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☆ Björn Höcke: Far-right German politician on trial accused of using banned Nazi slogans
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Lindsay Isaac | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A far-right German politician has gone on trial accused of using banned Nazi slogans at two rallies dating back to 2021. Björn Höcke, leader of the regional branch of Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in the eastern state of Thuringia, is accused of ending a May 2021 election event in Merseburg by shouting the Socialist Nationalist slogan, “Everything for our homeland, everything for Saxony-Anhalt, everything for Germany,” according to the regional court of Halle. Prosecutors allege that although he was aware the slogan is banned in Germany, and despite already facing criminal charges related to the first instance, Höcke went on to use it a second time at an AfD event in December 2023. In that incident he allegedly shouted to the crowd: “Everything for” and incited the audience to reply “Germany.”Prosecutors also claim Höcke was aware of the phrase’s origins as the slogan for the Nazi paramilitary wing. Höcke, a former history teacher, intends to run as the lead candidate for the AfD in the upcoming state elections in Thuringia in September.

Persons: Björn Höcke, Höcke, ” Prosecutors, ”, Elon Musk, ” Hans, Christoph Berndt Organizations: CNN, Germany, Socialist Nationalist, Prosecutors, ”, Nazi Locations: Thuringia, Merseburg, Saxony, Anhalt, Germany, Halle, Brandenburg

A constitutional court ruling on Nov. 15 against a budget manoeuvre to get around Germany's "debt brake" threw the financial plans of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition into disarray. "As I have long been saying, we must fear that the debt brake becomes ever more a brake on the future," said Berlin mayor Kai Wegner on social media platform X. "The debt brake was implemented when Europe had a debt sustainability issue and Germany wanted to lead by example," he said. "With the debt brake as it is, we have voluntarily tied our hands behind our backs and are going into a boxing match," he said. The Greens' campaign programme ahead of the last election included debt brake reform to allow for greater investments.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck, Christian Lindner, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Reiner Haseloff, Haseloff, Kai Wegner, Friedrich Merz, Carsten Brzeski, Roderich Kiesewetter, Stefan Marschall, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams, Holger Hansen, Nick Macfie Organizations: Climate, Finance, BERLIN, U.S, Intel, Reuters, AAA, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Christian Social Union, CSU, Berlin, Free Democrats, Social Democrats, Greens, ING, SPD, University of Duesseldorf, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Europe's, Ukraine, Saxony, Anhalt, United States, Bavarian, Federal, Germany, Europe, France, Italy, Spain, China

☆ German court ruling could cost Intel billions of euros in subsidies - state minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with a displayed Intel logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The negative court ruling on German finances last week could cost Intel billions of euros in subsidies for planned chip-making plants in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, the state economy minister was quoted as saying by magazine WirtschaftsWoche. Berlin had agreed subsidies worth nearly 10 billion euros with the U.S. chipmaker, a person familiar with the matter had told Reuters when Intel announced its plans. "When Germany cannot afford such future projects like Intel anymore, then the economic damage will be enormous and the image damage gigantic," Sven Schulze, economy minister of Saxony-Anhalt was quoted as saying. Reporting by Matthias Williams; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Madeline ChambersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sven Schulze, Matthias Williams, Sarah Marsh, Madeline Chambers Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Reuters, Intel, Thomson Locations: Saxony, Anhalt, Berlin, Germany

Their options include drawing up a supplementary budget for 2023 and suspending Germany's self-imposed debt brake before reinstating it for next year. "Our goal is to discuss the budget quickly but with due care," said a joint statement of ruling party lawmakers. The delay has heightened uncertainty about spending in all areas of the German economy and meant the 2024 budget might not be concluded before the end of the year. "I firmly assume that the commitments for Intel and TSMC will remain," a government source said, adding: "This is very important to the chancellor, as well as to the economy minister." This will happen in the course of next early 2024 and we will see how far hydrogen is available," CEO Miguel Lopez said.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Robert Habeck, Olaf Scholz's, Scholz's, Siegfried Russwurm, TSMC, Scholz, Miguel Lopez, Holger Hansen, Christian Kraemer, Victoria Waldersee, Andreas Rinke, Madeline Chambers, Matthias Williams, Miranda Murray, Alex Richardson, Christina Fincher Organizations: Finance, Climate, Government, Ukraine Industry, Intel, TSMC, Wednesday, Social Democrat, Greens, Free Democrats, Fund, Eurasia Group, U.S, BMW, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: TSMC BERLIN, Germany's, Ukraine, EU, Saxony, Anhalt, Berlin, Germany

