Choose your location
DPA
NATO leaders pledge €40 billion military aid to Ukraine in next year
NATO leaders on Wednesday pledged €40 billion ($43 billion) worth of military aid to Ukraine in the next year and declared the country's path to NATO membership "irreversible." Leaders from NATO's 32 member states reached the agreement on the second day of a three-day summit in Washington, after a celebration of the alliance's 75th anniversary on Tuesday. The plan to spend €40 billion in 2025 was proposed by NATO's outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a foreign ministers' meeting in Prague in May. However, Stoltenberg had wanted NATO members to make a multi-year commitment to Ukraine in order to show Russia it...
Germany's Baerbock to focus on crises, not run for chancellor
Annalena Baerbock wants to concentrate fully on her role as German foreign minister and is not seeking to run for the top job as chancellor again. Instead of being tied up in running for chancellor, she wants to devote all her energy to her current task in view of the international crises, the Green politician explained in an interview on the US television channel CNN on the fringes of the NATO summit in Washington. "Obviously, the world is a totally different one than at the last German national elections," said Baerbock. "In the light of Russia’s war of aggression and now also...
Microsoft, Apple give up OpenAI board seats
Tech majors Microsoft and Apple are dropping out of their respective seats on the Board of Directors of AI startup OpenAI, the developer of generative chatbot ChatGPT, amid increasing regulatory scrutiny in Europe and the US over generative AI, according to reports. Microsoft, OpenAI's largest investor, has quit as an observer on OpenAI's nonprofit board, a non-voting seat which it took in November last year. Microsoft's Deputy General Counsel Keith Dolliver, in a letter to OpenAI, said the seat was no longer needed as the company had witnessed significant progress from the newly formed board. Further, Apple, which was planning to join the...
EU approves €10.4bn in government aid for Air France-KLM
The European Commission on Wednesday announced the approval of Dutch and French support measures totalling €10.4 billion for Air France-KLM. The Commission had initially approved the aid in May and July 2020 under the state aid Covid Temporary Framework, but it was annulled by the General Court in December 2023 and February 2024, stating that "the Commission erred in considering Air France and KLM to be the sole beneficiaries of respectively the French and Dutch State aid measures". "In the present decision, the Commission has re-assessed the measures with the Air France-KLM Group as the beneficiary of both the French and Dutch measures and come to the conclusion that they would also be compatible with the Covid Temporary Framework or directly with the Treaty", the Commission said. Air France-KLM welcomed the new decision, but noted that the decision has no impact on the appeals lodged by the European Commission, Air France, KLM, and Air France-KLM against the judgments of the General Court of the EU. "The Court of Justice of the European Union has still to decide on these appeals," the company said.
NATO leaders to declare Ukraine's path to membership 'irreversible'
NATO leaders are expected to endorse a declaration of Ukraine's "irreversible path" to membership of the alliance on Wednesday, at a summit being held in Washington this week. The portion of text prepared for the summit declaration, seen by dpa on Wednesday, is intended to reassure Ukraine that its "future is in NATO." Leaders gathered on Tuesday for the first day of the summit, which is set to continue throughout Wednesday and Thursday. The text underscores that Ukraine can only join when all current members agree. The United States and Germany in particular are against rushing the process, diplomatic sources within the...
Netherlands and England fans fight at restaurant in Dortmund
An altercation between Netherlands and England fans broke out in front of a restaurant in Dortmund on Wednesday, just two hours before the Euro 2024 semi-final between both teams. Dortmund is hosting the match and the party of the football fans had been largely peaceful during the day. However, according to a police spokesman, two groups of people from both sides attacked each other at the restaurant. Objects were thrown and people have been reportedly injured. Officers were on site to take action, the spokesman said. Videos posted on social media showed the moment of the altercation and, according to reports, there were also problems at a public viewing area. Around 100,000 Dutch supporters marched through the city centre on Wednesday before the game, singing and celebrating towards the stadium and public viewing areas. According to the police, this was the biggest fan march the city has ever seen. There were also 25,000 English fans in the city.
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.