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German far-right AfD continues party conference amid protests
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) continued its national party conference on Sunday in the western city of Essen amid mass anti-AfD protests that included occasional violent clashes. On the second day of the meeting, the subject for debate was the party's foreign policy orientation, for example with regard to the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. A resolution, which is supported by party co-chairwoman Alice Weidel, states that Germany must break more strongly from US foreign policy. It calls for an end to arms deliveries to Ukraine. The gathering comes ahead of September state parliamentary elections in the German states of Brandenburg, Saxony...
Russell takes win in Austria after Verstappen and Norris clash wheels
Mercedes driver George Russell was handed victory in Sunday's Austrian Formula One Grand Prix after leading duo Max Verstappen and Lando Norris clashed wheels and flew out of contention. Briton Russell stayed out of trouble behind them and glided by for his second F1 triumph after winning in Brazil in 2022. Triple world champion and standings leader Verstappen had looked poised for an easy victory on his Red Bull team's home track after winning the sprint race and topping qualifying on Saturday. But a slow second pit-stop allowed Norris to close up behind him and on a third attempt to pass the Dutchman, their wheels touched. Norris had to retire while Verstappen limped home fifth. McLaren's Oscar Piastri was second and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz third.
'Nothing to do with world class' - Vogts says Germany must improve
Former Germany coach Berti Vogts has said that the team's 2-0 against Denmark in the last 16 of Euro 2024 was far from a top class showing and that a improved performances are needed for the remainder of the tournament. "Against the absolute top teams, Germany must not allow themselves the type of flippancy they displayed against the Danes," Vogts wrote in his column for the Rheinische Post paper on Sunday. Vogts pointed out that Denmark were not one of these top teams. "However, you shouldn't praise the 2-0 win against the Danes too much, it had nothing to do with world class....
Reformist Iranian presidential candidate opposes online censorship
Reformist Iranian presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has positioned himself against internet censorship in the country days ahead of a run-off election. In a post on Sunday, the former health minister promised that a government under his leadership would oppose the blocks. He also assured that his Cabinet would campaign against the strict enforcement of headscarf-wearing rules for women in the event of an election victory. Pezeshkian and conservative hardliner Saeed Jalili are due to face off in a run-off vote in Iran's presidential election on Friday. A short election campaign phase begins on Sunday with two TV debates on Monday and Tuesday. Pezeshkian belongs...
Schäfer leaves Wolfsburg to join Leipzig as managing director
Marcel Schäfer is leaving VfL Wolfsburg to join RB Leipzig as their new managing director for sport, both Bundesliga clubs said on Sunday. Schäfer signed a contract until 2028 and will replace Max Eberl, who is now board member for sport at Bayern Munich. Leipzig reportedly paid Wolfsburg a transfer fee of around €2 million ($2.14 million). Schäfer had a contract with his previous employer until 2026. "Our mutual aim is to help this great club grow even more, be as successful as possible and be one of the top destinations for the best young talents in Europe. I’m really looking forward to...
Volkswagen cuts back on high-end Porsche cars for executives
Most top executives at German automotive giant Volkswagen can no longer order luxury Porsche sports cars as their company provided vehicles, as part of a cost-saving effort at the company. The policy change was implemented at the beginning of the year, a Volkswagen spokesman told dpa on Sunday. According to information obtained by dpa, the policy change affects around 200 managers at the company. Only Volkswagen Group board members and executives at Porsche itself - a subsidiary of Volkswagen - will be able to drive Porsche sports cars as their company cars, the Bild newspaper reported. However, the newspaper reported that there have already been lawsuits filed challenging the restrictions on Porsche company cars at the labour court in Braunschweig, near Volkswagen's headquarters in the city of Wolfsburg. Volkswagen had recently launched an efficiency and savings programme which is expected to improve earnings by €4 billion ($4.3 billion) this year, €7 billion in 2025 and €10 billion per year from 2026. The spokesman did not say how much the company is expecting to save with the Porsche ban.
Germany's far-right AfD rejects limits on Russia travel by MPs
Delegates at the Alternative for Germany's (AfD) party conference on Sunday rejected a proposal to put stricter rules on foreign travel and interviews with foreign media for politicians with the far-right party. The proposal for stricter rules, put forward by several delegates, comes after extensive negative media attention involving travel to Russia and appearances on Russian state media by AfD politicians who have voiced admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Florian Köhler, an AfD member of the Bavarian state parliament and supporter of the motion, criticized "visits to regional dictators or autocrats" and said the party should focus more on the German homeland in order to avoid being perceived by voters as vicarious agents of foreign states. The rules would have required AfD members of parliament to consult with party leadership before giving interviews to foreign media, meeting foreign leaders abroad or taking trips "with a political connection." The motion also referred to the AfD's scandal-plagued top candidate in the recent European Parliament elections, Maximilian Krah. The AfD was kicked out of the right-wing Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament after Krah made highly controversial comments defending members of the Nazi SS paramilitary in an interview with an Italian newspaper.
