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Philippines to protest China's manoeuvres over disputed sea
The Philippines on Monday said it would protest a manoeuvre by two Chinese aircraft in the disputed South China Sea last week which Manila says endangered a routine air patrol over the area. According to the Philippine military, a Chinese aircraft last Thursday fired flares in the path of a Philippine air force NC-212i plane while it was conducting a patrol over Scarborough Shoal, locally called Bajo De Masinloc. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters the Philippines was preparing to file a protest for the latest manoeuvre, adding: "Naturally we cannot let this be. Even if it is just a diplomatic protest,...
Germany's wine queen tradition shaken up as men apply for the crown
German wine-growing regions are re-thinking the traditional wine queen role, with some expanding the tradition to include men while others ditch the post altogether. The traditional Pfalz wine-growing region has been roiled by debate since locals decided to abolish the historic tradition of appointing a wine queen. Instead, Germany's second-largest wine-growing region is picking a Pfalz wine ambassador, replacing the familiar crown with a more modest lapel pin. In the mostly male-dominated wine industry, wine princesses and wine queens have long represented wine at festivals and political meetings in a bid to boost wine sales. Germany has 13 wine-growing areas and so far, none...
African youth struggle as lack of birth certificates hamper prospects
In many developed countries, a birth certificate is a given, but in many African countries, obtaining one is not the norm. In sub-Saharan Africa, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), only every second child under the age of five is officially registered. Ethiopia and Somalia have the lowest rates, where only 3% of all children under the age of five have a birth certificate, UNICEF says. This lack of documentation impacts every aspect of life, from accessing education and healthcare to employment and protection from exploitation. With Africa's population rapidly growing, addressing this issue is critical for securing the future of millions of...
Rublev, Popyrin into Canadian Open final, Anisimiova to face Pegula
Andrey Rublev withstood an extended rain break to dismiss Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-2 and charge into the final of the Canadian Open in Montreal. Rain delayed play by almost two hours at 6-4, 1-1. Once the players returned to the court, Rublev won five of the final six games of the match. "The wait has been worth it. I'm happy to be in my first Canadian final," Rublev said after the match. In the other semi-final, Alexei Popyrin ended Sebastian Korda's eight-match winning streak to claim his spot in the final with a 7-6 (7-0), 6-3 win. "It means the world ... it's...
Pilot dies after helicopter collides with Australian hotel rooftop
A pilot has died after a helicopter collided with a hotel roof in Australia early on Monday. Queensland police said emergency services were called to the hotel in Cairns, in north-eastern Australia, around 1:50 am (1550 GMT Sunday) following reports a twin engine helicopter had crashed into the roof. "The resulting impact caused a fire on top of the hotel; however the building was evacuated as a precaution and there were no injuries sustained by people on the ground," police said in a statement. The sole occupant of the helicopter was found dead at the scene and forensic investigations were underway to formally identify them. An exclusion zone had been declared in the area and the Forensic Crash Unit and Australian Transport Safety Bureau would prepare a report for the Coroner, police said. Investigations into the accident are ongoing.
Israeli defence minister warns Iran, Hezbollah against retaliation
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday warned Iran and Hezbollah to avoid retaliatory strikes against Israel, as the Lebanese militia said it attacked an Israeli training base with drones. "Whoever harms us in a way that has not previously occurred will probably be hit in a way that has not previously occurred," said Gallant, arguing that Israel is fighting for its existence in a hostile environment. Israel is bracing itself for an attack following the killings within days of two leading Israeli opponents in recent weeks: a Hezbollah commander in Beirut and the political leader of the Palestinian militant organization Hamas,...
IOC president Bach closes Paris Olympics
The Paris Games have officially been closed by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach. Bach closed the third Games in the French capital towards the end of a lavish and futuristic closing ceremony which included handover to the 2028 hosts Los Angeles. "The Olympic Games Paris 2024 were Olympic Games of a new era," Bach said. The three-hour show at the Stade de France featured 270 performers and acts including French bands Phoenix and Air, plus Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg in the handover part to LA who dazzled the stadium crowd and billions more around the world via TV and livestreams.
