Berlin: A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and all the country’s other main destinations, caused the cancelation of most flights Monday.

The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight, involved public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff.

At Frankfurt Airport, 1,054 of the day’s 1,116 scheduled takeoffs and landings had been cancelled, German news agency dpa reported, citing airport traffic management.

All of Berlin Airport’s regular departures and arrivals were cancelled, while Hamburg Airport said no departures would be possible. Cologne/Bonn Airport said there was no regular passenger service, and Munich Airport advised travellers to expect a “greatly reduced flight schedule.”

The ver.di service workers union’s strike also targeted the Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, Berlin, Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Cologne/Bonn, Leipzig/Halle, Stuttgart and Munich airports. At the smaller Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports, only security workers were called out.

The union announced the strike Friday. But at Hamburg Airport, it added a short-notice walkout Sunday to the strike on Monday, arguing that it must ensure the measure was effective.

The so-called “warning strike,” a common tactic in German wage negotiations, relates to two separate pay disputes: negotiations on a new pay and conditions contract for airport security workers and a wider dispute over pay for employees of federal and municipal governments.

The latter already has led to walkouts at Cologne/Bonn, Duesseldorf, Hamburg and Munich airports. Pay talks in that dispute are due to resume Friday, while the next round of talks for airport security workers is expected to start March 26.

AP

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday hailed the Indian women’s compound team for winning the country’s first-ever gold medal in the World Archery Championships, saying their hard work and dedication led to the outstanding outcome.

The Indian women’s compound team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami, and Parneet Kaur Friday created history by winning the gold medal in the World Archery Championships in Berlin, beating Mexico in the final.

“A proud moment for India as our exceptional compound Women’s Team brings home India’s first-ever gold medal in the World Archery Championship held in Berlin. Congratulations to our champions,” Prime Minister Modi said.

Their hard work and dedication have led to this outstanding outcome, he added.

The Indians won 235-229 against their top-seeded opponents in a one-sided final. The trio also opened India’s medal account in the championships.

In another tweet, Prime Minister Modi said it is his government’s priority to provide better health facilities.

“It is a matter of great satisfaction that crores of people are getting full benefits from digital facilities,” he said tagging a tweet by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on digital health facilities.

PTI

Berlin: Champions League dreams have been spoiled for Borussia Dortmund after the 2-1 defeat on aggregate following a 2-0 loss in the second leg of the last-16 round against Premier League side Chelsea.

The painful exit nevertheless is opening doors to entirely concentrate on the national league as the chance is emerging to win the first Championship since 2012 for the Black and Yellows, reports Xinhua news agency.

For the moment the prospect of possibly lifting the so-called bowl of the Bundesliga might be a poor consolation, but the past weeks gave proof of Dortmund’s development.

Other than facing a well-equipped Blues team, the 2021 German Cup winner might do better without the currently injured Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt.

The loss of both pacy strikers able to invade deep spaces at high speed, might have made the difference at Stamford Bridge.

The first defeat after 11 victories in 2023 might be a setback on the international stage and stand for the fact that Dortmund’s international options are limited.

What remains is a team known as a side delivering too many ups and downs in their performance has gained stability.

While struggling Chelsea used its last chance to keep one of its season goals alive after having invested a reported 330 million euros in the winter break, Borussia is now forced to create new motivation by setting new goals such as the German title and the German Cup.

The early injury of Brandt torpedoed the German’s intention to annoy their opponent by carrying out counterattacks.

The 26-year-old German international turned into a game-changing figure over the past weeks, but Dortmund’s squad is far from big enough to replace the highflyer.

While second keeper Alex Meyer turned into a reliable replacement for BVB’s number one, Gregor Kobel, things didn’t develop in favor of Dortmund.

The Black and Yellows partly blamed the Dutch referee Danny Makkelie for deciding a disputed penalty and allowing Chelsea to enjoy a second attempt. Dortmund coach Edin Terzic spoke about an extremely hard decision.

It might be Terzic’s most pressing challenge to express new goals now and get to his player’s minds with that important message. “We did two games on eye level,” Terzic said.

The past weeks showed a Dortmund team having gained mental and physical stability that opens doors for success.

After a bumpy first half of the season, Terzic’s team learned that hard work can lead to glory. There seems no reason to forget about that.