Midfielder Laimer glad coach Rangnick stayed on with Austria team
Austria midfielder Konrad Laimer said Ralf Rangnick's decision to stay on at the national team was a "win-win situation," after the coach refused an offer from his Bayern Munich club. "I was quite relaxed when all rumours started. Overall, it was a win-win situation for me anyway and I'm obviously very happy that he chose Austria," the midfielder said on Sunday. Laimer had already worked with Rangnick during their time at RB Leipzig and met the coach again after he took over the national team in June 2022. Rangnick was recently on the verge of a move to Bundesliga record champions Bayern, where Laimer currently plays. Club bosses were certain the transfer would go through, but Rangnick decided last-minute to stay with Austria beyond these Euros, because "I trusted my gut, listened to my heart." Laimer said he's pleased that Rangnick is "simply staying on as coach because we've started on a path together that is definitely not over yet and that we want to continue on." At Euro 2024, Rangnick has led Austria to back-to-back qualifications to the last 16, equalling their most successful campaign ever at Euro 2020. They will now face Turkey on Tuesday in Leipzig.
One dead and five injured in shooting at wedding in France
A shooting at a wedding celebration in France resulted in one fatality and five injuries in the early hours of Sunday, French prosecutors said. One young man was killed and five other victims were injured, three of them critically, they said. There were also two minor injuries caused by flying shards of glass, including a pregnant woman who also suffered a shock, the local newspaper Le Républicain Lorrain reported. When the emergency services arrived, the shooters had already fled. Around 100 people were celebrating in a banquet hall in the town of Thionville in the region of Lorraine near the German and Luxembourg borders when three masked attackers opened fire with two assault rifles and a shotgun, the prosecutors said. The shooters arrived in an off-road vehicle at around 1 am on Sunday (2300 GMT Saturday) and initially shot at three people outside the ballroom, where members of the Turkish community were celebrating a wedding, according to media reports. They then reportedly fired at two people at the entrance and fled in their vehicle. The public prosecutor's office said that an investigation has been opened, and the motives for the shooting remain unknown. The suspects face charges of gang-related murder and attempted gang-related murder.
Far-right German AfD delegate bites protester during scuffle
A delegate with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) bit a protester during a scuffle on Saturday outside the AfD's party congress in the western city of Essen. Stefan Hrdy, 67, contended in an interview with dpa on Sunday that he bit the person in self-defence amid an "escalating situation" with anti-AfD demonstrators trying to blockade the Grughalle arena where the congress is being held. A spokeswoman for the Essen police explained that they learned about the biting incident from media reporting but could not immediately say whether the person bit by Hrdy had filed a complaint. A police investigation into the incident...
Zelensky asks for more air defence after 800 Russian bombs last week
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has complained about ongoing Russian bombing and once again asked the West for more help with air defence. In the past week alone, Russia has dropped 800 glide bombs over Ukraine, Zelensky announced in Kiev on Sunday. He also published a video of the heavy destruction and fires in the Kherson, Dnipro, Odessa and Zaporizhzhya regions, among others. On Saturday, seven people were killed in an attack on the city of Vilniansk in the Zaporizhzhya region. According to official figures from Sunday, more than 40 people were injured. Lower figures had initially been reported the previous day. "Ukraine needs more air defence systems. We need strong help from our partners," said Zelensky. Ukraine needs means to shoot down the Russian fighter bombers, he said. The West is supporting Ukraine in its defence campaign against the Russian invasion, which has been going on for more than two years. The country has repeatedly demanded more US Patriot air-defence systems to better protect its cities from Russian airstrikes.
Report: Bayern's arena address to change to Franz-Beckenbauer-Platz
Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena is to be given a new address in memory of German football great Franz Beckenbauer, the Münchner Merkur/tz media group reported on Sunday. Werner-Heisenberg-Allee 25 will become Franz-Beckenbauer-Platz 5 in future. Defender Beckenbauer became a star at the club with the number 5 on his back. Members of Munich city council discussed the issue last Friday and a full go-ahead is seen as a formality. The report said nothing would change for other residents on Werner-Heisenberg-Allee, only the area around the arena will be renamed for the first anniversary of the football icon's death. Beckenbauer died on January 7 at the age of 78. He became world champion as a player with West Germany in 1974 and as a coach in 1990. He is also to be honoured with a statue in front of the Allianz Arena.
Police: Masked photographer on Dortmund stadium roof was no threat
A man who climbed under the roof of the Dortmund stadium during Germany's European Championship round of 16 match on Saturday wearing a mask and carrying a large rucksack only wanted to take photographs, police have said. A video, published by the website of English newspaper the Daily Mail, shows the man being arrested by police at gunpoint after the match against Denmark. Officers announced that the man was from the German city of Osnabrück, around 120 kilometres north of Dortmund. "According to initial findings, the 21-year-old wanted to take photos on the roof of the stadium, as he had already done in...
