Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Alaska on Sunday ahead of a NATO summit in Washington to learn about the progress of Arctic Defender, a German-led multinational military exercise. "We Europeans are taking responsibility within the NATO alliance for the security and defence of Europe," Pistorius said. Arctic Defender, he said, was a clear signal, in particular from Germany, intended to demonstrate awareness for the threats facing not just Europe but the Arctic as well, a region of growing geostrategic importance when it comes to dealing with Russia. Arctic Defender involve...
DPA International
A Brazilian biologist used an unusual method to study the biting behaviour of venomous snakes. João Miguel Alves-Nunes from the Butantan Research Centre in São Paulo, Brazil lightly kicked Jararaca lance snakes - a widespread and highly venomous viper species in south-eastern Brazil - over 40,000 times using a specially made protective boot. His findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, reveal crucial insights into snake bite incidents in the region, which account for a significant portion of the 20,000 poisonings reported annually in Brazil. The snakes were not harmed during the ...
DPA International
They are the prized bounty of Haiti’s hard-fought struggle for freedom, taken in battle from European powers and then placed on top of the country’s most revered monument, Citadelle Henry, to guard against French occupation. National treasures, the 18th century cannons are priceless and come in various weights and dimensions. The largest of them, cast in iron, flank the mountaintop fortress outside of the northern city of Cap-Haïtien in the rural town of Milot. Smaller ones, cast in bronze with intricate markings hinting at their origins, have been safely tucked away behind locked doors in a m...
DPA International
Günther Krabbenhöft, a 79-year-old Berlin native, embodies the adage "age is just a number" in his viral videos as he dances to techno beats alongside much younger crowds in Berlin, sporting an elegant ensemble complete with a Panama hat and tailored waistcoat. Krabbenhöft, a grandfather to two, proudly tells dpa about his journey to amassing over 300,000 Instagram followers. His personal expression takes precedence - he dances for himself, dresses for himself, and pays little heed to trends, he says. Granfluencers: A global phenomenon The notion that social media platforms like Instagram and ...
DPA International
Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, Republicans on Capitol Hill and conservative justices have regularly cited European laws barring abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy to argue for similar policy in the United States. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. both cited European abortion limits in their opinions in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case. More recently, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has called for a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks of gestation, told reporters on Capitol...
DPA International
Last month was hotter than any June ever recorded, marking the 13th consecutive month in which the global average temperature reached a record value for the respective month, the EU's climate change service Copernicus said on Monday. Temperatures in June were also 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, marking the 12th consecutive month in which the 1.5-degree-Celsius mark was met or surpassed, according to the monthly report. At the 2015 climate conference in Paris, the global community set itself the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels. ...
DPA International
Following local elections in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, 162 seats remain vacant, with 120 belonging to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the state election officer said upon request. In the local elections held at the beginning of June, the AfD came out on top with 28.1% of the votes, narrowly beating the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with 26.8%. However, not all seats could be filled. In some cases this is due to parties having received more votes than they can accept based on their lists, according to a spokeswoman for the state election offic...
DPA International
Bayern Munich have signed French winger Michael Olise from Premier League club Crystal Palace on a five-year contract valid until 2029, Bayern announced on Sunday. The transfer fee is said to be around €60 million ($65 million), plus add-ons. "Michael Olise is a player who can make the difference and attracted great interest with his style of play. We want new impetus in our team, new energy, new ideas – that's what players like Michael Olise stand for," Bayern head of sport Max Eberl said. Olise, 22, scored 10 goals in 19 matches in the Premier League last season. His signing will put pressur...
DPA International
The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) said it has a mandate to govern after it pulled off a surprise win in the second round of the French parliamentary elections on Sunday, with the far right falling to third place, according to initial projections. The NFP, a new alliance that has brought together Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s hard-left La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, The Ecologists and several smaller left-leaning groups, is projected to gain 177 to 198 of the 577 seats in the lower house, or National Assembly, broadcasters TF1 and France 2 predicted a...
DPA International
Marine Le Pen of France's far-right National Rally has expressed optimism despite her party losing out in the second round of high-stakes parliamentary elections, which saw the new left-wing alliance pull off a surprise win, according to initial projections. "The tide continues to rise and our victory today has only been delayed," Le Pen said after first projections based on early vote counts put the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) in first place. She and her party were gaining ground against a coalition of all movements, Le Pen said. The National Rally won a first round of voting on June 30...
DPA International
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