IANS

Mumbai: Comedian Kunal Kamra got into a Twitter spat with the father of a boy who sang the patriotic song ‘Hey Janmabhoomi Bharat’ to greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his recent visit to Berlin.

Ganesh Pol, the father of the boy objected to Kamra tweeting a ‘doctored’ video of the boy’s song.

Tagging Kamra’s now deleted tweet, Ganesh wrote on his Twitter, “He is my 7 year old son, who wanted to sing this song for his beloved Motherland. Though he is still very young but certainly he loves his country more than you Mr. Kamra or Kachra watever u are Keep the poor boy out of your filthy politics & try to work on your poor jokes (sic).”

Mincing no words, Kamra replied to the tweet saying, “The video is in the public domain by a news Organisation. The joke is not on your son, while you enjoy your son sing for his motherland to the most popular son, there are songs that he should listen to from people of his country also (sic).”

The video is in the public domain by a news Organisation.

– https://t.co/xlFvVbmQ0n

The joke is not on your son, while you enjoy your son sing for his motherland to the most popular son, there are songs that he should listen to from people of his country also https://t.co/aKnVk9lDSR

— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) May 5, 2022

Kamra reportedly shared the purported video of Modi’s interaction in Germany with the child but he replaced the song that the boy sang – ‘Hey Janmabhoomi Bharat’ – with ‘Mehengayi daayan khaaye jaat hain’.

As per a media report, taking cognisance of the matter, apex child rights body National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought action against comedian Kunal Kamra for the doctored video. The NCPCR also sought immediate removal of the video after which Kamra deleted his tweet.

Berlin: Germany’s railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, have started test operations for battery-powered passenger trains.

Manufactured by French company Alstom, test runs for the Battery Electric Multiple Unit kicked off on regional services in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, reports Xinhua news agency.

They are scheduled to last until the beginning of May, and another test run in Bavaria is planned for early February, Deutsche Bahn said.

“Test operations got off to a successful start this morning with the first train,” a spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn told Xinhua.

The train, which has 150 seats, should cover a total distance of around 50,000 km by May.

The battery-electric train was developed by Alstom and the Technical University of Berlin, with the support of the national organisation for hydrogen and fuel cell technology.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Monday achieved the distinction of becoming first Indian candidate city to host Formula E world championship and is expected to host the first race of electric cars between November this year and March 2023.

The Telangana government and Formula E Association along with promoter of the event, Greenko signed a letter of intent to make Hyderabad a candidate host city for hosting Formula E race on yearly basis.

The tripartite letter of intent was signed in Hyderabad in the presence of Telangana’s Industry Minister K. T. Rama Rao, FIA Formula E Chief Championship Officer Alberto Longo, Greenko Group Chief Executive Officer Anil Chalamasetty, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal Dilbagh Gill and other officials.

Hyderabad will join the elite club of Rome, Paris, London, Hong Kong, New York and Berlin. Eighteen cities around the world are hosting the race organised every year by the Federation of Internationale de Automobile.

Alberto was impressed with the speed with which the Telangana government moved to sign the letter of intent in less than a month since the idea was mooted. He said he had never seen a government taking decisions at such a speed. He said Hyderabad would soon become official host city with first race happening between December 2022 and March 2023.

Rama Rao said hosting Formula E is the right step to position Hyderabad as electric vehicles hub. “It’s more than a race. It’s the perfect combination of future technology, sustainability and most importantly spirit of innovation,” he said.

He hoped that the event will give a big fillip to the city’s image and infrastructure. The state government plans to promote awareness around EVs and encourage innovation by hosting an EV summit parallel to the Formula E championship.

Leading EV players and charging infrastructure companies from around the world will be invited for the EV Summit.

Stating that India is going to witness revolution of electric vehicles, the minister said Telangana wants to be the epicentre of this revolution.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, said Formula E from FIA family is the fastest growing sport with viewership being more than half of Formula One. He said the popularity of Formula One is increasing every year and it is expected that by the end of the decade, it will equal Formula One in the popularity.

He said Hyderabad has everything in place to host the event. “Hyderabad is the most logical and natural choice to host Formula E,” he said.

The minister claimed that Telangana has done extremely well in 7.5 years in meeting energy challenges. The state’s energy output grew four-fold in 7 years and 20 per cent of this came from green energy.

