A major fire in a chemical plant regarded as especially dangerous, in the northern French town of Rouen, has been put out. This was announced by the prefecture of Normandy on Friday. The fire had broken out in the early hours of Thursday. Nobody was injured in the incident. The fire service was at the scene with around 200 fire engines.

Locals were called upon not to leave their houses. Buildings within 500 meters were evacuated, with schools and kindergartens remaining closed on Thursday. In the chemical plant located on the banks of the river Seine, lubricant additives are produced. The factory belongs to US billionaire Warren Buffett's Lubrizol group and is subject to the EU's so-called Seveso directives, which prescribe especially strict safety requirements.

Around 400 people work at the plant. The chemical factory has also made headlines in the past - such as in 2013 when the gas methanethiol leaked out, causing an extensive area to smell of rotten eggs. After an accident in 2015, around 2,000 liters of mineral oil leaked out into the town's sewage system.

A woman from Washington searched for her lost dog for two months – and quit her job for that reason alone. The seven-year-old Border Collie had run away from a hotel room during a short vacation in Montana. There was no trace of her for 57 days – but Carole King did not give up.

“It was horrible. I felt sick.” Carole King told the Daily Inter Lake. She and her husband had left their dog Katie in the hotel room while they went to dinner. When they came back, Katie was gone. They looked for the animal, but to no avail.

Hoping that Katie could still be somewhere in the hotel, Carole King went to the reception desk. “The employee said that she had left about four to four and a half hours ago,” Carole told the Daily Inter Lake. When the automatic entrance door opened, Katie ran outside immediately. Presumably loud thunder had made the dog panic.

The Kings searched for their beloved dog with fliers and posts in Facebook groups. But days turned into weeks. “I never gave up. I never lost hope.” Carole King told the Daily Inter Lake. She quit her job as a postal worker to continue her search for Katie.

57 days after Katie’s disappearance, Carole King received a call: a man contacted her and said that Katie was in his yard. By the time King arrived, however, Katie had already disappeared again. She searched the neighborhood and suddenly her dog was there, under a tree. “I just held her in my arms. I didn’t want to let her go.” King remembered, according to the Daily Inter Lake. “Tears flowed. People stopped their cars, got out and hugged us. I think the whole neighborhood knew that we had found her.”

"In recent years the Bundeswehr has lost numerous weapons and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition. These include three machine guns. In most cases, their whereabouts still remain unknown. The opposition has described the extent as ""worrying""."

Weapons and ammunition disappear repeatedly from the Bundeswehr - much thus far without a trace. Since the start of 2014, troops registered the loss of 39 weapons, 39 weapon parts and almost 20,000 rounds of ammunition. This has emerged from a listing categorized as classified information by the federal ministry of defense, as reported by the German Editor Network RND.

According to the paper from the office of the state defense secretary, CDU Bundestag member Peter Tauber, two weapons, one weapon part and 3,474 rounds of ammunition have thus far turned up. Amongst the weapons and parts still not found there were six MG3 machine guns, 11 G3 rifles, four G36 rifles, six signal pistols as well as two P8 pistols. A further 30 gun barrels for MG3 machine guns are also missing.

"How arms and ammunition loss is handled at the Bundeswehr is ""worrying"", said Martina Renner, a Bundestag member for the party Die Linke. This all the more so as during investigations ""barely anything"" had been retrieved. The politician for Die Linke spoke of a ""meager total"". Renner criticized that the listing did not reveal whether the listing of missing ammunition included they type found in the possession of Franco A., the Bundeswehr officer under suspicion of terrorism. ""And this although a supporter of Franco A. had recently been found guilty of being in possession of this ammunition"", Renner said."

Today, Friday, more than two months after it was detained by the Iranian authorities, the British oil tanker Stena Impero left the port of the city Bandar Abbas. As ship-tracking data from Refinitiv showed, the tanker was set in motion and left the Iranian port. The stated port of destination was Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates.

The tanker had actually been released by the Iranian government on Monday already, but it remained in Iranian waters. The shipping company stated that it wanted to wait for an official notification from Tehran.

The Stena Impero was detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on July 19 in the Strait of Hormuz on charges of having violated security regulations. However, it was suspected that Iran was reacting to Britain’s controversial temporary seizure of an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar, which belongs to Great Britain.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important waterways in the world. It connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. A large part of global oil exports is shipped through the Strait. The tensions in the region have intensified immensely in recent months. Merchant shipping has been drawn into the conflict between the US and Teheran. There have been several incidents involving tankers and drones.

Merkel praises the courage of the people during the Peaceful Revolution

Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the courage of the people in the GDR who took to the streets during the Peaceful Revolution 30 years ago. In the fall of 1989 brave citizens made the GDR regime falter, Merkel said during a ceremonial act of the parliamentary group of the Thuringian CDU for the German Unity Day in Erfurt. The chancellor recalled the occupation of the Stasi headquarters. “The terror of the state security service has been stripped away”, she said.

Tesla’s quarter might break record. The electric car group experienced losses despite delivery boom.

New York. With the prospect of record numbers, Tesla head Elon Musk caused his electric car company's stock to boom. “We have the chance to reach our first quarter with 100,000 deliveries”, Musk wrote in an email for Tesla employees published by the business blog “Electrek”.

Musk’s message continued that the demand is so high Tesla could book 110,000 orders. The challenge is now to swiftly deliver the cars to customers. For that Tesla needs to raise as much resources as possible by the end of the quarter.

Investors liked that: Tesla’s stocks finished with an increase of over six percent. The price had not increased this much for almost four months. Tesla delivered around 95,000 cars in the second quarter and with that reached its current record level.

Musk needs records to reach his high goals. He wants to deliver a total of 360,000 to 400,000 cars in 2019. This requires six-digit numbers in the current and coming quarter. Especially in demand is the cheap Tesla Model 3 but the profit margins are small. Despite the boom there have been losses recently.

A kind of brake in the cerebrum prevents people from tickling themselves. Researchers from the Humboldt University in Berlin came to this conclusion after experimenting with rats, as they reported on Thursday evening. There has also been progress on answering the question of why children resist tickling so fiercely, but then demand for more.

Finally, it has been shown why the approach of a tickling hand alone already triggers laughter. This is due to a deep layer in the cerebrum which triggers laughter as soon as tickles are expected.

According to the information, earlier research showed how rats react with laughter in the ultrasonic range when they are tickled by humans. This “laughter” is being transmitted via the part of the cerebral cortex that serves the central processing of haptic perception.

So far it has been assumed that the brain can differentiate between self-touch and touch by others – that is why humans cannot tickle themselves. But the Berlin researchers have found out in experiments on rats that laughter, as well as the activity in the corresponding area of the cerebral cortex, are suppressed during self-touching. This is also the case when animals clean themselves. However, during the touching and tickling by the researchers, brain activity and the impulse to laugh are amplified.

But if self-touch and touch by others occur at the same time, laughter is suppressed as well. This suggests that rats' brains cannot distinguish between self-touch and touch by others. The new findings also suggest that humans cannot tickle themselves because of a brake in the cerebrum that is activated through self-touch.

The rats themselves had also been trained to initiate tickling. They sometimes discontinued this initiation prematurely in the experiment, showing flight behavior or fright rigidity. This ambivalence is similar to children's behavior. The ambivalence of tickling is a behavioral reaction that is the same in rats and humans.

Disaster Avoided: Major Fire in French Chemical Plant Extinguished

The major fire in a chemical plant regarded as particularly hazardous in the northern French town of Rouen has been extinguished, as the prefecture of Normandy informed the news agency AFP. The fire started Thursday night.

According to the authorities, no harmful materials escaped. Samples taken give no cause for concern, as prefect Pierre-André Durand said in the course of a press conference on Friday morning. No one was injured in the incident. The fire department deployed around 200 fire trucks.

Local residents were requested to stay at home. Buildings within 500 meters were evacuated, and schools and kindergartens remained closed on Thursday.

Factory belongs to the US billionaire Warren Buffet’s company Lubrizol

The chemical plant on the banks of the Seine produces additives for lubricants. The factory belongs to US billionaire Warren Buffet’s company Lubrizol and is subject to what is known as the Seveso directive of the EU, which prescribes particularly stringent safety requirements. Approximately 400 people work at the factory.

The chemical plant has hit the headlines in the past – for instance in 2013, when there was a leakage of the gas methanethiol and the extended surroundings smelled of rotten eggs. After an industrial accident in 2015, around 2,000 liters of mineral oil flowed into the city’s sewage system.

The prime minister Boris Johnson's sister commented on his speech on Wednesday evening's first parliamentary session since the lifting of the prorogation of parliament. The prime minister threatened to lead the country out of the EU on October 31 without a deal if Brussels would not go along with his demands for changes to the Brexit agreement. How he intends to achieve this remains unclear.

"With regard to Cox, who had campaigned for Great Britain to remain within the European Union, the prime minister said: ""The best way to honor the memory of Jo Cox and reunite this country will be to conclude withdrawal from the EU."" Cox was murdered back in 2016 by a rightwing extremist during the referendum campaign."

More than eight years after the attacks in Oslo and Utöya with 77 fatalities, a monument in memory of the victims will be unveiled in Norway on Saturday. The monument Jernrosene (English: Iron Roses) consists of around 1,000 iron rose reproductions. They recall the thousands of roses that were placed in front of the cathedral in Oslo in the days and weeks after the attacks.

At the same location, the project created by the artists Tobbe Malm and Tone Karlsrud is to be unveiled - the roses were forged by people from all over the world, including survivors and relatives of the victims. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit are also expected to attend.

On July 22, 2011 the rightwing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik first detonated a car bomb in Oslo's government district, before shooting dozens of people at a youth organization camp belonging to the Social Democrat Workers' Party on the island of Utöyan. In the attacks, a total of 77 people were killed.

The UN general debate failed to resolve the Iran conflict, but now there is one less problem. The British oil tanker Stena Impero, detained in Iran, was able to set sail again. This could be a piece of the puzzle on Iranian President Rouhani’s road map for peace.

The British oil tanker Stena Impero, detained since mid-July in the Strait of Hormuz, is back in international waters. The ship is on its way to Dubai after being released by the Iranian authorities, according to the shipping company Stena Bulk.

"The Stena Impero has left the port of Bandar Abbas, and the crew is now sailing to Dubai for medical checkups, among other things, explained shipping company boss Erik Hånell. The ship left Iranian waters around noon. ""It's good that it’s over,"" he told the Swedish TV station SVT."

"The Foreign Office in London proclaimed the detainment of the ship to be illegal. ""This is part of a pattern of attempts to compromise the freedom of the seas. We are working with our international partners to uphold shipping and international law,"" it said in a statement on Friday."

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards had detained the tanker on July 19th on charges of having violated maritime law in the Persian Gulf. Seven of the 23 crew members had already been released in early September. All things considered, the remaining 16 crew members were doing well, said Hånell. They had behaved professionally in view of the difficult and stressful situation over the past ten weeks. The shipping company is working toward reuniting them with their families as quickly as possible.

The British government suspected that the Stena Impero was detained in response to a similar incident in Gibraltar: at the beginning of July, an Iranian supertanker with oil supposedly destined for Syria had been detained there. According to the authorities, the delivery violated EU sanctions against war-torn Syria. The British had received a tip-off about the ship from the United States.

"Iran declared this ""piracy"" and threatened that there would be consequences. The Adrian Darya-1 was eventually released in mid-August. London vehemently rejected speculation that it was an quid-pro-quo to get the Stena Impero released."

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important sea routes in the world. It connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. The majority of global oil exports are shipped through the Strait. Tensions in the region have increased drastically in recent months. Commercial shipping has been drawn into the conflict between the United States and Iran. There have been several incidents involving tankers and drones.

Driving the tensions between Tehran and Washington is the nuclear dispute between the two countries. The Americans accuse the Iranian leadership of wanting to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies this. In 2018, the USA unilaterally withdrew from the international nuclear agreement intended to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb and simultaneously end its political and economic isolation. Since then, the US government has been pressuring the leadership in Tehran with massive economic sanctions against the country in order to force a stricter agreement, extending over more areas. Iran has withstood the pressure so far.

Due to the dispute about the Stena Impero and other incidents involving tankers in the Persian Gulf and oil installations in Saudi Arabia, the United States are working on a coalition for the military protection of merchant ships in the region.

"Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had presented a road map for security and peace in the Strait of Hormuz at the UN General Assembly in New York. With the ""Coalition of Hope"" initiative for the Persian Gulf, Iran, together with the Arab Gulf States, but without foreign protective powers, wants to ensure the safety of shipping in the Persian Gulf."

India is blocking a better future for itself with its protectionist economic policy.

"India would actually be predestined to be a ""war profiteer"". With the punitive tariffs imposed on Chinese manufacturers by American president Donald Trump, foreign manufacturers in the People's Republic are finding themselves forced to relocate. In a UBS survey, financial heads of Asian firms considering moving production out of China to another country, name India as one of their preferred alternatives. This admittedly is not only related to the vagaries in the Chinese-American trade war. Having a giant pool of young labor and a domestic market with 1.3 billion consumers, India seems ideally situated to play a more important role in the globally spread-out manufacturing chain."

"However, India now finds itself in Trump's sights. It was derogatorily called ""Kingdom of Tariffs"" by the swashbuckler in the White House, and America withdrew preferential trading on 2,000 products from the developing country at the beginning of June. The USA accuses India of having prohibitively high tariffs and is demanding improved market access for agricultural goods, mobile telephones, spirits, motorcycles, and much more."

On the world map of trade wars, the friction with India is admittedly a side theater. Further, America also views the world's largest democracy through the prism of security politics. Delhi and Washington share concerns over China's military intentions in the southern Indian Ocean. Against this background, a salvo of American punitive tariffs against India seems unlikely. India's prime minister Narendra Modi, who has just commenced his second term in office, may therefore feel safe.

The problem meanwhile lies elsewhere: the empirically substantiated theory that open markets accelerate economic development has a hard time in the socialist republic of India - even under Modi. His reformatory zeal is aimed primarily at the bureaucratic madness which has long stifled any entrepreneurial spirit in the multiethnic state. Companies now receive building permits more quickly; they benefit from improvements to energy and transportation infrastructure. At the same time a more effective insolvency and bankruptcy law lays the foundations for all-but-dead and highly indebted companies to be liquidated more swiftly.

The success achieved with these efforts is impressive and can be measured by the relevant rankings. From an economic point of view, much has changed for the better in India during the first five Modi years. Yet this is not the case in trade politics. Inspired by wanting to protect internationally uncompetitive companies from overseas competitors, the national-conservative government has even created new hurdles.

"In the West, Modi has the mystique of the energetic reformer who is subjecting his country to radical economic renewal. This impression is not least a result of the charismatic prime minister knowing all too well what language western managers like. However, at heart the ""India First"" advocate has never moved away from protectionist economic policies, holding back Indian companies from being forced to abandon anachronistic processes and thus becoming fit for global competition. Businesspeople who survive thanks to their branches being protected are among the core voters for Modi's nationalist Bharatiya Janata party and applaud this short-sighted policy."

Former French president Jacques Chirac is due to be buried in Paris next week, according to a report. The former head of state will be buried at the Montparnasse cemetery in the south of the French capital on Monday, the news agency AFP reported, according to Chirac’s family. The funeral will take place with immediate family. According to media reports, a public funeral service at the Dôme des Invalides in Paris was scheduled for Sunday.

Carried the competitor to the finish: Dabo is the first secret hero of the World Championship in Athletics

The best of the best had already reached the finish when a heartwarming scene took place in the cooled Khalifa International Stadium. In the first preliminary heat of the men's 5000 meters, Jonathan Busby from Aruba started to stagger dangerously. He could barely stay on his feet some 300 meters before the finish line and ran in an unhealthy, stooped posture when Braima Suncar Dabo from the West African country Guinea-Bissau suddenly linked arms and supported him the last half lap to the finish line. But both of them still had enough power to stop their watches after finishing the race, as if the scene was not curious enough already.

“I just wanted to help him. Everybody in this situation would have done the same”, Dabo said after the race in Mixed Zone, when he unexpectedly gained the attention of the present journalists. First he shyly evaded and didn’t even want to talk about his heroic deed. After all, he wanted to set his personal record, and when he noticed that this would be difficult, he just wanted to help a fellow in misery. And besides, he is just proud to represent his country, which was invited to the Championship by the World Association. Under normal circumstances he would not even be allowed to participate. “That’s why I’m proud to race for my country”, he stated.

That he did empathically in the evening – and way more intensive than he expected. This heroic deed will be remembered. Especially since Dabo gave way to his competitor Busby and voluntarily made last place – by the way some five minutes after the Ethiopian Selemon Barega, who won this preliminary. It didn’t help in the end, since Busby reached the finish line only with a lot of help and was disqualified by the World Athletic Association because of that.

Dabo, who lives in Portugal and studies in Lisbon, had started in order to set a personal record in the Word Championship. That succeeded, according to official data, with 18:10.87 minutes, but he was disappointed nonetheless. “I wanted to run 17:55 minutes. I already was under 18 minutes,” but only during practice, where records do not count.

Security measures in Egypt have been reinforced prior to possible protests crticizing the government. Increased police presence has been observed in downtown Cairo. Several subway stations stayed closed. Streets surrounding the central Tahrir Square have been blocked.

In the past few days police already increased roadside checks and cell phones of pedestrians have been searched for messages and pictures regarding the protests. Hundreds have been arrested, according to two NGOs.

Protests with hundreds of participants took place in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez, and Mansoura over the past weekend. They were aimed at the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who is being accused of corruption and mismanagement. There has been no such open protest against the political leadership in Egypt in years. Mohammed Ali, an Egyptian developer and actor who lives in exile in Spain, set off the protests with video messages on Facebook and called for a march of millions on central plazas in the country. Ali demanded a People’s revolution. Although not considered “one of the good guys” by most young Egyptians because he earned millions as a subcontractor for the army, his messages have reach.

The numbers of arrests connected to the protests increases further, according to two watch groups. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) counted more than 1,570 arrests by Friday. The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR), as well as the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) spoke of over 2,000 arrests. It was not possible to confirm the numbers independently. The government neither confirmed nor commented on the numbers.

Many people have been “arrested arbitrarily just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time”, HRW stated, according to the lawyers of arrested Egyptians. The lawyers have stated the accusations reach from “spreading false information” to “membership in a terrorist organization”. Security forces in uniform and plain clothes searched and questioned pedestrians in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities, according to HRW information.

HRW also criticized the censorship in the North African country as the government in Cairo has blocked websites and online services in order to prevent further protests against Sisi.

Online Retailers: Mail-Order Companies Should be Allowed to Donate Returns More Easily

For online retailers, many returned parcels are lost goods. Around 20 million returns end up as trash. But there is an alternative.

The Ministry of Finance has shown online retailers such as Amazon and Zalando a way to donate returned goods instead of destroying them.

Although it is impossible to exempt companies from VAT on donations in kind, retailers could set the market value of unsaleable returns so low that they would need to pay no or only very little VAT, the Ministry explained in response to a question from the Greens parliamentary group, as reported in newspapers of the Funke media group on Friday.

