DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
German neoNazis launch hate campaign after Syrian boy dies The small town of Schönberg in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has become the scene of an ugly neo-Nazi hate campaign after a young boy was hit by a tractor on June 20. Two men have since been identified in connection with the crime. In the weeks after the accident, swastikas were twice daubed at the site, and twice removed by local authorities. Local police reported that the 9-year-old boy had lost his balance while riding his bike on the sidewalk and had strayed onto the road, where he was hit by the tractor. He died a few days later in hospital. Two weeks later, on July 8, a local resident reported that a large swastika had been painted at the spot on the sidewalk with white paint. It was removed, but a new swastika, also in white paint, was found at the same spot on July 28, this time with "1:0" written next to it.
Staufen child sex abuse case: Spanish national sentenced to 10 years in prison
A court in southwestern Germany on Monday sentenced a Spanish national to 10 years in prison for rape, sexual abuse, forced prostitution and producing child pornography. The 33-year-old defendant had previously admitted paying to rape the 9-year-old boy for money on multiple occasions in the town of Staufen, near Freiburg and filming his crimes against the boy. He is one of eight peopleimplicated in the case, which police described as one of the worst child sex abuse cases theyʼve ever investigated.
179/2018 • 07 AUGUST, 2018
IMF blames German trade surplus for trade tensions Now, even the IMF sees them as a reason for current trade tensions
When al-Qaida brought terror to East Africa Itʼs August 7, 1998, 10:30 a.m.Two assassins detonate a tanker truckfilled with explosives in front of the US embassy in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Only nine minutes later, another bomb explodes, this time in neighboring Tanzania in front of the US embassy in Dar es Salaam. A total of 242 people were killed in these attacks, most of them in Nairobi, where the impact of the explosion destroyed the embassy’s facade and caused a neighboring house to collapse. "The attacks on the embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam on August 7th came as a real shock to many people," recalls Murithi Mutiga, a security expert at the International Crisis Group in Nairobi. "Most Kenyans and Tanzanians could hardly comprehend what could motivate people to unleash carnage on such a scale."
Chicago suffers deadly wave of gun violence Germanyʼs huge surpluses in global trade are not only part of US President Donald Trumpʼs sharp rhetoric in his campaign against this countryʼs exports. Germanyʼs hesitancy to reduce its trade surpluswas contributing to trade tension and added to risks that could undermine global financial stability, Maurice Obstfeld, chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said on Monday. In a guest commentary for the German daily Die Welt, Obstfeld wrote that in trade surplus countries such as Germany the IMF saw only "hesitant measures, at best, to counteract the surplus." "The net external positions will diverge more. That increases the risk of disruption by currency or asset price adjustments in indebted countries, to the disadvantage of all," he said. "If there is a sudden adjustment, then both the debtor and creditor countries will suffer," he added. Read more: Germany posts record exports and imports for 2017 The IMF and the European
Commission have long urged Germany to boost domestic demand by lifting wages and investment to reduce what they call global economic imbalances. The demand has also been repeatedly raised by US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to lower the German trade surplus with the United States by imposing higher tariffs. In his article, Obstfeld demanded that Germany should increase government spending, for instance by investing in infrastructure or digitalization, so that companies invest more domestically rather than looking abroad. Regarding US trade and economic policies, the IMF chief economist noted that due to the US trade deficit, Washington should reduce the federal budget deficit, encourage households to save more and gradually normalize their monetary policy.
Police in Chicago said that a spate of deadly shootings over the weekend left at least 10 people dead and at least 59 wounded. The violence peaked early Sunday with several shootings, including one in a courtyard on the cityʼs South Side that injured eight people. Police attributed the shootings to gangs. Patrol Chief Fred Waller said that gang members are using large summer crowds as cover in some cases. "They take advantage of that opportunity and they shoot into a crowd, no matter who they hit," he said.
