Latest news with #Westphalian
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bayer Leverkusen sign Janis Blaswich to back up Mark Flekken
German keeper Janis Blaswich's move to Bayer Leverkusen has been officially confirmed. The 34-year-old switches Bundesliga outfits, arriving on a €2m transfer from RB Leipzig. Blaswich will back up Leverkusen's new No. 1 Mark Flekken, who himself is replacing longtime starting keeper and captain Lukas Hradecky. Hradecky officially bade farewell to die Werkself over the weekend. After completing his €3m switch to Monaco on Friday, Hradecky published a long farewell letter to B04 fans thanking them for their support over the course of seven Bundesliga seasons. Blaswich made sure to reference Hradecky's departure in his club statement. The former Borussia Mönchengladbach academy man, who never ended up representing a Westphalian club professionally, also made it clear that he was happy to finally be headed home. 'It's a great pleasure for me to follow such a charismatic colleague as Lukas, who has become a legend at Bayer 04,' Blaswich noted in his statement 'Now to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the most prestigious club in my home region and one of the best clubs in Germany, is outstanding.' Leverkusen have now finally completed a total overhaul of their goalkeeping corps. The Westphalians also shed previous back-up Matej Kovar this summer, sending the Czech international out on loan to PSV Eindhoven on a deal that will almost certainly end in a permanent purchase. GGFN | Peter Weis
National Geographic
05-08-2025
- National Geographic
Why you should visit Dortmund—Berlin's flourishing little brother
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Dortmund is one of the largest centres in Germany's own 'Rust Belt', the Ruhr — a cluster of western cities that became heavily industrialised after the late 18th century. For more than 100 years, the city was a hub of coal and steel production, the chimneys of its factories piercing the smog. While much of the heavy industry is now gone, the ghosts of this heritage still hulk over the landscape, with disused manufacturing sites offering glimpses into the past, and serving as reimagined spaces for art and culture. Before exploring Dortmund's industrial sites, take a walk around the historic centre. The city was founded in 882, and a clutch of churches is testament to its medieval history. Marienkirche is remarkable for its sandstone altar with a lavish blue, red and gold triptych (an art work composed of three panels) by 15th-century local artist Conrad von Soest. Directly opposite lies Reinoldikirche, named after Dortmund's patron saint; climb the 200 steps to its belltower for views across the city. Nearby, Petrikirche is home to Das Goldenes Wunder von Westfalen ('The Golden Miracle of Westphalia'), a winged altar that, when opened, reveals 36 panels and 633 gilded figures. Germany's currywurst — a street food consisting of sliced bratwurst sausage smothered in a spicy sauce and served with chips or a bread roll — has a cult following in Dortmund. Try it at Wurst Willi, or get your fix at Böckels Beste, with four distinctive black-and-yellow sites around the city. Beer is equally revered; in addition to coal and steel production, brewing was once one of Dortmund's primary industries. In the centre, Zum Alten Markt is a rustic restaurant that's been serving beers on tap and Westphalian cuisine, including pork knuckle, since 1956. Across the square, Wenkers am Markt offers a vast range of beers in a more modern, sports-bar environment. On the edge of the centre, and topped by a golden 'U', the U-Tower used to house the headquarters of Union Brauerei, once one of the city's largest breweries. Today, there's a free-to-access viewing platform on the rooftop, while the floors beneath have been given to cultural spaces. Here Here, Museum Ostwall is a highlight, with 20th-century art on display across three levels. Another transformed space is 26.4-acre Hansa, a former coking plant located 30 minutes from the centre by public transport. It closed in 1992, and it's now preserved by Germany's Foundation for the Protection of National Monuments. Tours offer glimpses into the city's industrial past, including technical demonstrations of the gas-compressors. The site is also home to SchwarzGold, a fine-dining restaurant in the former deep-freeze plant. The setting combines heavy industry — high ceilings, raw concrete, exposed girders — with design flourishes, such as clever lighting and gold chain curtains. Michelin-acclaimed chef Pierre Beckerling's 'Straight outta Ruhrpott' tasting menu changes weekly and comes with unexpected plating elements, such as a wicked stepmother figurine looming over an apple-themed dessert. Since the 1990s, Dortmund has been synonymous with football thanks to the superstardom of local team Borussia Dortmund. For a fascinating view into wider German football history, the German Football Museum — directly opposite the central station — shouldn't be missed. Exhibits cover everything from the score predictions of a 'psychic' octopus to the story of how women's football overcame adversity, as well as England's controversial third goal in the 1966 World Cup. Did the ball cross the line? Watch in slow motion and cast your vote. Three highlights 1. Wurst WilliThis imbiss (snack bar) has achieved star status in the currywurst world — and with good reason. The sausages are sourced from a German butcher, and the sauce is made fresh every day. To order like a local, nod enthusiastically when asked: 'ein bisschen scharf?' ('spicier?'). 2. The Dortmund Brewery Museum In the 1960s, Dortmund produced more beer than anywhere else in Germany. This free-to-visit museum traces the history of brewing in the city with exhibits including equipment, labels and ads, from branded glasses to an original 1922 beer truck. It's a 25-minute bus journey from Dortmund's main station. 3. Westfalenstadion Time your visit with a Borussia Dortmund match and experience Die Gelbe Wand ('The Yellow Wall' — the sight of the team's fans in the south stand, all clad in yellow shirts and chanting. At other times, book a guided tour and learn more about the club's history at the adjacent Borusseum.
