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☆ Mahsa Amini, Iran women's movement win Sakharov freedom prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The European Union parliament awarded its annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Iranian woman Mahsa Amini who died in police custody last year and the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran, it said on Thursday. "On 16 September we marked one year since the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini in Iran. The European Parliament proudly stands with the brave and defiant who continue to fight for equality, dignity and freedom in Iran," EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in a statement. People take part in a protest against the Islamic regime of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, in Berlin, Germany, December 10, 2022. Under the banner "Woman, Life, Freedom", Iranian citizens have been protesting against laws obliging women to cover their hair and wear loose fitting clothing.

Persons: Sakharov, Mahsa Amini, Jina, Roberta Metsola, Mahsa, Michele Tantussi, Amini's, Julia Payne Organizations: European Union, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Iran, Amini, Iran's, Kurdistan, Berlin, Germany

☆ Exclusive: Germany scraps plans for more stringent building standards to prop up industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Christian Kraemer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The German government will put on indefinite hold plans to require more stringent building insulation standards, environment minister Robert Habeck told Reuters, an effort to help prop up the ailing building industry. The about-face from the German government comes ahead of a closely watched meeting between the building industry and government leaders with Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday to address a major slump in the sector. Abolition of the insulation standards has been a top demand of industry, which says the measures are too expensive and put a further damper on the depressed construction industry. "High interest rates and inflation are a heavy burden for the construction industry," Habeck told Reuters, noting that the insulation measures now "can wait". For years, low interest rates fuelled a global boom, igniting interest in German property, seen as safe and stable as the country.

Persons: Michele Tantussi, Robert Habeck, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Habeck, Christian Kraemer, Tom Sims, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Germany, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, United States, Sweden, China, Monday's

☆ During stressful periods at work and in his personal life, Elon Musk would stay awake at night and vomit. He says working so hard has 'taken its toll.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Pete Syme | Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"I've been burning the candle at both ends with a flamethrower for a very long time," he told Isaacson. During this period, he also visited Aston Martin's CEO, who was dismissive of the EV movement, Isaacson wrote. Isaacson wrote that in the middle of the night, Musk would flail around and sleep-talk to himself. "Night after night, Musk sat upright on the edge of his bed next to Grimes, unable to sleep," Isaacson wrote. Michele Tantussi/Getty ImagesAs dawn came, Musk told her about his vision for Tesla's Autonomy Day.

Persons: Walter Isaacson's, Elon, Isaacson, Isaacson's, Musk, Aston, Talulah Riley, Tesla, Riley, Grimes, Auguste Rodin, Michele Tantussi, texted Isaacson Organizations: Service, Royal Aeronautical Society, SpaceX, Aston Martin's, EV, Autonomy Locations: Wall, Silicon, London, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Advocacy group Noyb on Thursday filed complaints against Google-owned Fitbit in Austria, the Netherlands and Italy accusing the fitness tracking company of violating the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy regime. Vienna-based Noyb (None Of Your Business), the digital rights group founded by privacy activist Max Schrems, has already filed hundreds of complaints against big tech companies ranging from Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google to Meta over privacy violations, some leading to big fines. Fitbit forces its users to consent to data transfers outside the EU and does not provide the possibility to withdraw their consent, violating GDPR's requirements, Noyb said. Fines for violating GDPR rules can reach up to 4% of a firm's global annual revenue. While GDPR allows every person to withdraw their consent, Fitbit's privacy policy states that the only way to withdraw consent is to delete an account, which means losing their previously tracked workouts and health data, Noyb said.

Persons: Michele Tantussi, Max Schrems, Noyb, Fitbit, doesn't, Bernardo Armentano, Supantha Mukherjee, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: IFA, REUTERS, Rights, Google, European, Data Protection, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Rights STOCKHOLM, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Vienna, Stockholm

☆ Migration pushes EU population back to growth in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Olivier Sorgho | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Michele TantussiJuly 11 (Reuters) - The European Union's population rose for the first time in three years in 2022, boosted by migration into the bloc even as more people died than were born, the EU's statistics office Eurostat said on Tuesday. The political alliance's population rose from 446.7 million on Jan. 1, 2022 to 448.4 million people a year later. "The observed population growth can be largely attributed to the increased migratory movements post-COVID-19 and to the mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine who received temporary protection status in EU countries," Eurostat said. Eurostat said only seven countries recorded a drop in their populations in 2022, including Italy whose population fell by nearly 180,000 people. The twenty remaining countries within the bloc saw their populations rise.

Persons: Michele Tantussi, Olivier Sorgho, Milla Nissi, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Eurostat, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Tegel, Berlin, Germany, Italy, Gdansk

☆ German 'wise ones' see inflation uptick if banking woes halt rate rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Members of the German economic expert council attend a news conference to present the economic prognosis 2022/23, in Berlin, Germany March 22, 2023. "The recent increase in financial market risks has made it more difficult for central banks to fight inflation," the five "wise ones" who advise Berlin on economic policy said in their biannual report. "If the monetary policy response is too weak due to these trade-offs, inflation could remain high for longer than expected or even pick up again," they added. Turmoil in the banking sector culminated in the Swiss regulator-backed takeover of Credit Suisse by rival UBS at the weekend. Inflation will come in at 6.6% in 2023 and 3.0% in 2024, the council predicted.

