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Germany delivers Jordan €18 million in military equipment German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said the equipment would help bolster Jordanʼs border surveillance. She said Germany and Europe "have an interest in Jordanʼs stability." German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen oversaw the delivery of €18 million ($22 million) worth of military equipment to the Jordanian armed forces on Sunday in a move designed to improve the countryʼs border control. Von der Leyen said at the handover ceremony in the Jordanian capital Amman, that the equipment, which includes two training aircraft worth €5 million and 70 trucks and 56 vans worth €13 million, would help "improve mobility at the border." "Jordan is a voice of conciliation and reason in a conflict and terror-stricken region," she said. "Germany and Europe … have an interest in Jordanʼs stability."
Hawaii officials mistakenly warn of inbound ballistic missile Emergency management officials have said an alert warning a missile was on its way to Hawaii was a "false alarm." The error caused a stir on social media and panic among the US stateʼs residents. Hawaii residents woke up on Saturday morning to an emergency alert on their mobile phones advising them a ballistic missile was headed for the Pacific archipelago. More than 30 minutes later, authorities sent out a correction confirming there was no threat. "Hawaii — this is a false alarm," US lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard, who represents the state, announced on Twitter. "I have confirmed with officials there is no incoming missile to Hawaii." The alert sent to cellphones said in all capital letters: "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill."
13/2018 • 16, JANUARY 2018
Russiaʼs Sergei Lavrov slams US for ignoring ʼmultipolarʼ world Lavrov has sharply criticized the US for trying to dismantle the Iran nuclear deal
Washington is still using ultimatums and failing to recognize the emerging "multipolar world," he said.
Critics weigh in on Germanyʼs coalition talks ʼbreakthroughʼ Germanyʼs prospective deal for Chancellor Angela Merkel to head another grand coalition has been slammed by industry leaders as "expensive." Asylum advocates say it hands hard-liners a "triumph" over human rights. Elements of a 28-page policy paper backed Friday by Merkel and Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Martin Schulz as the basis forrecommended formal coalition talks have quickly drawn criticism. Mario Ohoven, president of Germanyʼs BVMW federation of medium-sized
industrial companies, said a further coalition — potentially Merkelʼs third with the SPD since 2005 — would be "costly for Germany." The outcome of six days of exploratory talks that peaked early Friday would raise the cost of labor, worsen competition and ignore the need for tax competitiveness, Ohoven asserted. President of the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK), Eric Schweizer, said the prospect of a government being formed after a 3-month hiatus was "important and good" but that a great policy vision was not discernible.
Germany must allow third gender in registry of births, court rules An intersex person has won a court case to allow them to enter a third gender into the registry of births. The case was appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court after failing at lower levels. Germanyʼs Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday called for a third gender option in the registry of births. Intersex people, who are neither male nor female, should be able to register their sexual identity as such, the Karlsruhe court ruled. The court found that the general right to the protection of personality in Germanyʼs Basic Law meant the register had to be altered to
allow a third gender. The court ruled seven to one that lawmakers must create new legislation by the end of 2018 to allow for a third sex, providing the examples of "intersex," "diverse" or another "positive designation of sex." Another possibility raised was to scrap gender entries altogether. "Assignment to a gender is of paramount importance for individual identity; it typically plays a key role both in the self-image of a person and in the way in which the person concerned is perceived by others. The gender identity of those persons who are neither male nor female is protected,"the court ruled.
Israelʼs Netanyahu in India to seal trade and defense deals Israel and India are trying to build on growing ties as they expand cooperation in multiple fields. But for India, overtly expanding relations involves a balancing act. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kicks off a sixday visit to India on Sunday, hoping to boost trade and defense ties to advance a complex budding relationship with New Delhi. The first visit to India by an Israeli leader in 15 years comes less than six months after Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel. Modi notably didnʼt travel to the West Bank to meet Palestinian leaders during that trip. The warm personal chemistry between the two prime ministers has given rise to a flurry of enthusiasm. Netanyahu in July hailed the relationship as a"marriage made in heaven." However, the choreographed image of a Netanyahu-Modi bromance faces the opportunities and constraints inherent in any foreign policy driven by national interests.
French dairy group Lactalis to pay damages over salmonella contamination In a rare interview, the head of Lactalis said families would be compensated for damages resulting from salmonella contamination at one of its plants producing baby milk. The company exports to 83 countries. French dairy giant Lactalis has widened its product recall to cover all infant formula made at its Craon plant, regardless of the manufacture date. The recall involves up to 12 million tins of powdered baby milk.