He also pointed out that in seven years, the state planted more than 2 billion saplings. More than 80 per cent of these saplings survived, taking green cover to a massive 632 square kilometers in last two years.

KTR said among Indian cities Hyderabad has highest greening in last decade. The green cover grew by 147 per cent, beating Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

Telangana’s Director for Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage Systems Sujai Karampuri hoped that an agreement to make Hyderabad an official host city will be signed in next 90 days or much earlier.

He pointed out that 60 cities around the world were vying to host Formula E and of them 24 cities are really strong candidates.

He said the organisers were impressed with the 2.3 km long race track overlooking Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city.

Gill, who heads the only Indian team participating in Formula E race, said they will soon have an opportunity to race in front of the home crowd. According to him, Formula E is significant as technology transfer from race car to roll car happens in 18 months.

Mumbai: Actor Aparshakti Khurrana will start 2022 with Atul Sabharwal’s next film, Berlin, a gritting suspense thriller where he will star as the lead.

This will be the actor’s second outing in the genre after Dokha Round D Corne, and the film will go on floors this month and will be shot across Delhi, Agra and Bhopal, the key cities in the Hindi belt.

Aparshakti said: “I can’t wait to get on the sets for this one.

“2021 for me has been full of surprises, with starting my journey of playing the lead role on a positive note, I also got the opportunity to explore different, more serious genres – which is something I have wanted to do since day one, and who better than Atul Sabharwal could have helped me get there?”

Heaping praises on his director, Aparshakti recollects Atul’s past projects.

“I have followed Atul Sir’s work very closely and I can undoubtedly vouch for his craft, especially when it comes to storytelling in this tricky genre. I still remember how mind-blowing and ahead of its time ‘My Wife’s Murder’ was.

“Totally loved ‘Powder’ starring Pankaj Tripathi and his last work of Class of 83 shows how fine he is with his craft. He beautifully captures the nuances required for this genre and I am more than excited to have him helm this project for me,” he concluded.

Mumbai: Zee Studios Wednesday announced its latest film Berlin, a spy thriller mystery starring Aparshakti Khurana and Ishwak Singh of Paatal Lok fame.

Set in early ’90s-set Delhi, the film will be written and directed by Atul Sabharwal of Netflix crime thriller “Class of 83 fame.

According to the makers, Berlin narrates the story of a sign language expert, who gets into the “dark vortex of rivalry” between intelligence agencies, deceit, corruption, “where the horizon lines between innocence and guilt with mirages”.

Sabharwal said he is excited to mount the film, which is set to go on floors early this year.

“We have a great history of spy thriller films, this thriller drama weaves around the mute and deaf spy. Also seeing the Delhi city in the 90s will be first of its kind visual interpretation while covering an exciting time in the history of the country. The team can’t wait to bring the magic on screen,” the writer-director said in a statement.

Shariq Patel, CBO, Zee Studios said Berlin is a true-blue Indian spy thriller layered with “intelligence, patriotic and political aspects”.

“The script has great potential, and I am sure Atul will do full justice to it,” he added.

The film will be produced by Zee Studios, Sabharwal and Manav Shrivastav under Yippee Ki Yay Motion Pictures.

PARIS: Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland scored twice, including a spectacular lob, to guide his side to a 4-2 home win over Union Berlin on Sunday which lifted them to within a point of leaders Bayern Munich and Vfl Wolfsburg.

Norwegian Haaland has now scored seven times in the league this season while taking his total tally to an impressive 68 goals in 67 games in all competitions for Dortmund.

But it was not all smiles for the hosts after they almost squandered a 3-0 lead, allowing Union to score twice before Haaland’s second goal settled nerves in the 83rd minute.

“We made it today again unnecessarily difficult for us,” said Dortmund captain Marco Reus. “We are 3-0 up, concede a silly goal then one from a set piece.

“You invest an enormous amount and we just can’t gift away goals like that. We have to quickly start working on that. But we are happy to have won the game.”

The visitors had the first good chance in the first minute but Dortmund quickly took control with Raphael Guerreiro firing them in front after a lightning-quick passing move that left the Union defence frozen in the 10th minute.

With Dortmund’s Donyell Malen wreaking havoc with his speed down the wing, it was a matter of time until they scored again. But Union did it for them when defender Marvin Friedrich’s clumsy attempt to clear a Marco Reus cutback landed in his own net in the 52nd.