Scientists at the University of Bamberg had determined that Germans return every sixth parcel ordered via the internet. Around four percent of the goods – roughly 20 million products – ended as trash. Donating them would cost companies additional money, according to current laws, because the tax authorities treat donations in kind as revenue, on which VAT is due.

Katrin Göring-Eckhardt, head of the Green parliamentary group, has urged Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) to issue a decree that companies can declare products unsaleable and donate them to charitable organizations free of charge. Companies must be able to rely on not being penalized for donations. This should not apply to online retail only, but also to other businesses ranging from fashion shops to hardware stores.

Banksy art under the hammer: Never a better moment to sell this painting

The famous work by street art star Banksy, Devolved Parliament, is to be auctioned shortly.

"For Branczik, Banksy's work underlines ""the degeneration of the oldest parliamentary democracy in the world, into an attitude characterized by animals and tribes."" The painting will be on display starting Saturday at Sotheby's in the British capital until its auction on October 3rd. Its value is estimated at between 1.5 and 2 million euros."

"The work was first exhibited in 2009 at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery in the southwest of Great Britain, where Banksy lives. This year the artist has had the painting on display again - at the same time as the original Brexit date, March 29. To mark the occasion, the work, formerly titled Question Time, was renamed ""Devolved Parliament""."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has had a feisty exchange with the opposition at the first parliamentary session after the lifting of Johnson's parliamentary prorogation by the supreme court on Wednesday. Johnson wants to conclude the twice-postponed Brexit on October 31, if necessary even without an agreement with the EU.

This is not the first time that Banksy, whose identity is still unknown, has gotten involved in the Brexit debate. In Southeast England's Dover he painted a picture depicting a man breaking one of the European flag's stars with a chisel. The work is seen daily by thousands of lorry drivers and other visitors as they enter the United Kingdom.

The hefty verbal attacks of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson against Brexit-opponents in Parliament do not contribute to a climate of hatred, according to his top adviser. Compared to the campaign leading up to the Brexit referendum in 2016, the current controversy is a “walk in the park,” said Daniel Cummings on Friday at a book launch. “We’re enjoying this, we’re going to win, we’re going to leave (the EU).”

In the past few days, Johnson had vehemently attacked Brexit opponents in Parliament and, among other things, accused them of “betrayal” of the people. The accusations that this could endanger parliamentarians, because they might be targeted by death threats, he called “humbug”.

Cummings said that in the end the situation could only be resolved by Parliament honoring its promise to respect the result. It was not surprising that some people are angry about that fact that Great Britain has still not left the EU three years after the referendum.

In light of the charged atmosphere, even the bishops of the Anglican church called for moderation on Friday. “We should speak to others with respect,” they stated. “And we should also listen.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Khan Demands UN Intervention in Kashmir

With an emotional plea, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, during his first appearance at the UN General Assembly, once again requested the United Nations to intervene in the Kashmir conflict.

Otherwise a new war between the nuclear powers Pakistan and India was probable, Khan said on Friday during the UN general debate in New York. “If this goes badly, hope for the best but be prepared for the worst”. The United Nations carried responsibility for Kashmir. “You should have prevented this.”

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947, two of them over the divided Kashmir region. Both nuclear powers rule over a part of Kashmir; another part belongs to China. At the beginning of August, India had withdrawn its autonomous status from the Indian Kashmir region, thereby suddenly increasing tensions in its relations with Pakistan.

The protesters in Cairo call for the overthrow of Egyptian President el-Sisi

The government reacts with an iron fist to the protests in Egypt. It unleashed live ammunition on the population. Over 2,000 arrested are joining the 60,000 political prisoners that are already being held in prisons. It was never harmless to protest in Egypt, but since the takeover of General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2013 the state apparatus works tirelessly to avoid a similar scenario to the Arab Spring.

One of the triggers for the protests in 2011 was the bad economic situation. Propelled by poverty, lack of perspectives, and the feeling of being stifled by the government, millions took to the streets. This is a problem that cannot be handled, no matter how hard el-Sisi’s regime is acting against adversaries. The situation has even worsened.

Every third Egyptian lives below the poverty line. The currency lost more than half of its value since 2016; the inflation rate is at ten percent. Whoever wants to buy a bottle of water in the super market has to decide whom to finance: Nestlé, Coca-Cola, or the military. The latter is not only responsible for the oppression but also the biggest economic player. The military builds streets, houses, soccer stadiums, produces food and a lot more. This had already been the case before el-Sisi. The people have a lot of experience with autocratic regimes; the dilemma in the supermarket is an old one as well. But if the majority of the people have difficulty affording a bottle of water, then it becomes critical.

Tüv technical tests in terminal: Berlin Airport chief: no more “showstoppers” for capital’s airport

Tests have been ongoing for two months to see whether BER’s complex fire protection equipment network works in harmony. The operators expressed satisfaction with the progress, but the technical testing is not yet over for BER.

After large-scale Tüv technical testing in the capital’s future airport terminal, the operators confirmed the airport’s opening planned for October next year. This is certain, said supervisory board chairman Rainer Bretschneider following a meeting of the supervisory body.

Airport chief Engelbert Lütke Daldrup spoke of the test’s successful conclusion, but also said there were still deficiencies to be resolved in the terminal. “We have many minor details but no genuine showstopper.” He offered assurance that the timetable leading to the opening still allowed breathing space.

There were however indications that the time reserves may not be especially large. The notice of building completion will be sent to the building department in the course of the first quarter of 2020; at the start of this year it had been foreseen for this fall.

"Hundreds of issues with electricity cables are still to be sorted out; the Tüv intends to examine these by February. “In order to lay the foundations for commencing air operations, further work on resolving the issues is required,"" according to a written statement."

Lütke Daldrup said that in many cases it was a matter of missing certificates rather than new cables. There also is still no clearance for all screw anchors from which the cable trays are suspended. The airport chief expects these to be available by the end of the year.

Furthermore, fire protection is not yet working satisfactorily at the transition to the station under the terminal. The problems had led the project into a further crisis three years ago. This time issues relate to smoke curtains which in the event of fire are lowered like a canvas screen to prevent smoke from spreading. They currently come down too far. 36 motors therefore require replacement before new tests with hot gas smoke take place at the beginning of the year.

Problems with fire protection and other construction defects and planning errors have delayed the airport’s inauguration for years. It should originally have gone into operation in 2011. Since the start of construction in 2006, costs have risen from two billion to an expected 6.5 billion euros by next year’s opening.

As passenger numbers in Berlin have since risen considerably, those in charge are planning an expansion to the airport. This will be the subject under discussion at an extraordinary meeting of the supervisory board on October 18, as announced by chairman Bretschneider.

The airport operator is now looking for two new business heads. According to Bretschneider, the head of finance Heike Fölster is moving to Deutsche Bahn at the end of the year, while head of personnel Manfred Bobke-von Camen is retiring next year. He thanked Fölster, who had put airport finances onto “a firm footing.”

Chemnitz: Vending machines blown up for Drugs – Man arrested by police

He needed money for drugs – and blew up several vending and parking machines in the Chemnitz downtown area! Now he’s finally in custody!

During the last two years the number of busted cigarette and parking ticket machines in Chemnitz and its region increased drastically causing millions in damages.

After two detonations at Bürger street and Further street in Chemnitz in late May, the police arrested a 33 year old German.

"Police spokesman Andrzej Rydzik: ""During the investigation by the Chemnitz criminal police concerning the explosions in concomitance with grand larceny, these suspicions of the 33 year old have been more than confirmed.”"

Confronted with the new evidence, the 33 year old Chemnitz citizen admitted to a total of eight crimes.

"The police spokesman: ""Apparently he funded his narcotics addiction through theft.” Between August 20th, 2018 and May 31st, 2019, the bomber blew up four parking ticket machines along the Bürger street."

The machine bomber is now in police custody. The criminal investigations against him continue.

It is possible that he was also responsible for further machine detonations in Chemnitz and the surrounding counties.

The Lufthansa group is revamping its strategy for Vienna International Airport. In the midst of the price war among budget airlines such as Lauda, Wizz Air, EasyJet and Level, the Lufthansa subsidiary AUA is assuming “the commercial management of all Eurowings flights from Vienna,” an Austrian Airlines press officer confirmed to APA yesterday. There had been previous reports to that effect by “AviationNetOnline”.

This is the de facto end of the Vienna base of the Lufthansa budget airline Eurowings. Four of the present seven Eurowings airplanes will remain in Vienna. AUA is “wet leasing” these as of January 2020, i.e., leasing them with the Eurowings personnel. Three Eurowings jets will be stationed in Salzburg, flying as chartered planes to holiday destinations from Salzburg and Innsbruck. Eurowings Germany is taking over the routes from Vienna to Germany.

The Eurowings base in Vienna will be integrated into the AUA hub and network planning, the press officer explained. Flight times will be coordinated with connecting flights. The goal is to strengthen the Vienna hub on one hand and to expand decentralized traffic from the federal provinces on the other.

AviationNetOnline writes that Eurowings will only serve as a “production company” for its sister company AUA. Thus, flights to Barcelona and Rome will be flying under AUA flight numbers, but operated by Eurowings units. Although the in-flight product will be adapted to that of Austrian Airlines, the pilots and flight attendants will come from Eurowings. According to the report, the Eurowings flights starting under AUA flight numbers will no longer be dispatched from Terminal 1, but from Terminal 3 like Austrian Airlines.

A price war has erupted at Vienna International Airport following the bankruptcy of Niki. Ryanair subsidiary Laudamotion just announced on Thursday that they are bumping up the fleet in Vienna to 16 aircraft next summer. The Irish budget airline is sending four Ryanair planes and their crews to Vienna, also under what is known as “wet lease”. This has been criticized by the trade union as an attempt to circumvent the collective agreement.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary asserted that Lauda will have overtaken AUA in five years. To this challenge, AUA board member Andreas Otto countered on Friday: “We will remain the number one at this location, be it in five, six or ten years.”

Beatrice, Eugenie, William and Harry: As children, the cousins were best friends. Now, the last of the four is getting married. Beatrice is betrothed!

Wonderful news from the British royals: on vacation in Italy earlier this month, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (34) proposed to his girlfriend Princess Beatrice (31). This was announced by the Palace on Thursday.

“We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement. We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can’t wait to be married,” said the couple in the official announcement. According to British media reports, they have been together since October 2018.

Further: “We share so many similar interests and values and we know this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness.”

The official pictures of the betrothal were taken by her sister, Princess Eugenie (29), and published immediately on her Instagram account.

The wedding is planned for 2020. More information about the date, venue and all other details will be disclosed by the Palace in the coming months.

What is certain, however, is that the wedding of ninth heir to the British throne and the real estate mogul will be as large a celebration as the wedding of Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank (32) on October 12, 2018.

Smoking, obesity, unhealthy eating – there are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. But what really causes heart failure or heart attacks? Scientists from Hamburg want to have a closer look at the genetic material of 9,000 healthy and ill people.

Scientists from Hamburg and Switzerland want to understand the causes of cardiovascular diseases in more detail by analyzing the genetic material of 9,000 individuals.

The research project is the largest of its kind in the German-speaking world, said the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) on Friday. The Kühne Foundation is supporting the project with 12.5 million euros. In Switzerland, both the Hochgebirgsklinik Davos, which belongs to the foundation, and the University Hospital Zurich are participating.

Obesity, smoking and unhealthy eating are among the significant risk factors for cardio-vascular diseases that can be influenced. Genetic factors also determine the risk. However, too little is known about the interaction between genes and external influences, it was said. Now the scientists want to compare the complete genomes of 8,000 healthy people with that of 1,000 former patients of the University Heart & Vascular Center at the UKE.

At the moment, possible disease-causing changes of DNA - called mutations - are known for more than 4,000 of the 20,000 relevant human genes, says the Medical Center. Another 200 are added each year.

The goal of the five-year project, according to the initiators, is to develop new options for the prevention, detection and treatment of heart rhythm disorders, heart failure and heart attacks. The data could also assist research into other widespread diseases, says Stefan Blankenberg, head of the University Heart & Vascular Center. It may be possible to gain new insights into the interaction between heart and brain, heart and kidneys and also into cancers.

The chairman of the Kühne Foundation, Klaus-Michael Kühne (82), also emphasized that they firmly intend to use the data for research into other diseases as well. To date, the foundation’s clinic in Davos has primarily treated allergies. Now, on its medical campus, a center for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine and chair for Bioinformatics are being established. Asked about the reasons for his commitment, the logistics entrepreneur, who lives in Switzerland, said that he underwent open-heart surgery in Hamburg three years ago and was deeply grateful.

"The biospecimens of the healthy participants stem from the citizens of Hamburg who are also taking part in the ""Hamburg City Health Study"". With 45,000 test subjects, this is the largest local health survey in the world, according to the Medical Center. The scientists assure that, in the decoding of the genome, strict attention is given to the protection of the anonymized data. A petabyte (1000 terabyte) of data are involved, says Holger Moch of the University Hospital Zurich."

The genetic material of a human can be decoded within 24 hours, according to the UKE. The pure material costs for that are around 1300 euros. The first gene sequencing in the world, whose results were published in 2001, cost several hundred million euros. The study is planned to start on October 1st, and all 9,000 samples should already be analyzed by the end of 2020. First results are expected the following year.

"The police in Nigeria have freed more than 300 tortured and abused boys from a Quran school. After receiving information from local residents, security forces searched the school in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna and discovered the victims, some of whom were still underage, police spokesman Yakuba Sabo said. ""The victims were maltreated. Some of them claimed to have been raped by their teachers."" Sabo said."

The boys had been detained under the pretense of being taught and “reformed” in the Quran. In reality, the boys were held by the teachers in the “most degrading and inhumane conditions,” Sabo stated. Around one hundred students, including children of the age of nine, were chained in a small room.

According to the information provided, the Quran School had existed for around ten years. Local residents had informed the authorities about repeated irregularities at the institution. The parents were shocked when they were informed about the conditions in the Quran school, Sabo said. They had no idea of the suffering of their children. The principal and six employees have been arrested, according to the police.

There are many private Quran schools in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria. They replace the often inadequate state institutions. The people in the region suffer from frequent attacks by armed bandits. For that reason, according to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 40,000 people have fled across the border to the neighboring state of Niger in the past ten months.

Chained up and tortured: Nigeria police free 400 children from school

"Police have freed almost 400 children from appalling conditions in a school in the north of Nigeria. ""Many of them were chained up and some had visible injuries which pointed to torture,"" said police spokesman Yakubu Sabo in the town of Kaduna."

"The children had been discovered on Thursday in an Islamic school after a tip-off. The conditions there had been ""degrading."" Officials arrested the school head and took six teachers into custody after the rescue operation."

"The children, all boys, had been kept at their school ""like slaves"" and kept on chains. Some had been sexually abused. TV pictures showed emaciated and injured schoolboys in visibly poor medical condition."

World Player Award: More Accusations After Triumph for Messi and Klopp

At a gala in Milan, the World Football Association FIFA honored the best female player, male player, and coach of the year. For Lionel Messi it is the sixth award and therefore a record.

After Nicaragua’s captain declared that he never voted in the World Player selection, FIFA is receiving complaints from other countries. Egypt's vote was not counted at all – for a strange reason.

Much of FIFA's activity in recent years had proven to be disreputable: World Cup allocation, the dubious plans of its president Gianni Infanto, the general behavior of various corrupt officials. So far, however, the FIFA World Player selection has not been under suspicion for being improper – apart from the fact that the voting national coaches and national team captains often vote based on sympathy rather than objective assessment.

But after Nicaragua’s captain had complained that he had not voted at all, further inconsistencies are emerging. Egypt complained that the votes of national coach Hossam El-Badry and captain Mohamed Salah were not taken into account. In fact, they do not appear in the official and publicly accessible voting summary.

FIFA apologizes insofar as “the signatures on the voting form were written in capital letters and are therefore not valid”. The Egyptian association had been contacted several times to clarify the situation – with no response.

There is also an outcry from Sudan regarding the election. While the situation in Egypt’s case is understandable, the Sudanese association states that coach Zdravko Lugarisic did not vote the way his vote was ultimately counted: with Lionel Messi in first place, Virgil van Dijk in second, and Sadio Mané in third. According to FIFA, the votes were submitted exactly like that, with the signatures and official stamps of the Sudanese association.

Nicaragua’s captain Juan Barrera had also made allegations: “Did not vote for the #TheBest2019 awards. All information about my vote is false, thank you”, he wrote. It was speculated that in his case, the Nicaragua Football Association simply voted in his name.

"The association announced on Friday: that was true, but it was not done on purpose, of course. The completed voting forms were “mistakenly” signed with the signature of Juan Barrera, Nicaragua’s captain, according to an announcement by the association. Technically, second captain Manuel Rosas had voted. “We take responsibility for the administrative error,"" the statement said. But both Rosas and team coach Henry Duarte voted for Messi, “exactly how it is stated in the official FIFA list”."

FIFA is now having the other cases examined in an investigation, but emphasizes that the voting process was supervised externally by the consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In the meantime, Lionel Messi remains the undisputed winner of the World Player election – and Jürgen Klopp World Coach of the Year.

Ukraine Affair: Senior Republicans Support Official Investigation

Two senior Republicans have openly declared themselves in favor of an official investigation against US president and fellow party member Donald Trump. “I think the inquiry is important,” said the Governor of Vermont, Phil Scott. “Where it leads from here is going to be driven by the facts that are established.” He wanted to know more about the whistle-blower affair before taking action – impeachment proceedings can lead to the president being removed from office.

Scott said that he was not surprised by the disclosures. These revealed that, during a phone call, Trump had repeatedly urged the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to look into the activities of the Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden in the Ukraine. Trump has been watching Biden “over the years”.

To date, Republicans have been holding back on criticism of Trump in the whistle-blower affair; few have expressed their discomfort. Scott’s remarks are a first indication of unease in Trump’s party. Scott, a moderate Republican, has already opposed Trump’s policies on several occasions, for instance, the relaxation of environmental regulations and the tightening of immigration regulations.

"Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts, is another senior Republican in favor of an investigation. ""It's a deeply disturbing situation,” said Baker. “I think the proper role and responsibility for Congress at this point is to investigate it and get to the bottom of it."""

Scott and Baker, as Governors of US states, have no formal say in the proceedings against Trump, which are decided in Congress. Their statements are therefore mostly of symbolic importance. Nevertheless, the first Republican senators have begun to express criticism concerning the situation. Mitt Romney, for instance, who represents the state of Utah in the Senate, says the case is “extremely troubling, deeply troubling”. US media also report first signs of discord among Republicans.

The affair could lead to the initiation of impeachment proceedings against Trump. To this end, the Democrats in the House of Representatives have announced an investigation. They accuse Trump of abusing his power to gain foreign interference for his own political benefit.

There is no precise timetable for the impeachment proceedings. With their majority in the House of Representatives, the Democrats can initiate an impeachment. The decision on an actual conviction, however, is made in the Senate, where Trump’s Republicans have a majority. The chances of success of such proceedings are therefore very small. So far no US president has ever been removed from office by impeachment proceedings.

Three men have been arrested in Sicily; they allegedly raped and murdered in Libyan refugee camps.