Italy's Fiat beaten by Swiss Ferrari, but Spalletti stays in job
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti will stay in his job despite the holders' meek exit from the European Championship last 16, federation president Gabriele Gravina said on Sunday. The Swiss dominated the Azzurri to win 2-0 on Saturday in Berlin and advance to the quarter-finals. "Demanding resignations is not right," Gravina told reporters at Italy's base. "Spalletti has our trust. We need patience." The 70-year-old Gravina confirmed he would also not step down. After missing out on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, with a Euro title inbetween under Roberto Mancini, this was the worst European Championship performance for Italy since 2004. "We have to scrutinize...
Sarajevo-born author Tijan Sila wins Ingeborg Bachmann Prize
Tijan Sila, a Sarajevo-born author now living in Germany, has won the prestigious Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, worth €25,000 ($26, 800). Sila beat 13 competitors to win the prestigious literary competition in the Austrian city of Klagenfurt on Sunday. Sila impressed the jury for the German-language literature prize with his text the title of which translates as "The Day My Mother Went Crazy," in which he writes about intergenerational trauma, family conflicts, and madness. Juror Philipp Tingler spoke about a unique linguistic "mixture of pointedness, tragicomedy and melancholy." "I still can't quite believe it, but I'm euphoric nonetheless," Sila said after the award ceremony on...
Turnout at 25.9% by midday in French parliamentary election
In the first round of the parliamentary election in France, one in four eligible voters had cast their vote by midday, the Interior Ministry in Paris reported on Sunday. Voter turnout was at 25.9% at 12 pm (1000 GMT). This was 7.47 percentage points higher than at the same time during the previous parliamentary election two years ago. Around 49.3 million registered voters can cast their ballots. The last polling stations are expected to close at 8 pm. Projections of the outcome of the first round are expected shortly thereafter. Several prominent politicians already cast their votes in the morning, including former presidents...
Blow for Dutch star Depay at Euros - club side Atlético release him
Netherlands striker Memphis Depay has been released by club side Atlético Madrid, just two days before his side's Euro 2024 last-16 clash with Romania. Spaniard Mario Hermoso and Brazilian Gabriel Paulista are also leaving the club on free transfers, Atléti said in a statement. Depay, 30, only moved there from Barcelona in January 2023. He has been constantly criticized as club and national level for not fulfilling his promise. However, Depay could replace Robin van Persie as the Oranje's record all-time goalscorer at this tournament. He is four goals short of the record of 50 and is set to start in Ronald Koeman's team against Romania on Tuesday. "I can handle criticism well. I'm used to it," Depay told a news conference at the Dutch team's headquarters in Wolfsburg on Sunday. "The coach's trust is important to me. I feel it and want to repay him."
Italy expects 6.5 million holidaymakers from Germany
Italy is expecting around 6.5 million holidaymakers from Germany this summer - more than from any other country, according to a survey published by the tourism association Assoturismo Confesercenti at the weekend. According to the survey, most German citizens will be travelling to the sea again this year or to the large Italian lakes such as Lake Garda. The German-speaking region of South Tyrol and its mountains continue to enjoy great popularity. Italian tourism experts expect a total of 34.1 million overnight stays by German holidaymakers in the three summer months - around a third of all overnight stays. Compared to the same period last year, this would correspond to an increase of 3.5%. According to figures from the national central bank, German citizens spend an average of around €123 ($132) per day in Italy. Three quarters travel by car. The United States, with 2.5 million tourists, France with 2.3 million, Switzerland and the Netherlands, with 1.6 million each, are the next in the rankings of vistors. At €210, US tourists spend the most per day in Italy.
Centre of Istanbul cordoned off after governor bans Pride parade
The governor of Istanbul has banned this year's Pride parade in Istanbul and has had the city centre cordoned off. The event will not be authorized, the governor's office announced on Sunday without giving a reason. "Illegal groups" had called for an unauthorized protest march, it simply said. The area around the central Taksim Square had been closed to vehicle traffic, and pedestrian traffic was being controlled. The police had already erected barriers in the centre the previous evening. Activists had called for the demonstration in favour of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. The government has been trying to prevent the annual Pride parade for years. Last year, numerous people were detained. Homosexual relationships are not illegal in Turkey. However, representatives of the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have repeatedly expressed open hostility towards LGBTQ people.
Hungary's Orbán announces new far-right European party alliance
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced in Vienna on Sunday an alliance with populist parties from Austria and the Czech Republic at the EU level, dubbed Patriots for Europe, to form a new far-right group in the European Parliament. The Patriots for Europe grouping draws in Orbán's Fidesz party, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and the Czech Republic's Action of Dissatisfied Citizens, commonly known as ANO (Yes), should soon gain more members and become the "largest group of right-wing forces in Europe," the Fidesz leader said. "Then the sky is the limit," said Orbán, whose country takes over the rotating EU...
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