Max Kruse’s penalty for the visitors five minutes later cut the deficit and, as Dortmund inexplicably eased off, Andreas Voglsammer found space to head in and make it 3-2 in the 81st.

That gave Union hope before Haaland latched onto a deep Mats Hummels cross some 25 metres out, saw keeper Andreas Luthe off his line and lobbed the ball high over him to restore order with a remarkable finish.

Dortmund’s third league win in a row lifted them to 12 points, one behind leaders Bayern Munich who thrashed VfL Bochum 7-0 on Saturday. [nL1N2QK09W]

VfL Wolfsburg slipped to second place, on goal difference, after drawing 1-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt, the first points the Wolves have dropped after four straight league wins this season.

Berlin: Police in Berlin are on guard for anti-Semitic outbursts at two pro-Palestinian rallies set to take place in the German capital city Saturday. Around 2,000 people are expected to attend the larger of the two protests, dpa news agency reported.

Organisers of the Potsdamer Platz event describe it as a “rally against Israeli aggression in Palestine”. Some 3,000 police officers will be on duty at the weekend to ensure public safety and crowd control, including monitoring a major demonstration Sunday against rent prices in the German capital.

The focus, however, is on the protests that have cropped up in German cities recently as the fighting between Hamas militants and Israel intensified. The two sides struck a ceasefire that went into effect Friday.

Some of the demonstrations have seen Israeli flag burned, Hamas flags flown and anti-Semitic slogans shouted, with skirmishes erupting between police and protesters. The activity has prompted German politicians to demand tougher measures against acts seen as anti-Semitic.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said in her weekly video message that Germany’s constitution, or Basic Law, “guarantees the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly”.

“But it leaves no room for attacks against people of other faiths, no room for violence, racism and agitation. Anyone who brings hatred of Jews onto our streets, who expresses seditious insults, is outside of our Basic Law. Such acts must be punished consistently and have noticeable consequences for the perpetrators,” Merkel said.

Berlin: More than 50 police officers were injured and over 250 protesters were detained after traditional May Day rallies in Berlin turned violent, the German Police Union said Sunday.

More than 20 different rallies took place in the German capital on Saturday and the vast majority of them were peaceful. However, a leftist march of 8,000 people through the city’s Neukoelln and Kreuzberg neighbourhood, which has often seen clashes in past decades, turned violent. Protesters threw bottles and rocks at officers, and burned garbage containers and wooden pallets in the streets.

“We don’t have any final numbers, but regarding the known more than 50 injured colleagues and more than 250 detainments, it’s clear that we were far removed from a peaceful May 1,” Stephan Kelm, Berlin’s deputy chief of the police union, told German news agency dpa.

He condemned the throwing of bottles and rocks and the burning barricades on the streets, saying, “These are clear signs that it’s not about political expression but that the right to assemble was abused to commit severe crimes.”

There’s a nightly curfew in most parts of Germany currently because of the high number of coronavirus infections. But political protests and religious gatherings are exempt from the curfew.

AP

Moscow: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s arrest as he arrived here Sunday after recovering from his poisoning with a nerve agent drew criticism from Western nations. They called for the release of Alexei Navalny. Germany’s foreign minister Monday termed the arrest as ‘incomprehensible’.

Navalny was detained at passport control at Sheremetyevo Airport here after flying in Sunday evening from Berlin. He was undergoing treatment in Berlin following the poisoning in August that he blames on the Kremlin. His arrest added layer of tension to relations between Moscow and the West that have long been strained and were worsened by his poisoning.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas noted that Navalny had returned of his own volition. “It is completely incomprehensible that he was detained by Russian authorities immediately after his arrival. Russia is bound by its own constitution and by international commitments to the principle of the rule of law and the protection of civil rights,” Maas stated. “These principles must of course also be applied to Alexei Navalny. He should be released immediately,” he added.

European Council president Charles Michel tweeted that Navalny’s detention is ‘unacceptable’. He also called for his immediate release, a call echoed by France’s foreign ministry and by Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau.

Also read: Foreign labs confirm Alexei Navalny was poisoned with ‘Novichok’

“I express my solidarity with all Russian people who share the ideals of the detained Russian opposition leader. Alexei, don’t give up,” Rau said.

