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Putin and Modi pledge close cooperation in official talks in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have praised the close and decades-old bilateral relations between their two countries during official talks in Moscow. India and Russia are linked by a "privileged strategic partnership," Putin said at the meeting in the Kremlin. Trade between the two nations had increased by 60% in the past year. According to the Indian Ministry of Commerce, it reached the equivalent of $65 billion, with Indian imports of oil and fertilizer from Russia accounting for the largest share. "Every Indian feels in his heart that Russia is a friend of India in good and bad...
NATO allies agree on sea mine cooperation for Baltic Sea
Germany and five other NATO allies in the Baltic sea region plan to buy more sea mines together as a deterrent to Russia. Sea mines are a "very effective way to deter an aggressor at sea and they are an extremely important capability in the face of Russian aggression," German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said. Pistorius signed a declaration ahead of a NATO summit in Washington. Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland and Sweden are also part of the agreement to jointly procure and maintain sea mines in the region. The Baltic Sea is assessed by NATO analysts as a potential conflict flashpoint with Russia and the alliance has stepped up its presence in the east after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Pre-birth air pollution linked to cerebral palsy in babies
Smog, smoke and fumes could be leaving babies in the womb vulnerable to developing cerebral palsy, according to a team of North America-based doctors and scientists. Writing in medical journal JAMA Network Open, the Harvard University-led researchers said inhaling certain fine particles was associated with an "increased risk" of the condition, which is the commonest cause of infant disability and which is found in between 1 and 4 live births per 1,000, depending on the location. The particles were described as "PM2.5", where PM refers to 'particulate matter' and the number to the size of particle. The United States Environmental Protection Agency...
German interior minister describes Russian attack as a 'war crime'
Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has strongly condemned the Russian airstrike on Kiev in which a paediatric hospital was damaged. "The missile attack on a paediatric clinic is a terrible war crime that shows once again the inconceivable inhumanity with which Putin is waging his war against Ukraine," she said in a statement, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "When we see this cruelty of war it becomes clear how important it is that 1.18 million people from Ukraine have now found protection from Putin's missiles and tanks in Germany," she said. "This has saved many lives." Faeser said that Germany would continue to protect the more than 350,000 children and young people who have taken refuge in the country. She added that a total of 1,116 seriously wounded, injured and sick Ukrainians have now been evacuated to Germany during the war. "Many victims have lost limbs, they have gunshot wounds and blast injuries. They are receiving the best possible medical treatment in Germany," the minister said. "Further evacuations are imminent. Our hospitals, aid organizations and authorities - coordinated by our Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance - are doing a great job here," she added.
Google Deepmind boss: AI could be one of world's 'biggest inventions'
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to be “one of the biggest inventions humanity will ever make”, the British founder of Google DeepMind has said. Demis Hassabis said the creation of an artificial general intelligence – AI with a general human-level intelligence – would be “unbelievably transformative” as it could make intelligence itself an “abundant tool”. Speaking to former British prime minister Tony Blair at the Tony Blair Institute’s Future of Britain conference in London, the Google DeepMind chief executive said that over the next decade AI would transform work and productivity through digital assistants, but the technology will also help “accelerate...
Putin and Modi pledge close cooperation in official talks in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have praised the close and decades-old bilateral relations between their two countries during official talks in Moscow. India and Russia are linked by a "privileged strategic partnership," Putin said at the meeting in the Kremlin. Trade between the two nations had increased by 60% in the past year. According to the Indian Ministry of Commerce, it reached the equivalent of $65 billion, with Indian imports of oil and fertilizer from Russia accounting for the largest share. "Every Indian feels in his heart that Russia is a friend of India in good and bad...
Survey: German coalition parties poll at record low of 30%
Germany's governing coalition parties are polling at around 30%, the lowest result yet, according to a survey by RTL/ntv published on Tuesday. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) would receive 14% of the vote if a general election were held this Sunday, the Greens 11% and junior coalition partner the Free Democrats (FDP) 5%. The conservative opposition CDU/CSU would receive 30% - as much as all three coalition partners combined. According to the survey, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is in second place with 17%. The new populist Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) alliance comes in at 8%. The Forsa Institute surveyed 2,504 citizens between July 2 and 8.
