Author: DW

French rider Julien Bernard was fined on Saturday for stopping to kiss his wife during the Tour de France. The penalty from the International Cycling Union (UCI) amounts to 200 Swiss francs (€205, $222). What was Julien Bernard fined for? Fifteen minutes into the time trial seventh stage of the Tour de France on Friday, Bernard stopped to kiss his wife and young son amid a group of family and friends. The leg of the race was in the rider’s home region of Burgundy in eastern France. The UCI said that the behavior was inappropriate and damaged the sport’s image. In…

This was an upset, by Iranian standards, though all things are relative. Pezeshkian is a reformist and his election is a surprise.Iran has successfully but brutally crushed a popular uprising and many had expected his hardline rival to prevail. The presidency has control of foreign policy and some domestic matters so many expect a shift in Iran’s diplomatic outlook now – perhaps a more conciliatory tone towards the West.Read more: Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian elected Iran’s new president Image: Pezeshkian greeted by his supporters as he arrives to vote on Friday. Pic: AP But any immediate race back to nuclear negotiations…

Germany’s police union (GdP) on Saturday urged Turkey fans to avoid displaying the controversial gray wolf gesture during an upcoming Euro 2024 match against the Netherlands. It comes after Turkish player Merih Demiral was banned from two games for showing the gray wolf sign, which is associated with Turkey’s far-right, while celebrating his team’s Tuesday victory over Austria.German police are worried about the possible presence of extremist symbols after Turkish ultras urged fans to make the controversial ‘wolf’ gestureImage: Akin Celiktas/Anadolu/picture alliance What did German police say about the gray wolf sign? “Politics has no place on the football field,”…

Police in India’s southern city of Chennai on Saturday said they had managed to arrest eight suspects in connection with the murder of a local political leader. K. Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu state leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was hacked to death with machetes near his home in Chennai on Friday night. What is known about the killing Local media reported that Armstrong had been talking to friends and supporters near his home, when he was set upon by men with knives, traveling on motorbikes who then reportedly escaped before any intervention could be made. Armstrong was taken…

More than 50 candidates and their supporters have been attacked ahead of a second round of voting in France’s parliamentary elections.Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said politicians from across the spectrum had faced verbal and physical abuse – often while they were putting up campaign posters. He told BFM that several of the attacks had been “extremely serious” – with the three-week campaign overshadowed by violence that left some victims in hospital. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 5:05 Emmanuel Macron’s biggest gamble? Confirming there will be a greater police presence on the streets during Sunday’s vote,…

Niger on Saturday is hosting the military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — the first gathering of its kind since military coups in all three countries ousted civilian-led governments. The meeting is being held on the eve of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit in Nigeria. The three juntas left the bloc in January accusing it of being manipulated by former colonial ruler France. They have also shifted away from Western allies, favoring partnerships with Russia and Iran. What’s on the agenda at the talks? Statements on public radio earlier in the week stated that Saturday’s talks would be the first…

A dam break in China’s Hunan province forced almost 6,000 people to evacuate, even as authorities rushed to stem the resulting floods, state media reported on Saturday. According to state news agency Xinhua, the breach at China’s second-largest freshwater lake, Dongting Lake opened up on Friday afternoon. How bad was the breach? The rupture across a 226-meter (740-foot) span pressed authorities to relocate around 5,700 residents. There were no injuries reported as of early Saturday. Videos showed water flooding through the fissure, overturning trucks, and inundating houses. According to Xinhua, the emergency management ministry sent more than 800 staff and almost 150 vehicles, and…

It was the world’s biggest job interview.Joe Biden’s grilling on primetime TV was a test of suitability for the dual role of president and election winner, when many had already reached the conclusion he’s neither. This 22-minute Q&A with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos felt make or break and, in the event, it was probably more break than make. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:16 ‘They are trying to push me out of the race’ To be fair, Biden turned in a steady performance and there was no repeat of the debate meltdown. His difficulty was in…

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Russia next week, marking his first visit to Moscow since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Modi, who was returned to power last month as leader of the world’s most populous country, is walking a fine line between maintaining a longstanding partnership with Moscow while courting closer Western security ties. The war in Ukraine has drawn scrutiny to Russia’s close ties with India, as Kyiv’s Western partners urge Modi’s government to condemn the invasion and put pressure on the Kremlin. New Delhi has so far refrained from explicitly condemning Russia for its actions in…

When Turkish security forces detained Abdul Qader Basmaji in March this year, there was no way the Syrian refugee could still have made it to an ATM in Istanbul to withdraw his savings before he was taken to a deportation center. A few days later, the 25-year-old arrived at the border between Turkey and Syria’s northwestern region of Idlib. Basmaji laughs bitterly when asked if he was compensated for losing his job, flat, friends and savings. “Nobody reimbursed me,” he told DW in Idlib city, adding that at least the Turkish authorities hadn’t requested that he’d cover the deportation costs himself. Basmaji…