US President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for national security adviser called on Russian authorities to free Navalny. “Mr Navalny should be immediately released, and the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable,” Jake Sullivan tweeted.

The outgoing US Secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said the US ‘strongly condemns’ the decision to arrest Navalny.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday the stream of reactions to Navalny’s arrest by Western officials reflects an attempt ‘to divert attention from the crisis of the Western model of development’.

Navalny’s detention was widely expected because Russia’s prisons service said he had violated parole terms from a suspended sentence on a 2014 embezzlement conviction. The prisons service said he would be held in custody until a court rules on his case. No date for a court appearance was immediately announced. The service earlier said that it would seek to have Navalny serve his 3 1/2-year sentence behind bars.

Earlier Navalny, 44, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent and determined foe, brushed off concerns about arrest as he boarded his flight in Berlin. “It’s impossible. I’m an innocent man,” he said.

The politician’s allies said Monday he is being held at a police precinct outside this city. He has been refused access to his lawyer.

New Delhi: A survey has found that 62 per cent of parents will not be sending their children to school even if they are reopened on government’s orders September 1. According to the LocalCircles survey, only 6 per cent citizens are willing to visit multiplexes and theatres to watch movies in the next 60 days, even if they open on September 1.

Only 36 per cent citizens say they will take metro or local trains in the next 60 days if they are restarted September 1. All this is when India’s daily caseload for COVID-19 has now reached 70,000 cases and is now the highest in the world by a margin of over 40 per cent.

With close to 400 districts with 1,000 total cases, Covid-19 is fast spreading into tier 3, 4 towns and rural India. In the LocalCircles survey in late July, 31 per cent citizens said that they had one or more Covid-19 positive cases in their social network.

As the Government decides on whether schools should be reopened for senior classes, LocalCircles asked parents that if the Government does go ahead and announces opening of schools from September 1 for senior classes and others thereafter, will they be sending their children/grandchildren to school. To this, 62 per cent outright siad ‘no’, while only 23 per cent answered ‘yes’. Around 15 per cent parents were undecided.

Given the fact that the Covid situation is not improving and numbers are only rising, the number of “aye” sayers has now reduced from 33 per cent to 23 per cent within 2 weeks. This indicates that even if schools were opened in regular manner, a large majority of parents will refrain from sending children to school and continue with online education instead.

Case studies from many countries, including the US where 97,000 children came down with Covid-19 within 2 weeks of school reopening; and also in Berlin, Germany, where 41 schools reported children or teachers getting infected last week. All of these are causing concerns amongst Indian parents.

Most parents are of the view that India shouldn’t even consider reopening schools in regular mode till December 31 and instead the focus of Central and State Governments should be on equipping schools for online education, television or radio-based classes directly or in alliance with industry through the CSR programs.

LocalCircles conducted a survey to understand what citizens feel about opening of multiplex and movie theaters, metro or local trains and most importantly, schools. The survey received over 25,000 responses from citizens residing in 261 districts of India.

Citizens were asked if the government decides to restart metro/local trains from September 1, will they be taking them in the next 60 days. A total of 36 per cent answered ‘yes’ while 51 per cent answered ‘no’; 13 per cent were unsure about it.

After opening restaurants, gyms and malls, the Government is considering reopening multiplexes and movie theaters in the next phase of ‘unlock’ guidelines, slated to be issued by August-end.

Citizens have continuously been opposing the reopening of movie halls as they could lead to an increase in spread of Covid-19.

The survey asked if the Government opens multiplexes and movie theatres from September 1, will they go to watch movies in the next 60 days. Three per cent said they will go many times while 3 per cent said they will go once or twice. It was a whopping 77 per cent who said will not go to movie halls at all to keep themselves safe, while 14 per cent said they don’t go to movie theatres anyways to watch movies.

The comparison with last month’s survey shows that citizens favouring opening of multiplexes and movie theatres is not increasing like in the case of metro and local trains. An increased number of people are not in favour of reopening theatres and multiplexes. It is a 77 per cent of citizens in August compared to 72 per cent in July, who have said they will not visit multiplexes or movie theatres in the next 60 days.

Berlin: A German woman who joined the Islamic State group fell on such hard times that she had to sell her wedding present, an AK47 rifle, according to prosecutors in Germany.

In a statement Thursday, German federal prosecutors said they have indicted Zeynep G on three counts of participating in the activities of a ‘foreign terrorist organisation’, breaching arms control laws and committing a war crime.