VW beefs up its ID Buzz electric minibuses with more range and power
Volkswagen has boosted the model range of its electric ID Buzz minibus with a long-wheelbase version and the four-wheel drive ID Buzz GTX which is the most powerful edition to date. The manufacturer says sales will start in a few weeks. European prices for the XL version start at €62,719, around €2,000 more than the standard Buzz. VW has not yet announced a price for the GTX. With the long wheelbase, the axles are 25 cm farther apart, stretching the electric saloon to 4.96 metres in length. This creates space inside for three rows of seats with six or seven seats or...
Efforts to form new government in France drag on after snap election
The search for a potential government coalition in France continues after parliamentary elections that dealt a serious blow to President Emmanuel Macron's centrist camp and failed to deliver a clear parliamentary majority. The victorious left-wing New Popular Front alliance, which fell far short of an outright majority, is continuing to sound out who from its own ranks could become prime minister if a government is formed. The quickly formed alliance of Socialists, Communists and Greens went into the election without a lead candidate, and are now wrangling over who should be put forward as a potential leader. Meanwhile, Macron's second-place centrist Ensemble (Together)...
German computer scientist wins European Inventor Award for AI work
The German computer scientist Cordelia Schmid was awarded the European Inventor Award at a ceremony in Malta on Tuesday. Schmid, who was honoured in the Research category, received the prize for her work in helping computers understand and interpret data from images. The organization behind the awards, the European Patent Office, said Schmid's work contributes to machines being able to see images in such detail that it comes very close to humans. This opens up a wider range of applications for artificial intelligence (AI), for example with robots that can support elderly people, or recognize when they have had a fall. The 56-year-old scientist was born in Mainz, studied in Karlsruhe and Grenoble and has been working at the French Research Institute for Computer Science and Automation (INRIA) near Paris since 1997. Accepting the award, Schmid said that, if developed responsibly, "artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize our society in the same way that the steam engine and electricity did in the past." From healthcare to sustainability, AI could help tackle some of the world's most pressing problems, she said.
Paris prosecutors probing Marine Le Pen's 2022 campaign finances
Prosecutors in Paris are investigating the far-right nationalist politician Marine Le Pen's 2022 presidential election campaign on suspicion of illegal campaign financing, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. French media previously reported that authorities suspect there may be evidence of fraud, forgery and misappropriation of assets by persons holding public office. Allegations in connection with the acceptance of a loan by a candidate are also being investigated. It is not yet known exactly what is involved. An investigating judge has now been leading the further investigations for around a week. According to the public prosecutor's office, the investigation stems from a 2023 report from France's National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing. In France, campaign spending is capped in order to create more equal opportunities between candidates, and parties and candidates are required to account for campaign finances. Alleged violations of the rules have regularly led to complaints from the relevant authorities. Le Pen and her far-right nationalist National Rally (RN) again lost her bid for the presidency in 2022 against the current incumbent Emmanuel Macron. In the final parliamentary election held last Sunday, the RN surprisingly only placed third despite strong showings in the earlier first round of voting, but achieved its strongest result to date.
Monaco hangs Turner paintings in dialogue with modern art world stars
Glittering and shining like a disco ball, the artwork is covered with thousands of small mirrors, each of them depicting the image of a solar eclipse. This room-filling work is in a dialogue with another work, painted around two centuries years earlier, by William Turner (1775-1851), one of England's most important and influential painters. What does Katie Paterson's solar eclipse sphere have to do with 19th century moonlight paintings, you ask? One of the most significant exhibitions in the microstate of Monaco seeks to tease out the fascination in natural phenomena, shared by both artists. It's only one of dozens of candid juxtapositions...
Austrian Olympic team to wear lederhosen at opening ceremony
Austria's Olympic athletes will wear traditional lederhosen and leather skirts at the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris on July 26. The team was kitted out at an event in Vienna on Tuesday. "I'm not a lederhosen person in my private life, but it fits great and looks good," said trampoline jumper Benny Wizani. "The stuff you get is cool and it's great fun to see all the other people too." The unprecedented opening ceremony is set to take place on board boats travelling down the River Seine, unless security concerns make it impossible.
