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Wine to wildlife: Four places that show how varied South Africa is
South Africa markets itself as the "most beautiful end of the world." In any case, the country is one of huge variety that goes beyond the world-famous Kruger National Park or the Garden Route, the panoramic stretch along the southern tip of the African continent. Here are four stops for an unforgettable journey. 1. Cape Town: The colourful sides of the city on Table Mountain It is as if painters applied a thick coat of paint and emptied entire boxes of watercolours: Bo-Kaap, Cape Town's historic Cape Malay neighbourhood, looks like a large painting. The residents' ancestors were brought into the country from...
As Merkel turns 70, most Germans sense decline since her 2021 exit
A majority of Germans believe that conditions in their country have worsened since former conservative chancellor Angela Merkel's tenure ended, according to a new survey by the opinion research institute YouGov. According to the survey, 61% believe that conditions in Germany have worsened since Merkel's departure from politics in December 2021, while 25% believe that they have remained about the same. A total of 2,030 people were surveyed online between June 28 and July 3, according to YouGov. The sample was chosen to reflect population parameters such as age, gender, religion, voting behaviour, education and political interest - and therefore represents the electorate aged 18 and over. Those who see a decline in the situation largely attribute it at least in part to the work of Germany's three-party centre-left coalition government under her successor, Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Specifically, 28% cite the "bad government" of Scholz, while 15% attribute the worsened conditions to external factors. For more than half of the respondents, both factors play a role. Merkel, who entered the chancellery in 2005 and held the office for 16 years, celebrates her 70th birthday on Wednesday. She was the first woman to be German chancellor.
Germany's Nordex hails 'milestone' installation of new wind turbine
Nordex said on Tuesday it had installed the world's first N175/6.X wind turbine at the Burgerwindpark Janneby wind park in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. With a rotor swept area of 24,053 square metres and a nominal capacity of up to 6.8 MW, Nordex said the N175/6.X is its most powerful turbine for medium and light wind sites. "The installation of the first N175/6.X is an important milestone for Nordex. The N175/6.X is another variant of our globally proven Delta4000 platform, using validated components," said Jose Luis Blanco, CEO of the German wind turbine maker. Nordex said the turbine was installed on a steel tower with a hub height of 112 metres. A second N175/6.X is to follow in eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in late autumn 2024.
Trump makes first public appearance since assassination attempt
Former US president Donald Trump has made his first public appearance since an assassination attempt, appearing at the Republican National Convention with a bandage over his right ear. Trump, who was confirmed as the Republican presidential candidate earlier on Monday, entered the convention to a standing ovation. He then posed on stage with his vice presidential running-mate JD Vance. It was Trump's first public appearance since a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Saturday, where a shooter was able to climb to an elevated position with an assault rifle and fire a number of shots at Trump, causing panic to break out in the audience. Trump, wounded in the ear and left bleeding, struck a defiant tone as he pumped his fist while being whisked off the stage.
Germany bans far-right magazine Compact
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has banned the magazine Compact which has been classified by intelligence services as far-right extremist. Production company Conspect Film GmbH has also been banned, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday morning. According to a ministry statement, police have been raiding the outlet's premises and the homes of leading actors, management and shareholders in the states of Brandenburg, Hesse, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt since the early hours of this morning to confiscate assets and evidence. Faeser justified the ban by saying that Compact is a "central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene." "This magazine incites hatred against Jews, against people with...
European Parliament set to re-elect Roberta Metsola as president
The European Parliament holds the first session of its new term in Strasbourg on Tuesday, with lawmakers expected to re-elect Malta's Roberta Metsola as president. Metsola from the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) is set to receive backing for another two-and-a-half-year term after her group won 188 seats in the European elections in June. The centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) came a distant second with 136 seats while the environmentalist Greens and liberal Renew Europe groups both lost support and seats. The election result was characterized by a shift to the right in the European Union and the striking reorganization of far-right groups...
Garden heroes: Horsetail and nettles are true plant saviours
An ailing plant is more susceptible to pests, just as we are more prone to disease when our immune system is weakened. There's no need to resort to pesticides, however, as plenty of natural remedies effectively boost plant health and prevent infestations. "No matter what problem you have in the garden, you don't need pesticides," says Corinna Hölzel, an expert on pesticides with the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND). She recommends to boost plant health using liquid manure, which you can make yourself from nettles or horsetail, for example. Put the shoots in a large container filled with...
Germany eyes cooperation with W Africa to counter Sahel instability
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Senegal on Monday in an effort to intensify cooperation with West Africa's democracies in order to keep at bay the instability currently seen in the Sahel countries. "Security here in the region, the future prospects of this region, are also closely linked to our own security and our own development," Baerbock said in Dakar. "The problems and challenges of the region, terror, migration, organized crime and poverty also directly affect us in Europe," said the minister, who is also planning to visit Ivory Coast, another of West Africa's few remaining democracies. Senegal and Ivory Coast are...
Champions Spain parade through Madrid in heroes' welcome
European champions Spain on Monday joined thousands of fans in a party through the streets of Madrid to celebrate their Euro 2024 triumph. Spain defeated England 2-1 in Berlin on Sunday to claim a record fourth European title. After landing, the squad was received by King Felipe VI, who attended Sunday's game, at the Zarzuela Palace. The king's daughters, Crown Princess Leonor, 18, and Infanta Sofía, 17, wore national team jerseys with the number 10 of Leipzig's Dani Olmo. Felipe thanked the footballers for the joy they had brought to the country. They then met Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace. Sánchez wrote...
Anger at Hungary's Orbán prompts top EU officials to boycott meetings
The European Commission will carry out a partial boycott of Hungary's EU presidency in the wake of controversial trips abroad taken by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán which angered top officials. Informal meetings of EU ministers will not be attended by EU commissioners, but only by senior officials "in light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian presidency," a spokesman for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on the social media platform X. The decision comes after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin just days after Hungary assumed the EU's rotating...
US Republicans nominate Trump as presidential candidate
The US Republican Party officially nominated Donald Trump as its presidential candidate at its national party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Monday. Trump received the necessary majority of delegates' votes at the party gathering, which began just two days after an attempt on Trump's life that shocked the country. Delegates are party members who are sent to the nominating convention from all 50 states and six territories. Based on the primary election results in their state or territory, they officially declare their votes for their party's presidential candidate. A short while earlier, Trump announced that he had picked JD Vance, a senator from Ohio, to be his vice presidential running-mate. "I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of vice president of the United States is Senator JD Vance of the great state of Ohio," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. The US presidential election will be held on November 5, and is set to be a rematch between Trump and the incumbent Democratic president, Joe Biden. Current Vice President Kamala Harris is set to be Biden's running-mate again. The Democratic ticket has however been thrown into some confusion by doubts about Biden's fitness for office.
US Secret Service increases security measures after attack on Trump
Security measures for the US Republican Party convention and for Donald Trump have been stepped up following the assassination attempt on the former president. Planning for the security of the huge gathering in Milwaukee in the US state of Wisconsin has been "reviewed and strengthened" following the assassination attempt on Saturday, said the director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, on Monday. The agency is responsible for protecting the occupant of the White House and former presidents. It was criticized after the assassination attempt, when a gunman shot at Trump from a nearby rooftop during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The plan for...
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