G, a German citizen whose last name wasn’t released due to privacy reasons, is alleged to have travelled to Syria in September or October of 2014 to join the extremist group.

After marrying a Chechen fighter she ran his household and used social media to urge a friend in Germany to join IS.

Following the first husband’s death she married a fellow German IS member in October or November of 2015 and moved to the group’s stronghold of Raqqa.

German prosecutors say the couple occupied the home of someone who had fled from IS, which would amount to looting or pillaging under international law and is considered a war crime.

Prosecutors said the woman requested a Kalashnikov rifle as a wedding present and training in how to use it, but after several weeks “it had to be sold due to a shortage of money.”

Her second husband died in 2017 and G. was detained by Kurdish fighters two years later, but managed to flee. She was detained in Turkey in February and arrested on her return to Germany in May, where she now faces trial.

AP

Berlin: Thousands protested Germany’s coronavirus restrictions Saturday in a Berlin demonstration that insisted “the end of the pandemic” has arrived — a declaration that comes just as authorities are voicing increasing concerns about an uptick in new infections.

With few masks in sight, a dense crowd marched through downtown Berlin from the Brandenburg Gate ahead of a rally on a wide boulevard that runs through the city’s Tiergarten park.

Protesters who came from across the country held up homemade signs with slogans like “Corona, false alarm,” “We are being forced to wear a muzzle,” “Natural defence instead of vaccination” and “We are the second wave.”

They chanted, “We’re here and we’re loud, because we are being robbed of our freedom!”

Police used bullhorns to chide participants to adhere to social distancing rules and to wear masks, apparently with little success. They tweeted that they were preparing a criminal complaint against the rally’s organisers for failing to enforce hygiene rules.

Police estimated that about 17,000 people turned out. The demonstrators were kept apart from counterprotesters, some chanting “Nazis out!” Protests against anti-virus restrictions in Germany have long drawn a variety of attendees, including conspiracy theorists and right-wing populists.

Unlike the US, Brazil and Britain, Germany’s government has been praised worldwide for its management of the pandemic. The country’s death toll — just over 9,150 people out of more than 210,670 confirmed virus cases as of Saturday – is five times less than Britain’s, which has a smaller population.

The German government has been easing lockdown measures since late April but social distancing rules remain in place, as does a requirement to wear masks on public transit and in shops.

But officials have been warning against complacency as the number of new COVID-19 cases crept up recently. They pleaded with Germans this week to observe the distancing and mask rules and, amid concern about residents bringing home infections from summer trips abroad, introduced free tests for people entering the country.

Germany’s national disease control centre registered 955 new cases Friday, a high figure by recent standards.

“Thousands of #covidiots are celebrating themselves in Berlin as ‘the second wave,’ without distancing, without masks,” tweeted Saskia Esken, a co-leader of the Social Democrats, the junior party in Germany’s governing coalition.

“They are not just endangering our health, they are endangering our success against the pandemic and for the revival of the economy, education and society. Irresponsible!

AP

Berlin: A German man accidentally bought 28 Tesla Model 3 vehicles online amounting to 1.4 million Euros after a glitch on company’s website.

The person known as ‘Ballon-Man’ at online discussion forum Reddit wrote about how he and his father accidentally placed an order for 27 Model 3s instead of just one.

The family placed an order for a new Model 3 equipped with Autopilot, but something did not go right with the Tesla website.

After clicking ‘submit,’ the website responded the order could not be placed because of a payment issue even though they filled in payment details correctly.

The user’s father clicked ‘Confirm’ once again only to have the same result. This went on for about two hours.

Eventually the website responded and ‘Confirmed’ the order – all 28 of them, taking the total billing amount to 1.4 million Euros and given that each vehicle has a non-refundable charge of 100 Euro, that amount summed up to 2,800 Euros.

However, after a phone call, Tesla understood the situation and cancelled the entire order without charge and were instructed to simply place a new order.

IANS

Berlin: Germany Wednesday confirmed 285 COVID-19 fatalities in 24 hours, recording its highest daily death toll from the disease, health authorities reported. The 285 new deaths – surpassing the previous record of 266 last Friday – brought the total from 2,969 to 3,254, an increase of 9.6 per cent, Daily mail reported.

