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Far-right group patrols German city after migrant assaults A German far-right group has carried out street patrols in the Bavarian town of Amberg where four asylumseekers allegedly attacked a dozen passers-by over the weekend. The Nuremberg branch of the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) posted pictures on its Facebook page of people wearing red vests with the words "Weʼre creating safe zones" on them, walking through the streets of Amberg. The townʼs mayor, Michael Cerny, expressed "shock" to learn the NPD was trying to create "safe spaces" in Amberg, where he said there was no far-right scene. "I can understand the uncertainty seen in some of the reactions of some Ambergers, but the hatred and the threats of violence from all over the country go way too far," Cerny told the local daily Mittel‐ bayerische Zeitung.
German government cagey on spy cooperation in Pinochetʼs Chile The German government has offered only cagey responses to questions about cooperation between the German secret service, the BND, and military dictatorships in Chile and Greece in the late 1960s and early ʼ70s. The socialist Left partyʼs Jan Korte submitted 68 questions to the German Foreign Ministry late last year, and the incomplete answers he got irritated the Bundestag member so much that he filed an official complaint about the noncooperation of the government. "These answers are an unparalleled insult," he told DW. "And, by the way, that is no way to treat the parliament." The Foreign Ministry did admit that the administration of Chancellor Willy Brandt knew in advance about theimminent putsch being planned by Chilean military leaders under General Augusto Pinochet in September 1973, but offered few details on exactly how.
3/2019 • 4 JANUARY, 2019
Tourists flee as Thailand braces for Storm Pabuk Thai authorities have begun evacuations in the provinces expected to be the hardest hit
The storm — feared to be the worst to hit Thailand in decades — is expected to pound the countryʼs famed southern beach resorts.
Germanyʼs welfare experiment: Sanction-free ʼbasic securityʼ Fear of sanctions is demotivating the unemployed from getting a job, a new study aims to show. Meanwhile, Germanyʼs political left is mulling a welfare reform to refit the system for 21st century work. A basic principle of social security in Germany is this: The best incentive to get people into work is to cut their payments if they miss an appointment, or fail to finish a training course, or refuse to sign an "integration agreement" in which they pledge to do all they can to find a job. But this simply doesnʼt work, says the Sanktionsfrei ("sanction-free") organization. Not only does the pressure created by the threat of sanctions lead more people to fall out of the system completely, it even demotivates those
who arenʼt even being sanctioned. To prove its point, the organization launched a study on Thursday to find out what effect sanction-free support has on people. Starting in February 2019 and for the next three years, 250 randomly-chosen recipients of Hartz IV financial assistance — the system of German long-term unemployment benefits or welfare support — will get any sanctions immediately reimbursed by the organization, no questions asked. The scheme is called HartzPlus. The organization will then record the psychological effects of this newfound security in periodical questionnaires that the participants fill out. A control group of another 250 Hartz IV recipients will get no such safety net, but still out the forms.
Cornelia Funke at 60: Why the star childrenʼs author distrusts words She launched to fame with "Dragon Rider" in 1997 and has since become one of Germanyʼs most successful authors. In an interview with DW, star kidsʼ author Cornelia Funke spoke about why words can be challenging. Cornelia Funke cheerfully answers the phone at 9:30 a.m. California time. She had already been to the ocean, written a bit, made a few calls,
and drunk her coffee. Every workday begins with a good cup of coffee, she says. Funke laughs sincerely and frequently, then speaks thoughtfully about her life, her work with words and pictures, and her relationship to fantasy and reality. Her childrenʼs fantasy novels, which she illustrated herself, have sold 20 million copies and been translated into 37 languages.
US Congress reconvenes with record number of women In Washington DC, the House and the Senate have convened for the 116th Congress. As its first order of business the clerk of the House rapped the gavel to signal the chamber was in session, with 235 Democrats and 199 Republicans reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House 220-192, making her third in line to the presidency. In her first speech she said the work ahead would be tough. "We have no illusions that our work will be easy, that all of us in this chamber will always agree," Pelosi said after accepting the speakerʼs gavel. "But let each of us pledge that when we disagree, we will respect each other and we will respect the truth," she said. Pelosi also touched on the economy and health care.
Paul Whelan: US citizen charged with spying in Russia The former US Marine detained in Russia has been charged with espionage, the Interfax news agency said on Thursday. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Paul Whelan, 48, was detained by Russiaʼs FSB state security service in Moscow last Fridayon suspicion of spying, in a case which threatens to aggravate diplomatic tensions with the United States. The FSB opened a criminal case against Whelan but gave no details of his alleged espionage activities. According to Interfax, the Russian authorities had brought formal charges against Whelan on Thursday, citing what it described as an informed source.