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179/2018 • 07 August, 2018
US Sec of State Mike Pompeo urges UN members to uphold North Korea sanctions Americaʼs top diplomatMike Pompeotold the United Nations Security Council on Friday that member states stood united in seeking the denuclearization of North Korea, but insisted the strictenforcement of economic sanctionswas crucial to achieving this goal. "The countries of the Security Council are united on the need for final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea as agreed to by Chairman Kim (Jong Un)," Pompeo said. "Strict enforcement of sanctions is critical to achieving this goal." After addressing the security council, Pompeo told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that the US believed North Korea could shed its status as a "pariah" state, but stressed "it will take full enforcement of sanctions for us to get there."
EUʼs Barnier lukewarm over Brexit White Paper, warns on red tape
The British governmentʼs blueprint for its trading relations with the EU after it has left the bloc contains "useful" elements but many questions remain, EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Friday. "From our point of view there are ... several elements that open the way for a constructive discussion," he said, including plans for a free trade deal, a commitment to common standards and guarantees on fundamental rights. But Barnier hinted that some of the proposalscontained in a White Paper published last week may be unworkable and questioned whether they were compatible with the EUʼs basic principles, or in the blocʼs interest. "There are some points that are in contradiction with the guidelines" of the remaining 27 EU leaders, Barnier told reporters, citing the integrity of the EUʼs single market and the indivisibility of its four freedoms – free movement of goods, services, capital and persons. Britain has indicated that will seek single market privileges for industrial and agricultural goods alone, while aiming for a much looser arrangement for the trade in services. 2
Facebook removes conspiracy theorist Alex Jonesʼ pages as podcasts taken down Facebook and Apple have all taken down content by Alex Jones,
Spotify, Facebook and Apple have all taken down content by Alex Jones, whose InfoWars site has a mass following. While heʼs previously taken heat for fake news, it was hate speech that landed him in hot water now. Three major global technology companies took action against American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones over the past two days, removing his digital content from their sites for having violated their hate speech policies. Social media giant Facebook announced on Monday that it had taken down four video pages belonging to Jones for contravening its community standards while streaming player Spotify said that it had now removed all
German church membership continues to drop Last year saw a total of 660,228 fewer members inGermanyʼs Protestant and Catholic churches, according to statistics released on Friday. The Protestant church in Germany (EKD) said that its membership dropped by 390,000 to 21.5 million in 2017, a decrease of 1.8 percent. The Catholic church noted a similar trend, withthe German Bishopsʼ Conference (DBK)reporting there were over 270,000 fewer members in 2017, putting its membership at 23.3 million. Over half of the German population are still members of one of Germanyʼs two main Christian
Several injured in attack on bus in northern German city of Lübeck Witnesses told the paper that the attack happened in the Kücknitz neighborhood on a public bus, en route to the North Sea beach area of Travemünde. The assailant let his backpack fall and then took out his weapon. The driver stopped the bus and was then struck by the suspect. The passengers then reportedly restrained him. A second witness who lives on the street where the bus was driving said that the man was armed with a kitchen knife. The area around the bus was cordoned off throughout Friday afternoon. Authorities have not yet confirmed the suspectʼs motive, but police have said that "there is no evidence of political radicalization" and no reason to believe the attack had a "terrorist background." Police clarified that the suspect is a 34year-old German citizen who was born in Iran but had lived in Germany for a long time. As of Friday evening, he had not confessed to any wrongdoing. State prosecutors said they are working quickly to bring charges of attempted arson and grevious bodily harm.
of Jonesʼ InfoWars podcast offerings. Read more: Facebook refuses to censor Holocaust denial as social media sites struggle with German laws The news came one day after media news website BuzzFeed reported that Apple had removed the majority of Jonesʼ podcasts from its platforms. The removals were a noticeable example ofenforcement action taken by technology companies to regulate offensive content in the digital realm. denominations, although numbers have dropped significantly in recent years. Around 54 percent of people living in Germany were part of either church in 2017, which is down significantly from 62 percent in 2005.