☆ Move to Rename ‘Anne Frank’ Day Care Center Stirs Criticism in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Graham Bowley | More About Graham Bowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A proposal in a small German town to rename a public day care center that is currently named after Anne Frank has become the center of a fraught national debate in the country about antisemitism. Germany has long engaged in palpable national soul searching about the responsibility to remember the past given the country’s own history, including specifically about Anne Frank herself. According to the report in the Volksstimme, the impetus to change the name had come from parents and day care employees, with the new name thought to be more child friendly. The story of Anne Frank was difficult for children to understand and “parents with a migrant background would often not know what to make of the name,” the newspaper reported, citing school authorities. The director of the school was quoted as saying the school wanted a name “without political background.”

Persons: Anne Frank, Anne Frank’s, Frank, ” Locations: Tangerhütte, Berlin, Saxony, Anhalt, Germany, Israel, Gaza, Amsterdam, Bergen

☆ AfD's Regional Budget Win Erodes German 'Firewall' Against Far Right
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Thomas EscrittERFURT, Germany (Reuters) - The convention by which Germany's far right is kept far from government regardless of how many parliamentary seats it wins was dealt another blow on Thursday when its votes were used to defeat a regional government in a crucial budget bill. Thursday's vote in Thuringia's parliament, when the far right, the conservative Christian Democrats and the pro-business Free Democrats combined to push through a tax cut against the wishes of the left-wing coalition, is the latest sign of change. But, highlighting the dilemma, the regional CDU leader Mario Voigt said such a course of action would effectively deprive him of the right to oppose. The party's regional leader, Bjorn Hoecke, is currently on trial for hate speech after uttering a slogan that stems from a Nazi chant. "We democrats have to stop the finger-pointing, sit down together and find a position that lives up to that responsibility."

Persons: Thomas Escritt, Germany's, Bodo Ramelow, Mario Voigt, Bjorn Hoecke, Stephan Kramer, Daniel Guenther, Rachel More, Nick Macfie Organizations: Christian Democrats, Free Democrats, CDU, Frankfurter Allgemeine Locations: Thomas Escritt ERFURT, Germany, Thuringia's, Thuringian, Sonneberg, Saxony, Anhalt, Thuringia, East Germany, West Germany, Brandenburg, Berlin, Schlweswig, Holstein

AfD members sit in voting booths on the day of the European election assembly 2023 of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Magdeburg, Germany, July 29, 2023. Thursday's vote in Thuringia's parliament, when the far right, the conservative Christian Democrats and the pro-business Free Democrats combined to push through a tax cut against the wishes of the left-wing coalition, is the latest sign of change. But, highlighting the dilemma, the regional CDU leader Mario Voigt said such a course of action would effectively deprive him of the right to oppose. The party's regional leader, Bjorn Hoecke, is currently on trial for hate speech after uttering a slogan that stems from a Nazi chant. "We democrats have to stop the finger-pointing, sit down together and find a position that lives up to that responsibility."

Persons: Annegret, Germany's, Bodo Ramelow, Mario Voigt, Bjorn Hoecke, Stephan Kramer, Daniel Guenther, Thomas Escritt, Rachel More, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Christian Democrats, Free Democrats, CDU, Frankfurter Allgemeine, Thomson Locations: Germany, Magdeburg, Rights ERFURT, Thuringia's, Thuringian, Sonneberg, Saxony, Anhalt, Thuringia, East Germany, West Germany, Brandenburg, Berlin, Schlweswig, Holstein

CNN —As Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) grows ever popular, the country’s once dominant Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party finds itself at a crossroads. The center-right CDU was in power for much of Germany’s post-war era and oversaw the reunification of East and West Germany. Max Schwarz/ReutersBerlin’s CDU mayor, Kai Wegner, took to X to write: “What cooperation is there to be had? Populist parties as ‘lightning rods’The CDU’s Michael Kretschmer, state premier of Saxony, believes a shift in policy is the best approach for democratic parties to stop the rise of the far-right. Opinion polls in his state, one of the five that make up Germany’s former east, put the AfD in the lead; Saxony has long been a stronghold for the far-right party.