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3/2019 • 4 January, 2019
Luxembourg election presents tough challenge to PM Xavier Bettel The future of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel hangs in the balance as some 256,000 voters head to the polls in the European landlocked Grand Duchy on Sunday. Any party or alliance needs to obtain 31 seats to form a government. Opinion polls suggest Bettel could lose the vote due to his unpopular economic policies and declining support within his Democratic Party and coalition partners. A high growth rate under the coalition has put pressure on housing and infrastructure. According to polls, a quarter of voters were undecided in who to vote for. Claude Wiseler, a former literature teacher and the prime minister candidate of the Christian Social Peopleʼs Party (CSV), is expected to pick up seats. Bettel became the countryʼs prime minister in 2013 after a spying scandal toppled the CSV government of Jean-Claude Juncker, who is now president of the European Commission.
Russia misses WADA doping lab deadline The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday that Russia had not met the December 31 deadline to hand over data from its Moscow antidoping laboratory. This was one of two conditions WADA set out when it lifted the suspension it had imposed on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in 2015 as a result ofevidence of state-sponsored doping contained in the McLaren Report.
Australia passes law forcing tech firms to hand over encrypted data
Sri Lanka seeks investment, but China questions linger
Passage of a law expanding Australiaʼs spying powers may have global implications for encrypted communications. Critics say the law may unleash unintended consequences.
You donʼt need to be an expert on international trade routes to look at a map and understandthat Sri Lankaʼs location is one of potentially serious economic advantage. The island nation — population 22 million — sits at the southern tip of India, almost as close to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa as it is to South East Asia. The value of this location has not been lost on its northern neighbor China.Under Xi Jinpingʼs so-called ʼBelt and Road Initiative,ʼ the Chinese government has pumped billions into Sri Lanka in the form of both foreign investment and loans in recent years. This reliance on Chinese money is part of a long-standing Sri Lankan problem. With a major trade deficit, as well as crippling levels of debt, the country needs foreign money. China has rushed to fill the gap more enthusiastically than anyone else. The current Sri Lankan government came to power in 2015, when it replaced former President Mahinda Rajapaksaʼs administration. His government had been unabashedly eager to seek Chinese money, regardless of the costs, and it left the incoming government with a major web of deals — and debt — to untangle.
Australiaʼs Parliament on Thursday passed a controversial bill that will force tech firms to give police access to the encrypted communications of suspected terrorists and criminals. The law, which has been opposed by tech giants, has caused heated debate over national security and privacy at a time when governments across the globe are grappling with how to access encrypted information to monitor illegal activities. Under the law, Australian security services can force local and international communications giants
such as Google, Facebook or WhatsApp to remove encryption, help conceal government snooping and hand over data linked to suspected illegal activities. Police must still first obtain a warrant. The new law passed the Senate after a last-minute deal was struck with the opposition Labor Party, which had demanded more oversight and safeguards in how the law is used. Under the deal, the coalition government agreed to add amendments next year. The bill passed the lower house earlier on Thursday.
Germanyʼs New Years Eve fireworks ruining air quality New Yearʼs Eve should be a firework-free celebration to protect the environment, says Germanyʼs environment agency. Germanyʼs environment agency on Saturday called on peoplenot to use fireworksto ring in 2019. It said Germans bought about €137 million ($157 million) worth of fireworks last year, creating 4,500 tons of fine dust particulates in the air. "This corresponds to about 15.5 percent of the particulate matter emitted by road traffic each year," agency chief Maria Krautzberger told the Rheinische Postnewspaper.
Krautzberger spoke about alleged health consequences to persuade people to rein in their use of fireworks. "The effects range from temporary impairments of the respiratory tract to an increased need for medication in asthmatics to respiratory diseases and cardiovascular problems." Some lawmakers, such as CDU environmental spokeswoman Marie-Luise Dött, are against a general fireworks ban. She says particulate matter (PM10 — particles measuring less than 10 microns in diameter) is a temporary burden which accounts for just two percent of the annual emissions from humans.
Sting to return to Budapest for summer 2019 Sting is head over heels for Budapest. After a successful free show with Shaggy a month ago on Heroes’ Square, the former Police frontman has just announced another Budapest concert for next summer. On 2 July, the Grammy-winning singer brings his My Songs tour to the Papp László Aréna, where he will be taking the stage with his own band. From “Englishman In New York” to “Every Breath You Take”, the set should include Sting’s biggest hits. Tickets are on sale now.
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Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege accept Nobel Peace Prize In theirNobel Peace Prize acceptance speeches on Monday,Denis MukwegeandNadia Murad called on the world to protect victims of wartime sexual violence. They also slammed global indifference to the plight of women and children in conflict. In her speech Murad implored the global community to help free hundreds of women and girls still held by jihadists. She also said that the world must protect her people and other vulnerable communities. Speaking at Osloʼs City Hall and seemingly overcome with emotion, Murad said: "It is my view that all victims deserve a safe haven until justice is done for them." Murad survived the horrors of captivity under the "Islamic State" (IS) group in Iraq and Syria where they targeted her Kurdish-speaking community.Older women and men faced summary execution during the IS assault, which the United Nations has described as a possible genocide. Murad was captured in 2014 and suffered beatings and gang-rape before she was able to escape.