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13/2018 • 16, January 2018
How #MeToo affects the Golden Globes
Toyota and Mazda to build plant in Alabama
With sexual harassment cases in the backdrop, the Golden Globes are set to launch Hollywoodʼs annual awards season. A black-dress protest will be held — but "men in black" are accused of slacktivism. Hollywoodʼs biggest pre-Oscars prize-giving ceremony takes place on January 7. It is the first major award ceremony since the start of the #MeToo movement and showcases an industry which, after operating for decades under the motto "sex sells," is having to reinvent itself. Organized by the 90-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a total of 25 prizes are up for grabs on Sunday — 14 in film and 11 in television — at the Golden Globes awards ceremony. But the mood in Los Angeles in the wake of widespread sexual harassment claims is rather heavy. As was the case two years ago with the #Oscarssowhite campaign, social media was a driving force in this new reality check for Hollywood. Even before the launch of Hollywoodʼs annual awards season, the fallout of the scandal has already managed to change the face of the industry in various ways — and appears to be set to do so for the foreseeable future.
Alabama has entered the fast lane in its bid to become a major automaking hub, securing a coveted joint venture plant of Toyota and Mazda. The Japanese manufacturers said it would eventually employ thousands.
Dakar Rally: Toyotaʼs AlAttiyah takes first stage Qatarʼs Nasser Al-Attiyah has won the first stage of the Dakar Rally in the Peruvian town of Pisco. Nine-time rally world champion Sebastian Loeb of France endured a torrid opening day, finishing in 29th place. The opening round of the Dakar Rally saw defending champions Peugeot left stunned, as two-time winner Nasser Al-Attiyah of Toyota swept across the short 31-kilometer (19-mile) stretch of desert between Lima and Pisco in just 21 minutes and 51 seconds.
Japanese carmakers Toyota and Mazda announced their plan to build a new $1.6-billion (€1.34-billion) plant in the southern US state of Alabama. They said the factory would be in the city of Huntsvilleand was expected to be operational in 2021. The plant would produce about 300,000 vehicles per year and would eventually create up to 4,000 jobs, the two companies noted at a press conference with Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. "The partnership between
Mazda and Toyota will expand innovative automotive manufacturing in Alabama," Ivey said. "Their decision to locate this new facility in Huntsville is a testament to the talented workforce in our state." Toyota already has a foothold in northern Alabama. It opened a car and truck engine plant there in 2003. Its new joint venture with Mazda shows the southern US states are increasingly competing with the traditional auto heartland of Detroit.
To fly or not to fly? Though air travel is more popular than ever, the vast majority of people in the world have never been on a plane. As that dynamic slowly changes, the environment stands to suffer. Is flying less the only solution? When was the last time you traveled by plane? As little as three percent of the global population flew in 2017, and at most, only about 18 percent have ever done so. But things are changing. According to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) estimates, there were 3.7 billion global air passengers in 2016 — and every year since 2009
has been a new record-breaker. By 2035, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts a rise to 7.2 billion. Like the planes themselves, the numbers just keep going up. And given the damage flying does to the planet, that is food for thought. Many estimates put aviationʼs share of global CO2 emissions at just above two percent. Thatʼs the figure the industry itself generally accepts. But according to Stefan Gössling, a professor at Swedenʼs Lund and Linnaeus universities and co-editor of the book Climate Change and Aviation: Issues, Challenges and Solutions, "Thatʼs only half the truth."
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US December job creation disappoints The US has added fewer jobs lately than expected by labor market experts, fresh government figures have shown. The overall unemployment rate held steady at a 17-year low in the worldʼs largest economy. The US economyʼs job creation ability decreased in December 2017 despite solid hiring in the manufacturing and construction sectors, government data showed Friday. While theunemployment rate remained unchanged at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent, employers across the nation added just 148,000 jobs in the final month of last year. The figure was far below expectations of 200,000 new positions and even below the sluggish 155,000 jobs reported in December 2016. Economists had been more optimistic especially after payroll services firm ADP said Thursday that private hiring experienced a boost in the final four weeks of December 2017. But the slowing reported by the government couldpoint to an economy nearly at full employment that is finding it hard to get workersto fill open positions. Thatʼs a sentiment that had been reflected in reports from companies lately.
Ousted Venezuelan opposition leader escapes house arrest, flees to Spain Ousted Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma has likened his escape to a film. He plans to take the fight against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro abroad. The ousted opposition mayor of Caracas arrived in Spain on Saturday after orchestrating a daring escape from house arrest in Venezuela. Antonio Ledezma landed in Madrid from Bogota, Colombia, where he arrived a day earlier after slipping across the border. He was greeted by his wife and two daughters who live in Spain. Ledezma said he planned to organize resistance from abroad to President Nicolas Maduro, under whose rule millions of Venezuelans have suffered from shortages of food and other basic supplies. "I am going to travel the world to spread the hope of all Venezuelans to escape this regime, this dictatorship," Ledezma said. The 62-yearold opposition figure was removed as mayor of Caracas and arrested in 2015 on allegations he sought to topple Maduro.