DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Germany warns of travel to Turkey after minister threatens ʼterrorists,ʼ ʼtraitorsʼ The German government criticized Turkey on Wednesday after the Turkish interior minister threatened to arrest "terrorists" and "traitors" from Germany arriving at Turkish airports. The statement from Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was "not helpful in the current situation," Foreign Office spokesperson Maria Adebahr said in Berlin. Read more: Turkey: Actors and actresses are Erdoganʼs new targets According to Turkish media, Soylu told an election campaign rally on Sunday that people in Europe and Germany who attend "terrorist organization" rallies would be arrested in Turkey. "In Germany, in Europe, there are those who attend terrorist organization events then go on vacation in Antalya, Bodrum and Mugla," Soylu said, referring to Turkish resort towns. "Now weʼve taken action against them.
EU court rejects Hamas appeal to delist terrorist status A top EU court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by Hamas for the bloc to delist the Palestinian group as a terrorist organization to allow it to regain access to frozen assets. Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 after it won Palestinian elections, has been on the EU terrorist list since 2001. The EUʼs General Court ruling on Wednesday related specifically to the EUʼs decision to renew the terrorism listing in 2015. Hamas, which has armed and political wings, had argued that the EU made a "mistaken characterization of Hamas as a terrorist group," denied a right to defense and had "not substantiated by any evidence" to justify the terrorism listing. The Islamist group further argued it is "a lawful political movement that won the Palestinian elections and forms the core of the Palestinian government."
56/2019 • 7 MARCH, 2019
EU conservative bloc lays out ultimatum for Hungaryʼs Viktor Orban EPP chief Manfred Weber says that can be avoided if Orban does three things
Viktor Orbanʼs Fidesz party faces suspension or expulsion from the European Peopleʼs Party, the largest political bloc in the EU Parliament.
EU hits car-part makers with €368 million price-fixing fine The EUʼs anti-trust regulator has issued huge fines to two auto-safety equipment suppliers for running cartels. Autoliv and TRW colluded to fix prices of car parts to Volkswagen and BMW. Two manufacturers of seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels were fined €368 million ($416 million) by the European Commission on Tuesday, in the latest antitrust case against car-part suppliers. The US, Michiganheadquartered TRW Automotive will pay €189 million, while Autoliv, based in Stockholm, Sweden, has
been fined €179 million penalty. The pair, along with a third supplier, Takata of Japan, were found to have colluded as suppliers of safety equipment to German auto giants Volkswagen and BMW between 2007 and 2011. Read more: VW and Microsoft put their heads together in the digital cloud Takata was not fined the €195 million the commission initially set because it blew the whistle on the cartel. All three acknowledged involvement and agreed to settle, and TRW Automotive and Autoliv having their fines reduced for cooperation.
Collective push against climate change more powerful than youʼd think Peter Kalmus sits outside Californiaʼs Pasadena City Hall in his electric car. His sons, aged 10 and 12, are on steps of the grand building, waving signs with the slogans: "School strike for climate" and "Adults, act like it!" Kalmusʼ Tesla is just the kind of luxury youʼd expect a climate scientist at NASAʼs jet propulsion laboratory to have. But he doesnʼt exactly live a
lavish lifestyle. Actually, he says, he usually cycles. He hasnʼt been on a plane since 2012, and he eats a vegetarian diet. As someone who works in climate science, Kalmus feels thereʼs no excuse not to reduce his carbon footprint. "This is an urgent crisis," he says. "Those of us who understand that should act like itʼs an urgent crisis."
Ash Wednesday — Germanyʼs day for beer and political insults For more than seven decades, the political culture of the Federal Republic of Germany has been characterized by remarkable consensus and compromise. Despite the best efforts of some of the far-right populists in the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, thereʼs no German equivalent to the acrimony generated by President Donald Trump in the United States. In the main, German politicians stay civil. But every Ash Wednesday the gloves come off, and political leaders are allowed to push the rhetoric to the limits of fairness — and sometimes beyond. Thatʼs been the case this year, too, in the centenary edition of the ritual. Here are some best zingers from the 2019 edition of the political roast dayGermans call "political Ash Wednesday."
North Korea rebuilding rocket test site: report North Korea has started restoring part ofa long-range rocket launch site it dismantled last year, according to a report published on Wednesday by Washington-based think tank 38 North. Satellite evidence suggests that work had begun at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the run-up toa summit in Vietnam between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, 38 North said.
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56/2019 • 7 March, 2019
Violence against women rife in eastern Europe, says OSCE study The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) published Wednesday the "grim" results of a large-scale survey on violence against women in eight different countries in eastern and southeastern Europe. The representative report surveyed around 15,000 women aged 18-74 in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine and Kosovo, asking them about their experiences of violence and abuse since the age of 15. Key findings on violence Some 70 percent of women said they had experienced some form of violence since the age of 15, with 31 percent saying this had occurred within the last 12 months.Twentythree percent of women responded that they had experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, while 18 percent said they had experienced this from a nonpartner.Family members were responsible for 31 percent of non-partner physical violence experienced by women.Psychological violence is the most common form of violence against women, with 60 percent of women reporting this from a partner.
