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EU's von der Leyen warns Orbán: 'Appeasement will not stop Putin'
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that he cannot appease Russian President Vladimir Putin with his visit to Moscow. "Appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine," von der Leyen wrote on X. Budapest did not coordinate the visit with the EU executive arm, Eric Mamer, the commission president's chief spokesman told reporters. Mamer added that the trip "undermines the unity and determination" the European Union needs to end the war in Ukraine.
Hurricane Beryl strengthens again on way to Mexico
Hurricane Beryl has again picked up force off Mexico's Yucatán peninsula before its anticipated landfall in the popular holiday destination, with wind speeds of 185 kilometres per hour. After wreaking havoc across the Caribbean, the hurricane has reached category 3 of 5, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) and the Mexican weather service said on Friday. Beryl is expected to make landfall as a severe hurricane near the seaside resort of Tulum in the coming hours. Strong winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous storm surges are expected. The hurricane had weakened to level 2 before the sudden strengthening. Mexican civil defence authorities previously assumed...
Hungary's Orbán calls for peace in Ukraine amid rumoured Moscow visit
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said his country will use its term holding the presidency of the European Union Council to advance a negotiated peace in Ukraine, as reports suggested the controversial leader is set to visit Moscow. After Hungary assumed the six-month rotating post on July 1, Orbán posted on the social media platform X: "You cannot make peace from a comfortable armchair in Brussels. Even if the rotating EU presidency has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of the EU, we cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously end." "We will serve as an important tool...
NATO chief hopes Ukraine can join alliance within 10 years
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes Ukraine can join the alliance within the next decade, he told dpa in an interview published on Friday. "I strongly hope that Ukraine will be an ally," he said in an answer to a question about the possible expansion of NATO within the next 10 years, underlining his work to achieve this during his term. The outgoing secretary general was speaking ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Washington where the alliance is celebrating its 75th anniversary and is set to announce new support for Ukraine. Stoltenberg called on NATO allies to supply Ukraine with more military...
German coalition reaches breakthrough on 2025 budget, financial plan
The leaders of Germany's three-party coalition on Friday achieved a breakthrough in negotiations on the national budget for 2025, dpa has learnt from government sources. The coalition leaders have also reached a preliminary deal on a financial plan to secure additional economic growth of more than 0.5% - worth an estimated €26 million ($28 million) - in the coming year. Sources told dpa that the coalition plans to stick with strict rules against budget deficits, known as the debt brake, banking on a significant increase in economic output and a supplementary budget to overcome shortfalls in government spending. The breakthrough comes after weeks...
German military spending slows under new budget deal
German military spending is set to increase by only €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) under the terms of the preliminary 2025 national budget agreed on Friday, far below the demands of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. The leaders of Germany's coalition government reached a breakthrough on the national budget after weeks of difficult negotiations culminated in consultations throughout the night on Thursday. With Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) refusing to release the country's debt brake on government expenditure, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) ruling out cuts to welfare spending, Germany's armed forces appear to have lost out, just two years after Scholz announced a historic rearmament programme. Speaking in May on a visit to the United States, Pistorius had spoken of an "additional requirement of €6.5 billion to €7.5 billion for the coming year," only rising in the subsequent years. He has warned of an impending "armaments stop" after the emergency €100 billion fund for the Bundeswehr agreed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is spent by 2028. The current budget for the Bundeswehr stands at €52 billion.
Turkish ultras ask fans to make wolf salute at Euro quarter-final
A Turkish ultra group has asked fans to make the controversial wolf salute at the team's Euro 2024 quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday which is highly anticipated by the large Turkish community in Berlin. The group said on platform X all Turkey fans in Berlin's Olympic Stadium were invited to make the gesture during the playing of the national anthem before the kick-off. It insisted that the wolf salute was not racist but "the national symbol of Turkishness." Controversial gesture at Austria match Turkey player Merih Demiral made the gesture, mimicking with his fingers the shape of a wolf's head, after his second...
A WWII bunker turned plant-covered hotel is Hamburg's newest landmark
A World War II bunker converted into a green hotel, bar and events space has become Hamburg's newest tourist landmark after opening to the public in July. Located in Hamburg's nightlife hub of St. Pauli, the anti-aircraft bunker is one the large concrete fortresses that can still be seen in this port city and across Germany and into which citizens were evacuated during 1940s air raids. Long out of use, the large flak tower used to shoot down enemy planes has now been raised by five storeys from 38 metres to 58 metres and relandscaped with a living exterior of plants over...
British oil and gas firm Shell revises second quarter outlook
British oil and gas company Shell Plc revised its second quarter outlook on Thursday. The company expects production in integrated gas to be in the range of 940 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (kboe/d)-980 kboe/d for the second quarter. Trading and optimization results are expected to be in line with the second quarter of 2023, but lower compared to the first-quarter of 2024 due to seasonality. Quarterly production in upstream is expected to be in the range of 1,720 kboe/d-1,820 kboe/d.In Marketing, the company expects quarterly sales volumes to be in the range of 2,700 kb/d-3,100 kb/d.
German lawmakers welcome Labour win, hope for improved ties
German lawmaker Katarina Barley of the European Social Democrats welcomed the Labour Party's election victory in the UK, stating that it gives hope to the EU. Barley was one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament in the last legislative period and her party's top candidate in the European elections in June. "I am pleased that, after years of tension, a Labour prime minister in London will now have the opportunity to strike a more friendly and constructive tone," Barley told dpa. Barley, who has a British father, added that after 14 years of conservative government, including Brexit, the EU and the UK...