Novichok victim released from UK hospital Novichokvictim Charlie Rowleywas released from a UK hospital on Friday after three weeks of treatment. Officials believe that the nerve agent that sickened Rowley, 45, and killed his partner was the same that was used against ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March. "Charlie has been through an
appalling experience most of us could never imagine," said Lorna Wilkinson, head of nursing at Salisbury District Hospital. "Today is a very welcome milestone in his recovery." Rowley and his partner Dawn Sturgess became ill on June 30 after handling a small bottle of Novichok near Rowleyʼs home in Amesbury, reportedly disguised as a perfume bottle. Sturgess, 44, died in the hospital on July 8. She is believed to have been exposed to 10 times as much Novichok as the Skripals. Amesbury is just 7.7 miles (12.3 km) from Salisbury, where the Skripals were found collapsed on a bench on March 4. The father and daughter have since been moved to a safe location for their protection.
179/2018 • 07 August, 2018
UK trade minister Liam Fox says EU pushing Britain to no-deal Brexit UK trade minister Liam Fox has accused the European Union of pushing Britain toward an exit from the bloc without a trade deal. He said Brussels was obsessed with EU rules, rather than focusing on economic well-being. Britainʼs international trade secretary, Liam Fox, has put the odds of the UK leaving the European Union without agreeing terms to formally finalize its exit at 60-40. "I think the intransigence of the [European] Commission is pushing us toward no deal," he told British newspaper The Sunday Times in an interview published late Saturday. "We have set out the basis in which a deal can happen but if the EU decides that the theological obsession of the unelected is to take priority over the economic well-being of the people of Europe then
Martin Kaymerʼs struggles are just the tip of the iceberg for German golf Despite being a two-time major winner, a former world number one and the man to sink the putt to retain a historic comeback in the 2012 Ryder Cup, Martin Kaymer has struggled to carry the flag for German golf in recent years. After finishing the first round of the 147th Open Championship with the same even-par score (71) as Tiger Woods, Kaymer endured more than he enjoyed on day two. Teeing off at Carnoustie just as the rain and wind arrived, Kaymer delivered a solid front nine. As conditions improved though, Kaymer couldnʼt. The Düsseldorf man traded pars with bogeys on his way back towards the clubhouse, before bogeying two of the last three holes, meaning he missed the cut and wouldnʼt continue at the weekend. Kaymer finished +4, finding just 40 percent of the fairways. Many struggle on the course nicknamed "The Beast," and Kaymerʼs failure to make the cut leaves German golf with only 60-year-old Bernhard Langer in the field for the final two rounds.
itʼs a bureaucratsʼ Brexit — not a peopleʼs Brexit — [and] then there is only going to be one outcome," he said. Fox was clear that "confronting the EU with the risks of no deal was part of the governmentʼs strategy," reported The Sun‐ day Times. "I think itʼs essential that no deal looks credible to the EU," he said. Fox has just returned to the UK from a trade mission to the United States and Japan as Britain tries to launch negotiations on post-Brexit trade agreements with the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Horst Seehofer demands Angela Merkel push for more ʼanchorʼ centers
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer called on the leading members of Germanyʼs ruling government coalition to do more to make sure that controversial holding and processing centers for asylum-seekers would be opened across Germany. In a 20minuteinterview with German public broadcaster ARD, Seehofer, a member of the conservative Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), aimed
his remarks at German Chancellor Angela Merkel, head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and the head of the Social Democratic Party (SPD),Andrea Nahles. The CDU/CSU and the SPD are currently governing Germany in a grand coalition, which was badly shaken earlier this summer whenSeehofer threatened to break with Merkelʼs migration policy.
Germany expels Uighur asylum seeker to China ʼin errorʼ Authorities in the German state of Bavaria told public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) on Monday they had mistakenly deported an asylum seeker from Chinaʼs Uighur minority due to an administrative error. The broadcaster reported that officials had been scheduled to meet the asylum seeker for an asylum interview in early April but did not receive a fax from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) notifying them of the meeting. The 22-yearold was put on a flight to Beijing on April 3.