"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. GERMANY LAGGINGWhile several countries across Europe are still formulating telecom policies, only Britain and Sweden have so far banned Huawei and ZTE from supplying critical 5G network equipment. The German government was last month unable to answer a parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks, filed in part in response to the report. The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.

[1/4] Cast member John Malkovich attends a photocall to promote the movie 'Seneca' at the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 20, 2023. "Seneca - On the Creation of Earthquakes" seeks an answer to this question, both very contemporary and eternal, in the last night of the first-century Roman philosopher's life, after he learns the Emperor Nero has ordered his death. "He talks a lot," said Malkovich. "And sometimes it was hard not to think, OK, but die and, you know, be quiet." He asks his young wife, played by an ethereal Lilith Stangenberg, to die with him to lend theatrical weight to his death and his dictums.

☆ Austrian poet seeks solace from gender roles in Berlinale biopic
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Miranda Murray | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Michele TantussiBERLIN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - For German director Margarethe von Trotta, "Ingeborg Bachmann - Journey into the Desert," chronicling six years of the titular Austrian poet's life, is part of a dialogue with the past about how life for women has changed and how much they have achieved. "Bachmann's search for liberty and freedom - she said 'I cannot be subjugated by men' - what she was searching for, we have achieved now," said von Trotta of the poet and author, who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s. "She arrives in the desert very weak ... and in the end she says it's her salvation, I'm liberated," said von Trotta. Born in Berlin, she began working as an actor in the late 1960s before moving into directing, making her first solo debut in 1977. Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Operator warns of 'massive disruptions' in German airports strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

German trade union Verdi on Wednesday called on workers at Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hanover and Bremen airports to go on a 24-hour strike, saying collective bargaining efforts had made little progress. "On Friday, February 17, 2023, there will therefore be massive disruptions to air traffic," said Fraport (FRAG.DE), the operator of Frankfurt airport, which counted more than 48 million passengers in 2022. The walkout also coincides with the start of the 59th Munich Security Conference (MSC), which brings hundreds of delegates to the Bavarian capital, including several global leaders. The issue would be discussed with the airport on Thursday, the Verdi spokesperson added. The union is currently in negotiations for three groups of workers: ground service staff, public sector officials and aviation security workers.

☆ Strike over pay at Berlin airport grounds all flights -operator
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] A view shows empty check-in counters and kiosks, during a general strike by employees over pay demands, at the Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), in Schoenefeld near Berlin, Germany January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Michele TantussiBERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Staff at Germany's BER airport in capital Berlin went on strike to press their pay demands on Wednesday and the airport operator said all regular passenger flights were cancelled as a result. The Ver.di union called on airport staff in ground services, aviation security and at the airport company to strike in the wage dispute. It called the one-day work stoppage over what it said was insufficient progress in wage talks. Reporting by Klaus Lauer; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Strike over pay grounds all flights at Berlin airport, operator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - All flights were cancelled at Germany's BER airport in the capital Berlin on Wednesday, the operator said, as staff went on strike for the day to press pay demands. The Ver.di union called on airport staff in ground services, aviation security and at the airport company to strike in the wage dispute. It called the one-day work stoppage over what it said was insufficient progress in the three parallel wage talks. [1/7] Demonstrators hold a banner during a general strike by employees over pay demands, at the Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), in Schoenefeld near Berlin, Germany January 25, 2023. A source told Reuters that a draft of this report forecast 6% inflation this year and 2.8% for 2024.

☆ Germany in talks with Iraq over possible gas imports - Chancellor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani hold a news conference at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, Germany January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Michele TantussiBERLIN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Germany is in talks with Iraq over the possibility of importing natural gas from the oil-rich country, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday, as Berlin scrambles to diversify its energy sources to replace a drop in Russian fossil fuel shipments. "We also talked about possible gas deliveries to Germany and agreed to stay in close contact," Scholz told journalists in a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Berlin. Scholz did not give further details on the volumes of gas Germany hopes to import from Iraq. Baghdad has offered opportunities to German companies to invest in using Iraq's natural gas and the gas generated as a byproduct from oil production, al-Sudani said, adding that Iraq wants to deliver gas through a pipeline via Turkey to Europe.

☆ Tesla, Uber, Amazon, Starbucks: The 2023 Just 100 list biggest gainers, losers and surprises
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Where does it continue to post mixed performance: significantly lower worker scores than other companies, and importantly, than other auto companies. 505, well out of the Just 100 rankings. "We figured it out to our satisfaction this year ... and it wouldn't surprise you that the vast majority of gig workers did not receive benefits." "Market forces will drive them to offer gig workers more," he said, and in fact they already are. Starbucks and Amazon and unionization Amazon and Starbucks were both outside of the Just 100 rankings in 2022.