Euractiv
09-07-2025
- Health
- Euractiv
How Germany's great conservative hope became Friedrich Merz's greatest liability
BERLIN – There was a time when the world considered Jens Spahn, the pugnacious German conservative, as his country's chancellor-in-waiting. Young, gay and provocative, Spahn shattered the mould of the stuffy, pipe-smoking, Kohl-era German conservative of yore. Even the left-leaning Guardian was enthralled, calling him in 2016 "the man who could replace Merkel". That was then. Though Spahn went on to become a minister and now holds one of the most powerful positions in German politics as leader of the Christian Democrats' parliamentary group – a post that served as a final stepping stone for both Friedrich Merz and Angela Merkel en route to the chancellery – few would put money on his prospects these days. In recent weeks, the 45-year-old former health minister has become mired in the first major scandal of Merz's chancellorship. The affair, which concerns the role Spahn played during the pandemic in doling out mask contracts, has reverberated amid a broader reckoning in Germany over how the government and health officials dealt with the pandemic. The optics are devastating. Spahn's ministry spent some €6 billion on 5.8 billion face masks – often without a competitive tender and in some cases at inflated prices. Some procurement contracts went to a company from his small Westphalian constituency, others were linked to recommendations from fellow party members. Spahn denies any wrongdoing. A Merkel critic Spahn – tall, square-jawed, and articulate – is an unusual star of the Christian Democrats' conservative wing. Having entered the German Parliament at only 22, the openly gay MP made a name for himself as a critic of Merkel's liberal migration policy during the mid-2010s. Spahn's willingness to speak truth to power – even in his own ranks – helped make the telegenic young conservative the face of the CDU's new generation. Once Spahn's rising prominence made him impossible to ignore, a reluctant Merkel relented and brought him into her cabinet in 2018 as health minister, a daunting brief that was widely seen as a test. Two years later, the once-in-a-century pandemic hit, triggering a series of fateful mistakes by Spahn that now threaten his political future. Murky mask deals Germany's National Court of Auditors concluded in 2025 that only a third of all the masks ordered under Spahn were eventually used. More than half were destroyed. Some of the orders were not accepted by the ministry due to quality issues, prompting lawsuits from suppliers. The court had already criticised Spahn's approach in 2021, but the lawmaker managed to emerge largely unscathed from the revelations until he took on his new post as the Christian Democrats' parliamentary chief. A probe commissioned by Spahn's successor, Karl Lauterbach, a Social Democrat (SPD), and authored by Margaretha Sudhof, a civil servant and fellow SPD member, surfaced in April, just weeks after Spahn took on his new role. The 170-page report, published in full in June, suggests Spahn ignored warnings from expert staff about the mask contracts. An un-redacted version of the report was recently leaked to the media and contains Sudhoff's scathing judgments on some of the deals – among them, contracts that paid €7 per mask, prices that were "difficult to comprehend." Spahn, who has since undergone a hearing in front of the budget committee, insisted he acted in good faith. 'It was a once-in-a-century crisis and an emergency situation' he said. 'In times of need, having something is more important than needing it.' He acknowledged taking financial risks to procure scarce masks and "first talking to people I knew in an emergency," but denied any impropriety. Internal calculus Years on, the mask contracts are causing a headache for Merz, even though he wasn't in government at the time. The scandal hit just as Merz's approval ratings had started to recover following a backlash over concessions he made during coalition talks. Opposition parties have been pushing for an official parliamentary inquiry, which could lead to months of damaging headlines and testimony. Parliamentary metrics, however, are likely to work in Merz's favour: The Greens and The Left, two left-wing parties, would have to work with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to reach the required quorum for setting up an inquiry – probably a bridge too far for both. The opposition would thus need support from at least eight defectors from the CDU and their coalition partners, the Social Democrats, who are nominally bound by coalition discipline. Still, the optics are damaging. The current health minister, Nina Warken, also from the CDU, first refused to publish the report. Then she published only a redacted version of the report, citing privacy concerns and lashing out at Sudhof's methodology. The latter has been a preferred line of attack of Spahn's CDU peers, who have so far unreservedly backed Spahn. The CDU's number two, General Secretary Carsten Linnemann, said on Monday that he saw "nothing new" in the unredacted version, but "subjective, personal statements about Mr Spahn by Ms Sudhof." Merz had previously criticised the Sudhof's report for failing to consult Spahn himself. Spahn's future Above all, the report puts a question mark over Spahn's credibility and political future. He had long had a sense for staying on the winning side: first opposing Merz's second bid for the party leadership in favour of the subsequent winner Armin Laschet, then switching camps when Laschet failed to win the chancellery in 2021. Spahn also shook off a previous scandal involving a loan he received from a local bank on whose board he served. Spahn and his husband used to fund the purchase of a multi-million-euro villa in Berlin, but sold it in 2023 amid a public uproar over the credit. Like that affair, the latest uproar has raised fundamental questions about Spahn's judgement and credibility. So far, Merz is sticking with Spahn. The only question is for how long. (mm)
