DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Germanyʼs Schlecker bankruptcy children facing jail Meike and Lars Schlecker were each sentenced to jail terms of two years and seven months Thursday over breach of trust and insolvency delay and abetting charges upheld by the Karlsruhe-based court. The terms are slightly less than the sentences of 31 and 33 months imposed respectively on Schleckerʼs adult children in November 2017 by the Stuttgart regional court. At the 2017 trial judges found that in January 2012, just days before one of Germanyʼs most well-known chemist chains filed for insolvency, Anton Schlecker steered millions of euros away from creditors to his children, notably a personnel service subsidiary they ran, LDG. Stuttgartʼs regional prosecutions office said the pair, now in their mid-40s, would begin their prison terms in the coming months, once court sentencing files were delivered.
China tries to allay fears over Belt and Road policy Chinaʼs finance minister defended Beijingʼs Belt and Road initiative on Thursday, pledging to create a sustainable financing system to pay for infrastructure projects. Critics say the project — which aims to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through huge maritime, road and rail projects — could mire poorer countries in debt. Finance Minister Liu Kun was speaking at the start of the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. Whatʼs happening at the summit? The weeklong forum brings together leaders or representatives of 37 countries seeking to benefit from the projects.Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte are among the headline guests.EU powers Germany and France are sending ministers, but the US has dispatched only a low-level delegation.The leaders of Asian and African countries are expected to urge Beijing to reduce financing costs for Belt and Road projects.
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Ex-Vice President Joe Biden launches 2020 presidential campaign Biden served as vice president under Barack Obama from 2008 to 2016
The veteran politician joins a crowded field of candidates vying to win the Democratic Partyʼs presidential nomination and defeat Donald Trump in 2020.
After the tragedy, Sri Lankan tourism braces for impact More than 350 people lost their lives in terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka on Sunday. The attacks struck at the heart of the countryʼs vibrant tourism industry, a sector of importance to the country’s fragile economy. This week, Sri Lankans are trying to come to terms with the appalling tragedy that struck their country on Easter Sunday. At least 359 lives were lost in a series of terrorist attacks that took place across the island nation.Tuesday was declared a day of national mourning and already, communities and families have begun burying their dead. As many as 45 of the dead
were children. As the nation grieves, the Sri Lankan government must now grapple with several troubling questions relating to Sundayʼs events. One concerns how the attacks might affect the countryʼs fragile economy, which has seen steady progress since the end of the countryʼs long civil war in 2009. Tourism has been a central driver of Sri Lankaʼs rising GDP growth figures over the last decade. Since the end of the civil war, the number of tourists visiting the country has gone from less than 500,000 in 2009 to just under 2.5 million in 2019, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.
Beethoven House closes ahead of composerʼs anniversary year Strolling down the Bonngasse, the street where the Beethoven House is located, one could easily overlook the humble facade were it not for the tourist groups that cluster outside. For many, treading the squeaky wooden floors that were once walked upon by Ludwig van Beethoven himself is an emotional moment, particularly when they gaze into the cordoned-off "birth room,"
empty save for a bust of Beethoven on a pedestal. From February 28, the room where the infant Beethoven is said to have entered the world — probably with a loud cry — and the house his family lived in wonʼt ever be the same. The Beethoven House is closing for several months, the permanent exhibition being given a thorough workover and the facilities expanded.
Syria: 1,600 civilian deaths in US-led strikes on Raqqa, says Amnesty A two-year investigation into US-led coalition air and artillery strikes has revealed more than 1,600 civilian deaths inthe campaign for Islamic State (IS)-held Raqqaover a period of only three months, according to Amnesty International. The joint investigation with Airwars has been collated into an interactivewebsiterecreating what authors call a "brutally vivid account" of the shelling of populated areas where IS used human shields. Amnesty and Airwars said it hoped to draw attention to what the coalition had claimed to be "the most precise air campaign in history." "Coalition forces razed Raqqa, but they cannot erase the truth. The Coalition needs to fully investigate what went wrong at Raqqa and learn from those lessons, to prevent inflicting such tremendous suffering on civilians caught in future military operations," said Chris Woods, director of Airwars.
Germans increasingly hostile towards asylum-seekers Right-wing populist attitudes have become "normal" in Germanyʼs mainstream, said authors of a new study presented by the left-wing Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Berlin on Thursday. "The center is losing its footing and its democratic orientation," researchers said. The foundation has released reports on right-wing extremism since 2002. The latest study, conducted by a group of researchers from Bielefeld University, shows that a record 54.1% of the respondents across Germany now hold a negative view of asylum-seekers.
