Choose your location
DPA
Is vaping near kids less harmful than smoking near them?
In further evidence that vaping is generally less damaging than smoking tobacco, if only slightly, a study of children in the US has found they absorb much less nicotine when exposed to vapes than from second-hand cigarette smoke. "These findings suggest that switching from smoking to vaping indoors may substantially reduce, but not eliminate, children’s second-hand exposure to nicotine and other noxious substances," according to the University College London scientists who undertook the research. While parents and adults have long been warned not to light up around children due to the ill-effects of passive smoking, the researchers said that the increasing prevalence...
Fire extinguished in French mediaeval cathedral tower in Rouen
A fire in the large tower of the cathedral in the French city of Rouen has been extinguished, the fire brigade said on Thursday. Workers had discovered the fire during construction work and raised the alarm. The flames had broken out at a height of 120 metres. The fire brigade arrived with numerous fire engines and dozens of firefighters, who reached the tower using a giant ladder. A black cloud of smoke was visible from afar. The cathedral was evacuated and the surrounding area was cordoned off. The Mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, said the cause of the fire was initially unclear. There were no reports of injuries.
Kenya's president dismisses Cabinet after anti-government protests
Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday dismissed almost the entire Cabinet following fierce protests against his government. Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi was the only exception, Ruto said in a speech at his official residence. The attorney general was dismissed with immediate effect. The duties of the ministers would be taken over by the state secretaries until a new Cabinet is appointed. "I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government," Ruto said. He promised a "lean, inexpensive, effective and efficient" new government. Protests over the past three weeks, which included a storming of the Parliament, have been directed against a controversial tax law, Ruto's conduct in office, corruption and the waste of public funds. At least 39 people were killed when the police fired live ammunition at the demonstrators.
Milan's main international airport now named after Silvio Berlusconi
The main international airport in the northern Italian city of Milan now bears the name of the late former prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. Milan Malpensa Airport, which lies about 50 kilometres outside of the city, is now officially called Aeroporto Silvio Berlusconi. Far-right Transport Minister Matteo Salvini fast-tracked the name-change and gave final approval on Thursday, despite criticism from the opposition. The centre-right Forza Italia party, which Berlusconi founded, is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government in Rome. Milan Mayor Beppe Sala, a centre-left politician, argued that the airport's name could not be changed because of a rule that public...
Finland's president has 'no concerns' about Biden's capacity to lead
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Thursday that he has "no concerns" about US President Joe Biden's capacity to lead, amid growing anxiety among supporters of his Democratic Party that the 81-year-old is no longer mentally fit enough. "I have absolutely no concerns about the capacity of the current president of the United States to lead his country and to lead our fight for Ukraine and to lead NATO," Stubb told reporters at a NATO summit in Washington, which began on Tuesday. "I've had the opportunity to speak to President Biden on many occasions during the past 48 hours," Stubb said. "We human beings, when we're treated in the public eye, we're never as good as we sometimes look, and we're never as bad." At a speech opening the summit on Tuesday, Biden was able to read a speech from a teleprompter without significant slip-ups, though he occasionally slurred his words. Concerns about his mental capacity have been brewing for some time, but escalated after an election debate last month with his opponent Donald Trump, in which Biden appeared to lose his train of thought and ramble incoherently.
German president seeks soul-searching as GDR jail memorial opens
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Thursday for more information on forced labour in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and for holding former profiteers in the West accountable. Steinmeier, speaking at the opening of a memorial in the former Hoheneck women's prison, spoke of a dark chapter in inner-German history. Prisoners had been forced to do piecework and their labour was exploited for foreign currency, Steinmeier said in his speech in Stollberg near Chemnitz. In addition to the former East German state, West German companies that received cheap goods also profited from this. "I would like companies that imported products manufactured in...
Germany strikes deal to phase out Chinese-made parts from 5G network
The German government has reached an agreement with Chinese telecommunications providers Huawei and ZTE to remove Chinese-made components from the German 5G mobile network by 2029. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Thursday confirmed that a deal has been struck, saying that the government had closely examined the risks involved. "We have now made a clear and strict decision," she said, adding: "Critical components may no longer be used in the core network by the end of 2026 at the latest. In the access and transport networks, the critical management systems must be replaced by the end of 2029 at the latest." The core...
