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Zelensky says waiting for fighter jets is like mother after school
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked his allies for large numbers of Western fighter jets as he seeks to fend off the full-scale Russian invasion launched more than two years ago. Ukraine is hoping to receive the first individual F-16 aircraft this summer, but his country needs at least 128 fighter jets, Zelensky said during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Foundation in Washington. Russia was able to deploy 300 aircraft a day to attack Ukraine, he said. "You know, we always wait. Just like my mum used to wait for me after school and...
German Interior Ministry satisfied with security at Euro 2024
The German Interior Ministry is satisfied with the security situation at the European men's football Championship so far, a spokesman said on Wednesday. Despite minor disruptions and fan hooligan violence on the periphery of some matches, the security concept has been successful ahead of the last two games in Germany, the spokesman added. The final is in Berlin on Sunday. German police have been deploying 22,000 officers daily to oversee the tournament. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also set up controls at all borders with the European Union and Switzerland until July 19. After this period, there will continue to be temporary controls at the borders with Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Room behind famous Buckingham Palace balcony to open to the public
The room behind Buckingham Palace’s famous balcony will open to the public next week, giving a glimpse of King George IV’s love of Asian art and furniture. The current British monarch, King Charles, was instrumental in allowing visitors into the London royal residence’s east wing for the first time and almost 6,000 tickets were sold out within hours of going on sale in April. "It was Prince Albert’s idea to have a balcony at Buckingham Palace, because he saw it as a way of enabling the royal family to connect with the people, and of course that’s exactly how, in a sense,...
Official: Most UNRWA schools in Gaza Strip hit during war
Two thirds of schools run by the Palestinian relief organization UNRWA in the Gaza Strip have suffered damage since the start of the war nine months ago, the agency said on Wednesday. Some schools were bombed out, many were severely damaged, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, posted on X. "Schools have gone from safe places of education and hope for children to overcrowded shelters and often ending up a place of death and misery," Lazzarini wrote. Four schools have been hit in the past four days alone, the UNRWA chief added, without specifying which warring party was behind the attacks. According to the agency, it ran 284 schools in the sealed-off coastal strip before the Gaza war began on October 7. "Nine months in, under our watch, the relentless, endless killings, destruction and despair continue. Gaza is no place for children," Lazzarini said, calling for an immediate ceasefire. The "blatant disregard of international humanitarian law" cannot become the new normal, he stressed. In Berlin, the German Foreign Office wrote on X that it was unacceptable that civilians seeking protection in schools were being killed. The repeated attacks on schools by the Israeli army must stop and be investigated "quickly," the office demanded.
Israeli defence minister: 60% of Hamas terrorists killed or wounded
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant says the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed or wounded 60% of Hamas terrorists and that most of the Islamist organization's battalions have been smashed. Gallant made the comment to parliament on Wednesday, according to Israeli media. Israel announced the complete destruction of Hamas as a war objective after the massacres carried out by Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7. As long as Hamas retains a hold in the Gaza Strip, it can rebuild and strengthen itself, Israeli officials have said, meaning the IDF would then have to return and fight in areas where it had already been deployed. Gallant has called for the creation of a political alternative to Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far refused to present a plan for the administration and reconstruction of Gaza after the end of the war. Observers say this is likely because he is trying to avoid conflict with his far-right coalition partners who favour the building of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, an extremely controversial proposition.
Israeli army urges all residents to leave Gaza City
The Israeli army is calling on all residents of Gaza City to flee in what observers see as a sign of imminent new military operations. People should leave the city in the north of the Gaza Strip for the towns of Deir Al-Balah and Al-Zawiya in the centre of the Palestinian territory, said the appeal posted in Arabic by a military spokesman. He also described routes that those affected can use without encountering checkpoints. Gaza City is a dangerous combat zone, the spokesman warned. Israeli media reported that the army had distributed leaflets in the city in the morning that urged people to leave. In recent weeks, the military called on residents of several of the city's neighbourhoods to get out. Since then, there has been heavy fighting in some of the neighbourhoods, including Shejaiya. The latest call to flee applies to the entire city. Israeli troops conducted combat operations in Gaza City at the beginning of the war last October. Since then, fighters of the Palestinian militant Hamas movement have been trying to regroup there and in other parts of the coastal strip. Gaza City is one of the worst affected by the devastation of recent months.
Spain's Morata gives all clear for final after bizarre collision
Spain captain Álvaro Morata has given the all-clear after colliding with a steward at the end of the Euro 2024 semi-final win over France on Tuesday. "I'm very well," the 31-year-old told reporters on his departure from Munich to his team base in Donaueschingen on Wednesday. "Yellow card and full stop," Morata added when asked about what should happen to the security guard, who crashed into the striker's leg after the match. The attacker was visibly in pain but looks set to lead the line in Sunday's final in Berlin.
Bild: Germany's Müller retires from international football
Germany's 2014 world champion Thomas Müller is retiring from international football, the Bild newspaper reported on Wednesday. Following Germany's 2-1 extra-time loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 quarter-final on Friday, the Bayern Munich forward, 34, had said he was mulling his Germany future. Midfielder Toni Kroos quit all football after Germany's exit at their home tournament while goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is also considering whether to carry on playing internationals. Müller made his Germany debut in March 2010 and has amassed 131 caps, third on the all-time list behind Lothar Matthäus (150) und Miroslav Klose (137). Bild said the forward would fulfil his contract with Bayern until 2025.