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95/2019 • 26 April, 2019
German export policies threaten European defense projects: French ambassador Franceʼs ambassador to Germany, Anne-Marie Descotes, warned on Monday that German arms export policies and licensing rules threatened future Franco-German defense projects. The remarks come as the two European nations are seeking to form closer defense cooperationand deepen ties between their parliaments. In anessay published by the German militaryʼs Federal Academy for Security Policy, she said Germany had a tendency to see arms exports as a domestic political issue, but that its policies still "have serious consequences for our bilateral cooperation in the defense sector and the strengthening of European sovereignty." An ʼuntenableʼ situation Germanyʼs unpredictable arms export policies and long waiting times for export licenses are a particular problem, Descotes said. This has an impact on major Franco-German projects to develop new tanks, combat jets and drones. "This situation is untenable," she wrote. "Realistic export possibilities on the basis of clear and predictable rules are an essential prerequisite for the survival of our European defense industry."
Virgil van Dijk votes for rival Raheem Sterling as PFA player of the year
Ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn released on bail Carlos Ghosn has been released on bail after a Tokyo court rejected a prosecutorʼs appeal. The embattled former executive has been in detention since early April.
Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of Nissan Motors, was released on 500 million yen bail (€4.04 million / $4.5 million) on Thursday after the Tokyo District Court rejected a prosecutorʼs appeal to keep him in detention. Prosecutors forcefully argued that Ghosn — who is accused of underreporting his pay as well asdiverting Nissan fundsto his personal bank accounts — could engage in witness and evidence tampering if released. Ghosn, who claims he is innocent, was arrested last November and released on $9 million bail in March only to berearrested on fresh
charges in early April. He has beenin detention since then. The former executive posted his bail. He will be barred from leaving the country and will be subjected to surveillance. Ghosn is reportedly also required to give advance notice of all contact withhis wife, Carole, who Japanese media reported had been in contact with persons involved in the allegations against her husband. Ghosn led Nissan for almost 20 years and is credited with orchestrating the companyʼs alliance with French carmaker Renault and the smaller Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi.
8 record-breaking books for World Book Day For UNESCOʼs World Book Day on April 23, we take a look at some quirky and impressive literary achievements. Nowadays, books are increasingly read on screens rather than paper. But for centuries, they have not only served as a means of communication, but have also been status symbols, works of art and collector items. To promote the written word, UNESCO
initiated World Book Day in 1995. Its date, April 23, goes back to a Spanish tradition. On the name day of Saint George, roses and books are given as presents in Catalonia. April 23 is also the day William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, two of the most significant writers in the world,passed away. To celebrate World Book Day, click though the gallery above for some astonishing record-breaking books.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has voted for Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling as his PFA player of the year, and said title rivals City had several candidates for his vote. Van Dijk has been a key part of a Liverpool side boasting the divisionʼs best defensive record this season. Meanwhile, 24-year-old ex-Reds forward Sterling has scored 15 times for City.
Budapestʼs historic Lotz Hall café reopened as Café Párisi After two years of undesired silence a new café has opened its gates in Budapest’s neo-renaissance styled jewellery box, the former Paris Deparment Store (Párisi Nagy Áruház). Situated in the heart of the city on Andrássy avenue, Café Párisi is the perfect location for those who wish to enjoy the luxury of early 20th century Budapest.
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Mann+Hummel: Hidden champion fights fine particles It only takes the weather to be unfavorable,and megacities across the world sink into wafts of mist. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some 7 million people die every year partly as a result of inhaling polluted air over longer periods. Increasing traffic has no doubt contributed to creating "thick air." Many nations are in the middle of campaigns to reverse the trend by pushing e-mobility, arguing that electric vehicles donʼt have exhaust pipes as sources of poisonous nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. But a closer look reveals that fine particulates cannot be reduced drastically through electric cars. "Irrespective of a carʼs transmission system, it will always produce a lot of particulate matter," says Jan-Eric Raschke, who heads the fine particulates/filtration division at the German company Mann+Hummel. He explains thatroughly 90 percent of all particulate emissions in cars stem from tire wear and the braking system.
Syrian girls attacked in Berlin, racism suspected A man spouting racist insults allegedly confronted two Syrian teenagers in northeastern Berlin and punched them in the face, authorities said Saturday. He hit the girls, aged 15 and 16, "with his fist several times ... before fleeing into a shopping arcade," police alleged in a statement. Both girls were taken to hospital for treatment. Read more: Racist or Islamist — lone-wolf attackers show similar patterns Hours later, a woman reportedly attacked a 12-year-old girl in the southeastern district of Neukölln. Officers alleged the suspect tried to tear off the girlʼs headscarf, pulled her hair and threatened her with pepper spray. The woman also allegedly attempted to stab the child with a syringe filled with what appeared to be blood, police said. Officers from the state security police are investigating the incidents, which took place late Friday. The suspected hate crimes highlight tensions over migration in Germany.