Lahm wants Germany to show courage against Spain in Euro quarters
Euro 2024 tournament director Philipp Lahm hopes that the German team shows courage and says the team has the means to hurt Spain in their quarter-final match later on Friday. "I believe that the Spanish team is ahead of the German team at the moment. But we have means with which we can hurt them," Lahm told daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "I hope that we want a lot of possession, that we can play forwards and use our creative players. Then Spain will have respect. We don't have to hide from Spain." Spain have won all four matches at the tournament and have...
German coalition reaches breakthrough on 2025 budget, financial plan
The leaders of Germany's three-party coalition on Friday achieved a breakthrough in negotiations on the national budget for 2025, dpa has learnt from government sources. The coalition leaders have also reached a preliminary deal on a financial plan to secure additional economic growth of more than 0.5% - worth an estimated €26 million ($28 million) - in the coming year. Sources told dpa that the coalition plans to stick with strict rules against budget deficits, known as the debt brake, banking on a significant increase in economic output to overcome shortfalls in government spending. The breakthrough comes after weeks of negotiations between German...
Turkish ultras ask fans to make wolf salute at Euro quarter-final
A Turkish ultra group has asked fans to make the controversial wolf salute at the team's Euro 2024 quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday. The group said on platform X all Turkey fans in Berlin's Olympic Stadium were invited to make the gesture during the playing of the national anthem before the kick-off. It insisted that the wolf salute was not racist but "the national symbol of Turkishness." Turkey player Merih Demiral made the gesture, mimicking with his fingers the shape of a wolf's head, after his second goal in a 2-1 victory over Austria in the round of 16 on Tuesday. The controversial...
German budget deal to see further spending on child welfare, daycare
The German coalition's preliminary deal on the 2025 national budget includes significant increases in spending on children's welfare, government sources told dpa. The emergency child allowance for families in need will rise by €5 ($5.40) in 2025, while the government plans to invest €2 billion in improving the quality of daycare centres over the next two years and maintain support for voluntary childcare services. Government sources said Family Minister Lisa Paus and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the Greens were satisfied with the outcome, which protects spending on child welfare despite savings targets announced by Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP). Lindner, Habeck and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats (SPD) on Friday reached a preliminary deal on the 2025 national budget and a financial plan to encourage growth in Germany after weeks of difficult negotiations.
Germany keeper Neuer not thinking about retirement
Veteran Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is not thinking about retirement because it would only stress him out and possibly affect his performance. "To be honest, somehow I'm not even thinking about quitting. I think it would inhibit me and put me under pressure if I constantly reminded myself: Oh, this could be your last tournament," Neuer told Die Welt newspaper. "That wouldn't be good for me psychologically at all. That's why I look forward to every game like the one against Spain, which really is a big game," he said, referring to Friday's Euro 2024 quarter-final. The 38-year-old from Bayern Munich acknowledged that...
Iranians vote in run-off election between hardliner and reformist
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei kicked off the run-off election for the Iranian presidential elections by casting his own ballot on Friday. He urged the nation to take part in the vote, following a first round where almost 60% of eligible voters did not participate. "God willing, we will have a president tomorrow," Khamenei said in the capital Tehran. Friday's run-off pits reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian against hardliner Saeed Jalili after last week's vote failed to produce a clear winner. Some 61 million people are eligible to vote for a successor to president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter accident in May. Polling...
Fact check: Does drinking Aperol Spritz cause cancer?
The most popular summer drink these days might still be the Aperol Spritz, but recently there have been claims online suggesting that colourings contained in the aperitif are toxic and carcinogenic. The good news is that wee checked out this claim and found that it is misleading. The concerns relate to Aperol, one of the brands of the Campari Group and an Italian liqueur used as an aperitif or a mixer in cocktails. You make an Aperol Spritz by mixing it with Prosecco and mineral water, and these days, you can also find drinks similar to Aperol on offer at supermarkets under...
Germany's coalition reaches breakthrough on 2025 budget
The leaders of Germany's three-party coalition achieved a breakthrough on the 2025 national budget on Friday after long negotiations, dpa has learnt from government sources. The coalition government also plans to stick with strict rules against budget deficits, known as the debt brake, in the upcoming year, government sources told dpa. This comes after long consultations between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens and Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP). No details of the agreement were initially made public. The parliamentary groups of the Social Democrats and the Greens plan to meet at 7 am (0500 GMT). Scholz, Habeck and Lindner originally planned to reach a Cabinet-level decision by Wednesday. The Cabinet is now aiming to present a budget at its meeting on July 17. In order to meet the deadline, it was essential to reach an early agreement on the principles, as the drafting of the budget law typically takes about 10 days. The Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, will begin deliberating the draft budget from mid-September, and it could be approved in November or December.
Study links major weight-loss jabs to blindness-causing eye condition
The popular weight-loss jabs Ozempic and Wegovy have been linked to an eye condition that can cause blindness, according to a new study. People with diabetes prescribed semaglutide (brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) were more than four times more likely to be diagnosed with a condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Meanwhile, people who were overweight or obese prescribed the drugs were more than seven times as likely to develop the condition as those on other weight-loss medicines. NAION, which is uncommon, occurs from a lack of sufficient blood flow to the optic nerve. People typically suffer sudden vision loss in one...
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