VW in solid-state battery licensing deal with US QuantumScape
Germany's Volkswagen Group has concluded a licensing deal with US company QuantumScape that will allow VW to produce solid-state batteries for up to a million electric cars a year, VW battery subsidiary PowerCo announced on Thursday. PowerCo did not say where production would be sited, nor when it would start. It currently makes batteries in Salzgitter in Germany, Valencia in Spain and in Canada. The technology, which promises greater range, lower weight and quicker charging, is not yet ready for series production. "Electric vehicles are the future of mobility, and this agreement with QuantumScape will ensure the Volkswagen Group's global fleet has access...
German Minister Faeser satisfied with Euro 2024 security so far
German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said ahead of the Euro 2024 final that she's is satisfied with the security situation at the tournament. "For a sporting event of this size, there have only been a few security-related incidents so far," Faeser said. She thanked the thousands of volunteers and emergency services for the security surrounding the tournament. They made a major contribution to ensuring that the Euros has gone so well so far, she said. "The police forces of the federal states in particular, but also our federal police, have made a decisive contribution to the fact that we have had a largely peaceful tournament so far," Faeser praised, but stressed that security remains the top priority for Sunday's final between Spain and England in Berlin. Despite minor disruptions and fan hooligan violence on the periphery of some matches, the security concept has been considered successful by the authorities. According to Faeser, around seven and a half million people have visited the stadiums and fan zones in Germany so far. "I hope that this great European Championship in our country will come to a peaceful conclusion, with the focus remaining on sport and togetherness," she said.
Georgian leaders not upset by NATO omission of possible accession
Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani has played down the fact that Georgian accession to NATO was not explicitly mentioned in the NATO summit declaration as has been the case in previous years. Even if Georgia was not mentioned as a candidate member in the declaration on Wednesday, NATO had made clear that membership is open to states in the South Caucasus, Chikovani said in Tbilisi. He is convinced that Georgia could eventually join the alliance. NATO did explicitly call for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Chikovani said. Still, political analysts see the omission...
Spain defender Navas misses team training ahead of Euro 2024 final
Spain defender Jesus Navas didn't train with the team on Thursday ahead of the Euro 2024 final against England in Berlin. He just completed an individual session after being subbed off in the 58th minute of the 2-1 win against France in the semi-final on Tuesday. It's unclear whether he will be fit for Sunday's game. Navas initially replaced right back Daniel Carvajal against France, as his team-mate had to serve a yellow card suspension. Carvajal, however, is expected to return to the starting line-up against England. Robin Le Normand, who was also suspended, is to make a comeback as well. Navas is the last...
Israel has list of UNRWA staff allegedly also active for Hamas
Israel says it has compiled a list of employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) who are allegedly also active in Palestinian Islamist Hamas. Israel had identified 108 UNRWA employees to whom this applies and presented a list of them to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, the Israeli embassy in Berlin announced. Only a small number of the hundreds of UNRWA employees are said to be employed by Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the embassy said, in information that cannot be independently verified. A spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the...
Samsung's Galaxy Ring an 'interesting bet', expert says
Samsung’s decision to release a smart ring makes sense because of the increasing demand for health tracking tech, but it remains a “niche” device for now, an industry expert has said. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said the launch of the Galaxy Ring was an “interesting bet” by the technology giant. The ring is due to be launched later this month, and Samsung says it will come with a battery life of up to seven days and is designed to be worn 24 hours a day to help users monitor their health stats during the day, but also while they...
Night owls have superior brain function, study finds
People who are night owls could be sharper than morning people, a new study suggests. Those who are most active and alert in the evenings appear to perform better at cognitive tests. Researchers, led by academics from Imperial College London, said that various studies have examined sleep and cognitive abilities- in particular the length that someone sleeps – but little is known about sleep patterns, or chronotypes, and cognition. So they examined data on thousands of people taking part in the UK Biobank study to examine the “intricate relationships” between sleep duration, quality and chronotype – categorised in the study as “morningness,”...