Bayern Munich criticize timing of Joachim Löwʼs decision to axe trio In a joint-statement issued by the club from chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, Bayern Munich criticized the timing of Joachim Löwʼs decision to cut the international careers of three players short.
Canada: Justin Trudeau scandal prompts further minister to quit The budget minister in Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeauʼs Cabinet has resigned in an escalating political scandal. Jane Philpott said she had lost confidence in the government over its handling of a graft case. Treasury Board President Jane Philpott quit Canadaʼs Cabinet on Monday. Sheʼs the third high-profile figure to leave her post over whatʼs becoming an escalating political crisis. In a resignation letter addressed to the prime minister, Philpott said she
was seriously concerned by efforts by politicians and officials to pressure former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene in a criminal case against Canadian engineering giant SNC-Lavalin and could no longer defend the government.
Summit Meeting of the Schlager Stars at Nassfeld As part of the sun skiing programme, Nassfeld brings the stars of the local schlager scene to the stage for a big open-air concert on 5 and 6 April 2019. Including: the chart topper Melissa Naschenweng, Nino de Angelo, Marco Ventre & Band, Marc Pircher and many more. Number 1 in the Austrian album charts, highest entry as a newcomer in Switzerland and more than 1 million views of her video clip “I steh auf Bergbauernbuam“ within just three weeks; Melissa Naschenweng and her new album ”Wirbelwind“ bring a breath of fresh air to the schlager scene and to Nassfeld. Because the ski resort brings the successful singer to the Schlager Summit Open-Air Concert directly on the piste on Friday, 5 April 2019. But her colleague DJane Bibi Booom also represents a new, young generation of artists who simply cross the lines between different genres. With her typical mix of dance music, schlager and popular party hits, the musician in her dirndl and the red headphones has already established her fan community some time ago: ”The music is a wild mix but if the
groove is a hit and the party is a great success, then this is all that counts in the end.“ And this is what you can expect from her at Nassfeld! Hannah and “Die Draufgänger“ with their cover version of “Cordula Grün“ will also fire up the party atmosphere on Friday. It will also be a concert on home turf for Marco Ventre & Band. They will get the schlager fans going on Saturday, 6 April 2019. Nino de Angelo, an “old“ hand and one of the greatest in the industry, will perform many songs to sing along to also on Saturday. Just like all-round talent and popular musician Marc Pircher as well as the Ladykryners, who became famous in the schlager & folk music scene with a cover version of ”Bella Ciao“. The concerts on the giant Nassfeld stage, on the Tressdorfer Alm, surrounded by the Carnic Alps, start from 6:00 pm on both days. A day ticket costs € 29.00 and also includes the night ride experience on the Millennium Express from Tröpolach to the event area (uphill rides start from 5:00 pm). The 2-day ticket is available for € 49.00. The tickets are available from Ö-Ticket (plus € 2.00 ticket fee) or at the Hermagor Tourist Office. Photo credits: ©nass‐ feld.at
Múzeum+ February at Museum of Fine Arts The February edition of monthly event series Múzeum+ is being held on the 14th at the Museum of Fine Arts. For each of these events, besides interactive workshops and concerts, an English-language guided tour also features. This time the theme is German Renaissance Art, starting at 7pm. For the complete schedule, check the museum website.
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Merck does not have to compensate French patients, court rules Merck will not have to pay damages to customers who claim they werenʼt properly informed about changes to the companyʼs thyroid drug, a French court ruled Tuesday. More than 4,100 plaintiffs had demanded a total of €41 million ($46 million) — or €10,000 each — in compensation. They alleged the German pharmaceutical giant failed to tell them about possible side effects of a new version of its Levothyrox drug released in 2017. But the court in Lyon rejected the class-action suit, finding that Merck had provided enough information. About 3 million people use the thyroid medication in France.
Germany extends ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia Germany announced Wednesday it would extend a temporary ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the end of the month. The ban, which Germany instituted followed the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and applies to countries involved in the Yemen war, has led to both domestic and international tension, with Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs government facing pressure from theGerman arms industryand some EU neighbors angered over the export freeze. The ban was originally set to last until March 9. "We decided this [extension] with a view to developments in Yemen," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said following a meeting of Merkelʼs cabinet. "We believe that the Yemen war must end as soon as possible." "Not only will there not be any permits issued until the end of this month, but products with permits already granted will also not be delivered," Maas added. The minister said that the German government would evaluate the arms export situation with respect to developments in Yemen over the course of the month. Around 10,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the war in Yemen since 2015, when Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention in the country.