The German captain Carola Rackete (31) was arrested in June, after heading for the harbor of Lampedusa with the rescue ship Sea Watch 3 and 53 Libyan refugees on board, without proper permission. Her house arrest was lifted by an Italian judge, after strong protests and international criticism – also from Austrian president Alexander van der Bellen.

Now there are serious new allegations against Rackete. Case in point, three men accused of torture in Libyan refugee camps may have reached Italy on the Sea Watch 3. The accused have been caught in Messina (Sicily), after migrants recognized their tormentors in Italy. “We can’t rule this out but don’t have any sure information either”, Sea Watch spokesman Ruben Neugebauer told the Deutsche Presse Agentur.

According to the police, in mid-September the suspects raped, tortured, and murdered victims in the North African country. They are Mohammed C. (27) and two Egyptians Hameda A. (26) and Mahmoud A. (24). “The migrants have been systematically harassed and subjected to atrocities through repeated and constant physical violence”, according to the note back then.

NGO and aid agencies pointed out, that they cannot know exactly who boards their ships. “We cannot scan the people. They arrive without passports”, Neugebauer said. Torture may be one of the reasons why people flee from Libya. It is thus possible, that perpetrators are on the ships. “It is therefore crucial to follow up.”

Italy's right-wing ex-Interior Secretary Matteo Salvini demanded an apology from Rackete, who is under investigation for aiding and abetting illegal immigration in Italy.

Tesla boss Elon Musk has provided his electric car company with a strong boost on the stock market with the prospect of new record figures.

“We have a shot at achieving our first 100,000 vehicle delivery quarter,” Musk wrote in an email to Tesla employees, published by the industry blog “Electrek”.

In his circular, Musk stated that demand was high and Tesla orders could reach about 110,000. The challenge would be to get the vehicles in the hands of customers quickly. To achieve that, Tesla would have to rally as many resources as possible toward the end of the quarter.

This satisfied investors: Tesla shares closed over 6 percent higher. Share prices had not risen by this much in close to four months. In the second quarter, Tesla reached its current delivery record of around 95,000 cars.

Musk needs records to achieve his ambitious objectives. In 2019, he intends to deliver between 360,000 and 400,000 cars. This requires six-digit figures for this and the coming quarter. The least expensive Tesla Model 3 is the most popular, but its profit margins are slim. Despite the boom, there have been recent losses.

The new financial year in the US will start on October 1st without a proper budget. The Senate followed the House of Representatives and passed a continuing resolution through November 21st.

Although the American Congress and President Trump had agreed on an increase of spending limits for the financial years of 2020 and 2021 in August, the US is once again starting the new fiscal year on October 31st with no spending plans. The Senate followed the House of Representatives and approved a continuing resolution (CR) through November 21st. This resolution avoids a shutdown or partial closure of the federal administration, which would have started at midnight on Monday. President Trump still needs to sign the bill.

For the time being, the federal administration will now be financed at the level and with the priorities of the financial year 2019, which ends on Monday. This is because Congress could not reach an agreement on the twelve spending bills distributing funds among the various departments and authorities. Therefore, for the moment, the federal administration cannot take advantage of the expenditure framework for the new year, which was raised from 1.3 trillion to 1.4 trillion dollars.

The Democrats have finalized ten of the twelve bills in the House of Representatives, where they have the majority. However, the spending bills reflect the priorities of the Democrats and hardly stand a chance in the Senate, which is dominated by the Republicans. Conversely, the Senate also has ten of the twelve spending bills more or less ready, which will hardly find a majority.

Opinions differ primarily on the allocation of resources for domestic security and border management. In the Senate, the Republicans are evidently trying to exact 12 billion dollars for the construction of the barrier wall, one of President Trump’s major priorities. The Democrats are concerned about the planned wall construction and its funding, which was actually intended for other military buildings and projects. The dispute over the construction of the wall has escalated before, in December 2018, leading to a 35-day shutdown.

It remains unclear how the parties can make their positions align. A continuing resolution beyond the 21st of November seems more likely than an agreement on all twelve spending bills in the next seven weeks. A shutdown is another possibility.

In view of the continuing inability of Congress to agree on the twelve spending bills in time and thus the danger of a shutdown, the concept of an automatic process is becoming more popular. Bill S. 1877, aiming to prevent government shutdowns, would automatically continue the financing of the federal administration at the level of the previous year, prohibit all travel by members of Congress and withhold their salaries until the new spending plans have been agreed on.

In France, artificial insemination is to be made available to single women and lesbians: the National Assembly in Paris voted by a large majority for a government bill giving allowing all woman access to in vitro insemination. This should significantly increase the demand for anonymous sperm donations.

The bill still requires the approval of the senate. During the three-day emotional debate, critics in the right-winged camp had warned that many “fatherless children” could be growing up in the future. The French Bishops' Conference is against the reform as well.

The revision is the core component of a bioethics law which Health Minister Agnès Buzyn defended as an “opportunity” for society. It depicted the modern family with children with only one parent or with homosexual parents. According to her idea, the costs of artificial insemination for all women should be carried by social security.

"By a narrow majority, however, the National Assembly rejected an amendment that would grant widows access to the sperm of their dead husbands for artificial insemination. “Post mortem” artificial insemination is allowed in Belgium, Spain, and Great Britain. In Germany, there have been cases where women sued in vain for the release of the sperm of a deceased man. Opponents of the Paris motion argued that a child conceived in this way would suffer a ""particularly difficult fate”."

Numerous representatives of the ruling party La République en Marche (The Republic in Motion, LREM) of President Emmanuel Macron and members of the opposition voted for artificial insemination of sperm from deceased partners. They emphasized that a widow would suffer twice as much grief if her husband's death also left her wish to have children unfulfilled.

The initiators of the now failed amendment consider it unfair that, in the future, a widow can be inseminated with the sperm of an unknown man, but not with that of her husband.

Until now, artificial insemination in France has only been allowed for heterosexual couples who cannot conceive children. They needed to be married or living together for at least two years. Buzyn had already announced in the summer that surrogacy remains illegal.

Artificial insemination in Germany is technically available to all women – but for singles or lesbian couples it is often still difficult.

Compensation for the Climate: Calls for Air Travel Levies for Universities Are Becoming Louder

Universities cause a large amount of air travel. This is why the state intends to introduce a climate levy for universities. University rectors say they do not have the money, but now they are also coming under pressure from within.

Universities should also restrict their air travel. Image: dpa/Julian Stratenschulte

The discussion about a climate levy on air travel for universities and colleges, which was postponed before the summer break, is gaining momentum again. After the State Rectors' Conferences had reacted skeptically to the corresponding motion of the green-black coalition, the plans are now receiving support from universities. In a joint statement, PhD students of six universities in Baden-Wuerttemberg and one teacher training college advocate compensation for business flights. This is “urgently needed” as a first step, but at the same time there must be a wider debate about whether air travel can be avoided, their statement says. Meanwhile, the cabinet decision, originally planned for July, remains on hold because the CDU has not yet approved the bill of the Greens.

According to the secret service FSB, the arrested people have been fishing illegally in Russian waters. Ten days before, over 161 fishermen from North Korea had already been arrested. Back then there was an exchange of fire between the boat's crew and border guards, during which three Russians and one North Korean have been injured – the fisherman died afterwards due to his injuries. But this time no one has been injured, it was said.

Communist North Korea suffers from chronic lack of food. The North Korean fishermen were traveling in Russian territorial waters. Russia’s coastguard patrols the area for the protection of their marine biological resources, according to their own statements.

30,000 squids have been found amid new sweeps of the boats, and were consequently confiscated. Additionally, three fish- and two motorboats were brought to Nakhodka and Posiyet in Vladivostok, according to the statement.

Russia’s Fisheries Authority did not issue fishing licenses to the North Koreans this year, even after complaints from local entrepreneurs. Thousands of fishermen from North Korea have already been temporarily arrested this year, according to the media.

The head of the Association of Russian Fishery Companies in the far East region of Primorje, Georgi Martiynov complained recently about mounting ecological damage due to fishermen from North Korea. They would fish with fine-meshed nets, which are banned in Russia. With those, they would also pull out small animals out of the ocean. Moreover, they would dump them in the sea where the nets would need 200 years to decompose.

The “most generous country in history”: Donald Trump, here in a meeting with police representatives at the White House.

The richest country on earth is sealing itself off against asylum seekers: The State Department in Washington confirms that the ceiling for legal immigration of refugees is being lowered further. In the future, mainly people persecuted for their faith and Iraqis are to be granted asylum.

The US government wants to reduce the already historically low limit for the admission of new refugees. In the financial year of 2020, which runs from October 2019 to September 2020, a maximum of 18,000 people will be admitted to the country, the State Department declared. In the current financial year, which is nearly over, the ceiling was at 30,000 people.

Over the past few years, the government of Donald Trump has drastically reduced the number of asylum seekers from around the world that it is willing to accept. Under the previous government of Barack Obama, admission limits were much higher.

The planned ceiling of 18,000 refugees would be the lowest since the introduction of the United States Refugee Admissions Program in 1980. The State Department nevertheless calls the United States the most compassionate and generous country in history, a wording that is strongly reminiscent of the language used by the current President.

“A responsible approach to refugees is one that seeks the eventual return of refugees to their home countries so that they can help to rebuild their own nations,” Trump declared. His hard line in migration policy has been well received by his supporters, but is also severely criticized.

A major point of contention is the border to Mexico, which Trump wants to close off. To finance the construction of a border wall, Trump declared a National Emergency. It remains unclear whether there is a connection between the timing of the current measure and the present domestic political developments in the US capital. Trump is currently under pressure because of the Zelensky affair and the possible threat of impeachment.

According to the State Department, the US government will be concentrating on accepting two kinds of refugees- people who are persecuted because of their faith and Iraqis who have helped the US military in their country and are now in danger, as the statement issued by the State Department says. A maximum of 1,500 refugees from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are to be accepted.

The US wants to ensure that people from the “Northern triangle” of Central America in particular seek asylum in other countries. With that in mind, the United States has recently concluded migration agreements, first with Guatemala, and subsequently also with El Salvador and Honduras, to curb immigration at the Southern US border to Mexico.

A female orangutan has been relocated from the former Buenos Aires Zoo to a sanctuary for apes in the US. “Sandra”, who was born in the zoo of Rostock in 1986, was granted the rights of a “non-human person”, making her release mandatory. The animal was flown directly to Dallas on Thursday evening, not as a passenger, but in the cargo hold, as lawyer Andrés Gil Domínguez explained.

Since the 53-kilogram ape is not capable of fending for herself in the wild, she will remain at the outdoor enclosure of the Center for Great Apes in Florida. A further 21 orangutans and 31 chimpanzees are already housed there, among them “Bubbles”, once a pet of Michael Jackson’s. Before moving to Florida, however, Sandra will have to spend around 40 days in quarantine at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas.

After she was born in Rostock, Sandra spent some years in the former Ruhr-Zoo in Gelsenkirchen before she was relocated to Buenos Aires in 1995. The proceedings initiated by animal-rights activists in 2014 to determine Sandra’s basic rights has contributed to the transformation of Buenos Aires Zoo into an eco-park. By 2023, a research and educational facility for the preservation of biodiversity is to be established there.

Extreme mountaineer Dani Arnold succeeded in a daring and bold endeavor on the almost 9,843 foot high “Große Zinne” in the Italian Alps.

Without safety net, double bottom or other assistance, he overcame the 1,804 foot high north face of the Große Zinne in a new record time.

Arnold just needed 46 minutes and 30 seconds for the ascent, solely clothed in jeans, a shirt and without any fear of heights. He undercut the record by almost 19 minutes.

He is now the record holder in Free Solo Speed on four of the six most important European north faces.

The US sports goods manufacturer Nike has posted a significant increase in profit despite the trade conflict with China. Net profit increased to 1.4 billion dollars (almost 1.3 billion euros) in the past quarter. That is 25 percent more than in the same period last year, the group announced on Tuesday. The main reason behind that is the new marketing strategy “Nike Direct”, via which the Adidas competitor can address its customers directly.

Sales rose to 10.7 billion dollars in a three month period up to the end of August. The strongest increase in Nike’s sales was 22 percent in China. The group from Beaverton in the US state of Oregon therefore also benefited in the People's Republic from its approach of addressing customers directly via the internet or smartphone apps.

Head of Finances Andy Champion announced that Nike will continue to drive the “digital transformation” of the sports goods manufacturer forward and thus expand its competitive advantage. Investors were pleased with the quarterly figures; the sporting goods manufacturer's shares rose by more than five percent.

"On account of racist comments about soccer professional Juan Jesus of AS Roma, the club in the Italian capital has banned a fan for life from the stadium. The fan abused Brazilian defender Jesus on Instagram. Jesus then published the private messages and requested that his club take measures. ""@officialasroma you already know what you should do with such a fan. #NoToRacism. Proud of who I am,” wrote the 28-year-old, who has been playing for AS Rome since 2016."

he club reacted late Thursday. It reported the fan to Instagram and the police. Also, the Roma fan was prohibited from attending a match of the club ever again, the club twittered.

Racism is a problem in Italian soccer. Italian fans regularly chant racist insults against black players of rival teams. “We cannot have racism in society or in sport. In Italy, the situation has not improved, and that is very serious. The people responsible must be identified and thrown out of the stadiums,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the weekend. The reason for his statement were racist chants during the first division match between Atalanta Bergamo and ACF Fiorentina last Sunday.

There have also been debates about the fans of Juventus Football Club. The Italian authorities have now banned 38 rampaging Juventus Football Club fans from stadiums. Four of them may not enter the stadium for a period of ten years, the police stated. For the others, the bans are valid for four to seven years.

The fans are involved in ongoing investigations against twelve leaders of ultra-fan-groups connected to Juventus. The twelve leaders are accused of, among others, aggravated extortion, money laundering and private violence. The club had initiated the investigations by laying charges last year.

The ultra-leaders are involved in the illicit trading of tickets, according to Italian media reports. They are supposed to have held the trade of tickets under “military control” and to have blackmailed Juventus employees in order to obtain less expensive tickets.

Millennials are narcissistic, generation Z is political – whole age groups are labeled with catchy terms. A closer look reveals that these terms are full of contradictions. So, how well do these labels describe young people’s attitudes toward life?

“The crabs are coming!” This call officially launched the crab hunting season at the lake of Gucheng in Gaochun and the opening ceremony of the 19th China Gaochun Gucheng Lake Crab Festival, according to the public relations department of the Nanjing-Gaochun district committee.

"Gaochun, which forms the Southern extension of Nanjing in the Jiangsu province, is a national environmental zone. The city is the first international “Slow City” in China and at the same time the Chinese headquarters of the international ""Slow City"" movement. The city is ideally placed in ecological terms with a mix of “30 percent mountains, 20 percent water and 50 percent fields.” The magnificent natural surroundings of Gaochun offer its inhabitants all the conditions they need to become rich."

The people of Gaochun already started farming crabs early in the 1990s. Over time, the crab industry has become a formative industry, providing high incomes and becoming an important part of the economic development of Gaochun. In recent years, Gaochun has been actively engaged in the large-scale, ecological and scientific development of crab farming and technology-based crab farming. And the city has focused on greater efficiency in agriculture and higher incomes for farmers.

In the past few years, Gaochun has promoted a reform to “distribute power and optimize administration and government services” and has carefully built the service network for “one single location for authorizations, one team for law enforcement, one network for services, one platform for the granting of credits.” Thus, the city wants to comprehensively optimize the environment for authorizations, services and development.

Gaochun is taking full advantage of its location with its connections to Southern Jiangsu and Southern Anhui. It is using the development zone and its position as an international “Slow City” as a showcase to attract intelligent high-end production facilities, biomedical and medical technology companies, energy storage and environmental protection companies, culture and health companies as well as ecological farming enterprises that are leaders in the “3+2” sector. At the same time, Gaochun has promoted the development of a national tourism zone encompassing all areas and tourist resorts of national importance. This involved incorporating the ecological and cultural resources of the countryside of Gaochun into the scheme, extensively improving buildings for civic and public services, intensively developing the sectors “tourism +” and “+ tourism”, and promoting high-quality cultural tourism. It is worth looking forward to the future of Gaochun.

Conflict Between Iran and USA: Rouhani Speaks of the End of the Sanctions – Trump Disagrees

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke of an alleged US offer to lift sanctions after his return from the UN General Assembly. The United States had promised an end to any and all sanctions in return for talks with the Tehran leadership, Rouhani declared on his official website.

However, US President Donald Trump contradicted his Iranian counterpart on Twitter: Iran wanted me to lift the sanctions imposed on them in order to meet. I said, of course, NO!”

Rouhani describes what happened as follows: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and French President Emmanuel Macron were present in New York and insisted that a meeting take place. “And America said, I will lift the sanctions,” Rouhani added. What kind of sanctions were to be lifted was the subject of debate. “And they clearly said, we will lift all sanctions.”

However, this move was not made in an acceptable manner, Rouhani criticized. Given the current sanctions and “the poisoned atmosphere of maximum pressure”, no one could predict the outcome of negotiations.

Early this week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Rouhani in New York. The reason for this was the hope of the Europeans to save the nuclear agreement with Iran negotiated with Russia and China. This agreement is meant to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing nuclear weapons. French President Emmanuel Macron, like Merkel, had expressed the hope on the fringes of the UN General Assembly that Rouhani would meet with US President Donald Trump.

Since Western Turkey suffered two earthquakes in a very short space of time, fear of a disaster is heightening. Thirty-four people were injured in the earthquake on Tuesday. Following the earthquake the day before, there were almost 200 aftershocks, Vice President of Turkey Fuat Oktay said on Friday, causing increasing fears of a disaster.

Fourteen schools in Istanbul were shut down for safety reasons. Hundreds of buildings were damaged. The 5.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the Marmara region close to Istanbul and caused panic in the million-strong metropolis. The government now intends to appoint a commission to better prepare the country for earthquakes, Oktay announced.

In the past 20 years, Turkey has been inadequately prepared for earthquakes, said Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu. The city itself continues to ignore the latent danger. Every year, badly constructed homes collapse – worn down, among other things, by the many small tremors that shake Istanbul on a regular basis.

Urban planners such as the well-known architect Mücella Yapici have been warning for years that large open areas registered as shelters in the center of the city have long since been built over. Not until the 20th anniversary of the Gölcük earthquake this August did the Istanbul Chamber of Civil Engineers issue a warning that an estimated one million buildings in Istanbul were not earthquake-proof.

The epicenter of the earthquake on Thursday was located in the Sea of Marmara at a depth of around seven kilometers, reported the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency Afad. A smaller aftershock a few minutes later caused even more widespread panic on the streets.

The Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu announced via Twitter that there had been no initial reports of injuries or damages. The national public broadcaster TRT showed people running out of their houses in panic. Schoolchildren were led out of buildings for safety reasons in the district of Silivri. Some of the schoolchildren were seen to be crying on the footage.

Istanbul is classified as being particularly earthquake-prone. Underneath the Sea of Marmara lies what is known as the North-Anatolian Fault, marking the boundary between the Eurasian and the Anatolian tectonic plates. Turkey is regularly struck by earthquakes. One of the most fatal ones was the 1999 earthquake close to Istanbul, which caused the death of more than 17,000 people.