Will my car run on e-fuels? German tests say yes
E-fuels may seem like a viable low-emissions alternative to fossil fuels, yet many motorists ask themselves whether regular cars can cope with the synthetics. A new study by Germany's huge ADAC motoring club, which commissioned experts at the TU Darmstadt university, has shed light on this and concluded that most modern cars can indeed tolerate e-fuels without any modifications. The test used Eco100Pro petrol, certified as 100% non-fossil, and the scientists ruled that there was no technical risk to modern engines after putting motors through a rigorous set of tests. The motors were used in bench trials, on the racetrack in the ADAC...
Pepsico updates revenue growth outlook after Q2 beats estimates
US drinks maker PepsiCo shares were losing around 2.4% in the pre-market activity on the Nasdaq. While the company reported higher profit and revenues in its second quarter above market estimates, it slightly adjusted the fiscal 2024 organic revenue growth view. The company further maintained its forecast for annual core earnings growth. Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said, "For the balance of the year, we will further elevate and accelerate our productivity initiatives and make disciplined commercial investments in the marketplace to stimulate growth. These investments will focus on surgically providing optimal value propositions within certain portions of our North America convenient foods...
Germany strikes deal to phase out Chinese-made parts from 5G network
The German government has reached an agreement with Chinese telecommunications providers Huawei and ZTE to remove Chinese-made components from the German 5G mobile network by 2029. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Thursday confirmed that a deal has been struck, saying that the government had closely examined the risks involved. "We have now made a clear and strict decision," she said, adding: "Critical components may no longer be used in the core network by the end of 2026 at the latest. In the access and transport networks, the critical management systems must be replaced by the end of 2029 at the latest." The core...
Ford’s Capri returns as electric SUV
Ford has returned one of its most famous nameplates for its latest electric model – Capri. Launched in the late 1960s the original Capri came on song in the 1980s where its long bonnet and muscle-car focus made it a European interpretation of America’s famous ‘pony cars’. Built in the UK for much of its life, the Capri claimed cult status on these shores, appearing in a number of iconic television shows such as The Professionals. Having retired for decades, the Capri name is now used for a completely different vehicle – an electric SUV. Sitting atop the MEB platform used underneath a...
Italy cracks down on mobile phones in classrooms
Mobile phones are set to be banned from Italian classrooms in the new school year, under a decree issued on Thursday by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing administration. The measure was introduced by Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara from the nationalist League party and aims to prohibit the use of smartphones in schools, including for teaching purposes. Tablets and computers can still be used with teachers' consent. The ban on mobile phones is intended to improve pupils' behaviour. In addition, schoolchildren are to be encouraged to improve their handwriting skills. Valditara further announced the reintroduction of a "school calendar" in which tasks must be written down by hand, allowing parents to keep track of their children's education. "We need to get our children used to pen and paper again," said the minister. A ban on mobile phones in Italian schools has been in place for several years, but was not widely enforced. Other countries have introduced similar measures in recent years to create a better learning environment for schoolchildren. Italy's education ministry was renamed the Ministry of Education and Merit after Meloni's right-wing coalition took office in October 2022. The change is intended to reflect a stronger emphasis on individual achievement.
Poland says thousands of Ukrainian refugees to join volunteer brigade
Thousands of Ukrainian citizens living in Poland have signed up to join a planned volunteer brigade, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said in Washington on Wednesday. On the sidelines of the NATO summit, Sikorski said: "Many of them really want to serve and make a difference to their compatriots on the front line, but they say: 'We don't want to be sent into battle without the right training and equipment.'" Poland, which has hosted almost 1 million Ukrainian refugees since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, is to train and equip the volunteers before their deployment in Ukraine, Sikorski said. The volunteer brigade...
DPA
+
Posts
+
Views
The German Press Agency (dpa) is one of the world’s leading independent news agencies. As a joint venture of the German media, we have successfully reported on national and international events since 1949. We are convinced that an enlightened democratic society needs verified information in order to make good, fact-based decisions. This requires an independent news agency and independent journalists. DPA is committed to the facts, but not to any political party, government, religion, culture, company, or other group. This is guaranteed by the DPA statute.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.