Persons: Angela Merkel, Friedrich Merz, shockwaves, Merz, Merz backpedaled, ”, Robert Sesselmann, Max Schwarz, Kai Wegner, Jörg, “, ” “, Kühne, ” Tino Chrupalla, John MacDougall, Merkel, it’s, sadi, Michael Kretschmer, Kretschmer Organizations: CNN, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, East, Social, Green Party and Free Democrats, ZDF, Reuters Berlin’s CDU, INSA, New, SPD, Greens, ARD, Bundestag, Getty, Federal Criminal Police, UN, UNHCR, “, Citizens Locations: Germany, West Germany, Sonneberg, Thuringia, Germany’s, Saxony, Leipzig, West, East Germany, East Germans, West Germans, Saxony Anhalt, Ukraine, Poland, Syria

Berlin has agreed subsidies worth nearly 10 billion euros with the U.S. chipmaker, a person familiar with the matter said, more than the 6.8 billion euros it had initially offered Intel to build two leading-edge facilities in the eastern city. "Today's agreement is an important step for Germany as a high-tech production location – and for our resilience," Scholz said after Monday's signing. Globally, semiconductor manufacturing is expected to become a trillion-dollar industry by 2030, expanding from $600 billion in 2021, according to McKinsey. Initially, Intel wanted to invest 17 billion euros in the Magdeburg plant, an amount that has nearly doubled to more than 30 billion. About 7,000 construction jobs will be created in the first expansion, plus around 3,000 high-tech jobs at Intel and tens of thousands of jobs across industry, the U.S. chipmaker said.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Pat Gelsinger, Scholz, Israel, Dado Ruvic, Robert Hermann, Taiwan's TSMC, Tesla, Robert Habeck, chipmaker, Gelsinger, Maria Martinez, Riham, Christoph Steitz, Rachel More, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton, Catherine Evans Organizations: Intel, Intel Intel, Germany's, U.S, AMD, Nvidia, Samsung, Union, McKinsey, REUTERS, Germany Trade, Invest, Reuters, Germany, Thomson Locations: Germany, Frankfurt BERLIN, STOCKHOLM, Magdeburg, Europe, Berlin, Saxony, Anhalt, EU, chipmaking, Poland, United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Frankfurt, U.S, Ireland, France, Asia

☆ Fact Check-Footage of tanks at a German train station has been online since at least April 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Following reports on January 25 that Germany would supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion, posts on social media recirculated a months-old clip of tanks at a German train station and inaccurately said it showed the tanks being sent to Ukraine. According to the report, Defense Minister Boris Pistorious said that Germany’s tanks would probably be ready in three to four months. The video showing tanks lined up at train station, however, dates back to at least April 2022. Back in April 2022, German outlets reported on König’s clarification of the clip (archive.is/EfKbT), (here). This clip showing tanks at a trains station in Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany, dates back to April 2022.

☆ How an ‘electronic nose’ could help fight wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Preventing even a fraction of wildfires from developing would have sweeping benefits. Climate change is making wildfires more intense, and the number of extreme wildfire events is projected to increase up to 14% by 2030. Existing early warning systems are based on visual detection of smoke, either through satellite imaging, cameras on the ground or human observers. Placed at the edge of the forest, these gateway sensors transmit the emergency signals to the internet over satellite and 4G. This detection time was phenomenal and showed how much potential the Dryad system has,” he adds.

☆ Some German Burger King restaurants served out-of-date bacon, had mouse infestations, and sold vegan burgers contaminated by meat, according to an undercover investigation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

German TV show "Team Wallraff" released an undercover investigation into Burger King in the country. Stale burger buns, including some a week past their expiry date, were also served partially toasted, so that customers wouldn't notice, the undercover reporter said. Burger King Deutschland said in a lengthy statement that it took the accusations "very seriously" per an Insider translation. A former worker at a Burger King restaurant in Cologne told the show that their store was plagued by mice. The only thing missing was the Burger King uniforms," the former worker said, adding that: "They were definitely more than us [people]."

☆ I traded a tiny apartment for a sprawling farm in the countryside. I make $600 a month renting out the extra rooms and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-22 | by ( Leo Ginsburg | Nathan Rennolds | Business Insider Deutschland | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He and his family moved to a farm in the countryside that they bought for 210,000 euros. Now, I live on a farm with my family and our horses, chickens, dogs, and cats — and I couldn't be happier. I live with my wife, Franziska, and our three children in the village of Mosigkau, near Dessau-Roßlau in eastern Germany. Since we started living on the farm, my life has drastically changed. Working on the house has been another key reason I've loved living here; I've been able to learn so much.