Scientists fear that an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 to 7.4 may be imminent. It is unclear, however, when that earthquake will happen. The earthquake on Thursday once again struck the western part of the country and Istanbul.

Companies are developing emergency plans, private people have what are known as Go Bags packed with everything they need ready to go next to their front doors, and schools are teaching children what to do when the earth shakes. When the next big earthquake is coming, remains unclear.

After his return from New York, the president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that eight people had been injured. A few buildings had suffered slight damage. The Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, was observing developments from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Disaster Coordination Centre (AKOM). He stated that two minarets of mosques in the districts of Avcilar and Sariyer had collapsed.

Many social media users reported panic. Buildings shook. Schools and hospitals were evacuated. Telephone lines were disconnected. It was more severe than the earthquake on Tuesday, a user wrote. The head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik, warned against aftershocks. He requested people to stay away from buildings that had visibly suffered damage.

The earthquake, according to official statements, happened at 1:59 pm (local time). Only a few minutes after the first quake, CNN Turkey reported an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter Scale.

As recently as Tuesday, an earthquake of a magnitude of 4.6 had shaken the Turkish region of Marmara – it could be felt all the way to Istanbul. Its epicenter also lay in the Sea of Marmara to the west of the metropolis, as the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency Afad had already said on Tuesday.

It was not the only earthquake to hit the headlines that Tuesday: Pakistan was also hit by a severe earthquake.

Scientists assume that sooner or later, there could be a severe earthquake in Istanbul - the tension between the tectonic plates is extremely high. Scientists believe that the stress will be released at some point – and cause massive damage.

Earthquake researcher Sükrü Ersoy expects that the current earthquake is a forewarning. It is now more likely, he told CNN Türk. “This could be the indication of a larger earthquake,” Ersoy told the broadcaster. “Sooner or later, a great earthquake will happen.”

Just a few weeks ago, an incident had already happened – an earthquake had caused deep concern in Istanbul. A few days ago, there was a severe earthquake in Albania as well – 68 people were injured. There has also been an earthquake at Lake Constance this year.

Two explosive documents provide new fuel in the Ukraine affair, in which President Trump is accused of abuse of power. The Democrats feel encouraged on their way to impeachment proceedings. The complaint filed by an anonymous whistleblower against Trump and his telephone conversation with the Ukrainian president contain important clues for investigations against the President. Trump once again sees himself as the victim of a “witch hunt.” What’s more, he questions the credibility of the whistleblower.

USA: United Airlines passenger trapped in lavatory – plane rerouted

Due to a passenger getting trapped in the lavatory a United Airlines flight has been rerouted. During flight 1554 from Washington to San Francisco the toilet door was jammed, the airline told US media.

During an unscheduled layover in Denver on Wednesday afternoon (MDT) the woman was finally released from the tight cabin. According to other passengers, US media wrote, she was trapped for about an hour. For the continuation of the flight to San Francisco the passenger had to change planes.

A video distributed on the Internet, which according to US media is said to be from flight 1554, shows how several people are trying to free the woman. “We’re currently working on opening the door, ma’am. We'll get you out of there soon, okay?”, a man can be heard. The airline apologized to all passengers. It was initially unclear whether the woman would receive any compensation.

The Cockroach: Inspired by Kafka: Ian McEwan writes a Brexit novel

How does an author like Ian McEwan cope with the Brexit chaos? He writes a book about it – and his protagonist is unmistakable.

Inspired by Franz Kafka’s famous story The Metamorphosis, the British bestselling author Ian McEwan (71) has written a book about the Brexit chaos in Great Britain.

The novel The Cockroach will be published in German on November 27, the publisher Diogenes Verlag (Zurich) informed. It is about the metamorphosis of a man named “Jim Sams”, who was ignored or hated in his former life but is now suddenly the most powerful man in Britain. He sees it as his mission to execute the will of the people and is fiercely determined not to let anything or anyone stop him.

"McEwan was quoted as saying, ""As parliament is closed down so that the government cannot be challenged at a crucial time and ministers lie about it shamelessly in the old Soviet style, and when many Brexiters in high places seem to crave the economic catastrophe of a no deal, and English national extremists are attacking the police in Parliament Square, a writer is bound to ask what he or she can do. There’s only one answer: write.” McEwan’s novel Machines Like Me about artificial intelligence was just recently published this spring."

Kafka’s story, first published in 1915, is about Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning and sees himself “transformed into a huge insect”. He gradually becomes excluded from family and society, and eventually perishes. “Ian McEwan bows to Kafka to describe a world that is upside down”, Diogenes Verlag said.

11,200 railroad cars in Austria and Hungary are being equipped with whisper brakes to reduce the noise pollution caused by freight trains. Also, sections of the train tracks between Graz and Györ and Wiener Neustadt and Sopron are being modernized and electrified.

According to EU authorities, this should make travelling more comfortable and lower CO2 emissions. The funds stem from the EU infrastructure fund “Connecting Europe Facility”.

The German travel business Thomas Cook cancelled all trips up to and including October 31st, 2019, one day after filing for insolvency. Travels “can not be started due to bankruptcy law concerns”, the company informed on Thursday evening.

Affected by this are bookings through brands like Thomas Cook Signature, Thomas Cook Signature Finest Selection, Neckermann Reisen, ÖGER TOURS, Bucher Reisen, and Air Marin, which are either partly or fully paid for. The company did not give a statement concerning trips starting on November 1st, 2019 or later. Further actions are being examined in accordance with the insolvency insurance, it said.

In Germany, Thomas Cook came into the pull of the bankruptcy of its parent company and applied for insolvency on Wednesday. The corporation, which includes Neckermann Reisen, Öger Tours, and Bucher Reisen amongst other, employs around 2000 people in Germany.

This Friday foreign hotels hosting Thomas Cook guests should receive money from the Zurich insurance. The payments for the hotels are tied to the condition to not ask vacationers for extra payments, according to Zurich.

Based on booking information and without further submission of invoices, hotels in the vacation destinations should receive 50 percent of pending payments now, a Zurich spokesperson told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. “This applies immediately and under the condition that Thomas Cook’s guests are not being asked or compelled for individual payments of hotel bills”, spokesman Bernd Engelien continued.

The insurer reacted to reports of hotel guests who, according to their accounts, were forced to pay for their accommodation by themselves. Some had to front more than 1000 euros. The German travel association DRV and the Federal Association of Consumer Advice Centers (Bundesverband der Vebraucherzentralen) criticized this sharply.

How many hotels are affected will be coordinated with the insolvent travel provider on Friday, the insurance spokesman said. According to information from Thursday, 70,000 Thomas Cook travellers from Germany are in transit. Zurich Germany secured vacation and return trip for the Thomas Cook customers.

Insolvency managers want to try to continue the three Thomas Cook incorporations in Germany and find a solution for the future.

The announced payments for hotels from the Zurich-Insurance are just helping the travelers still abroad. It does not look good for Thomas Cook customers still planning to go on vacation. Late Thursday evening the company said that all trips up to and including October 1st would be cancelled. This also applies for already paid reservations.

The company did not give a statement concerning trips starting on November 1st, 2019 or later. Further actions are being examined in accordance with the insolvency insurance, it said. In principal the insurer Zurich is also responsible in this case. The sale of new tours is on hold. dpa

The company refers to the insurer Zurich, which is represented through the Kaera Company. Customers can get information on the Kaera website about possibilities of reimbursement and to file claims through a web form.

For a while Prince Harry continued the endavour of Lady Diana. In West Africa he is now following in the footsteps of his mother.

Clad in a blue flak vest, the British prince Harry triggered and detonated a land mine in Angola.

Close to a camp of the British Halo Trust in Dirico, he created the ignition circuit in front of TV-cameras. At a safe distance the explosive device exploded in the savannah landscape without causing further damage. Even though the Halo Trust destroyed more than 100,000 relics of the decade-long, bloody conflict, there are still more than 1000 mine fields threatening the population.

On the fifth day of his African trip Harry wanted to follow in his mother Diana’s (1961 – 1997) footsteps in the city of Huambo. With the same demolition expert who accompanied his mother back in the day, he intended to walk the same path that she walked back then. The pictures, on which Princess Diana walked through a cleared mine field, went around the world. She demonstrated support for the Halo Trust as well.

Harry (35) and his wife Meghan (38) are on a ten day long African trip, which started in the South African tourist metropolis Cape Town.

Stalled Brexit Negotiations: The Risk of a No-Deal Remains Acute

Originally, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had committed himself: there would be no third delay in the Brexit negotiations. But which statements by the polarizing Briton have stood the test of time? The latest ruling of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom hangs over the towhead like the sword of Damocles. His suspension of parliament in order to wrestle his Brexit-course through to the exit date was annulled early this week. A law passed by parliament obligates Johnson to bring about an extension of the bilateral talks in the case of failed negotiations with the EU by October 31st. This has always been categorically ruled out by Johnson.

However, Johnson seems to be feeling the pressure. Meanwhile, during a visit to a hospital, he hinted that he would support an extension of negotiations in the case of non-agreement by the end of October:

And the best way to do that is to get a deal. I am cautiously optimistic that this will work.

And time is running out on the Brexit negotiators in Brussels. Around six weeks remain for the EU and British representatives to prevent a withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union without a deal. But the latest talks have again failed to achieve a breakthrough. An agreement by the end of October is currently rather difficult to picture. If the Prime Minister does not break the law, a renewed delay of the exit date will become effective. However, the opposition does not trust the word of the Prime Minister. It fears that, in the case of a no deal, he will somehow still be able to push through a Brexit.

"The number of deaths associated with the use of e-cigarettes in the US has risen to twelve. Furthermore, there have also been 805 confirmed and presumed injuries in this context, said the US health authority CDC. According to a study in the ""New England Journal of Medicine"", more than 900 people have been affected, of which 500 cases have been confirmed. What causes the lung damage is still completely unclear. In Europe, there has been no such increase of lung damage. The complaints seem to be limited to users in the US."

The videos of Mohamed Ali were shared millions of times in online social networks. In them, the building contractor and actor, who lives in Spain, is demanding a “people’s revolution.” For today, Friday, he has called for further protests against president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the Egyptian military, whose critics accuse them of corruption and mismanagement. Ali is hoping for mass rallies with a million participants at central locations in the country.

Security authorities are on alert. An increased police presence was already noticeable in central Cairo. A number of subway stations remained closed, streets around the central Tahrir Square were blocked off. Throughout the past few days, the police had increased road checks and, in some instances, searched the mobile phones of pedestrians for news and photos in connection with the protests.

On September 20, the protesters also gathered around Tahrir Square.

Last weekend there were protests with several hundred participants in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Mansura. There had not been such an open protest in Egypt in many years. The response of the security forces was correspondingly strong. According to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), close to 2,000 people have been arrested since last week. Many of them were arbitrarily arrested – only because they were at the “wrong place at the wrong time,” HRW reported, citing the lawyers of some of those arrested.

Moreover, the organization criticized the censorship in the North African country. Thus, the government in Cairo is blocking website and online services to prevent further protests against el-Sisi. The general has ruled the country since 2013, when he overthrew the democratically elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Thousands of Islamists, opponents of the government, bloggers and activists have been imprisoned and partially sentenced in the past few years.

"""Ocean Change"": Arved Fuchs Returns From Greenland Expedition"

The polar scientist Arved Fuchs returned from his Greenland expedition on Friday. He was greeted on his arrival in the port of Hamburg by, among others, skipper Borris Hermann, who sailed environmental activist Greta Thunberg across the Atlantic in his racing yacht “Malizia”.

Together with a team of scientists, Fuchs had been documenting the effects of global warming on the coasts of Iceland and Greenland in his sailboat “Dagmar Aaen”.

The polar scientist said that the Fridays for Future movement was a blessing. He had been waiting for years for the younger generation to speak out. For decades, people have known that the earth is warming up. Nevertheless, many people were acting as if there were a planet B.

Fuchs said, “What is happening at sea often happens outside the public view.” He and his team wanted to inform people about the effects of global warming and the littering of the seas. In the course of the expedition, they measured the thickness of Greenland’s glacial ice with a drone and fished for microplastics with a net, among other things, he stated.

"For his “battle for a more sustainable and respectful use of the oceans”, the polar scientist from Bad Bramstedt received the ""Seadevcon Maritime Award"" during the Hamburg Climate Week. “Arved Fuchs is a great example for all of us who care about the survival of the oceans,” said skipper Boris Hermann at the award ceremony. “He is a witness of the changes that have happened in the Arctic over the last decades.”"

Expensive Spaghetti in Rome: Tourists Paid 430 Euros for Noodles

430 euros for two plates of spaghetti with fish in a simple restaurant not far from Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome: this seemed too much to two Japanese tourists. They paid the bill, which included a tip of 80 euros, but they posted the receipt on Facebook, which prompted heated reactions.

“Such cases damage the reputation of Rome. We urge the police to investigate whether this is a case of fraud,” a spokesman from Federagit, the association of travel guides in Rome, demanded according to the Roman daily Il Messaggero (Friday edition).

The proprietor of the restaurant responded promptly. The Japanese women did not just order spaghetti but also fresh fish, the owner justified himself. However, this was not mentioned on the receipt. A tip of up to 20 percent of the bill was normal as well, the proprietor mentioned.

One phone call to Ukraine and everything is ruined? US President Donald Trump could indeed be confronted with an impeachment trial after the turbulent revelations of the past few days. The Democrats now want to look into this as soon as possible with their investigation in the House of Representatives – there is talk of weeks before a decision would be made.

Supposedly, at the beginning of the scandal is the phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The accusations of the whistleblower, who made the conversation public with his complaint out of his concern for national security and democracy in the US, are monstrous: the President abused his power to pressure the government of another country into influencing the 2020 elections. In doing so, he took advantage of the dependence of Ukraine and tried to blackmail its government into taking action against one of his political opponents.

The essence of this plan can also be seen in the transcript of the conversation with Zelensky that has been published since, although it does not reproduce the full text. The phone call on July 25 is just one episode in a much bigger story which is centered not only on Trump, but also on his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

From a public perspective, the story begins in May 2019, when the New York Times reports Rudy Giuliani’s travel plans to Ukraine. He wants to meet the recently elected President Zelensky in Kiev, and the lawyer himself knows very well how delicate his intentions are. “We are not interfering in an election, we are interfering in an investigation, which we have the right to do,” he tells the newspaper. One could argue that it is inappropriate, but “there is nothing illegal about it”. Giuliani wants Ukraine to start investigations for which there is hardly any basis – “because this information will be very, very helpful for my client and could turn out to be very helpful for my government.”

The lawyer and former New York mayor seems to be infected with right-wing conspiracy fantasies focused on Trump's opponent during the 2016 elections: Hillary Clinton. She has conspired with agents in the Ukraine, critics said back then to construct an excuse for the Russia investigations in the US. However, this accusation was never meant to be taken seriously.

This is exactly the kind of investigation that Trump would talk about so prominently on the phone with Zelensky in July. Giuliani’s and the President's version are: former Vice President and currently most promising Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, in his role as the Obama administration's representative to Ukraine, had pushed for the dismissal of the Ukrainian Attorney General at the time, Victor Shokin. This was in order to stop the investigation of the gas company on whose board his son Hunter Biden was a member. Biden senior had blackmailed Ukraine financially to cover up the corrupt activities of his family.

In reality, things happened somewhat differently. When Joe Biden demanded that the Ukrainian Attorney General be dismissed, the investigations against the gas company had already been concluded. Hunter Biden was never directly involved. Shokin himself was also accused of deeply corrupt conduct, and the US government was by no means the only Western partner pressing for his dismissal. Incidentally, the Obama government even explicitly supported the investigations into the company.

Service disruptions at Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp: social media pages are down

Users throughout the world have reported massive disruptions to Instagram and Facebook. Germany, Great Britain and Spain have been particularly affected. Users have reported to the website allestörungen.de that since about 3:30 p.m. the social media pages have repeatedly been failing to load. Instagram has also been issuing error messages that content cannot be loaded. WhatsApp, too, seems to be affected by the problem, if, thus far, not to the same degree.

This is not the first case of massive disruptions this year. Back in March and July the services were out of action for several hours. And as in the previous cases, users are using Twitter in particular to air their dissatisfaction.

Three Polish scientists have been rescued from the Antarctic ice by the Chilean Air Force. They were en route in an inflatable boat, several miles away from their base, when their engine failed. They were lucky in their misfortune – it took the Chilean rescue helicopter less than an hour to rescue them.

“At 9:30 am we received the message, shortly before 10:00 am we took off, and about 20 minutes later we were above the inflatable.”

Poland has operated the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station on King George Island since 1977; 19 scientists work there. The thoroughly chilled scientists were safely returned to their research station.

Although inductive technology via Qi standard is extremely convenient, it should not be used.

Since several new smartphones that support wireless charging have been released on the market recently and are selling very well – especially the new iPhone 11 models – we would like to remind readers of a study carried out in early July. Wireless charging of mobile devices is indeed convenient, but not necessarily recommended.

Scientists are warning against wireless charging of smartphones. According to the University of Warwick, it is extremely harmful to the devices. The reason for this is the significant increase in heat generation. If a mobile phone is being charged normally via cable, the battery heats up to 27 degrees Celsius within three hours. When charging wirelessly, even if the smartphone was perfectly aligned on the charging pad, the scientists always measured over 30 degrees Celsius. If the mobile phone is positioned slightly to the side of the coil, the temperature rises even higher. In addition, the wattage of the charging pad increases, which in turn increases power consumption.

According to the scientists, temperature is a deciding factor for the durability of batteries. Every single degree is relevant. When charging at higher temperatures, the battery not only loses capacity but also durability. Its service life is therefore shorter. Thus, the scientists recommend that smartphones should always be charged via cable. Since replacing the battery in modern smartphones is always quite expensive, this should be a helpful tip. Apple has recently increased the cost of battery replacement for all iPhone models.

The technology is extremely convenient: simply place the device on an appropriate charging pad – these have now been installed in many restaurants, airports, hotels and cars, and the battery is charged without getting cables tangled or fiddling with plugs. Since Qi (which stands for inductive energy transfer) has become an established global standard which even Apple supports, there are virtually unlimited possibilities. Nevertheless, according to the scientists, the technology should only be used in exceptional cases.

Everest traffic photographer: 13 Eight-thousanders in six months

By his own account, a mountaineer from Nepal climbed 13 of the 14 highest mountains in the world in just six months. Nirmal Purja (36) reached the summit of the Manaslu in Nepal and set a new record, according to his expedition's organizer.

The former soldier wants to climb all 14 eight-thousanders in seven months. Purja calls his endeavor “Mission Possible”. He already made international headlines: He took the picture of mountaineers queuing on Mount Everest that went viral this spring.

The picture of the huge crowd sparked a debate on stronger security measures for the 29,028 feet high mountain, the highest summit in the world. Eleven mountaineers died within a few days in May, during their ascent.