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Hamas to Hammer: How the Middle East became a global fault line
1 2 The world in general and geo-political analysts in particular are grappling with a disruptive disorder unleashed by President Trump. The new game playing out in the Middle East really has no rules and closely approximates the Hindi maxim of 'Jiski lathi, uski bhains', which literally translates to the one who wields the stick will commandeer the buffalo or what essentially means might is right. In this process, the basic postulates that defined the Westphalian rule-based order, collegiate consensus and overwatch by international bodies like the United Nations, have now been consigned to Trump's bizarre, vindictive incoherence. In a fortnight, more has happened to make it a theatre of absurdities than decades of reasoned geopolitics, even if there were aberrations galore, like invasion of Iraq. The stark reality is that chaos will have long-term consequences, till a new template is negotiated. Unleashing of Chaos The first nail in this coffin was driven by Russia's special military operation in Feb 2022, dragging now for more than three years. The next act was the Hamas raid in Gaza on Oct 7, 2023. Israel, overcoming the initial setback, has utilised it skilfully to dismantle the dreaded arc of terror crafted by Iran. Resultantly, Hamas, Hezbollah, Hashd-al-Shabi and Houthis are in a complete state of disarray. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Adidas Three Shorts With 60% Discount, Limited Stock Available Original Adidas Shop Now Undo Targeted assassinations have been leveraged to trigger psychological chaos. Israel as the new regional hegemon, enjoying US backing, has certainly overplayed its hard-power game. It is indeed sad that there has been no restraining influence, resulting in wanton destruction in Gaza, bordering on genocide. It also highlights rank hypocrisy in designation of Putin as a war criminal, when Netanyahu is getting a free pass. This is the new normal, expanding from good/bad terror to benign/malevolent genocides and assassinations. Notwithstanding lunch parleys, it was high time and appropriate that Muridke and Bahawalpur were targeted by India. If Israelis are justified in their acts, non-escalatory targeting of terrorist infrastructure in Operation Sindoor is more than kosher. The desire for retribution, after the Baisaran (Pahalgam) massacre, was equally unprecedented. It had reached this tipping point, after decades of frustration in combating a Pakistan-sponsored proxy war. Operation Rising Lion and Midnight Hammer An emboldened Israel unleashed a supposed knock-out punch, with possible twin objectives of destroying nuclear facilities and triggering a regime change. Initially, Israel did score commendable gains in eliminating top-brass of the Iranian defence forces, as also the nuclear scientist hierarchy. However, it certainly underestimated Iranian resilience and missile arsenal. Iranian response exposed chinks in the Iron Dome, as approximately 35-40% Iranian missiles are said to have breached the famed missile shield. This probably forced a rethink, as IDF and Mossad actions at best degraded some nuclear facilities and scientists. Iran is a civilizational power with a formidable knowledge and resource base. The nation seems to have rallied around the regime. In any case, even if a regime change is affected, it may turn out to be just another shade of the same theocratic and autocratic hue, like Khomeini and Khamenei. More importantly, the dominant Shia faith has inherent, considerable capacity to suffer punishment. In this case, sheer power alone may not be enough to subdue it. In the long term, the resolution lies in negotiations, especially when US intelligence agencies discounted Iran's capability to acquire nuclear weapons in the short term. In terms of bearing punishment, Israel has obvious limitations compared to Iran in demography and geographic dispersion. It also forced a review in its aims as the regime change idea was disowned by both Israel and USA. The Trump regime is also on the verge of disowning Tulsi Gabbard, its celebrated director of national intelligence. It is to the credit of Israel that it managed to do the unthinkable and got the US to launch Operation Midnight Hammer, after a fortnight of increasingly stalemated operations. The bombing raid on the night of June 21 and 22 targeted Fordow, Natanz and Ishafan nuclear sites. USA deployed the ultimate vectors — B-52 stealth bombers and GBU-57A/B MOP (massive ordnance penetrator) bunker buster munitions, along