DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
US to withdraw all remaining embassy personnel from Venezuela US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late Monday that the United States will withdraw all remaining diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Caracas as the crisis in Venezuela deepens. He said the staff would leave by the end of the week. The move worsens already frayed relations between the two nations. President Donald Trump has said that he doesnʼt rule out any optionsincluding military intervention to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The US has already imposed sanctions designed to choke off Venezuelan oil sales, which are the lifeblood of the leftist government in Caracas. Much of Venezuela has beenwithout electricitygoing on five days now due to a power outage that the government blames on what it calls sabotage encouraged by the US.
Croatian bishops push for mass at Ustashalinked Bleiburg memorial A Croatian bishop was set to hold mass at the upcomingmemorial in Austriaʼs Blaiburg, where thousands of people, including far-right extremists and Nazi sympathizers, gather to mark the anniversary of the 1945 mass killings of Croatians. The local Austrian diocese, however, denied permission for the ecclesial ceremony, saying that the mass was being "politically instrumentalized" at the controversial event. The diocese leaders might still change their decision, a spokesman for the Austrian Bishopsʼ Conference told DW on Tuesday.
61/2019 • 13 MARCH, 2019
Decisive in reducing South Asia tensions German Foreign Minister in Pakistan:
After visiting troops in Afghanistan, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has arrived in the Pakistan capital for talks. Violence in Kashmir and a tense security situation in neighboring Afghanistan are on the agenda.
VW reports €12 billion profit and plans 22 million electric cars in 10 years Germanyʼs Volkswagen announced a €12.15 billion profit for 2018, beating analystsʼ forecasts. The automaker also said that electric cars would play a major role in the future, as it continues to deal with ʼDieselgateʼ. Volkswagen announced on Tuesday it had made a net profit of €12.15 billion ($13.7 billion) in 2018, beating analystsʼ forecasts. The profit comes despite huge charges linked to its "Diesel-
gate" emissions-cheating scandal, and a difficult road ahead due to tough new pollution tests. The operating results of the main brand Volkswagen was €3.2 billion as opposed to last years €3.3 billion. All together VW sold 10.8 million vehicles around the world from its 12 brands, bringing in €235.8 billion, with revenues posting slower growth than profits. "We performed very well in spite of strong headwinds," chief executive Herbert Diess said in a statement.
Man leaves €10,000 Picasso jug on German train German police are trying to help a man find a ceramic jug made by Pablo Picasso, after he accidentally left it on a train earlier this month. The elderly man was traveling from Kassel to Dusseldorf on February 15 when he switched trains at the city of Hamm and forgot to bring his precious cargo with him. Read more: How German was Picasso? The 26centimeter-tall (10-inch-tall) ceramic piece dates to 1953 and was an original crafted by Picasso at his Madoura workshop in Vallauris in the south of France, police said. It is part of Picas-
soʼs "Owl series" and is estimated to be worth at least €10,000 ($8,800). Police said the man reported the disappearance immediately after exiting the train but the bag with the jug inside it was already gone. Read more: Picasso and windows The shopping bag was made of solid cardboard with blue lettering that read "Neumeister — Alte Kunst — Moderne." Munster Federal Police, which is investigating the case, asked witnesses who might have seen the man "forgetting" the bag to report the sighting to them.
After 20 years in NATO, Poland still eager to please When NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg commended Polandʼs commitment to the alliance in Warsaw in early March, he struck a chord with Poles. "We are very grateful for the contribution Poland makes to NATO every day," he said. "Poland is a very committed ally, an ally which is contributing to our shared security, to our collective defense in many different ways," Stoltenberg added. "And thatʼs something which we really welcome." An eager partner The praise is justified: Poland has been trying for years to position itself as a model member of NATO. The country spends 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense, participates in NATO foreign missions, such as in Afghanistan, and warmly welcomes the presence of NATO troops on its soil.
Paris okays proposed French-German parliamentary assembly French National Assembly president Richard Ferrand (pictured above) said Monday the chamber had approved the combined Franco-German parliamentary body conceived in January in Aachen — despite objections from Franceʼs radical left and far right. "Building such a unique parliamentary institution is a sign of the intensity of our relationship," said Ferrand, referring to Parisʼ and Berlinʼs renewal in Aachen in January of the Elysee Treaty, their 1963 post-war reconciliation pact.
weather today BUDAPEST
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61/2019 • 13 March, 2019
German train-delay scarf sells for thousands at auction A scarf knitted by a German woman to represent how long she was delayed on trains run by German rail company Deutsche Bahn sold for €7,550 ($8,660) on eBay on Monday. There were 134 bids from 45 bidders for the 1.5-meter (5 foot) scarf, which was knitted over the course of 2018 and features stripes in different colors, to represent different-length delays. Read more: Deutsche Bahn flaws prompt calls for basic railway reform Journalist Sara Weber, the scarf makerʼs daughter, said her mother was a commuter in the Munich area and had knitted two rows per day: Gray for under five minutes, pink for 5-30 minutes, and red for delays of more than 30 minutes or when both of her trains were running late. Weber posted a photo of the scarf on Twitter and the response was so enthusiastic that she and her mother decided to auction it and give the proceeds to the charity Bahnhofsmission, which assists people in need at railway stations across Germany. On Monday, Weber tweeted that the scarf had been sold for €7,550. "My mum is very happy — and so am I. We never would have expected that would happen," Weber wrote.