Climbing the 14th eight-thousander may become a problem for Purja: currently Chinese authorities are currently blocking the Xixabangma mountain in Tibet. One of the reasons cited for this is bad weather. Earlier this week, Purja wrote on Twitter that the Nepalese government wants to negotiate with China to enable his ascent.

There is also a pregnant elephant amongst the dead animals, a police spokesman said on Friday. “We assume the elephants have been poisoned.”

The four carcasses have been found in a sanctuary close to the famous rock fortress Sigiriya, which attracts many tourists. According to the police spokesman, the animals were probably between 15 and 25 years old. To find the cause of death, an autopsy has been mandated.

Almost 2,000 elephants are being killed each year in Sri Lanka. The culprits are usually farmers, on whose lands the elephants feed themselves. At the same time around 50 people are being killed by elephants annually. This usually happens when animals travel through villages built close to their habitat.

According to estimates, about 7,000 elephants are still living in Sri Lanka. In theory, killing an elephant carries the death penalty.

The British oil tanker Stena Impero leaves the seaport of Bandar Abbas, after more than two months detainment by Iran. This has been announced by the Bandar Abbas maritime administration, according to the news agency IRNA. The Iranian revolutionary guards detained the tanker operating under the British flag on July 19th, based on allegations of having violated of maritime law regulations in the Persian Gulf.

The economic committee of the House of Commons wants to investigate the bankruptcy of travel giant Thomas Cook. The main concerns are the salary packages of the board members, as well as the question of why the British government denied financial support during the corporation’s battle for survival. “Our interest is in the oversight of the corporation, as well as external auditors,” committee chairman Rachel Reeves explained in London. “Apparently, we are dealing with a bad example of management greed.”

Role of Genes Overestimated in the Risk of Intestinal Cancer, Experts Say

An increased risk of intestinal cancer through genetic predisposition has apparently been overestimated. This is the conclusion of researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg in a recent study. Other risk factors such as family dietary habits have a larger impact than previously supposed. This is of significance in calculating an individual's risk of intestinal cancer, the DKFZ scientists emphasize.

This is what Musk wrote in an email to Tesla employees on Thursday (local time), as published by the industry blog “Electrek”. In his circular, Musk stated that demand was high and Tesla orders could reach about 110,000.

The challenge would be to get the vehicles in the hands of customers quickly. To achieve that, Tesla would have to rally as many resources as possible toward the end of the quarter.

Musk needs records to achieve his ambitious objectives. In 2019, he intends to deliver between 360,000 and 400,000 cars. This involves six-digit figures for this and the coming quarter. The least expensive Tesla Model 3 is the most popular, but its profit margins are slim. Despite the boom, there have been recent losses.

Does the British Government Want to Circumvent the Brexit Bill? Johnson Remains Reserved

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is keeping a low profile on whether he is looking for ways to circumvent the bill recently passed by Parliament against a no-deal Brexit. When asked the question on Friday, he told journalists only that his government would abide by the law.

"The law stipulates that the government must request a postponement of the withdrawal date if no agreement with the EU is reached by mid-October. Johnson criticized this as a ""capitulation law"" that would make negotiations with the EU more difficult."

Former British Prime Minister John Major expressed the suspicion that Johnson may try to use political chicanery to circumvent the law. Johnson could use a procedural trick to postpone the law taking effect until the time after Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

Johnson said that he wanted a treaty with the European Union. “We are confident that we will leave the EU on October 31st, and the best way forward is with an agreement.”

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has increased pressure on the European contracting partners in the conflict over how to rescue the historic nuclear deal. “Unfortunately, European nations are demonstrating incompetence or unwillingness when it comes to specific actions,” Rouhani said on Thursday during a press conference on the fringes of the UN General Assembly in New York. In the event that they would not stand by their pledges, he promised “further steps” away from the agreements of the treaty, negotiated with difficulty in 2015.

The background of all this is the international treaty to prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb, which in return contained a promise to Tehran to normalize economic relations. The US unilaterally withdrew from the treaty in 2018 to use “maximum pressure” to force Iran to change the course of its Middle East policy, which was perceived as aggressive. President Donald Trump’s government wants to negotiate a new agreement with tighter restrictions and has reverted to tougher sanctions against Tehran. Iran recently reacted to this by increasing its uranium enrichment, which is limited by the treaty.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed in a report that the Islamic Republic is now using centrifuges installed in early September with uranium or has at least prepared them for use. According to IAEA information, Iran is also preparing to assemble over 300 additional centrifuges.

Perhaps the Europeans are not willing to carry their part of the deal, thus abandoning the Iranians to the cost and burden of the oppressive US sanctions, Rouhani speculated. But there would be continued talks, hopefully leading to a solution.

Rouhani continues to deny Iran’s involvement in attacks in Saudi Arabia

The convoluted situation has certainly changed since an attack on an important oil plant in Saudi Arabia in mid-September. On Monday Germany, France, and Great Britain shared the US assessment that Tehran was responsible for the attack. Originally, Houthi insurgents, supported by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack in Yemen, but the US classified the claim as false. “We had nothing to do with it,” Rouhani reaffirmed his position on Wednesday.

“Whoever makes such accusations must provide evidence,” Rouhani said. But during the talks with him at the UN General Assembly, European leaders were not able to do so. Instead they had only referred to the fact that the insurgents in Yemen would not have been able to execute such an attack. In the past few days, Rouhani had met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The far-reaching sanctions of the US administration would have to be lifted before talks with US President Trump would become a possibility, Rouhani demanded. He urged the government in Washington to change their policy to one of “dialogue and reason.”

Astronomers are currently observing a comet from the depths of space. This has only happened once before. The comet allows conclusions to be drawn about other solar systems.

What started out as an assumption has now been confirmed: an interstellar guest is crossing our solar system. The comet from the depths of space has been named 2I/Borisov after the person who discovered it and is attracting interest from astronomers around the world.

The widely-traveled comet was discovered on August 30 by amateur astronomer Gennadi Borisov at the Margo observatory in Crimea – with a self-made telescope only 65 centimeters in diameter. Follow-up observations by various observatories not only confirmed that it was an unknown comet, but also showed that it does not originate from our solar system.

After 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017, 2I/Borisov is only the second interstellar object found traveling through our solar system.

2I/Borisov offers astronomers a unique opportunity to gather insights into alien solar systems before it disappears forever. First observations show how the interstellar comet resembles those of our own system, according to the Astrophysical Institute of the Canaries. “The current velocity of the comet is high, around 150,000 kilometers per hour, which is considerably higher than the typical velocities of objects circling the sun,” Davide Farnocchia of the US space agency NASA reported in an announcement.

According to the analyses, the comet is traveling on what is known as a hyperbolic trajectory, which leads it out of our system, and it is undoubtedly of interstellar origin, the International Astronomic Union (IAU) announced. The IAU is also responsible for naming and categorizing celestial objects. In honor of its discoverer, the interstellar comet received the name 2I/Borisov, after having initially been catalogued under the number C/2019 Q4. The first part of its name, 2I, indicates that it is the second interstellar object discovered in our Solar System.

Astronomers are lucky: contrary to 1I/‘Oumuamua, 2I/Borisov was spotted during its approach. This gives astronomers several months to investigate. “The object will reach its brightest luminosity in mid-December and will be observable until April 2020 with mid-sized telescopes,” Farnocchia explained “After that, you will only be able to observe it until October 2020 with bigger, professional telescopes.”

Several observatories already targeted the visitor. A team led by Karen Meech from the University of Hawaii, who already lead the characterization of 1I/'Oumuamua, determined that the diameter of the celestial object is between 2 and 16 kilometers. Images of the Gemini observatory on Hawaii showed the comet's distinct tail.

Researchers at the Astrophysical Institute of the Canaries (IAC) have already obtained a first spectrum from the interstellar comet, which is like a fingerprint of its chemical components. “The spectrum of this object is similar to that of comets in our system – which suggests a similar composition,” IAC researcher Julia de León reported. This observation indicates that comets in our and in other solar systems are formed in similar processes, de León's colleague Javier Licandro added.

According to the IAU, the discovery of two interstellar visitors within just two years suggests that these objects could open up a new way of researching specific processes in other solar systems. However, it is still difficult to estimate how often such visits will occur. One of the next interstellar visitors could possibly be intercepted by a planned satellite mission of the European Space Agency ESA.

By 2028, the agency plans to station a three-part space probe called “Comet Interceptor” in a waiting position 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth. It will either be looking out for an untouched, new comet from our own solar system, or for an interstellar visitor like 1I/'Oumuamua.

Just in time for the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic: the first passenger plane of China United Airlines landed at the new mega-airport to the south of the Chinese capital, a special honor for captain and crew.

By 2022, around 45 million passengers are expected to be handled at the new airport, and by 2025, the figure should reach 72 million. China's President Xi Jinping personally announced the opening of the 450 billion project. China's latest prestige project is also called “starfish”, due to its six-armed building design.

The complex has four runways for arrival and departure, with plans to extend the number to seven, and is equipped with the world’s largest automatic air traffic management system. A new subway transports passengers to downtown Beijing in just 20 minutes.

Even during construction, the Chinese had repeatedly stated that Berlin could learn from Beijing. The opening of the much smaller airport in Germany's capital city, which has been under construction since 2006, has been postponed repeatedly. Whereas in Beijing, the first passenger plane was able to land after only four years.

New Supersonic Aircraft to Fly by 2030: From London to Sydney in Four and a Half Hours

From London to Sydney in no more than four and a half hours – this is the dream of the United Kingdom Space Agency. The US broadcaster CNN quoted the agency as saying that a special propulsion system (Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine, SABRE), being developed by the company Reaction Engines from Oxfordshire, will make this supersonic flight, planned for 2030, possible. “This is technology that could definitely deliver that,” agency director Graham Turnock told CNN. “We're talking the 2030s for operational service, and the work is already very far advanced.”

To drive the project forward, the United Kingdom Space Agency intends to work together more closely with its Australian counterpart. A flight from the British capital to the Australian metropolis currently takes about 20 hours. As the only supersonic aircraft for transporting passengers, the Concorde covered the route New York-Paris, which took three to three and a half hours, from 1976 until 2003, when it ceased operation. In the year 2000, an accident occurred at take-off at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. All 109 passengers died. Last year, the US aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin revealed plans that they have partnered with the US space agency NASA to develop a supersonic aircraft, the “X-Plane”. Virgin Galactic is also developing a similar aircraft.

Reaction Engines writes on its homepage “SABRE will make the world smaller through high-speed point-to-point transport.” The SABRE engine could be used for efficient travel at Mach 5 – five times the speed of sound. Furthermore, such aircraft could also operate outside the Earth’s atmosphere, creating the “next generation of truly reusable space launch vehicles.”

Turmoil in Washington: Trump Wants to Track Down Anonymous Whistle-Blower in Ukraine Affair

In the Ukraine affair about the possible abuse of power by the US President, Donald Trump wants to track down possible leaks in the White House.

“I want to know who provided information to the whistle-blower,” Trump told staff members of the United States Mission at the United Nations in New York on Thursday. The person in question is close to “a spy” and those have been dealt with in the past “a little bit differently” than today.

This was considered an attempt at intimidating the whistle-blower. Technically speaking, the event was not public, but several US media circulated audio recordings of the speech on Friday. The Democrats reacted with outrage to the statement of the president.

The Democrats in the US House of Representatives had announced on Tuesday that they were preparing impeachment proceedings against Trump. Their accusations are based in particular on the written complaint of an anonymous secret intelligence agent, who is making serious charges against Trump and his government headquarters. The whistle-blower's account had been made public on Thursday following strong public pressure.

As part of his job, the whistle-blower claims to have received information from several government employees, according to which the US president “is using the power of his office” to get another country to intervene in his favor in the 2020 US elections.

At the center of the accusations is a controversial telephone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late July, in which Trump encouraged his colleague to conduct investigations that could damage his political rival Joe Biden. These involve past business dealings by Biden’s son Hunter in the Ukraine and alleged efforts to protect his offspring from Ukrainian justice. Biden is ahead in the race for the democratic presidential primaries in the 2020 election.

The whistle-blower also accused the White House of cover-ups with regard to the Ukraine phone call. Leading government officials had tried to keep the exact wording of the conversation secret. As usual, an electronic transcript had been made. On instruction from White House lawyers, after the conversation, the transcript was removed from the database usually provided for this purpose and was instead stored in a specially protected system. So far, only a rough transcript of the conversation has been published.

The identity of the whistle-blower is not publicly known. The “New York Times” reported that it was a CIA foreign intelligence officer.

Trump again questioned the credibility of the source on Friday. In a series of tweets on the topic, the president wrote, among other things, that the “so-called whistle-blower” had distributed second-hand information which had been proven incorrect. Therefore, there could not even be any whistle-blower or spy at all.

But the way Trump spoke in New York about the whistle-blower's sources caused outrage. The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, was concerned and complained that Trump's statement was once again undermining the integrity of the government.

In the House of Representatives, several investigations against Trump and his associates have been underway for months in various committees. In light of the Ukraine accusations, the Democrats are now driving investigations forward with renewed force in order to start a possible impeachment trial against Trump.

“The whistle-blower has given us a road map for our investigations,” the chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence in the House of Representative Adam Schiff said. Trump attacked Schiff sharply, accused him of a false depiction of facts and again demanded the resignation of the committee chair. Trump insults Schiff frequently and demanded his resignation months ago.

In a statement released on Friday, more than 300 former US government officials from the security and foreign policy sectors, most of whom worked under Democratic but also under Republican presidents, backed the investigation launched by the Democrats for possible impeachment proceedings. Should the accusations prove to be true, this would be “an unscrupulous abuse of power” by Trump, the statement said.

There is no exact schedule for further procedure. With their majority in the House of Representatives, the Democrats could indeed initiate what is known as impeachment proceedings. But the decision for the actual removal from office is made in the Senate, where Trumps Republicans constitute the majority. The prospects for success of such a procedure are therefore small. So far, no US president has been removed from office through an impeachment procedure.

VW's plans to further reduce production costs could be at the expense of manufacturing in Germany and Europe. This is causing concern for the car manufacturer's works council. The brand wants to reduce its annual factory costs of 10 billion euros by 2 billion euros by 2023. 500 million euros should already be saved this year.

"A key to this are staff costs. The ""future pact"" negotiated between company and works council in 2016 foresees the loss of 14,000 jobs just in Germany by 2020. Basically, the rule is that a job can only be cut at the car manufacturer when it is effectively proven that it is no longer needed. Furthermore, a job guarantee is in effect until 2029."

"As our newspaper learned from sources in the works council, jobs in production which were actually not to be cut will be ""gradually"" disposed of via another way - avoiding the official path. Allegedly, such regular jobs vacancies are often no longer filled."

"The works council has no opportunity in these cases to force positions to be refilled. In the meantime staff are missing on many fronts, workloads are increasing, and concerns are growing about automobile plants being gradually bled dry. This increases concerns that automobile production will be further withdrawn from Germany and Europe, as it is cheaper to produce in other parts of the world. VW has merely stated that ""As agreed upon, adjustments to levels of employment will occur in line with social acceptability along the demographic curve""."

"The VW brand wants to further standardize production worldwide and steer new projects centrally. This should help lower costs and also accelerate the decision making process, with an aim towards raising productivity and therefore competitiveness. Head of Production Andreas Tostmann said at a manager conference in Berlin: ""In particular in times of uncertainty from Brexit, to a potential trade war between the USA and China, we are well advised to make ourselves crisis-proof""."

This way forward has already borne fruit. For example, this year saw the first decrease in production costs per vehicle compared to the previous year since 2013. Tostmann announced in front of journalists that the production costs for the Golf 8 to be unveiled in Wolfsburg on October 24 will be reduced by 1.1 hours. Precise figures relating to production time were not given by VW; our newspaper's information suggests for the Golf 7 around

In our region, the main Wolfsburg plant is the only VW plant which produces automobiles. The plants at Braunschweig and Salzgitter manufacture components. For Wolfsburg there is a rule of thumb at VW that annually 800,000 automobiles are required to be assembled for the plant to achieve a satisfactory level of profitability. The year 2018 however saw a level at Wolfsburg of only around 700,000 vehicles - a result of falling demand for diesel and problems with moving over to WLTP, the new test procedure for fuel consumption and exhaust.

"As head of production Tostmann had already announced the previous year, Wolfsburg should ""expect"" one million automobiles coming off the production line in the long term. With the concentration of Golf production at the main plant, this should be possible, as the Zwickau plant will lose its Golf assembly due to the location's switch to electric car production."

Further, the SUVs Tiguan and Tarraco (Seat) will be produced in Wolfsburg. However, sales of Golfs and Tiguans have recently been decreasing. Expectations are thus resting on the Golf 8. Despite all efforts to develop e-mobility, it will for the time being remain Wolfsburg's bread and butter automobile.

Forced Into Prostitution With Voodoo: Human Traffickers Sentenced

Young women from Nigeria were compelled to take ritual oaths, smuggled into the Ruhr areas and forced into prostitution. Because of this, six suspected human traffickers have been sent to prison.

Six suspected human traffickers from Nigeria have been sentenced on Friday in Bochum to suspended sentences and prison sentences of up to eight years and three months. The accused had smuggled young women from Nigeria into the Ruhr area and forced them into prostitution. To compel them to obedience, the would-be emigrant Nigerian women had to take a ritual oath in front of a voodoo priest in their home country.

The victims were between 17 and 21 years old. With the help of Libyan traffickers, they were brought across the Mediterranean to Europe in inflatable boats. However, their dream of a better future remained unfulfilled. Upon arriving in Germany, they were distributed among various brothels to work off the supposed trafficker costs of around 25,000 euros. Their entire wages were taken away from them.

The defendants – four men and two women – had admitted during the trial that they had smuggled in the young Nigerians and subsequently distributed them among brothels. “The work was hard on the women, both physically and psychologically,” said Judge Isabel Hoffmann when sentencing. “Some of them were thoroughly disgusted.”

The defendants were convicted for commercial and gang smuggling of foreigners, human trafficking, procurement and aggravated forced prostitution.

During its ongoing dispute with the Lufthansa Corporation the Union for Flight Attendants, UFO, again threatened strikes.

If the company should not return to the negotiation table, the union will “give notice about industrial actions in the LH group on October 14”, UFO chairman Daniel Flohr stated on Friday. Lufthansa and its daughter Eurowings refused for months to return to collective bargaining with the UFO - which also entails the question if the union lawfully cancelled collective agreements with the Lufthansa.

In this point the UFO sees itself strengthened by the Frankfurt labor court. Lufthansa wanted to determine that the collective agreements have not been cancelled. The court rejected the petitions. The company confirmed the decision and examines the possibility for appeals. “I think it’s unlikely that a second court sees the case completely differently”, UFO chairman Flohr said.

In August Lufthansa submitted an application to the state labor court in Frankfurt, to legally examine the status of UFO as a union. The company argues that the union did not appoint a board of representatives for months and hence is not able to fulfill its role as social partner.

This was preceeded by a tough leadership dispute in the branch union during which several members of the board of representatives, as well as the advisory board resigned. Among them is long-standing head of the union Nicoley Baublies. Due to doubts about its leadership, the UFO had suspended an already commencing strike ballot on strikes by cabin staff at Eurowings at the end of July.