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179/2018 • 07 August, 2018
Credit card cloning on rise in India amid Narendra Modiʼs cashless push In June this year, police in Indiaʼs financial capital Mumbai busted a card cloning racket that involved waiters at bars and restaurants across the city stealing data using credit card skimmers. The accused had managed to steal the credit card and debit card data of some 1,000 unsuspecting customers over a period of two years. This was not a one-off incident. Between April and December last year, nearly 24,000 fraud cases related to credit, debit cards and internet banking were registered in India, Mint newspaper reported in April, citing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data. In Mumbai alone, cases related to credit and debit card fraud jumped 42 percent in 2017, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported. India was ranked among the top 5 countries with regard to credit card fraud, with more than one third of the people saying they had been scammed, according to the 2016 Global Consumer Fraud Report published by payments technology company ACI Worldwide.
Sierenʼs China: Pendulum politics between China and the EU
Well, at least the stars were all nicely lined up on the red China flags and the blue EU flags draped behind the negotiating table at the EU-China summit, which took place in Beijingʼs Great Hall of the People earlier this week. The EU and China were keen to demonstrate their solidarity as US President Donald Trump continues to go it alone. "We are all aware of the fact that the architecture of the world is changing before our very eyes," said European Council President Donald Tusk, backed up by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang. Chinaʼs ambassador to the EU had said in an editorial recently that "China and the EU were two major forces of stability" that supported inclusive globalization. The EU and China were keen to demonstrate their solidarity as US President Donald Trump continues to go it alone. "We are all aware of the fact that the architecture of the world is changing before our very eyes," said European Council President Donald Tusk, backed up by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang. Chinaʼs ambassador to the EU had said in an editorial recently that "China and the EU were two major forces of stability" that supported inclusive globalization. 4
New demands by US regulator threaten Linde-Praxair deal Lindeʼs share price tanked 9.1 percent in morning trading at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on Monday, following an announcement by the German industrial gases maker that new measures demanded by US regulators could exceed a "threshold" agreed with Praxair — potentially scuppering the deal. The United Statesʼ Federal Trade Commission has indicated it wants the companies to sell more assets before it approves their deal. Linde said in a statement over the weekend that efforts to win approval for the merger could be subject to requirements "more onerous than previously expected." Demands by US regulators for further divestitures "are likely to
European Commission refers Germany to court over energy laws The European Commission is referring Germany to the EUʼs highest court over what it says is the countryʼs failure to have its energy regulator abide by EU law on energy provision in Europe. "Germany has not ensured full respect of rules concerning the powers and independence of the national regulatory authority,"the Commission announced on Thursday, referring to Germanyʼs Federal Network Agency (BNetzA). "In particular, the regulator does not enjoy full discretion in the setting of network tariffs and other terms and conditions for access to networks and balancing services." The EUʼs so-called Third Energy Package, in law since 2009, regulates the internal gas and electricity market within the EU. A key element of it concerns what is known as "ownership unbundling," which seeks to separate companiesʼ electricity generation and sales operations from their transmission networks.
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India: Walmart, H&M in spotlight after string of textile workers deaths Global retail behemoths, including Walmart and H&M, are being accused of turning a blind eye to the plight of garment workers in Indiaʼs ʼtextile valleyʼ after a spate of deaths in factories and hostels blamed on grueling and abusive working conditions. Human rights groups say the global retailers are yet to fulfill their promises to improve working conditions that they made after theRana Plaza tragedy in neighboring Bangladeshthat killed more than 1,100 workers, exposing dangerous labor conditions. Garment workers in India and other countries, where the retailing giants benefit from an inexpensive workforce, continue to be coerced into working long hours at a fraction of minimum wages and endure sexual and verbal abuse.
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exceed a threshold for merger clearances previously agreed between Linde and Praxair," it added. Antitrust authorities on both sides of the Atlantic are closely scrutinizing the deal, which would create the worldʼs largest industrial gases firm with annual revenues of more than $30 billion (€25.9 billion), overtaking Lindeʼs longtime French rival Air Liquide.