with Tomahawk missiles. Decoy deployments, aerial refuelling were used to operationalise the secret plan, which was honed for 15 years. Damage Assessment Trump, in his characteristic hyperbolic claim, has asserted that the Iranian nuclear eco-system has been obliterated. He has declared a ceasefire and diabolically described it as a "bombing for peace" mission. More pragmatic official briefings have been conservative. On being repeatedly queried on damage, he has stated that an assessment is underway. In retaliation, Iran targeted the US base of Al-Udeid in Qatar on June 23, but only after 40 fighter jets and a thousand troops had been relocated. Media is abuzz with reports that Iran seemed to have relocated 400kg of enriched uranium (60% against the planned 90% for weapon grade) before the bomb run. There are conspiracy theories of this being largely a choreographed operation. In a world defined by misinformation and cognitive warfare, it is difficult to access reliable information. In most probability, the Iranian nuclear weapon mission has been degraded and delayed by one-two years. Yet, its resolve has hardened and its quest for an atomic bomb may just now go deeper and become more secretive. Iran seems to be isolated with only nominal support. In fact, Saudi Arabia and Gulf nations would be relieved with the defanging of Iran in nuclear and terror dimensions. Way Forward The ongoing operations have shifted the focus to the non-kinetic mode of warfighting with long-range vectors —missiles, drones and missile shields. Armament manufacturers are the only winners in these losing battles. The desire to acquire nuclear weapons as an ultimate shield will only proliferate. In this theatre of chaos, is it time to write an obituary to the United Nations and nuclear regulatory organisations. The real casualty of this new world order may be the very institutions once meant to prevent it. (The writer is a former GoC-in-C, Western Command, Indian Army)
New York Post
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Looking back at grand ole days of Broadway — with Tonys around the corner
Grand ole days on B'way In 1626 Peter Minuit, a Westphalian and this colony's first governor, bought New York for 60 guilders. About $24. Nearly what a B'way show's intermission drink costs today. Canal Street was then a tangled mass. Still now. New 1600 arrivals could not buy land. They were tenants. Powerless. Still now. All belonged to the haughty land-owning patroons. New settlers argued with powerful Minuit who favored the patroons. Still now. Think Albany, Washington. Think — or try to — of your landlord. So today — just a lousy few hundred years later — it's Tony time. And who really knows every nominee? Talented, able, but our massive public knows a Sarah Snook? Sadie Sink? James Monroe Iglehart? And why so expensive when these leads aren't commanding A-Number-One movies? I mean, it's not like film star salaries. Not like Jennifer Lawrence schlepping Stage Left in her underdrawers. Also, how newly wildly exciting are these 'new' shows — 'Gypsy,' 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' 'Sunset Blvd.'? When they first opened the subway was a nickel. Older folk don't want to sit home and just watch cops and robbers on Netflix. Yeah, we got stars — Denzel, Gyllenhaal. They're doing 'Othello,' also happening is a riff on 'Romeo and Juliet.' Nice. Great. But new? I mean, please. Shakespeare hasn't written anything — not even a letter to his mother — in weeks. Audiences include the aging. Our citizenry now includes canes, wheelchairs, hearing aids. Needed are longer intermissions. Ladies' cans are always downstairs, which means lumbering through the crowd, limping downstairs, waiting for a free stall then schlepping back up. We're in that theater longer than the actors. Broadway is New York. Foreigners from faraway lands like Montana, Utah, schlep here to see Broadway. Central Park they don't need. They got cows pooping on their front lawn. It's here everybody wants to be. It's New York. It's 'Give My Regards to Broadway.' Nobody's humming 'Say Hello to South Dakota.' Anyone taking pictures of themselves in front of a fire hydrant in Montezuma? And the cost? A drink at intermission with a tip could cost $30? For another $12 you could be the show's investor. Maybe someone to watch their child or someone to watch who's watching their child? How about maybe a hotel — and transportation? Car, taxi, Uber, a pedicab that charges more than a divorce lawyer just to haul your behind four blocks? Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters And now — tada! — the Tonys. Sunday. Nothing more exciting than maybe watching a rerun of the Knicks. I can't remember anything else this exciting since my first night behind the schoolhouse with that kid who flunked history — but passed everything else. What could be better? Maybe checking Biden's penmanship. Still need an activity? See if Mrs. Biden's hair colorist now charges her. Or accompany Hunter to lift one corner of the rug in the Lincoln Bedroom. So, this theatrical agent told his client: 'If you carry out my instructions, I'll make a big star out of you.' Actor: 'Great. What's the first thing I have to do?' Agent: 'First thing is get an extra cot in your room so I can move in with you.' Only in New York, kids, only in New York.