To date, Saudi Arabia has not really been known as an international tourist magnet. However, this is set to change. The Persian Gulf state aims to introduce new visa requirements.

Saudi Arabia intends to attract more international tourists in the future with the new visa system. The Commission for Tourism says that they want to increase the number of international and local visitors to 100 million annually.

The Commission’s chairman Ahmad al-Khatib says, “The opening of Saudi Arabia to international tourism is a historic milestone for our country.”

It has been difficult for tourists to travel to Saudi Arabia. Visas are usually issued only for short business trips, religious pilgrimages or to visitors with relatives in the desert country. The ultraconservative kingdom hopes that the new rules will generate more income from tourism. Riyadh states that it wants to reduce its dependency on the oil trade.

In mid-September, several missiles and drones hit two of the most important oil facilities in the Eastern part of Saudi Arabia: the largest oil refinery in the country in Abqaiq as well as the Khurais oil field. As a consequence, national oil production dropped sharply, and oil prices rocketed. It may well take several weeks before the oil production in the kingdom returns to its normal level.

Singer Justin Bieber (25) and his wife Hailey (22) are preparing for their wedding party. On Thursday (local time), the model posted several party photos on her Instagram stories, where she can be seen in her white wedding look. Reality star Kendall Jenner (23) and others had organized a hen party in Los Angeles, according to the People magazine.

Justin posted several colorful suits, including ones with banana prints, on Instagram and asked his followers: “Help me choose my tuxedo for the wedding.” According to media reports, the celebrity couple plans to get married in a church this coming weekend.

The Biebers got married a year ago in a New York registry office. They did not have a large celebration then.

Recently Hailey explained in an interview with Australian Vogue that the two of them had found common ground after problems at the beginning: “If you don’t want to compromise, you can’t have a relationship.”

Two people died in the crash of a small airplane in the Western part of the Czech Republic. The wreck was found on Friday in a forest area close to the town of Mecin, said the police. The victims were a 38-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man.

The authorities had been looking for the aircraft since Thursday evening, after the crew had sent out a distress signal via GPS. A military helicopter was involved in the search. The cause of the accident remains undetermined. The crash site lies about 30 kilometers south of Plzen and 100 kilometers north of Regensburg.

Along with parasites, diseases and non-native species, unsustainable forestry and the growth of towns are the causes of the threat, as reported by the world nature conservation union IUCN in Brussels on Friday. It has examined the numbers of all 454 known types of tree found in Europe. 265 of these are not to be found on any other continent. Of these 265, 58 percent are endangered. 66 are already at the highest level of danger and thus threatened with extinction.

"The IUCN divides species into six categories: from ""potentially endangered"" to ""endangered"", ""critically endangered"", ""threatened with extinction"" ""extinct in the wild"" to ""extinct"". In total, it lists more than 28,000 species of animal and plant worldwide as endangered."

"In Germany, the mountain ash (Sorbus) is particularly endangered, one of the authors, David Allen, told the Deutsche Presse Agentur. ""Most are endangered because their numbers are in any case small, either due to change to or weakening of their habitats."""

"Things also look bad for the wild horse chestnuts. They have been deemed ""endangered"" since 2017, level two on the IUCN scale. Along with a fungus, the greatest danger is represented by the horse-chestnut leaf miner. It has been spreading since the 1980's from southeastern Europe across the whole continent and has barely any natural enemies. The IUCN estimates the number of wild horse-chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) in Europe to be fewer than 10,000. This estimate does not include those trees to be found in cities, parks and avenues."

The IUCN scientists have at the same time compiled new European red lists for mollusks, shrubs and mosses. More than one fifth of mollusks and mosses, along with almost half of all species of shrubs are threatened according to the IUCN. This is due above all to the destruction of wilderness, invasive species, agricultural practices and climate change. Mollusks like snails play a key role in recycling nutrients in the ground and are an important source of food for birds and other animals.

"""This report demonstrates that the situation for many overlooked and undervalued species is precarious, species that form the backbone of the European ecological system and contribute toward a healthy planet,"" Luc Bas, IUCN director of the Europe office, says. ""We must limit the effects of man on our ecological system and make protection of these species a priority."""

In the latest earthquake in Turkey, 34 people have been injured. There were no fatalities reported. Dozens of people had to leave their homes, with 14 schools in Istanbul being closed for safety reasons, said the Turkish vice-president Fuat Oktay on Friday.

Hundreds of buildings were reported to have been damaged. Since the earthquake the previous day, there had been almost 200 aftershocks. The earthquake, measuring 5.8, shook the Marmara region near Istanbul on Thursday and created panic in the multi-million inhabitant city.

Oktay announced that the government wanted to set up a commission to have the country better prepared for earthquakes. Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said that in the past 20 years Turkey had not been adequately prepared for earthquakes.

Istanbul is considered particularly prone to earthquakes. Below the Sea of Marmara lies a section of the so-called North Anatolian Fault, which marks the border between the Eurasian and Anatolian tectonic plates.

One of the worst earthquakes measuring 7.6 occurred in 1999 near Istanbul. Its epicenter was to be found in Gölcük, southeast of Istanbul. More than 17,000 people lost their lives.

On Tuesday an earthquake measuring 4.6 had already shaken the region around Istanbul. The authorities appealed to inhabitants to keep away from damaged buildings.

Super Bowl 2020: Jennifer Lopez (JLo) and Shakira Perform in Halftime Show

The Latin-pop singers Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will be leading the halftime show of the next American football final, the Super Bowl. The singers announced this on Twitter. “It doesn’t get any bigger than this!” was Shakira’s comment under a picture of herself and Lopez. She said that she was incredibly excited about getting on the Super Bowl stage. The Super Bowl is happening in Miami on the 2nd of February.

Jennifer Lopez explained that she had been dreaming of performing at the Super Bowl since 1996 – ever since she saw Diana Ross flying off into the sky. “And now it's made even more special not only because it's the NFL's 100th anniversary, but also because I am performing with a fellow Latina. I can't wait to show what us girls can do on the world's biggest stage.”

Shakira announced that she was so honored to be taking on one of the world’s biggest stages in the company of a fellow female artist to represent Latinos and Latinas from the U.S. and all over the world. “And to top it off, on my birthday!” The main sponsor of the event wrote on Twitter that this was the first time the two “queens” would be on stage together.

Shakira comes from Colombia. Jenifer Lopez was born in New York; her parents are from Puerto Rico.

The Super Bowl is the highlight of the American football season. The game and the halftime show are among the most viewed television broadcasts in the US, even if viewer numbers have been dropping in recent times; this February, the spectacle in the US attracted the smallest number of spectators in over a decade. Still, on average, there were close to one hundred million people watching.

There had been uproar around the halftime show in the run-up to the previous Super Bowl: According to media reports, top stars such as Rihanna, Pink and Cardi B declined to perform last February given the controversy around how quarterback Colin Kaepernick was treated. In the end, the pop group Maroon 5 led the show; the reviews were not particularly kind.

Kaepernick, a quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers at the time, had kneeled during the national anthem before games in the 2016/17 season, in protest against police brutality and racial inequality. His protest triggered a movement, and numerous players copied the gesture. This caused an uproar, and US president Trump sharply criticized the mostly Afro-American football stars. Kaepernick has been a free agent since March 2017 and has not played in any NFL games. He accuses teams of not wanting to hire him for political reasons.

Some banks may well end up finding the bankruptcy of tour operator Thomas Cook expensive, according to a press article. There is a risk of large write-downs on outstanding bonds and loans. Those affected also include Credit Suisse, the Financial Times writes in its Friday edition.

Banks including Barclays, Morgan Stanley, UniCredit and Credit Suisse will have to carry out write-downs on their books to the tune of up to 1.8 billion pounds (around 2 bn euros), according to the report. This had been suggested by estimates from the consulting firm AlixPartners.

Creditors with outstanding claims would have to reckon with write-downs of 900m to 1bn pounds and lenders between 550m and 825m pounds. The actual amount to be written down would tend rather towards the upper end of the scale, an expert told the newspaper.

"The actual amount creditor losses will come to will be revealed with the conclusion of the insolvency proceedings. A person close to these proceedings did not express particularly much hope. The around 40 Thomas Cook aircraft in Great Britain for example are ""aged"" and many of its properties are in poor locations. The most money could be retrieved with the sale of airport slots as well as the Thomas Cook brand, the source continued."

The Sea Watch captain Carola Rackete may have transported men to Italy that have tortured and killed people in Libya. “We cannot rule that out, but we have no reliable information ourselves,” the speaker of the refugee organization Sea-Watch, Rugen Neugebauer, told the press agency dpa.

Other migrants claimed to have recognized the three men in Italy. They are accused of having raped, tortured and killed people. The suspects had been arrested in the reception center of Messina in Italy. Neugebauer stressed that refugee organizations cannot verify who they let on board their ships. “They do not come equipped with passports.”

On June 29, Carola Rackete illegally transported migrants into the port of Lampedusa, ramming a boat of the Italian Financial Police in the course of doing so. The three suspects are thought to have arrived there that same day as well. The captain is under investigation for facilitating illegal immigration.

The head of the US internet authority, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Ajit Pai, has warned the federal government against trusting the Chinese network equipment manufacturer Huawei.

"""We believe the risks to be too high"", Pai told the newspaper Handelsblatt regarding the construction of the new 5G mobile communications network."

"China has a ""national security law"" that requires every company ""under Chinese jurisdiction"" to follow directives of security organs."

"The law in force ""also forbids companies from informing third parties about any such requests"", the FCC head added. This makes it very difficult to have confidence in the integrity of technical equipment and services."

"The federal government has in the meantime agreed to demand a ""declaration of trustworthiness"" from suppliers."

Berlin wanted initially to attempt to mitigate the risks, for example through technical solutions, the Handelsblatt reported, citing its own sources.

"Pai doubts that this is possible. ""The 5G technology is not made up of hardware alone."""

"""It is precisely the software that is important to keep equipment up-to-date. This software is made up of billions of lines of code that change with time"", Pai said."

"It would be ""very difficult to imagine that a governmental body anywhere would be in a position to check every single update in real time in order to detect security risks"", the FCC head continued."

"""The ownership structures are opaque. The corporation of employees which supposedly owns the company is not exactly independent of the government"", Pai told the Handelsblatt."

The US allegedly have evidence that members of the government have been planted within the company. Pai was recently in Berlin to promote the US position.

Residents hear explosions at night. A gargantuan wall of fire illuminates the sky above a chemical factory in northern France. Hours later the fire is extinguished – but clean-up operations could last for days.

After a fire in a chemical factory in the city of Rouen in northern France on Thursday, schools and daycare centers in the region remain closed.

In twelve municipalities, as precautionary measure, these facilities would not open, the prefecture responsible informed. The Department of the Interior requested citizens to stay indoors as much as possible and not to expose themselves to the smoke. There were no injuries. Farmers and breeders were asked to bring their animals inside, to protect their feed and to stop harvesting for the time being.

The fire was completely extinguished on Thursday evening, the prefecture informed. There was still a risk of the smell spreading even after the fire was extinguished, the prefecture tweeted. According to the prefecture, 240 firefighters and 90 police and gendarmes were part of the operation at the site of the fire.

A gigantic black column of smoke had previously risen from the chemical plant. French media reported huge flames and explosions at the plant of the Lubrizol Company, a producer of oil additives. The production plant is located just a few kilometers from the city center.

According to the authorities, the factory in Normandy belongs to what is known as the Seveso category of high-risk sites subject to special surveillance. In 1976, a devastating chemical accident occurred in Seveso near Milan in Italy.

"The prefect of the Normandy region, Pierre-André Durand, told news channel BFMTV that so far no ""high toxicity"" had been found in samples. A contamination of the nearby Seine could not be ruled out. Dams against contamination had been built in the river, the prefecture explained."

Authorities reported that the fire broke out on in the early morning around 2.40 am The cause remained unclear. Rouen is a regional metropolis and is located on the Seine between Paris and the port city of Le Havre.

The Minister of the Economy and Finance of France, Bruno Le Maire, has called for Germany to invest more to boost economic growth in the euro zone.

“Germany must invest now- the earlier the better,” said Le Maire on Thursday evening while presenting the French budget for the coming year.

The economy within the euro zone was weakening, the Minister warned.

“We cannot wait to make the necessary decisions until the economic situation deteriorates.”

Those countries that still had scope within their budgets must act, said Le Maire, with a view to Germany, among other countries.

France did not have the scope, the Minister added, referring to the substantial government debt of his country, which exceeds 98 percent of gross domestic product. The French national debt must be “stabilized” and “reduced,” said Le Maire.

France has repeatedly launched appeals to Germany to increase the level of public investments to stimulate the economy. In return, German politicians have regularly requested France to control its budget deficit.

The French budget for 2020 presented on Thursday stipulates tax relief of over nine billion euros for households

This is one of the ways the French government is reacting to the protests of the yellow vests movement. New debt should drop to 2.2 percent, after the expected 3.1 percent this year.

Is he still trying to play games? Johnson dodges questions on Brexit tactics

"British prime minister Johnson sharply criticizes ""capitulation bill"" passed by parliament."

The parliament is back, and a bill obliges the British prime minister to avoid a chaotic Brexit. Critics, however, fear that Boris Johnson could still make use of a loophole. When asked about this possibility, however, the Tory politician avoided an answer.

The British prime minister Boris Johnson is keeping his options open on whether he wishes to follow through on a hard Brexit irrespective of the bill recently passed by parliament seeking to prevent exactly this from happening. In reply to a question on the subject, Johnson merely replied in front of journalists that his government would abide by the law in place.

"The bill stipulates that the government is required to request a postponement of the date of leaving if by mid-October no agreement with the EU has been reached. Johnson criticized this as a ""capitulation bill"" which made negotiations with the EU more difficult."

"The former British prime minister John Major had on Thursday suggested that Johnson might resort to ""political chicanery"" to avoid the bill. The premier could use a procedural trick that would delay the bill's being passed until after EU withdrawal. Johnson said he was working toward a deal with the European Union. ""We are confident of leaving the EU on October 31, and the best way is the one with an agreement""."

"Johnson's chief advisor Dominic Cummings declared that he regarded the political challenges surrounding Brexit as a ""walk in the park"" and was confident that the EU exit would come about. ""We are enjoying it, we will win, we will leave (the EU), no worry,"" Cummings said at a book presentation according to the British newspaper Daily Telegraph."

Cummings, who led the Vote Leave Brexit campaign during the EU referendum in 2016, now serves as chief strategist in the British government at Downing Street. He is believed to be behind the uncompromising policies that have led the prime minister into an almost hopeless situation.

Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin – they all stood in front of the camera of Linda McCartney, who has become one of the greatest rock photographers. But it’s not always about the glamorous. The photo book The Polaroid Diaries (Taschen) delves deeply into the very private world of the McCartney family.

Paul McCartney, who was married to Linda until her death in 1998, was visibly proud and moved when he presented the book The Polaroid Diaries at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in mid-September. The illustrious guests included Ringo Starr, Stella McCartney, Olivia Harrison and Pretenders lead singer Chrissie Hynde.

After the launch event, McCartney wrote on Instagram: “#ThePolaroidDiaries is a pre-Instagram glimpse into the life of an extraordinary family, a celebration of Linda McCartney’s legacy as a fiercely committed artist and of the instant magic of Polaroid film.”

Linda McCartney, who studied Fine Arts at the University of Arizona until she discovered photography, always had her camera with her. She took thousands of polaroid pictures, and a few hundred of them are now being published for the first time in “The Polaroid Diaries”.

There are portraits, still lifes, landscapes, several hamsters, a sheep in the kitchen and other interiors from the 70s through the late 90s. “She wanted real moments,” the art critic Ekow Eshun wrote in his foreword. And of course, there is always one person that takes center stage: Her husband Paul, perhaps how you have never been seen him before.

There he is, dancing with his daughter Mary on his shoulders, on the telephone in a bathrobe with a bag on his head or wearing misshapen moonboots. The McCartneys were certainly an extraordinary family, but one that led a perfectly normal life on their farm in Southern England or in Scotland outside of the spotlight. According to the BBC, Mary McCartney said that, as a baby, she slept in a bed her father had fashioned out of old potato crates. And things weren’t always tidied up at the McCartneys.

Like hardly any other medium, the Polaroid camera captures the immediate moment. The images of Linda McCartney are certainly a kind of family diary, but they are much more than mere snapshots.

“It’s just that one click. You’ve got to recognize when a great photo is happening in front of you. And then you’ve got to snap it at exactly the right moment,” says McCartney. And she had the gift of capturing exactly the right moment. “She just knew that she had it,” says Paul in the Eshun Essay.

The lighting, the composition, the detail and the colors are just right, which makes The Polaroid Diaries not only an entertaining photo book for Beatles fans, but, beyond the anecdotal, also provides great aesthetic delight when landscapes sometimes appear as abstract paintings. The perfect addition to the recently reissued Beatles album “Abbey Road”, which was released exactly 50 years ago.

In spite of sanctions against Iran, Turkey wants to keep importing oil and gas from its neighbor. Turkish president Recep Tayyib Erdogan said in an interview, published on Friday, that Turkey could not cancel the import of oil and gas from Iran.

"""We will keep buying our natural gas there,"" said Erdogan in New York where he attended the UN general assembly."

"Erdogan however admitted that Turkey faces issues importing Iranian oil since several companies backed out of the business, due to ""American threats."""

"Nevertheless, Turkey will, ""especially concerning this issue and also regarding many others, continue its relationship with Iran,"" said the Turkish president, who had repeatedly criticized US sanctions against Iran in the past."

"Since leaving the international nuclear treaty with Iran, the US is pursuing a policy of ""maximal pressure"" against the Islamic republic. According to the US, Iran is secretly running a nuclear program and disregarding the treaty."

Their sanctions caused a crash of Iranian oil exports as well as a severe economic crisis in Iran. Over the last months, tensions in the gulf region have increased significantly.

The US government plans to drastically restrict the admission of refugees. The annual upper limit for a resettlement program is to be reduced from currently 30,000 to 18,000 refugees, the US Department of State explained on Thursday. This amounts to a reduction by 40 percent.

The State Department explained that the US would still be committed to aid refugees. But the most important task was to protect and serve US citizens. Currently, the US immigration system is overloaded.

In the future, the US government plans to concentrate on the admission of two groups of refugees: people who are persecuted for their religious beliefs, and Iraqis who have helped the US military in their country and are now in danger, according to the statement of the State Department. By contrast, a maximum of 1,500 refugees will be admitted from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

The program, launched in 1980, selects refugees from UN camps around the world and resettles them in the US. The limit of 18,000 refugees for the budget year 2020 would be the lowest in the history of the program. The current upper limit of 30,000 is already a low. When US President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, left the White House, the limit was just under 85,000.

Aid organizations were horrified by the announcement that the limit was being lowered. “This is a very sad day for America,” said the Head of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband. The US would further damage its leading role in protecting the most vulnerable people in the world.

Trump is trying to drastically restrict immigration to the US – both legal and illegal. For the coming budget year, the US government expects 350,000 asylum applications. These figures are separate from the resettlement program.