☆ Un primar din Germania a fost suspendat pentru că s-a vaccinat peste rând
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-09 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +2 min

Sursa foto: ProfimediaUn primar din Germania a fost suspendat pentru că s-a vaccinat peste rândUn primar din Germania a fost suspendat pentru că s-a vaccinat peste rând. Este vorba despre Bernd Wiegand, primarul oraşului Halle, care s-a vaccinat împotriva COVID-19 în ianuarie, deşi nu se încadra într-o categorie prioritară de populaţie, transmite Digi24. Primarul se află acum în vacanţă şi nu a fost prezent la şedinţă. El a explicat ulterior că a fost vaccinat spre a se evita ca doze rămase să fie risipite. Wiegand poate să atace la tribunalul administrativ decizia de suspendare a sa, a cărei durată nu a fost precizată.

Persons: Bernd Wiegand, Wiegand, Angela Merkel Organizations: CDU Locations: Germania, Halle, Saxonia - Anhalt, şedinţă, Agerpres, CDU, CSU

☆ Un primar din Germania, suspendat după ce s-a vaccinat peste rând
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-08 | by ( Onixmedia Srl | ) diez.md time to read: +2 min

Un primar din Germania, suspendat după ce s-a vaccinat peste rândUn primar din Germania a fost suspendat pentru că s-a vaccinat peste rând. Primarul se află acum în vacanță și nu a fost prezent la ședință. El a explicat ulterior că a fost vaccinat spre a se evita ca doze rămase să fie risipite. Consilieri municipali au primit, la rândul lor, vaccinuri peste rând, iar ulterior au prezentat scuze. Wiegand poate să atace la tribunalul administrativ decizia de suspendare a sa, a cărei durată nu a fost precizată.

Persons: Bernd Wiegand, Wiegand, Angela Merkel Organizations: CDU Locations: Germania, Halle, Saxonia - Anhalt, Agerpres, CDU, CSU

☆ O femeie de 101 ani care trăiește într-un azil, prima persoană vaccinată în Germania
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-26 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

O femeie de 101 ani care locuieşte într-un azil de bătrâni în landul Saxonia-Anhalt a devenit prima persoană din Germania vaccinată împotriva noului tip de coronavirus, cu o zi înainte de începerea oficială a campaniei de vaccinare în această ţară, informează dpa şi EFE.La căminul Krueger din oraşul Halberstadt, Edith Kwoizalla, 101 ani, a fost prima din Germania căreia i s-a administrat vaccinul produs de compania germană BioNTech în colaborare cu cea americană Pfizer, scrie agerpres.ro Potrivit martorilor la eveniment, Edith Kwoizalla a primit vaccinul cu calm şi chiar zâmbind din spatele măştii de protecţie pe care o purta.În total 40 de rezidenţi şi 10 membri de personal din acest cămin au fost vaccinaţi.În mod oficial, campania de vaccinare va începe duminică în Germania, când această ţară se va ralia mai multor alte state membre ale UE care vor începe administrarea de doze de vaccin.Câteva zeci de mii de doze de vaccin au fost livrate landurilor germane în cursul zilei de sâmbătă.Persoanele cu vârste peste 80 de ani, precum şi angajaţii din sistemul medical şi de îngrijiri vor fi imunizate primele, fiind considerate mai expuse.Comisia Europeană a dat luni aprobarea pentru utilizarea vaccinului COVID-19 dezvoltat în comun de compania americană Pfizer şi de partenerul său german BioNTech, acesta fiind ultimul pas pentru a permite Europei să înceapă vaccinările.

Persons: Krueger, Edith Kwoizalla Locations: Saxonia - Anhalt, Germania, oraşul Halberstadt, UE, Europei

☆ Germania a raportat peste 23.000 de cazuri noi de COVID-19: „Situaţia s-a înrăutăţit în ultima săptămână”
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-10 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

„Situaţia continuă să fie foarte gravă şi s-a înrăutăţit în ultima săptămână”, a subliniat Lothar Wieler, în contextul în care Germania a înregistrat joi o creştere a numărului de cazuri de infectare cu noul coronavirus, de 23.679 în 24 de ore şi 440 de decese. „În prezent, asistăm la o creştere a numărului infecţiilor”, a adăugat Wieler. Infecţiile cu coronavirus şi decesele asociate în Germania se vor înmulţi probabil în săptămânile următoare, a declarat joi Wieler. Ute Rexroth, directoarea departamentului de control epidemiologic al RKI, a declarat că această creştere a numărului de cazuri, în special în landurile Turingia, Brandenburg şi Saxonia-Anhalt, este îngrijorătoare. Numărul cazurilor, de la prima contagiere raportată în această ţară la sfârşitul lunii ianuarie, a ajuns la 1.242.203, potrivit datelor Institutului Robert Koch (RKI) actualizate la ora 12.00 noaptea.