Virus-hit Alexander Zverev knocked out of Indian Wells A virus going around the Indian Wells tournament in California has claimed its latest victim, with Alexander Zverev well below his best as crashed out of the tournament in the third round. Zverev fell to compatriot JanLennard Struff 6-3, 6-1, who will now face Canadian 13th seed Milos Raonic.
US warns Germany over use of ʼuntrusted vendorsʼ in 5G network The US has sent the German Economy Ministry a letter warning of the risks posed by using "untrusted vendors" in its 5G network. The letter comes amid tensions between Chinese telecom giant Huawei and the US. The United States on Monday warned Germany that sensitive communications could be compromised if "untrusted vendors" were used within its 5G telecom infrastructure, according to a Wall Street Journal report. US Ambassador Richard A. Grenell wrote to German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier on Friday, saying the participation of Huawei or other Chinese equipment vendors in the 5G project would mean the "US wonʼt be able to maintain the same level of cooperation with German security agencies," WSJ reported. Read more: Germanyʼs
5G: The bidders — and whatʼs involved "To the extent there are untrusted vendors in the networks of an ally, that could raise future questions about the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive communications within that country, as well as between that country and its allies," a US embassy spokesman said. "This could in the future jeopardize nimble cooperation and some sharing of information. We are engaging intensively with our allies on how to secure our telecommunications networks to ensure continued interoperability," he added.
A master of reinvention and his muse In his late years, Picasso shifted both his studio and his work, focusing on his second wife and muse, Jacqueline, and their home in South France, the Villa La Californie, as can be seen at the Museum Barberini. One of the best-known artists of his time, the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso is at the center of a new exhibition in Potsdamʼs Museum Barberini. Comprising 136 of his artworks on loan from his late wife, Jacqueline, and her daughter, Catherine Hutin, "Picasso: The Late Work," features several pieces which have never been seen by the public before. DW spoke to art historian Valerie Hortolani at the showʼs opening. Hortolani, together with Bernardo Lani-
ado-Romero, director of the Picasso museums in Barcelona and Malaga for many years, curated the exhibition. Thematically, the focus was on the last 19 years of his life, a time which he spent with his second wife and last partner Jacqueline. In this exhibition, we also wanted to put an end to (pre)judgments about this lesser-known late work by Picasso. His late works show a more jittery way of painting and come from a very masculine perspective, which drew a lot of criticism. We try to portray him as a contemporary painter. In the 1950s and 1960s, Picasso created his works at a time when a great deal was happening in international art, for example in connection with the emergence of Abstract Expressionism or Art Informel.
No Red Bull Air Race for Budapest in 2019 Budapest Mayor István Tarlós has not authorised the organisation of the Red Bull Air Race in Budapest this summer – according to a statement just issued by the Mayor’s Office. Held annually in several major cities with notable landmarks for skyline backdrops, the Red Bull Air Race is Formula 1 in the air, presenting incredible stunt-flying spectacles performed by the world’s best pilots. Every year except one since 2003, Budapest has hosted the race, but now it seems that for 2019, the Red Bull Air Race will skip the Hungarian capital.
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US sanctions Venezuela state oil firm PDVSA The US said on Monday that it would impose sanctions on Venezuelaʼs state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), as it ramps up pressure on the countryʼs president, Nicolas Maduro. The move followsWashingtonʼs public backing of National Assembly leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president last week. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions were meant to prevent Maduro from diverting more resources from the crisis-hit country, until control in Caracas could be transferred toGuaidoʼs interim governmentora new democratically elected government. Mnuchin specified that PDVSAʼs US-based subsidiary Citgo could continue operations, so long as its earnings are deposited into a blocked account in the US. Maduro accused the US of attempting to steal Citgo, saying the state oil firm will seek legal action against the US. Washington was "holding accountable those responsible for Venezuelaʼs tragic decline," Mnuchin told reporters. US and Turkish presidents discuss safe zone in northern Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, took to the telephone to discuss the situation in northern Syria on Monday. "The president expressed the desire to work together to address Turkeyʼs security concerns in northeast Syria while stressing the importance to the United States that Turkey does not mistreat the Kurds and other Syrian Democratic Forces with whom we have fought to defeat ISIS," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement, referring to the "Islamic State" (IS) extremist group. The Turkish presidency said the two men discussed the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria cleared of militia groups. It did not provide any other details. Thedisagreement between the NATO alliesis the latest consequence of Trumpʼs December 19 decision to withdraw US military personnel from Syria. This could leave the Kurdish militia under threat should Turkey start a new offensive. Over the weekend, Trump had taken to Twitter to threaten he would"devastate" the Turkish economyif Ankara sent its forces to attack the Kurds in northern Syria.