Top Michelin star chef Joel Robuchon dies aged 75
French chef Joel Robuchon, who accumulated more than 30 Michelin stars during his career, died on Monday in his home in Geneva aged 73. "Joel Robuchon, visionary leader and the most starred chef in the world, leaves us today," French government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux wrote in a Tweet. French daily newspaper Le Figaro reported that Robuchon died of cancer. Read more: A record 28 French restaurants get Michelin threestar ratings Robuchon was a pioneer of modern French cuisine and named one of four "chefs of the century" by the Gault et Millau cooking guide in 1990. Critics lauded his ability to perfect even simple dishes such as mashed potatoes and developing the "Atelier" (workshop in French) restaurant model, where diners observed chefs while they cooked their dishes. Robuchon was born to a bricklaying father in Poitiers in western France in 1945 and began training as a chef at age 15. He was named head chef at the Parisian Hotel Concorde La Fayette at the age of 29 and went on to open acclaimed restaurants in more than three continents during the 1980s and 90s.
179/2018 • 07 August, 2018
What can defend against off-the-shelf drone weapons? Small off-the-shelf drones have been used time and again to kill people
Artur Brauner: 100 years old with 250 film productions under his belt His life story reads like a novel. Born on August 1, 1918 to a Polish Jewish family in Lodz, Poland, Artur Brauner fled the Nazis to the Soviet Union in 1940. In 1946, after the warʼs end and despite Germanyʼs horrific crimes, he decided to found his Central Cinema Company (CCC) in Berlin, establishing his studios on the grounds of the onetime Spandau gunpowder factory in Berlin-Haselhorst. ʼTra la laʼ to prizewinning dramas Always taking a two-track approach to filmmaking, Brauner produced both the kind of light entertainment films he himself described as "tra la la" and prizewinning dramas and films dealing with the Nazi dictatorship.
Help the planet with a strawfree August in Budapest
Repelling such threats is not that easy, but jammers, shotguns, shootable nets or birds of prey may help. A failedassassination attempt on Venezuelaʼs President Nicolás Maduroon August 4, 2018, reminded us once again how easy it seems to be to turn off-the-shelf drones into potentially lethal weapons. In this case, the perpetrators had loaded two drones with 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of explosives each. Then they ap-
parently tried to fly them as close as possible to the president while he was speaking to soldiers. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said that the military had "electronically" diverted one drone from its course. The second one crashed against the wall of a building blocks away from the actual target.
Art and history collide in East Berlinʼs forgotten diplomatic quarter As planes roar overhead into Berlinʼs Tegel airport, 19th century mansions share the street with vast, dishevelled concrete structures in what was the former German Democratic Republicʼs embassy district. These diplomatic Plattenbauten, some abandoned, others bought and sold as part of Berlinʼs property speculation boom, symbolize a time of Cold War detente between a Communist regime and
capitalist nations on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Among the most impressive structures once occupied by diplomatic staff from unlikely GDR bedfellows like the UK and France, the onetime Australian embassy in East Germany is now a place where international artists are reviving a debate about the value of culture and public space in a city that is being sold off to the highest bidder.
It’s the last straw for bars and cafés in Budapest. A planetfriendly campaign is launching this weekend, requesting guests to skip the plastic straws when ordering drinks. The event kicks off at 3pm on Sunday, August 5th with a straw-free toast on Liberty Bridge, closed to traffic for one of its weekend summer picnics. Then through August 21st and beyond, many city hangouts have committed to not offering plastic disposables, a commodity that’s sucking the life out of nature. See where to hang out to support the cause.
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Culture
Donʼt instrumentalize culture, says GoetheInstitut president The German cultural instituteʼs work has become particularly difficult in China, Russia, and Turkey, according to Goethe-Institut President Klaus-Dieter Lehmann. With 12 to 14 institutes in each of 14 designated regions across the world, the organization cooperates with local partners. In Russia, a law restricting the activity of foreign agents has made life difficult for NGOs, Lehmann told DW. They are included among the Goethe-Institutʼs local partners and have to justify working as "foreign agents" with a German institution that "naturally represents freedom in the arts." At the same time, China has increasingly begun to use culture as a political tool, Lehmann said, pointing out that 500 new Confucius educational institutes have been founded worldwide over the past few years. Wary of using culture to fuel a competition of political systems, Lehmann argued that "culture should not be instrumentalized."