☆ World's largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium bursts in Berlin
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Emergency services work on a street outside a hotel after a leak of the AquaDom aquarium in central Berlin near Alexanderplatz, with water poured out onto the street, in Berlin, Germany, December 16, 2022. REUTERS/Michele TantussiBERLIN, Dec 16 (Reuters) - An aquarium in Berlin that was home to around 1,500 exotic fish burst early on Friday, prompting around 100 emergency responders to rush to the scene at an inner-city leisure complex, emergency services said. "In addition to the unbelievable maritime damage... two people were injured by glass splinters," Berlin police said on Twitter. It was the world's largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium at 14 metres (46 ft) in height, according to the website of the DomAquaree complex, which houses a Radisson hotel, a museum, shops and restaurants. Writing by Rachel More and Maria Sheahan, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany's Scholz says EU firmly on Ukraine's side
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses parliament ahead of the EU-ASEAN commemorative summit, in the plenary hall of the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany December 14, 2022. Budapest earlier this week dropped its objections to an EU loan to Kyiv after the partial unfreezing of financial support for Hungary. The EU had blocked the funds over rule of law concerns. Support for Ukraine, including sanctions against Russia, would be maintained and intensified for as long as President Vladimir Putin kept up his war against Kyiv, Scholz added. "Nobody is suffering as much from Russia's war as the Ukrainians - and we stand firmly by their side," he said.

Georgieva told the Reuters NEXT conference that she was particularly concerned about the slowdown in China because the world's second-largest economy has been a strong engine of global growth. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva attends a news conference following a meeting at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, Germany November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Michele TantussiThe IMF in October cut its global growth forecast for 2023 to 2.7%, compared to a 2.9% forecast in July, amid colliding pressures from the war in Ukraine, high energy and food prices, inflation and sharply higher interest rates, warning that conditions could worsen significantly next year. At the time, the IMF put a 25% probability of global growth falling below 2% next year - a phenomenon that has occurred only five times since 1970 - and said there was a more than 10% chance of a global GDP contraction. Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder; Editing by Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German upper house blocks landmark welfare reform
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] German Labour and Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil speaks at an extraordinary session, as Members of German upper House of Parliament or Bundesrat vote on Buergergeld or "citizens' money" welfare reform law, in the plenary hall, in Berlin, Germany November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Michele TantussiBERLIN, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Germany's conservative opposition held up a major welfare reform on Monday, setting the scene for a mediation process to find a compromise that could still allow the introduction of ambitious measures to support the unemployed in gaining vocational skills. The welfare reform would introduce Buergergeld, or "citizens' money", to replace the Hartz IV system brought in from 2005, which sanctions people who reject job offers. "Our welfare state can only function if there are duties as well as rights," Baden-Wuerttemberg labour minister Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut of the opposition conservative CDU party said. German Labour Minister Hubertus Heil said the ruling coalition -- of his Social Democrat (SPD) party with the Greens and the liberal FDP -- would call on a mediation committee later on Monday.

☆ Growing number of Germans won't be left in dark with blackout courses
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A volunteer of the German charity organization ASB explains how to react to emergency situations in Berlin, Germany November 10, 2022. Looking to be the heroes in a real-life blackout, a growing number of Germans are turning to citizens' courses to learn how to act if they find themselves plunged into darkness. The German aid and welfare organisation offers free-of-charge courses on the subject on behalf of the BBK government agency for civil protection and disaster assistance. Germany's national network agency has warned of possible gas rationing this winter after Russian energy imports to Germany plunged following the invasion of Ukraine. Reporting by Martin Schlicht and Petra Haverkampf; Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Inflation dampens festive spirit as German retail faces slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Rachel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - German shoppers are tightening their purse strings this festive season, the HDE retail association warned on Thursday, forecasting the strongest slump in Christmas sales since 2007 as double-digit inflation weighs on consumer purchasing power. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File PhotoIn price-adjusted terms, retail sales in the crucial November-December period are forecast to drop by 4% year on year, the HDE said. The HDE’s survey of 500 companies found that a little more than half expected this Christmas sales period in Germany to be worse than last year, while 21% feared it would be considerably worse. In nominal terms, sales are expected to rise 5.4% year on year in the final two months of 2022, the association said. However, Genth warned that economic difficulties could deny German retailers the luxury of being able to offer discounts.

☆ Ukraine refugees push German population to all-time high
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A soldier leads people during the "Schneller Adler" or "Fast Eagle" exercise of evacuation of refugees at an airport in Barth, North Germany May 5, 2022. Germany recorded net immigration of 750,000 people from Ukraine over the same period. In 1992, refugees from the war in former Yugoslavia helped swell the population by 700,000. In 2015, Germany let in almost a million refugees from war in the Middle East. Germany's female population grew by 1.2%, significantly more than its male population, which increased by 0.8%, reflecting the fact that mainly women and children fled the war in Ukraine.

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