Author: DW

The idea of staging a long-distance Olympic swimming event on the Seine – with the Eiffel Tower in the background – seems at first glance like a nice idea. But for many athletes, it has turned into a planning nightmare. “It’s exasperating for the athletes and the coaches who have to prepare everything,” said German national swimming coach Bernd Berkhahn recently. The biggest obstacle at the moment is the still very swift current of the river. “It’s not a problem to swim with the current, it’s the way back that’s the problem,” Florian Wellbrock, Olympic champion in the 10-kilometer (6.2…

The mayor of French capital Anne Hidalgo swam in the Seine River on Wednesday to show its water is clean enough to host outdoor swimming events for the Paris Olympics later this month. During the Paris Games triathlon and marathon, participants are supposed to swim in the Seine, where swimming for more than a century has been illegal. Donning a wet suit and goggles, Hidalgo declared the river “exquisite,” if a bit cold. Efforts to clean the Seine up “On the eve of the Games, when the Seine will play a key role, this event represents the demonstration of the efforts made…

Traces of cyanide have been found in cups and a teapot in the room of a luxury Bangkok hotel where the bodies of six people were discovered in a suspected deliberate poisoning.Police in Thailand said poisoning by cyanide – a rapidly-acting, deadly chemical – was the likely cause of death of the three men and three women. The four Vietnamese nationals and two Vietnamese Americans were found by a hotel staff member in the room, which was locked from the inside.Food ordered by room service was found untouched inside the room – but drinks had been consumed. Image: Uneaten meals…

Ursula von der Leyen won only half the battle when  EU leaders endorsed her for a second term as president of the European Commission in June. Now, she still needs to win over a majority of the European Parliament’s 720 lawmakers on Thursday. She is pitching herself as an experienced leader and could benefit from a desire in the European Union for a steady hand at a time when war rages in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s possible return to the White House in November elections could shake up global relations. EU’s von der Leyen vows to ‘build bastion’ against extreme left and right To view this…

The six foreigners who were found dead at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in the Thai capital Bangkok on Tuesday likely died of cyanide poisoning, Thai police said on Wednesday. The police also said one of the victims was the suspect in the case. “We would like to confirm that one of the six dead caused this incident using cyanide,” Noppasil Poonsawas, deputy commander of investigations at Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police Bureau said at a press conference. “We are confident one of the six conducted the crime.” Six dead in suspected poisoning at Bangkok hotelTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and…

Inside the Republican National Convention, supporters of Donald Trump wear red ties and clutch MAGA 2024 hats – but there is a new addition to the costume.At least a couple of people are now sporting fake large white bandages on their ears, a nod to the injury Mr Trump sustained in Saturday night’s shooting. The full extent of the damage to the former president’s ear is not yet clear. Image: Pic: AP Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:32 Republicans bring the energy His doctor Ronny Jackson says he is missing part of his upper right…

The mayor of French capital Anne Hidalgo is set to swim in the Seine River on Wednesday to show its water is clean enough to host outdoor swimming events for the Paris Olympics later this month. During the Paris Games triathlon and marathon, participants are supposed to swim in the Seine, where swimming for more than a century has been illegal. Efforts to clean the Seine up “On the eve of the Games, when the Seine will play a key role, this event represents the demonstration of the efforts made by the city and the state to improve the quality of the…

Donald Trump returned to the Republican National Convention Tuesday as his former opponents for the US presidency lined up to shower him with praise. While Trump made no formal remarks, his appearance was more laid back than his dramatic post-assassination attempt entrance the day before. Former rivals turned supporters One-time UN ambassador Nikki Haley told the crowd in Wisconsin that a “unified Republican Party is essential for saving” the nation. “I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement,” Haley told the crowd at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday. Florida Governor Ron…

Wednesday is the tenth anniversary of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 being shot down over eastern Ukraine by rebel forces with Russian support and equipment.  Ceremonies in Europe later on Wednesday will center around Vijfhuizen in the Netherlands, near Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, where the plane took off — the site of the monument to the 283 passengers and 15 crew killed. Of the victims, 193 were from the Netherlands.  The downing took place fairly early in the war in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s annexation of Crimea but predating its full-scale invasion in 2022Image: Sem van der Wal/ANP/picture alliance Australia mourns in Canberra…

Paraguay’s anti-drug agency, Senad, announced the confiscation of 4,013 kilos of cocaine at the port in the capital Asuncion, saying it was hidden in sugar sacks that were set for delivery to Belgium.  The more than four metric tons of cocaine would have a street value in Europe in the region of €220 million (roughly $240 million), Senad said in a statement on Tuesday.  Europe and the US are the largest markets for cocaine originating in Latin America, generally in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.  The route to Europe via Paraguay, Argentina, or Brazil is increasing in significance, according to a recent UN report,…