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179/2018 • 07 August, 2018
Bundesliga clubs chase the American dream
orussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic is undeniably the face of football in the United States. The 19-year-old is a symbol of the new generation of players expected to turn things around for the US national teamand Dortmund are naturally looking to capitalize on that hype during their US tour. “It’s about being there and giving people a sense of being closer to us. It’s also about being present digitally to spark more interest, ” said Dormtundʼs marketing director Carsten Cramer in an interview with German sports magazine kicker. But this isn’t entirely new territory for the German club.
Jan Ullrich arrested for jumping Til Schweigerʼs fence in Mallorca
Disgracedformer professional cyclist and Olympic champion Jan Ullrichwas released from police detention in Mallorca on Saturday night after being handed a restraining order by a Spanish judge ordering him to keep away from thefamous German actor Til Schweiger. Ullrich had been arrested by Spanish National Police Friday evening in Palma, Mallorcaʼs capital, after allegedly breaking into Schweigerʼs property, which abuts his own. The German film star had been hosting a party at the moment when the ex-pro cyclist jumped a fence and then accosted and allegedly threatened Schweiger, the Diario de Mallorca reported. The German daily Bild said that a physical scuffle ensued. 6
Aleksandar Kolarovʼs free kick stunner secures Serbia win over Costa Rica A brilliant second half free kick from captain Aleksandar Kolarov led Serbia to a deserved win over Costa Rica. Serbia were wasteful in front of goal but did enough to secure three vital points in Group E. Another World Cup day, another sublime freekick. If Cristiano Ronaldo’s ice-cold effort tosnatch a point against arch-rivals Spain on day two was the current goal of the tournament front-runner, the Portuguese may have just met his match. Aleksandar Kolarov, take a bow. A combination of poor finishing and sublime goalkeeping had kept the scores level until Serbia’s no.11 produced his moment of magic. Kolarov’s powerful left foot is no secret, but few inside the stadium would have expected such a thunderous strike when the Roma defender stood over a free kick midway through the second half. His shot was unstoppable; a side-footed missile which screamed into the top corner of the Costa Rica net. Kaylor Navas, who kept his team in the game with several crucial saves either side of half time, was nowhere near it.
Toni Kroos named German footballer of the year Jupp Heynckes and Dzsenifer Marozsan were also recognised by the German football media
Another Champions League win at the end of another season of excellence has seen Toni Kroos named German player of 2017/18. The Real Madrid midfielder was announced as the best German men’s player of last season by Kicker magazine on Sunday and succeeds Philipp Lahm, whowon the 2017 award ahead of Kroos. Votes from 475 members of Germany’s sports journalists’ union were counted and Kroos received almost five times as many as Freiburg’s Nils Petersen in second. Naldo was rewarded for a fine season with Schalke with third
place. "It is and remains a great honor to win Footballer of the Year,” says Kroos in quotes that will appear in Monday’s edition of the publication “This is a not a prize that is easy to win.” It is the first time Kroos has won the award and he will add it to an already bulging trophy cabinet that includes four Bundesliga titles, a La Liga crown, three Champions Leagues, a World Cup and myriad individual honors.
Mario Gomez announces international retirement The Stuttgart forward announced his decision on social media on Sunday, saying that after finally fulfilling his dream ofplaying at a World Cup, he wanted to clear the path for younger players. "My time in the national team was not always easy, not always successful but it was beautiful,” the 33-year-old wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. “But now is the time to make room and give the many young and talented players [coming through] the opportu-
nity to fulfill their dream, to prove themselves, to gain experience and to achieve the best for Germany." Gomez’ retirement comes soon after Mesut Özilquit the national teamciting racist attitudes in Germany’s football association (DFB) and a lack of institutional support from the organization, following criticism of a photo he posed for with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the World Cup in Russia.