"US President Donald Trump has accused the informant in the whistleblower affair of espionage. Whoever provided the whistleblower with information about his call with the Ukrainian President is ""close to a spy,"" said Trump according to a recording of a private event on Thursday in New York. Several US media reports agree on this."

According to these reports, Trump was speaking to employees of the American UN mission. When he was asked about the person who informed the whistleblower about controversial occurrences in the White House, he answered: “You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason, right? We used to handle it a little differently than we do now.”

Observers think this last remark could be an allusion to the death penalty. Democrats strongly criticized Trump’s statements and accused him of trying to intimidate witnesses. Furthermore, they were an attempt to obstruct an investigation by Congress into possible impeachment proceedings, wrote the chairs of the committees for Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight and Reform.

In a now published complaint, the whistleblower accuses the President of having used the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 US election. Specifically, it concerns the controversial telephone conversation between him and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during the summer. Trump suggested in the conversation that Zelensky initiate investigations in the Ukraine against his Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Trump denies any wrongdoing.

It remains unclear who the whistleblower or his or her informants are. However, the New York Times reports that the whistleblower is presumed to be an analyst of the foreign intelligence service CIA.

People repeatedly attempt to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece. In the process, the often far-too-small boats regularly capsize. A rubber dinghy capsized leading to the death of seven migrants, including five children.

Near the Greek island of Chios, seven migrants lost their lives when their rubber dinghy sank. The victims include a baby as well as four other children, as reported by the Greek coast guards. Four children, three women and five men were apparently saved by the crew of a nearby ferry.

The victims apparently also include a human trafficker, as reported by the local Chios news portal, Alithia.gr. The migrants had left Turkey that morning. They had attempted to reach the Oiousses island group to the northeast of Chios. Oinousses lies between Chios and the Turkish mainland.

It is as of yet unknown which countries the migrants originate from. Hundreds of migrants are currently leaving Turkey for the Greek islands in the eastern Aegean, mostly in boats that are far too small. According to the United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR, last year 174 people lost their lives on this sea route.

"A concert in the US by the rock band The Who came to an abrupt end due to lead singer Roger Daltrey being indisposed. In the middle of the performance on Wednesday evening (local time) in Houston, he lost his voice. During the eighth song, Daltrey told the audience: ""I think I should quit while I'm ahead."""

Lead guitarist Pete Townsend apologized and said, “Daltrey cannot actually speak now.” He promised the crowd that the band would give them their money’s worth at a make-good concert still to be scheduled.

The Who cancelled performances scheduled for Friday in Dallas and Sunday in Denver. They will be made up for at a later date. 75-year-old Daltrey and his 74-year-old fellow band member Townsend are the only remaining original members of the band. The British cult band formed 55 years ago.

Freeze in rentals: WeWork sends a chill through property markets

In New York, WeWork has risen to become the largest office tenant.

In just a few years, WeWork has gone from being a small startup to the driving force in the most expensive real estate markets in the world. But now the company finds itself in a crisis. Landlords have income to the tune of billions to worry about.

The crisis surrounding the office space renter WeWork threatens to disturb the balance on the world’s largest real estate markets. The company ditched founder Adam Neumann as CEO several days ago, put off its planned IPO and started selling off subsidiaries and assets including its private jet for top management in order to gain financial breathing room for the coming weeks and months. Further, the British Financial Times amongst others has reported that WeWork has suspended new rental contracts with immediate effect. This has suddenly removed the largest tenant of office space from markets including New York and London.

WeWork rents large office spaces long-term and lets them short-term to members in smaller units. These can be individual freelancers, small startups or entire departments of large companies. Until now, WeWork has burnt money with this business at breathtaking speed. During the past year, the company made a loss of 1.6 billion dollars on a turnover of 1.8 billion dollars. This year, the rental costs on just the new large spaces are estimated to have risen to 2.5 billion dollars. In order to limit losses, the new corporate management has applied the emergency brake and stopped as of immediately the leasing of new office space.

According to the Financial Times, WeWork has in the meantime concluded rental contracts with durations of up to 15 years, generating liabilities of more than 40 billion dollars. These gigantic liabilities may not only turn into a problem for the company itself as well as its investors, but also for entire property markets.

According to calculations by the economist Dan Alpert from Cornell Law School in New York, during the past 24 months WeWork has rented almost 300,000 square meters of office space in Manhattan, one of the most expensive property markets in the world. WeWork’s new contracts alone caused a demand for offices in New York that was higher than all the new space coming onto the market during this period. As written by Alpert in Business Insider, without WeWork’s expansion, the amount of empty office space in the US metropolis would have risen during this period. The situation is similar in London, where in the meantime WeWork runs several dozen office locations in top areas.

In the British capital, too, balance could significantly shift without the aggressive startup expanding further. WeWork is the main tenant in an office block in the middle of the financial center, bought last year by the savings bank fund provider Deka for around 100 million euros.

Many landlords have invested heavily in remodeling their properties in line with WeWork requirements. Should WeWork fail to make its business model profitable soon, the property owners would be forced to write off part of their hoped-for billions in earnings. Regardless, access to the (in any case) tight WeWork reserves is not open to them; the leasing of individual locations by WeWork normally occurs via specially founded subsidiaries (so-called special purpose vehicles) with parent company liability only within narrow bounds.

The Russian coast guard again cracked down on North Korean fishermen. In the past few days, a further 262 poachers fishing illegally in Russian waters have been arrested, the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB said on Friday, according to the agency Interfax.

Only ten days ago, 161 fishermen from North Korea were arrested. The border guards had been fired upon, and three of them were injured. There were none injured this time, they said. Communist North Korea suffers from chronic food shortages.

The North Korean fishermen were sailing in Russian territorial waters. The Russian coast guard patrols the area to protect their marine biological resources. They found 30,000 squid during new inspections. Additionally, three fishing boats and two motorboats were confiscated and shipped to Nakhodka and Posyet near Vladivostok. According to the agency Ria Nowosti, the coast guard recorded more than 8,000 violations in 2018.

This year, the Russian fishing authorities had not issued any fishing licenses to North Koreans, after complaints by local businessmen. In 2019, thousands of fishers from North Korea have already been temporarily arrested, according to media reports.

Georgi Martynov, head of the Association of Russian Fishing Companies in the far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, complained recently of the high ecological damages caused by North Korean fishermen. They used close-meshed synthetic fishing nets, banned in Russia. These nets also pull small animals out of the sea. Furthermore, they simply disposed of the nets in the sea, where they take 200 years to decompose. The ships themselves did not meet hygiene and technical requirements either.

During the arrests the week before, three members of the Russian coast guard had been injured, according to Moscow. An injured North Korean later died of his wounds, according to the FSB. On September 17, Russian border guards first detained a North Korean boat and subsequently a second one after it opened fire on them.

The US has imposed entry bans on former Cuban President Raúl Castro and his children. In a statement issued on Thursday, the US State Department justified this with Castro’s involvement in “gross violations of human rights”. As the head of the Communist Party of the Caribbean state, he presided over a system in which thousands of Cubans were being arrested arbitrarily, with over 100 political prisoners.

Furthermore, as head of the armed forces, the brother of the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro was an accomplice to human rights violations in Venezuela by supporting the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. “The disregard of human rights and the use of force by the Cuban regime to support the former Maduro regime are responsible for the continuing crises in Cuba and Venezuela,” tweeted the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued entry bans against members of the Venezuelan government and military, among others. A bitter power struggle between the government and the opposition has been raging in Venezuela for months. The US has imposed an entire series of sanctions against Maduro’s government in order to bring Maduro to his knees and to help opposition leader and self-appointed interim president Juan Guadió to power.

Cuba is said to be one of Maduro’s closest allies. The socialist Caribbean island receives oil from Venezuela in exchange for the services of Cuban physicians. According to the US and the Venezuelan opposition, Cuba has also deployed a number of secret service agents in Venezuela to help the government suppress opponents of the government.

One week after the largest climate protests ever, thousands of people aim to take to the streets today for more climate protection.

For the conclusion of an international climate strike week, the Fridays for Future movement is once again planning campaigns and rallies in dozens of countries worldwide. They will most likely start in New Zealand and Australia, due to time differences, and then continue across Europe to North America, where climate activist Greta Thunberg intends to participate in a mass rally in Montreal. Demonstrators also aim to gather in front of the White House in Washington.

Following the record participation last week, it remains unclear how high worldwide response will be this Friday. Thunberg herself remained optimistic. “Last Friday over 4 million people striked for the climate. This Friday we do it again!” she wrote on Twitter, adding, “170 countries and 6383 events so far in #weekforfuture.”

In Germany in particular, the protests were very popular. A good third of all demonstrators around the world – approximately 1.4 million – participated in 575 German cities. A list by the movement shows that rallies are planned in at least 65 cities this time. People are aiming to take to the streets for the climate both in large cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne, as well as in smaller towns and cities such as Jüchen in North Rhine-Westphalia or Westerland on Sylt.

Last August, at the age of 15, Thunberg sat down in front of the Swedish parliament to call for stronger action on climate protection by the politicians in her country. Within a short period of time, this turned into the Fridays for Future movement. Participants in the climate protests are mostly schoolchildren and students, but increasingly also scientists and other adults.

Together they demand that politicians step up their fight against global warming and the threat of a climate catastrophe. In particular, global warming needs to be limited to less than 1.5 degrees in comparison to pre-industrial times, as specified in the Paris climate agreement.

Barely a month ago, Thunberg arrived in New York after a two-week transatlantic sail on an ocean-going racing yacht. There, she has most recently taken part in climate protests and summits at the United Nations. On Monday, she held an emotional speech at the United Nations, appealing strongly to the heads of state and government of the world. On Wednesday, in her home town of Stockholm, she was awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize by the Right Livelihood foundation for her commitment to better climate protection.

People in Russia are no longer allowed to smoke on their balconies. This is part of a change in fire prevention regulations. “These apply to smoking as well,” said a speaker of the Ministry of Emergency Situations on Thursday in Moscow, according to the news agency TASS. The prohibition will take effect on October 1st.

Offending smokers can expect a fine of 3,000 rubles (42.46 euros). If the cigarette causes a fire, the fine is higher. The ban also covers burning candles, according to the Ministry. It is also no longer permitted to grill meat skewers on the balcony.

For the first time in the battle against crimes on the internet, German investigators have eliminated a major server provider for illegal business in the Darknet.

Thirteen people in all are suspected of having operated a computer center in a former NATO bunker in Traben-Trarbach on the Moselle, hosting numerous websites through which criminals operating internationally conducted their business.

This was announced by the Attorney General in Koblenz. On Thursday evening, seven suspects were arrested in the course of a major operation. The Darknet is an isolated part of the internet.

Customers of the suspects are said to have been, among others, the operators of the world's second largest Darknet marketplace for drugs, called “Wall Street Market”, which investigators had broken up in the spring. The attack on 1.25 million Telekom routers in late November 2016 was controlled through a server in the cyber bunker, according to the Attorney General.

It is the first time that such a web hosting service has been identified in Germany, it was said. A web hosting service provides the infrastructure for an internet presence.

During the seizure operation, supported by special units such as the GSG9, searches were conducted in Germany and neighboring countries. It was the result of almost five years of investigations. The investigators intend to provide further details at noon.

One week after the biggest international climate protest yet, thousands of people want to take to the streets again for climate protection.

For the conclusion of an international week of climate strikes, the movement Fridays for Future planned further activities and rallies for more environmental protection in dozens of countries around the world.

Protests are planned in at least 65 cities in Germany, among them cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne, but also smaller communities and towns like Jüchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, or Westerland on Sylt. Climate activist Greta Thunberg wants to participate in a mass rally in Canadian Montreal.

Courage and a sense of justice are important virtues, even in the 21st century, in a world full of war and smoking factories that warm the climate. It is all the more surprising that, of all people, a 16-year-old girl is holding a mirror up to today’s power-seekers. But what is behind all this? Is it willingness to help or the clever marketing of a climate activist? Historic masterpiece or a manipulative tactic for its own sake?

For one thing, Greta Thunberg gets the masses moving and causes young people stand up for a better and more climate-friendly world. Historically speaking, it is not the first time in Europe that a young person has managed to gain the support of children and young people. Back in 1212, a child named Nicholas from Cologne felt predestined to bring about more justice in the world. He also managed to win over a group of children. He convinced them to cross the sea to reach the promised land, just as Greta Thunberg recently made her way to America on board a sailboat.

But is there a downside? Why do we need a “We Don't Have Time” share in order to save the planet? In addition, Thunberg has rich PR managers at her side. Quite incidentally, her mother has published a book, which sold widely, thanks to her famous daughter. Even longstanding followers of Greta Thunberg were somewhat indignant at the latest PR-show, or rather, the trip on the boat was considered exaggerated by many of her followers. Their concern is not unfounded, as the action was very effective in the media around the world, and lots of money is flowing in the wake of this extraordinary operation.

This is where opinions differ: Is it morally right to become rich in the course of saving the world? Is it still legitimate when certain people work together with brokers while rescuing the world? No matter which stand one takes, a critical and considered point of view becomes ever more important in a democratically run society, as democracy thrives on differing opinions and discussions. That is why it can certainly make sense to critically question the seemingly worthy undertakings of certain trendsetters.

Comet Discovered: Interstellar Guest Travels Through Our Solar System

Astronomers' assumptions have been confirmed: an alien comet is currently traveling through our solar system – and it is only the second of its kind.

Garchin/Washington – For some time researchers have only assumed, but now they have confirmed: a comet from a different star is crossing our solar system. It was named 2I/Borisov, after its discoverer, and is currently keeping astronomers around the world busy.

2I/Borisov: Comet was discovered by an amateur astronomer in Crimea

The comet was discovered by amateur astronomer Gennadi Borrissov in Crimea. He watched the sky with his homemade telescope, and further observations confirmed his first suspicions. It is indeed an unknown comet which does not originate from our solar system. It is only the second of its kind has been was sighted during its flight.

This is a great opportunity for astronomers to gain insights into foreign solar systems up close. It appears that the comet resembles those of our own solar system, as the Astrophysical Institute of the Canaries reports. According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the comet is clearly of interstellar origin and is currently moving out of our solar system on what is known as a hyperbolic trajectory.

The comet was already sighted before its approach and can be observed for several months

But until then, astronomers can observe it in detail. Unlike its predecessor, 2I/Borisov was sighted during its approach, which means it can be observed from Earth for several months. “The comet will be brightest in mid-December and can then be seen with mid-sized telescopes until April 2020,” explains Davide Farnocchia of the US space agency NASA. “After that it can be observed only with bigger, professional telescopes until October 2020.”

According to first insights, the comet is estimated to have a diameter betweem 2 and 16 kilometers. At the same time, the celestial body seems to resemble our comets, because, as IAU researcher Julia de León put it, its spectrum is similar to that of our comets. This observation suggests that comets in other solar systems are formed by processes similar to ours, de León’s colleague Javier Licandro added.

But the observation goes beyond individual insights. That two objects of this kind have already been discovered in just two years may facilitate new ways of researching certain processes in other solar systems.

Time and again asteroids keep researchers busy. Only recently, a giant asteroid rushed past Earth, coming dangerously close.

It is getting lonely around Boris Johnson. First his younger brother leaves his cabinet and now his sister clearly criticizes the belligerent language of the premier as “tasteless”. He is not the brother she knows.

“Capitulation”, “Fraud”, “Contract”: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure and arms himself further – at least verbally. This is met with outrage during questions to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons this Wednesday, and now more critics spoke out including dozens of bishops and his own sister, Rachel Johnson.

The famous journalist and author told Sky News her brother uses words like capitulation, as if the opponents of Brexit should be “hanged, stretched on the rack, tarred and feathered”. She believes this to be greatly reprehensible. She does not recognize this version of her brother, said Rachel Johnson who ran for the “Change UK” anti-Brexit party in the European Parliament elections.

She was especially appalled by her brothers mention of Jo Cox, an EU friendly House of Commons member who was killed by a neo-Nazi a few days before the Brexit referendum in 2016. It would be best for her remembrance, if the Brexit is pushed through, Boris Johnson said in the House of Commons. “It is very vulgar to refer to a MP murdered by someone who screamed ‘Britain first’ ”, Johnson’s sister criticized. The perpetrator had apparently come from the right-extremist wing, which felt reinforced “by this kind of language”. It appears very crude to everyone mourning for her.

The widower of Cox criticized the Prime Minister sharply as well. “It makes me sick when Jo’s name is being used”, he tweeted. The best way to honor her would be, to stand up passionately and determined for what you believe – independent of what belief you have. But never “demonize the other side”. He also complained that an atmosphere had arisen in which attacks were more likely.

Just a few weeks ago Boris Johnson’s younger brother resigned as State Secretary and Tory MP. “During the past months I was torn between my loyalty to my family and the national interest – it is an unresolvable tension”, Jo Johnson explained his move.

Even the church met Johnson’s language with sharp criticism. Reported by the “Times”, all 118 bishops and arch-bishops of the Church of England criticized the language, that is “not worthy of this nation”. They explained in a joint statement: “In the past days, the language in debates as well as outside of the parliament was not acceptable. We should speak to each other with respect.”

The NFL is sending a strong message in the 100th year of its existence: in the halftime show of the forthcoming Super Bowl, two women with Latin roots are performing, which promises “an explosion of fun and energy.”

Latina power at the Super Bowl: The superstars Shakira (42) and Jennifer Lopez (50) are putting on the halftime show of the forthcoming final of the US National Football League (NFL), the organizers announced on Thursday (local time).

"""I feel incredibly honored and humbled to be, in a way, next to J.Lo, representing the Latino community that is such an important force in the United States,"" Shakira said in a video."

The final of the US National Football League, which celebrates its 100th birthday next year, takes place on February 2nd in Miami. Many people with Latin American roots live in the metropolis at the Southern tip of Florida. Shakira (“Waka Waka”) comes from Columbia, Lopez (“On the Floor”) is of Puerto Rican origin.

"""I love that the Super Bowl has two women performing this year. That they have two Latinos performing this year,"" Lopez added. It sends an important message to all Americans and the world. She promises an “an explosion of fun and energy” for the show."

The 50-year-old was born in New York after her parents emigrated from Puerto Rico. In the 2000s, she landed great hits with songs like “Waiting For Tonight” or “Let's Get Loud”, and later released songs in Spanish as well. Lopez also works as an actress. Starting in November, she will be on screen in German cinemas in the drama “Hustlers”.

Shakira became known as the star of a telenovela and as a singer in Colombia. She achieved her international breakthrough in 2001 with her first bilingual album and the single “Whenever, Wherever”.

The announcement of the halftime guests is always highly anticipated. Many consider this year’s selection to be a political gesture. After all, the country is deeply divided, not least due to the immigration policies of President Donald Trump.

The Super Bowl is the largest US sporting event and at the same time a gigantic advertising spectacle. Musicians such as Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Madonna, Bruno Mars and the Rolling Stones have been met with wild excitement. As a rule, more than 100 million television viewers watch the final. It is now also extremely popular in Germany.

