Author: DW

South Africa’s largest political party, the African National Congress (ANC), reportedly reached a deal to form a unity government with former political foes. South African media reported on Friday that a deal had been struck involving the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).  The Reuters news agency cited former DA leader and member of the party’s negotiating team, Tony Leon as saying that a deal to form a unity government is “pretty much there.” “It’s going to happen,” he said, following media reports that a deal had been reached. Talks on forming a coalition government had gone down to…

Wayne Lineker has thanked a friend for taking him to hospital after a “disturbing” incident in Ibiza earlier this week, which left him with “stitches and a swollen lip” after he tried “to protect a girl from being harassed”.The 62-year-old, who is the younger brother of former England footballer Gary Lineker, shared an Instagram story praising his pal after a video circulated earlier this week, showing him in an altercation outside a bar on the Spanish island in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He was reported to have been knocked out for several minutes after being punched in the…

Three-time NBA Hall of Fame basketball player and executive Jerry West has died at the age of 86. A statement released by the Los Angeles Clippers, for whom West continued to work as a consultant, said he died Wednesday morning with his wife Karen by his side. West, who was born and raised in rural Chelyan, West Virginia, said in his 2011 autobiography, “West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life,” that he had turned to basketball as a form of therapy during a childhood that had far more anger than love, thanks to an abusive father. As a young boy…

Malik Agar, the deputy chairman of the army-dominated Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council, left no doubt about his country’s position in comments made in June on the sidelines of the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg (SPIEF).  Sudan is indeed interested in reviving an agreement on building a Russian navy hub on the Red Sea, Agar said, according to Sudanese daily Sudan Tribune. Sudan and Russia have been discussing such an agreement for years. According to the online magazine Understanding War, as far back as 2017, Sudan’s then-president Omar al-Bashir, and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached a deal on the construction of a Russian base…

China is threatening to take the European Union to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the high import tariffs it is considering for Chinese electric vehicles. “China reserves the right to file a suit to the WTO and take all necessary measures to resolutely defend the rights and interests of Chinese companies,” Beijing’s commerce ministry spokesman He Yadong said. On Wednesday, the European Commission said it would impose provisional duties of up to 38.1% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles after an investigation into illegal support from Chinese government subsidies. Decision on higher import duties not finalized However, Brussels said there…

A court in China sentenced prominent #MeToo activist Huang Xueqin to five years in prison, convicting her of state subversion, according to a group campaigning for her release and a copy of the court verdict. Labor rights activist Wang Jianbing, who was also on trial with Huang, was sentenced to three years and six months by the Guangdong Intermediate People’s Court. Huang, an independent journalist, reportedly plans to appeal her sentence. It is not clear whether Wang would also appeal his sentence. “[The sentence] was longer than we expected,” a spokesperson for the campaign group Free Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing…

Conor McGregor’s comeback fight has been cancelled just two weeks before it was to due to take place in Las Vegas.The Irish mixed martial arts fighter has “an injury”, said UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) chief executive Dana White. No further details were given.It means the 35-year-old from Dublin cannot take part in UFC 303 on 29 June, where he was due to fight Michael Chandler.McGregor, who has 22 wins and six defeats, has not competed in UFC since July 2021, when he sustained a broken leg against Dustin Poirier. The new “main event” will involve light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira…

When asked why he wears such small shinpads, Florian Wirtz smiled and said: “I always try to make sure I don’t get caught by too many [players].” In the 2023/24 season, only one team has caught Leverkusen or Wirtz. The Bundesliga club’s record-breaking run came to an end after 51 games without defeat, Atalanta beating them in the Europa League final to spoil an otherwise perfect, double-winning season. Although Leverkusen’s success is a result of a collective effort, it’s clear how decisive Wirtz’s contributions have been this season. His audacious chip against Qarabag sparked Leverkusen’s comeback in the Europa League…

Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) have gathered in Italy for their annual summit that is being held from June 13 to 15. Ukraine dominated discussions on the first day of the summit, with the G7 nations agreeing to a $50 billion loan for Ukraine this year backed by interest from frozen Russian assets.  While technical details of the deal have yet to be worked out, the commitment by the group — which includes the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, along with the European Union — shows Western resolve to meet Kyiv’s defense needs as it fights Russian forces. German Chancellor…

Tesla shareholders voted on Thursday to restore CEO Elon Musk’s record $44.9 billion (€41.8 billion) pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware court earlier this year. The proposal passed despite opposition from some large institutional investors and proxy firms, reflecting the strong support Musk enjoys among the company’s retail investor base.  The favorable vote at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting does not override the court’s ruling and does not mean Musk will get the all-stock pay reward anytime soon. But it is a strong sign that Tesla shareholders have confidence in him. Tesla shares rose on Thursday after Musk took to X,…