Olympics 'of a new era' in Paris come to an end, next up LA 2028
The Paris Olympics ended with a lavish and futuristic closing ceremony on Sunday and the handover to the 2028 hosts Los Angeles. "The Olympic Games Paris 2024 were Olympic Games of a new era," International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said. He praised them as "an amazing stage" with "iconic venues" in which the fans created "an overwhelming atmosphere." "These were sensational Games from start to finish - or dare I say, Seine-sational Olympic Games from start to finish," said Bach at the end of the third Games in the French capital, the others being in 1900 and 1924. The reference, which only...
German defence minister: Debate on deployment of US weapons important
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has shown himself open to a debate on the planned deployment of long-range US weapons in Germany. "[The debate is] important so that we as a society can, after weighing all the arguments, come to a position that we can all live with," the Social Democrat (SPD) politician told the broadsheet daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). "We need this public debate to make it clear how serious the situation is: On the one hand, we are experiencing a new threat situation in Europe due to the aggressive stance of Russia, and on the other hand, we have...
Paris Olympics closing ceremony starts
The closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics started on Sunday night, a planned show of almost three hours in the Stade de France which includes the handover to the next Games 2028 in Los Angeles. Frennch swimming sensation Léon Marchard, symbolically started to move from the Olympic cauldron at Tuileries gardens to the stadium where it was to be extinguished later. Some 270 performers were scheduled to dazzle the stadium crowd and billions more around the world via TV and livestreams at the end of the Games which opened on July 26. Acts were to include Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chillie Peppers and Snoop Dogg. The athletes parade was not by country but in a mix of nations, with flag bearers including French rugby hero Antoine Dupont, American swimmer Katie Ledecky and British triathlete Alex Yee. Also included is the victory ceremony for the women's marathon, won by Dutch Sifan Hassan, 36 hours after a 10,000m bronze and seven days after a 5,000m bronze as well. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach was to officially close the Games, his last as he will step down next year. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo was to hand over to her LA counterpart, Karen Bass.
Israel calls on residents in northern Khan Younis to flee new advance
The Israeli army on Sunday urged residents of a northern neighbourhood in Khan Younis to leave the area immediately ahead of a new military operation in the Gaza Strip city. The al-Jalaa neighbourhood of Khan Younis will no longer be considered part of a humanitarian zone due to "significant terrorist activity" there, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday. The IDF said civilians in al-Jalaa should move to a redrawn humanitarian zone. The IDF said residents had been informed via SMS, telephone calls, flyers and other messages in Arabic. "The adjustment is being carried out in accordance with precise intelligence indicating that...
Israeli defence minister warns Iran, Hezbollah against retaliation
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday warned Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia to avoid retaliatory strikes against Israel, as Hezbollah said it attacked an Israeli training base with drones. "Whoever harms us in a way that has not previously occurred will probably be hit in a way that has not previously occurred," said Gallant, arguing that Israel is fighting for its existence in a hostile environment. Israel is bracing itself for an attack following the killings within days of two leading Israeli opponents in recent weeks: a Hezbollah commander in Beirut and the political leader of the Palestinian militant group...
Germany to further limit knives in public after rise in attacks
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Sunday said she wants to "further restrict the use of knives in public," amid a marked rise in knife crime. Faeser told the Sunday edition of the German mass-circulation Bild newspaper that the coalition government is aiming to "create a general ban on handling dangerous flick knives." The existing legal limit for knives carried in public of 12 centimetres is set to be shortened to 6 centimetres, the minister said. "We will be submitting corresponding amendments to the weapons legislation shortly," she added. According to police statistics, 8,951 cases of dangerous and grievous bodily harm were reported last...
Biles, Marchand and others - Paris delivers 'sensational' Olympics
From Simone Biles, Sifan Hassan and Katie Ledecky to Léon Marchand, Mijain Lopez and Stephen Curry - the 16 days of Paris Olympics sport delivered just as sensationally as the French capital. Paris dressed itself up and made the most of its iconic landmarks, from the Eiffel Tower to the Grand Palais, as it welcomed more than 10,000 athletes from 200+ countries to its third Games. And there were millions of fans, from France and around the world, who created a party-like atmosphere in a welcoming return to normal after the Covid-marred and delayed Tokyo 2020 Games. The virus was however still present...