Persons: Lothar Wieler, Wieler, Ute, Robert Koch Locations: Germania, landurile Turingia, Brandenburg, Saxonia - Anhalt

☆ 20 best German foods
▼ + stars: | 2019-10-09 | by ( Marcel Krueger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +30 min

Check out our list of 20 traditional German dishes that you need to try when you travel there. Germany National Tourism Board Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau: This 200-acre English landscape park was built in the 19th century in Gablenz, Saxony. Germany National Tourism Board Maschsee Lake: This quiet and idyllic lake attracts families throughout the year in Hannover, the capital of Lower Saxony. Germany National Tourism Board Berchtesgaden National Park: Alpine lakes and ice-topped mountains are just a few of the natural wonders that make Berchtesgaden such a breathtaking national park. It comes wrapped in bacon or heaped upon schnitzel; as asparagus soup, fried asparagus, pancakes with herbs and asparagus, asparagus with scrambled eggs or asparagus with young potatoes.

Persons: Königsberger klopse, capers, Maultaschen, Katharina Hild, labskaus, Bodo Schieren, Fried, rostbratwurst, currywurst, Herta Heuwer, Kadir Nurman, schnitzel, Helmut Meyer Zur Capellen, hasn’t, Jägerschnitzel, Käsespätzle Spätzle, Sauerbraten, Stijn Van, Ralph Lueger, Franz Martin Kühn, Jonathan Segal, Rainer Mirau Atta, Attendorner, Mary, Balthasar Neumann, Andreas Bestle, Wiesel, Duke Leopold III of Anhalt, Caspar Diederik Bastei, Monica Skolimowska, Johannes Simon, Patrick Seeger, Daniel Karmann, Armin Weigel, Thomas Lohnes, Martin Schutt, Schwerin, Sean Gallup, Augustus the Strong, Ole Spata, Prince, Bavaria Charles Albert, François Cuvilliés, Ludwig II of Bavaria, Federweisser, Saumagen, Helmut Kohl, Kohl, saumagen, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, haggis, pinky, schnapps, spargelzeit, John, Johannes Eisele, Frank Vincentz, Josef Hildenbrand, Reuben, jeffreyw, Inga Kjer, Alexander Hassenstein, Christof Stache, Schwarzwälder, Schwarzwälder kirsch, Josef Keller, there’s, Dario Fontanella, Dario, ” Organizations: CNN, German Democratic, European Union, North, West, Austrian, Lichtenstein, UNESCO, Wiesel Garden, Getty, Germany National Tourism Board, Germany National Tourism, Nymphenburg, Mirrors, British, Baptist, revelers, Bread, Wikimedia, Agner, Prussian Locations: Germany, East Prussian, Königsberg, Kaliningrad, Russia, German Democratic Republic, Soviet Union, Berlin, Brandenburg, Swabia, Baden, Bremen, Kiel, Hamburg, Fraconia, Thuringia, Cologne, Ruhr, Turkish, Berlin’s, East Berlin, Vienna, Bavaria, Munich, Franconia, Rhineland, Saarland, Silesia, Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Altstadt, Sanssouci, Potsdam, Swabian, Kassel, Blaubeuren, Berlin's River Havel, Altensteig Sylt, Sylt, Andreas, Saxony, Anhalt, Dessau, Central Germany, Europe, Germany's, Switzerland, Germany's Lake Constance, Mettlach, Cochem, Trier, Erfurt, Schwerin, Dresden, Gablenz, Lübeck, Hannover, Swabian Jura, Rothenburg, Tauber, Nymphenburg, Bavarian, Füssen, Germany National Tourism Board Berchtesgaden, Berchtesgaden, Palatinate, Oldenburg, Osnabrück, East Frisia, Friesland, Flensburg, Aachen, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, St, AFP, Bonn, Austria, Mannheim

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