Hungary's Orban justifies Moscow visit in leaked letter to EU leaders
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán justified his unannounced trip to Russia by citing the economic impact of the Ukraine war on the European Union, in a letter obtained by dpa on Tuesday. "The negative economic effects of the war place a great burden on the everyday lives of our citizens and on the competitiveness of the EU," Orbán said in the report, dated July 5, and addressed to European Council President Charles Michel and EU leaders. Orbán visited Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately after his first visit to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. Hungary is viewed...
Gaza talks to resume in Doha on Wednesday, Egyptian media report
Negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza will take place in Doha on Wednesday, Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera News TV quotes an Egyptian high-level source as saying. The Egyptian security delegation heads to Doha on Wednesday "to bring views closer between Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire deal as soon as possible," the source said. Afterwards, negotiations will resume in Cairo on Thursday. "There is agreement on many points," the source added.
Shell to invest in Manatee gas field in Trinidad and Tobago
Shell Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, a subsidiary of Shell Plc, announced on Tuesday that it has taken the final investment decision on the Manatee project, an undeveloped gas field in the East Coast Marine Area or ECMA in Trinidad and Tobago. The Manatee gas field will provide backfill for the country's Atlantic Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility. Shell noted that increasing utilization at existing LNG plants is an important lever to maximize potential from its existing assets. Zoe Yujnovich, Shell's Integrated Gas and Upstream Director, said: "This project will help meet the increasing demand for natural gas globally while also addressing the energy needs of our customers domestically in Trinidad and Tobago. The investment bolsters our world-leading LNG portfolio." Manatee, slated to start production in 2027, is expected to reach peak production of around 104,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. As announced earlier, Shell plans to grow its LNG business by 20% to 30% by 2030, compared with 2022, while LNG liquefaction volumes are planned to grow by 25% to 30% relative to 2022. The ECMA is currently home to Shell's largest gas-producing fields in the country including Dolphin, Starfish, Bounty and Endeavour.
Kroos praises Germany's Nagelsmann for changing culture despite exit
Tony Kroos, who retired from all football after Germany's Euro 2024 exit, has praised coach Julian Nagelsmann for the way in which he banished the country's memory of poor performances at major tournaments. Germany went out of their home tournament with a 2-1 extra-time defeat by Spain in the quater-finals on Friday, having otherwise impressed during the extravaganza. It contrasted markedly with meek group-stage exits at the last two World Cups. Kroos, 34, told his podcast "Einfach mal Luppen" with his brother and now fellw ex-footballer Felix that the squad showed itself to be "a group of good guys" and "not just...
Man killed in explosion at German refugee centre was from Ethiopia
Police say the person who died in a fire at a refugee centre in northern Germany on Monday was a 28-year-old man from Ethiopia. The man's body was found in a room at the facility in the town of Buchholz in the state of Lower Saxony on Monday after an explosion caused a fire. Investigators believe he probably caused the explosion himself, the police said in a statement on Tuesday. A decision on whether to carry out a post-mortem examination would be taken after consultations with the public prosecutor's office, the statement said. The investigation is currently focusing on the motive and background to the incident. Twenty people were injured in the fire, including a police officer. His life is not in danger, but he is suffering from severe burns and is in intensive care, the police statement said. The other injured people, including residents of the temporary housing units, were treated on site, and some were then taken to hospital.
German chancellor gives 'Turning Point' defence speech to museum
A speech given by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is to be displayed in a museum. Scholz handed the speech, in which he spoke of a "Zeitenwende" (Turning Point) in German defence policy, over to the Haus der Geschichte historical museum, the foundation announced in Bonn on Tuesday. The pages of text - in a dark cover with a golden German federal eagle - will not be on display in the planned new permanent exhibition until the end of 2025, according to a foundation spokeswoman. On February 27, 2022, Scholz gave his famous speech in parliament, in which he emphasized that "February 24, 2022, marks a turning point in the history of our continent." Russian President Vladimir Putin had "cold-bloodedly launched a war of aggression" on that day, the chancellor told lawmakers. The Society for the German Language had named "Zeitenwende" as the word of the year in 2022. In response to Russia's attack on Ukraine, Scholz also announced that Germany's defence spending should be massively increased. He said at the time that significantly more would have to be invested in security, which would mean a "major national effort."
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