Last year, political controversies arose in the run-up to the event. The reason was the conflict concerning quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who, in protest of police brutality against black people, had refused to stand up during the national anthem. He was harshly criticized for this by US president Donald Trump, among other people. In solidarity with Kaepernick, a number of musicians declined to perform at the Super Bowl, among them Rihanna and Pink. That the rock group Maroon 5 performed was ultimately criticized by many.

An actor and Youtuber puts Egypt's ruler under pressure: Mohamed Ali currently rather prefers to remain abroad.

"The two men who may influence whether blood will flow again on Egypt's streets both spent last week abroad. One of the two glided back to Cairo's airport on Friday. The country's president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi returned from the UN general assembly. The ex-general, who in 2013 removed Muslim brother Mohammed Mursi, the country's first freely elected head of state, from power had spent a pleasant time in New York. US president Donald Trump had praised Sisi's approach towards political Islam and not lost a word over human rights violations at the Nile. This was during a week in which Egypt's security forces had arrested hundreds of people because they had dared to protest against the president. Sisi said in front of state TV's microphones at the airport that he had ""no cause for concern."" The Egyptians ""won't let themselves be led astray."""

Leading astray is what, in the president's view, the other man who currently shapes happenings in the streets is attempting. Mohamed Ali remained abroad, where he is beyond the reach of the security forces who would immediately arrest him if he attempted to set foot on Egyptian soil. Weeks ago, the 45-year-old was known to a minority of Egyptians as an actor. Today, his is the defining voice that dominates political discourse in the country's cafés, living rooms and tea rooms. With his Youtube channel Mohamed's Secrets, Ali is calling on his compatriots to rise up against Sisi.

"He addresses the head of state directly and in pretty rough language. While the people are going hungry, the president is ""indulging in luxury and having fine new palaces built."" Ali accuses the army leadership, upon whom Sisi relies to maintain his rule, of corruption and self-enrichment. Having been in business for 15 years with these very people in his second profession in the construction business, he would appear to know precisely what he is talking about - this at least is the opinion many Egyptians have, as indicated by the currently soaring number of clicks."

"After last week saw, for the first time since his grab for power, thousands demonstrating against Sisi's rule and almost 2,000 citizens, including prominent figures in civil society, human rights lawyers and opposition politicians being arrested, Ali called for a ""march of millions"" for this Friday. That so many people would really risk going out onto the streets was unlikely, but there were isolated smaller protests, for example in Giseh near Cairo and in the town of Kina near Luxor. Videos on social media showed protests, with people accusing el-Sisi of corruption and demanding his departure. At these protests, police used tear gas and fired rubber bullets. These videos could not initially be verified. Security circles let it be known that the police had put an end to the demonstrations."

"Massive police presence was reported on Friday in the town of Mansura in the Nile Delta, where last week demonstrators had torn up a portrait of the president. Security forces set up checkpoints in the town and approaching roads. In Cairo, several underground stations in the city center were closed for ""maintenance work,"" with most roads around Tahrir Square, the heart of the 2011 Revolution, being blocked off. And on Rabaa Square, where supporters of the toppled Muslim Brotherhood leader Mursi barricaded themselves in 2013 until the army opened fire on them and killed up to 800 people, another approach was used to avoid the dissatisfied coming together. At this very place Sisi's future party wanted to stage a large event for the president."

"These measures caused Mohamed Ali to change his tactics. ""Our goal need not be Tahrir Square,"" Ali said into his video camera in Barcelona. ""Let us not clash with policemen."" That is not to be understood as a retreat - ""the whole of Egypt is Tahrir Square."""

If your Internet connection seems to be slower than your internet provider advertised, there are several ways you can look into this.

When you sign an internet service agreement, you do not have to blindly trust your provider’s performance claims. As a customer, if you feel there is an irregularity, you can check the speed yourself.

After all, the promised data transfer rates are part of your agreement and should therefore be achieved, says the Consumers' Center in Bavaria.

If your connection always seems to be much slower than the provider advertised, there are several ways to test this. For instance, the measurement tools of the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) measure the actual data transfer rates and compare them with the rate agreed upon in the contract.

“The tests of the providers, however, follow provider-specific standards and are therefore not uniformly and objectively calculated,” the Consumers' Center in Bavaria points out on its website.

If the connection is significantly slower than advertised, customers can set the provider a reasonable deadline - usually 14 days - to provide the promised service. This is best done by registered mail.

If that has no effect, even after repeated requests, customers can cancel their contract and possibly even claim damages. In the absence of success, however, the only remaining option is legal action.

The Governor of Vermont is the first senior Republican to call for an impeachment investigation against US president Donald Trump. “I think the inquiry is important, yes, and where it leads from here is going to be driven by the facts that are established,” Phil Scott said at a press conference on Thursday. He wanted to know more about the whistle-blower incident before taking action – impeachment proceedings can lead to the president being removed from office.

Scott said that he was not surprised when it was revealed that Trump repeatedly urged the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to look into the interventions of the Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden in the Ukraine. Trump has been watching Biden “over the years”.

To date, Republicans have been holding back on criticism of Trump in the whistle-blower incident; few have expressed their discomfort. Scott’s remarks are a first indication of unease in Trump’s party. Scott, a moderate Republican, has already opposed Trump’s policies on several occasions, for instance, relaxing environmental regulations and tightening immigration regulations.

It was a shock for every fan of Spider-Man- it was announced late August, that Sony and Marvel will go separate ways. Tom Holland's Spider Man therefore would not be part of the “Avengers” universe anymore. It was completely unclear how the movies around Tom Holland would be continued.

Now the surprise: After “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Spider-Man: Far from Home” Spider-Man is receiving an additional, final movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Several US media outlets unanimously reported this. According to this, the opening day is decided as well- in the USA the movie is supposed to start on July 16th, 2021.

The “Screenrant” journal cites Marvel boss Kevin Feige: “I’m excited that Spidey's path can be continued in the MCU. Myself and everybody at Marvel studios is delighted that we can carry on … he is the only super hero with the ability to partake in different universes, since Sony continues its work on the Spidey-Verse. You never know what the future will hold.”

But how did the sudden good news come about? Apparently Sony made an offer to Marvel. According to trade magazines, the Disney Corporation, which owns Marvel, wants to contribute to upcoming movies for a share in revenue of 30 percent. However, this information is not confirmed.

How Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry appear in the finale of “Suits”

After nine seasons, the American series “Suits” has reached its grand finale. In the last episode, there are many happy endings and just as many cameo appearances. And a charming tribute was given to the royal couple Prince Harry (35) and his Meghan (38), who took part in the series for many years. Alert – the following paragraphs contain spoilers for the finale of the series.

First off: Duchess Meghan does not return as Rachel Zane for a final farewell, at least not in any new scenes. Instead, a number of retrospectives show some of the most memorable scenes with the present Duchess, for instance the moments of the failed and the successful weddings with Mike or how she greets him after he completed his jail sentence.

Her real husband, Prince Harry, is also mentioned in passing in the “Suits” finale, in a wedding scene, of course. When Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman, 49) starts walking down the aisle to marry his fiancée Sheila (Rachel Harris, 51), Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht, 47) makes a telling remark about his suit. Harvey, taken aback, asks the groom whether he really wanted to wear a morning coat, and snidely remarks: “Louis, you’re not the Prince of England.”

In the Aegean Sea: A Baby and Four More Children Die in Boat Accident

A baby and four other children drowned when a boat full of refugees capsized in the Aegean Sea. A total of seven people died in the accident, the Greek coastguard revealed on Friday. The nationalities of the victims were still uncertain.

The boat sank close to the Greek island of Oinousses, between the island of Chios and the Turkish mainland. Four children, three women and five men were rescued.

Hundreds of migrants are currently crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands in the Eastern part of the Aegean Sea. According to the UN refugee organization (UNHCR), 174 people died on this route last year. The German Minister of the Interior, Horst Seehofer, has now announced that he intends to visit both countries.

Seehofer said on Friday that he intended to “inquire about the refugee situation” together with his French colleague and the EU commissioner in charge. Subsequently, in Athens, he aimed to find out more about the “administrative problems in Greece” in order to help tackle them.

On Friday, a speaker of the EU Commission confirmed the planned trip of Seehofer, EU Interior Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.

Unusually large numbers of migrants are still arriving in Greece from Turkey. The Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection reported that on Tuesday alone, 654 people crossed over to the Greek islands.

The increasing numbers raise doubts as to whether the 2016 agreement between the EU and Turkey is still operational. The agreement stipulates that the EU can send back all refugees and migrants arriving illegally in Greece via Turkey. In return, the EU agreed to accept one Syrian refugee from Turkey for each Syrian deported.

Processing the asylum applications is, however, progressing slowly on the Greek side, due to a lack of personnel. The Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection reports that 29,400 people are holding out on the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros und Kos. The situation is at its worst on Lesbos: A camp with a capacity of 650 now houses 5,200 migrants.

Never before have there been so many since the EU-Turkey refugee deal entered in force in March 2016, according to state radio.

"According to doctors, climate change will put the health care system to the test. The changes to the climate will ""quite certainly"" be one of the greatest challenges for the health care system in the next 20 to 50 years, said Andreas Zeiher, President of the German Cardiac Society. High temperatures and large changes in temperature over a short period of time are a challenge for the cardiovascular system and lead to more heart attacks. Above all, people with cardiovascular illnesses, older people and those with diabetes are affected."

Green party leader Elizabeth May in the election campaign – is that why the cup was manipulated?

In the photo, the Canadian Green party leader is holding a reusable cup in her hands. But it has now become apparent: The cup was manipulated.

Ottawa/Canada - It remained undetected for quite some time - and has now finally been noticed. Green party leader Elizabeth May never held the reusable coffee cup with metal straw in her hands. On the party’s website, she was depicted in a photo with the cup in her hand, talking to members of the public. However, the photo had been published and distributed to the media previously – and there the cup was a simple (paper) cup, as the Canadian National Post reported.

The National Post accused May of manipulation and the party of producing fake news to appear more credible on the subject of “environmental protection”. This was in the midst of the election campaign for the House of Commons in which Trudeau is facing difficulties due to a bribery scandal.

The photo went viral in social media and fueled the discussion about fake news. A user shared a side-by-side comparison of the two photos and wrote: “The Greens manipulate a photo of their party leader to hide her disposable cup.”

May expressed her shock and assured in her blog that she knew nothing about this change. To emphasize this, she immediately posted the original photo: She herself, talking to members of the public, a cup in her hands. That cup, she rectified, is made of bamboo. She always has it with her. A spokesperson of the party said that the only point was to introduce the party logo into the picture, not to hide anything. Only part of the picture is now visible on the website.

May writes that she feels sorry for the employee who did this. “I don’t want to call them stupid on television, but there was nothing there to hide,” she said and asked her overly enthusiastic team: “If they’re going to Photoshop, couldn’t they do something with my face and make it look a little younger?”

The German Greens have also been hit by maelstroms for their use of disposable plastic and travel by air; however, their pictures were not photoshopped. The head of the Green Party in Bavaria, Katharina Schulze, for instance, was eating ice cream with a plastic spoon on vacation, as reported by merkur.de*.

Allegedly, Jaqueline Ng had been assured an upgrade via mail. But when she asked for it during check-in, she was not allowed on board – and was banned for life from Cathay.

Many flight guests dream of an upgrade to business class. Sometimes they get lucky and the employees at the check-in offer a change from economy class for free.

This case shows though, how you should not do it. A self-declared influencer actively asked Cathay Pacific airline for a free upgrade. On Instagram Jaqueline Ng has more than 65,000 followers. On May 30th she flew to Taiwan; on June 7th she flew back to New York.

Employees denied the upgrade on the outbound flight, even though she showed an email from Cathay Pacific allegedly promising an upgrade. The mail supposedly came from a marketing associate of the airline. However, the airline accuses Jaqueline of forging the mail.

On the return flight, Jaqueline tried to get an upgrade for the long haul flight again. This time, she showed the same email but with a different reference number. The employees at JFK airport were skeptical: they asked headquarters and indeed, the employee who supposedly wrote the mail denied any correspondence with Jaqueline. This has been confirmed by the email system, in which the messages did not appear.

Airline employees at the airport canceled Jaqueline’s tickets and imposed a lifelong ban on flights with Cathay Pacific. She had to buy a new plane ticket to Taiwan for USD 1,400 .

The influencer turned to Elliot Advocacy, a corporation that represents consumer interests. Even though Cathay reimbursed her the price for the original ticket, Jaqueline demands the reimbursement for the new ticket as well.

But as long as Jaqueline cannot submit the metadata of the email, the case is clear. According to Cathay, the influencer committed fraud and is banned from future flights. The terms and agreements of the airline also state that they don not need to pay for the new flight. Jaqueline will not accept this and is now hiring a lawyer.

Oil prices fell rapidly by more than one dollar on Friday afternoon. Most recently a barrel of oil (42 US gallons) of the Northern Sea variety Brent cost 61.83 US dollars – around 1.4 percent less than the day before. The price for a barrel of the American sort West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell by 1.3 percent to 55.77 dollars.

The trigger for the market slide was a report of the Wall Street Journal about a ceasefire in Yemen. Saudi Arabia allegedly has agreed to a ceasefire in four regions.

A drone attack on the oil plants in Saudi-Arabia in mid-September had brought five percent of the global oil production to a halt. The Houthi rebels, allied with Iran, had claimed responsibility for the attacks in civil war-torn Yemen. Saudi Arabia, like the US government, blames Iran. A ceasefire would mitigate the tensions in the region.

"""Should an agreement be reached, you could focus on growth and demand concerns,"" Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank told news agency Bloomberg."

Oil prices continued their slide of the past few days. A week ago one barrel of WTI oil amounted to almost 59 dollars, and Brent to nearly 65 dollars.

Bloomberg recently reported faster repair works on the oil plants in Saudi Arabia after the attacks in mid-September, citing inside sources. Accordingly the production output reached a volume of eight million barrels per day and is moving towards regular amounts.

Recently there have been several news releases, backed by inside sources, that addressed quick developments in the state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco regarding the repair works. Experts pointed to Saudi Aramco’s plans to become listed and to avoid negative headlines.

At the same time there seems to be an easing of tension between Iran and western countries. The British oil tanker Stena Impero is now on its way to leave port, after being detained for more than two months by Iran. The crew is now preparing to depart, while the ship still lies at anchor, Erik Hånell, head of the shipping company told Swedish broadcasting in a text message.

However, the USA announced a relocation of defensive missiles and soldiers against the Iranian nemesis of Saudi Arabia. The fear of an escalation between the Islamic Republic and countries like the USA and the United Kingdom considerably drove up oil prices in the past weeks.

In the controversy around the potential abuse of power by President Trump, the White House has been accused of a cover-up. According to an anonymous informant, a number of leading government officials seem to have gone to great lengths to prevent access to the transcript of a controversial telephone call between Trump and the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy around the end of July. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, explicitly accused the White House of a cover-up operation. Trump called it a “witch hunt”.

North Korea has expressed doubts over a third summit in the nuclear dispute between ruler Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. The purpose and chances of success of such a meeting are doubtful due to the lack of progress in the implementation of the arrangements made at the first summit in Singapore, top diplomat Kim Kye-gwan said on Friday according to the agency KCNA.

The US has done nothing so far to implement the resolutions of last year's summit, the advisor of the North Korean Foreign Ministry said. He also criticized the tighter US sanctions and the joint military exercises by the US and South Korea. But he still hopes for a “wise” and “brave” decision by Trump to enable another rapprochement.

Trump had said on Monday that he first wanted to know what a third summit with Kim could achieve before he agreed to it. Negotiations on the disarmament of the North Korean nuclear and missile program came to a standstill after the second summit between Trump and Kim failed in Hanoi last February. In June, the two met in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Korean states. There, they both agreed to revive the negotiations, but without much success so far.

Prince Harry: weapons manufacturers should assist in mine clearing

"Wearing a blue splinter protection vest, Britain's Prince Harry symbolically detonated and destroyed a mine in Angola. Close to a camp belonging to the British Halo Trust near the settlement of Dirico, he set off the ignition circuit. At a safe distance the detonator then exploded. With a view towards having Angola mine-free by 2025, he later demanded in front of live TV cameras: ""I call on all the countries whose names are on these weapons but have not helped in their clearance to commit themselves to doing so."""

In light of an imminent interest rate reduction, the pound is decreasing in value against the euro.

Frankfurt speculations that the Bank of England (BoE) will soon be reducing its interest rates are putting pressure on the pound sterling. On Friday, the British currency dropped by up to 0.4 percent down to 1.2269 dollars.

The sales were triggered by central banker Michael Saunders’ statements. He brought up the topic of an interest rate reduction, even if a chaotic Brexit could be avoided, as uncertainty could adversely affect the British economy for the foreseeable future. This was a surprising statement, as Saunders is normally known to be an advocate of restrictive monetary policies, said analyst Ricardo Evangelista of the brokerage house ActivTrades.

Just last week, the Bank of England pointed out how the Brexit-wrangling is putting a strain on the economy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to lead his country out of the EU on October 31, if need be without a withdrawal agreement.

What’s more: The British Prime Minister is taking a big risk with his provocations. But this may be to his benefit, says Handelsblatt editor Kerstin Leitel.

Material from the Moscow analysis laboratory is being tampered with, as confirmed by David Howman, once director of the world anti-doping agency (WADA) and current head of integrity at the World Athletics Council.

At the start of the world athletics championship, new details of the doping scandal in Russia are emerging - and they are destroying what little credibility Russian sport had won back at the start of the year. In January 2019, the Moscow doping laboratory finally delivered the samples demanded from 2012 to 2015 to the world anti-doping agency (WADA). It has now emerged that they were falsified.

In December 2014, systematic cheating was uncovered in Russian sports. The WADA then banned the Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) for three years. During this period, Russian athletes were not entirely banned from the international arena. The International Olympic Committee allowed some 270 athletes of the country to take part at the 2016 summer games in Rio after individual examination under a neutral flag. And at the Winter Games in February 2018, 168 Russian sportsmen and sportswomen were at the start. They were also permitted to be a part of world cups in various sporting disciplines: in summer the football World Cup was even held in Russia with the host nation as a participant.

The following September saw the WADA lift the RUSADA ban, while demanding access to the laboratory and the aforementioned samples. The data should provide insight into the scale of covering up doping cases in state-backed doping. They should help to punish athletes retrospectively. Three months later, they were finally delivered.

"The head of the independent Athletics Integrity Unit at the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) has now confirmed that the doping data from the Moscow analysis laboratory were tampered with. ""Yes. We received the data nine months ago. We had to check whether the task force had received the right data"", said David Howman in an interview in Friday's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. ""We have identified numerous discrepancies between the data which the WADA received from a whistleblower, and [the data] which it received in January from the Russians."" Many positive findings which had been mentioned in the McLaren report were missing."

This is confirmed in the IAAF approach: the athletics federation is the only organization to maintain Russia's ban. At the World Championships in Doha, 30 Russian athletes will compete under a neutral flag. They had to prove that they train outside the Russian system and undergo testing.

At the start of this week the WADA had already raised the issue of tampering and demanded that Russia reply to the accusations within three weeks. Russia is now faced with the RUSADA again being excluded and in the worst case being banned from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.