, while England scored in stoppage time to defeat the Netherlands 2-1 and set up the top clash. While the English team are chasing their first-ever European title and a first major trophy in 58 years, Spain...
Fair city no more: Attacks on visitors dent Dublin's tourism image
The recent death of a Canadian tourist in Dublin has again raised concerns over whether the Irish capital remains a safe and welcoming starting point for a holiday on the island. Neno Dolmaijan, a 41-year-old from Montreal, died in a Dublin hospital in early July after being seriously injured in the centre of the city on June 23. Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris described the assault as "horrific," while Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Féin, the biggest political party on the opposition benches, said it "highlights the hard reality that our city centre is not safe." The death followed several...
Indonesia to give visa-free entry to people from 20 countries
Already eyeing up a winter break in the sun? Indonesia could soon be an easier destination to reach, as the government there plans to ditch holiday visa requirements for nationals of 20 countries. "We are proposing visa-free entry for tourists from countries that provide the greatest economic impact," said Sandiaga Uno, the country's tourism minister. France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain and the UK are the European nations on the list, according to state news agency Antara, which reported that the relaxation is to take effect in October. Australia, China, India, Japan and the US are among the other countries whose passport...
DPA
+
Posts
+
Views
The German Press Agency (dpa) is one of the world’s leading independent news agencies. As a joint venture of the German media, we have successfully reported on national and international events since 1949. We are convinced that an enlightened democratic society needs verified information in order to make good, fact-based decisions. This requires an independent news agency and independent journalists. DPA is committed to the facts, but not to any political party, government, religion, culture, company, or other group. This is guaranteed by the DPA statute.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.