Punctual Icelandair: A guiding northern light for Europe's airlines
Volcanic eruptions sometimes cause delays and disruptions to air travel in and out of Iceland and further afield. But flag carrier Icelandair has seemingly harnessed the occasionally formidable logistical challenges it faces to become Europe’s most punctual airline, with 84% of its almost 4,000 flights in June deemed as having arrived "on time" by aviation industry analysis provider Cirium, putting it ahead of Iberia Express’s 82% and third-ranked Iberia’s 78%. Icelandair announced on July 8 that it carried 514,000 passengers in June, taking it to over 2 million for the first half of 2024, a 7% increase on the January-June 2023 period....
Clickbaiting kids: YouTube's problem with shocking video thumbnails
Most parents know there are countless videos out there on the internet not suitable for children. And too many parents still assume their children won't see these videos unless they actively go looking for them. Worse still, many videos don't even need to be watched - the often provocative preview thumbnails for videos are enough to convey a message to children swiping through suggestions on a video platform. According to a US study, these sometimes try to shock users on platforms like YouTube to get the viewer to tap on the video. How can children be protected from this? Anyone who uses video...
Volkswagen deliveries drop in Q2, China sales fall 19.3%
German carmaker Volkswagen delivered fewer cars in the second quarter than a year ago, it reported on Wednesday. The Volkswagen Group delivered 2,243,700 vehicles of all group brands worldwide between April and June, 3.8% fewer than in the same months last year. Audi and the Chinese market in particular had a negative impact. Sales at Audi slumped by 11.3%. The core brand Volkswagen lost 5.2%. Skoda and Seat/Cupra, on the other hand, grew. Business is weakening in China. In the past three months, 19.3% fewer vehicles were delivered there. "As announced, we have deliberately prioritized sustainable value creation over higher volumes in the very intense competitive environment in China in order to achieve our long-term strategic goals," said Audi Sales Director Hildegard Wortmann. By contrast, sales in Western Europe rose by 5.1% and in North America by 10.8%. However, this could not compensate for the slump in China. Wortmann is nevertheless optimistic for the rest of the year. "For 2024 as a whole, we continue to expect a slight increase in global deliveries compared to the previous year due to the start-up and ramp-up of numerous important models in the second half of the year."
Injured Zverev looks set for Hamburg and the Olympics after all
German tennis star Alexander Zverev looks set to compete at the Paris Olympics despite a knee problem, his brother and manager Mischa Zverev said on Wednesday. Mischa had suggested on Tuesday to Amazon Prime that his brother may not be fit for Paris at the end of this month where he was poised to target a second straight Olympic singles gold. But after a further examination, Mischa told dpa that the world number four had been given a near all-clear and that the Olympic warm-up clay tournament in his home city starting on Monday was even a possibility. "Hamburg is on the schedule," Mischa said. After his five-set defeat in the Wimbledon last 16 to Taylor Fritz, Zverev reported a knee problem and on Tuesday around 40 millilitres of fluid and blood were taken from his damaged capsule.
Sahin begins Dortmund reign as squad arrive for pre-season
New Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin began the job in earnest on Wednesday when 15 players reported for diagnostics tests. Sahin, who was already assistant manager, took over from Edin Terzic after his resignation following the painful Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid. The European Championship players and US international Giovanni Reyna, who played in the Copa América, will join up with Dortmund later in the month. While Dortmund's non-internationals arrived at their training base, the Dutch national team was completing their final warm-up session before the European Championship semi-final against England in the city later on Wednesday. Ex-Germany player Niklas Süle was...
Recipe: How to make your own kimchi
Kimchi is the Korean national dish. The fermented vegetables are a must at every meal. Every family in Korea has its own recipe for kimchi. When Chinese cabbage is fermented, it is a communal culinary event. Asian food blogger Stefan Leistner prepares it as follows: Ingredients: ・800 g Chinese cabbage ・50 g salt ・1 small daikon radish or alternatively ・300-400 g white radish ・2 spring onions ・2 garlic cloves ・2 pieces of thumb-sized ginger ・2 tbsp gochujaru (red chilli flakes) ・2 tbsp gochujang (hot chilli paste) ・4 tbsp fish sauce ・1 tbsp coconut blossom sugar ・1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds ・1 tsp toasted sesame oil And this is how it's done: 1. Rinse the Chinese cabbage,...
Mercedes-Benz car sales drop in Q2, China sales fall 6%
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz sold fewer vehicles in the second quarter of the year than in the same period last year, it reported on Wednesday. A total of 600,100 cars and vans were sold from April to June. That was around 6% less than in the second quarter of 2023, the car manufacturer said. Mercedes achieved an increase in van sales of 3% with a total of 103,400 vehicles. The passenger car division recorded a decline of 4% with 496,700 vehicles sold. Model changes and availability bottlenecks influenced sales in the first half of the year. In the top product segment - which includes...
Stuttgart president Wehrle hopeful over permanent Undav deal
VfB Stuttgart president Alexander Wehrle is still hoping for a rare bit of good news in a difficult close season for the Bundesliga runners-up and believes Germany forward Deniz Undav will sign a permanent deal. Stuttgart wowed the Bundesliga by finished second last term, a year after nearly being relegated. But so far in the close season, they have lost Hiroki Ito to Bayern Munich and fellow defender Waldemar Anton to Borussia Dortmund, while top striker Serhou Guirassy also seems set to join the Black and Yellows. Keeping Undav, who was on loan from England's Brighton last season and scored 18 goals,...
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