Reports: Germany forward Beier joining Dortmund from Hoffenheim
Germany forward Maximilian Beier is joining Borussia Dortmund from Hoffenheim, media reports said on Sunday. The 21-year-old, who made one appearance during Germany's Euro 2024 campaign, will sign a five-year contract with the Champions League runners-up. Dortmund, fifth in the Bundesliga last term, are set to pay around €30 million ($33 million). Beier, who has a deal at Hoffenheim until 2027, would immediately replace Niclas Füllkrug after his move to English club West Ham United. He scored 16 goals last season and can be deployed across the front line. The medical check is scheduled for Monday, various reports said. If it goes smoothly, the new signing could be part of the squad for Dortmund's German Cup first-round clash at Phönix Lübeck next Saturday. So far in this window, Dortmund have recruited VfB Stuttgart players Serhou Guirassy and Waldemar Anton as well as Pascal Gross from Brighton and Yan Couto of Manchester City. Beier's arrival makes the departure of Dortmund attacker Youssoufa Moukoko more likely.
German Foreign Office urges Gaza ceasefire after 'terrible' strike
The German Foreign Office on Sunday again called for a ceasefire in Gaza, one day after an Israeli airstrike on a school in the territory reportedly killed dozens of civilians. "The reports from Gaza are terrible. The killing of civilians seeking protection is unacceptable. The repeated attacks on schools by the Israeli army must stop and be investigated quickly," the ministry wrote on the social media platform X. "The entire region urgently needs the humanitarian ceasefire proposed by the US, Egypt and Qatar and the release of the hostages. This opportunity to alleviate the suffering must now be seized as a matter of urgency," the ministry added. It also criticized the Palestinian militant group Hamas for using civilians as human shields. The Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza said at least 93 people were killed in Saturday's strike in Gaza City, which Israel said targeted Hamas commanders.
Germany's Scholz warns Netanyahu against spiral of violence
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday expressed concern about the danger of a regional war in the Middle East during a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a government spokesman said in Berlin. The conversation came one day after an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza reportedly killed dozens of civilians, with the German Foreign Office later calling the attack "unacceptable" and calling for a ceasefire. Scholz told Netanyahu that the German government strongly condemns threats from Iran, Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and others against the security of Israel and its citizens, spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said. The chancellor stressed the...
Germany with worst medal performance in Paris since reunification
Germany ended the Paris Olympics on 12 golds, 33 medals overall and 10th place, their worst summer Games since reunification in 1990. Although they picked up two more golds than in Tokyo three years ago, the total of 33 medals was four fewer than in Japan and at the low end of expectations. Tenth place in the rankings is also worse than Tokyo, where Germany came ninth. At the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Games, the German team were among the top six nations. Jörg Bügner, sporting director at the German Athletics Association, summarized what he thought was the problem in one sentence:...
Dutch cyclist Lavreysen surges to third Paris Games gold in keirin
Harrie Lavreysen added keirin gold to sprint and team sprint glory at the Paris Olympics on Sunday to underline the current Dutch domination of track cycling. He followed in the slipsteam of British greats Chris Hoy (2008) and Jason Kenny (2016) in achieving the feat at one Olympics, also becoming the most successful Dutch Olympian ever at a summer Games. The 27-year-old bettered his tally from Tokyo where he won gold in the sprints but only bronze in the keirin. "It’s incredible, this was my biggest dream to go for gold three times," Lavreysen said. "I felt really strong the full week. This morning,...
Locals briefly occupy Mallorca party beach to protest mass tourism
Some 100 locals in Mallorca on Sunday occupied an infamous party beach to protest against the millions of tourists that descend on the Spanish island every summer. "We want to remind people, even if only for a few hours, that the beach belongs to all Mallorcans," activist Eloy told the Diario de Mallorca newspaper. The protest took place on the Playa de Palma beach in an area popular with German tourists and known to them as the Ballermann. The activist said the tourists understood their demands. "The action is not directed against them, but against the tourism model," said Eloy. Locals in Mallorca and other parts of Spain popular with holidaymakers have been protesting against mass tourism for months. Tens of thousands of people joined separate rallies held in Palma de Mallorca in May and June to protest the effects of mass tourism, including the rising cost of living and a lack of affordable housing. While the protests have been peaceful so far, graffiti slogans including "Kill a tourist" have surfaced in Mallorca recently, according to local media.
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