The spike in deaths comes despite a slowing infection rate which has prompted scientific advisers to call for a re-opening of schools ‘as soon as possible’. Germany also has a keen eye on the rate of contagion, known as R, which shows how quickly the virus is spreading.

The rate is currently around 1.2, meaning that each person with the virus infects another 1.2 people on average.

“It is really in our interest that this R rate goes below 1, or is at 1. That is an important factor,” said Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch diseases institute.

“We can’t speak of containment yet – we still have high numbers each day. We are seeing a slowdown,” he said. Angela Merkel is due to meet the leaders of Germany’s 16 states on Wednesday to discuss a possible way out of the lockdown.

In recommendations sent to Merkel, an influential group of academics called for schools to re-open ‘as soon as possible’.

The country has also closed shops, restaurants, playgrounds and sports facilities, and many companies have shut to aid the fight against the coronavirus. Berlin mayor Michael Mueller told broadcaster RBB on Tuesday that the lockdown could be relaxed ‘at the earliest from April 27, or possibly from May 1’.

Much of the early decision-making was left to Germany’s 16 states, of which Berlin is one. Federal economy minister Peter Altmaier declined to name a date for the relaxation of restrictions.

History is always fascinating. And if you are someone who loves both travelling and history, then Europe is the place to visit. Europe is a perfect amalgamation of ancient, medieval and modern history. It is up to you how you choose your destination.

Europe played a major role in shaping today’s international politics afterit recovered from the devastation caused by two World Wars. Germany was among the countries that was most affected by the World Wars and the Cold War. So, we chose Germany for thesehistorical reasons. The country is steeped in medieval and modern history. At the same time, Germany boasts some natural wonders that exemplify the diversity of the European landscape.

The best time to visit Germany is during the spring. Though there are many big interesting cities to see such as Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden and Munich, we were on a budget trip and time was a constraint, so we decided to visit only Berlin and Gottingen. Most tourists give Gottingen a miss but for those interested in nuclear physics, this small city tops the must-visit list.

Berlin is well connected by air from all metro cities in India. However, Mumbai and Delhi are the ideal boarding points, with multiple flights. We boarded from Mumbai, took a connecting flight from Istanbul and reached Berlin early morning.

Berlin is one of the cheapest cities in Europe, but it can get expensive if you don’t plan your travel properly. Ideally, you should pre-book a budget hotel or a home stay. We opted for a home stay, because the rooms are spacious and, at the same time, it helps save a few extra bucks, which you could spend on buying souvenirs.

There is something for everyone in Berlin. There’s wartime history, museum artefacts dating back 1,000 years, lavish street food and some vibrant multicultural street art and global music.

Berlin has a great transport network and most of the famous landmarks are free to visit. After a quick lunch at a street side restaurant, we set off to explore the city. It was our first day and we wanted to go slow. You can ride a tram or bus or simply buy a U Bahn pass for the subway rail system that connects the city almost throughout the day. Another wise thing to do is buy a Berlin Welcome Card in advance. The card allows discounts at several attractions in the city and covers your public transport costs.

The history of Berlin is complex and multi-layered, with numerous dark episodes. We decided to start with Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial,revealsa lot about the country’s turbulent past. The towering columns arranged in grid pattern on a sloping field looks like a cemetery without any names on tombstones. However, the abstract installation leaves room for interpretation. When you start walking through the zigzag roads adjoiningthe columns, you are reminded of the sufferings faced by the Jews atthe hands of the Nazis.

Our next destination was Museum Island. A visit to Berlin is incomplete without a trip to the HackescheHöfe. You can spend time taking a walk inthe largest single courtyard complex in the country. The courtyard is surrounded by 19th century buildings, which were partially damaged during World War II. However, the complex has been restored since the unification of East and West Germany in 1990.

We were tired after the long flight and decided to retire early. Next morning, we started with a hearty breakfast comprising burgers and pretzels dipped in decadent chocolate and cheese sauce. We decided to explore the city on foot during the first half of the day. There are many tour organisers who arrange walks. Our first stop was the East Side Gallery. This has become a prime tourist destination since the unification. Hundreds of artists from across the world were invited in 1990 to paint murals on the remaining portions of the iconic Berlin Wall. The wall is now a brightlycoloured gallery and an ideal place for photogs.

We were lucky to be in Berlin on a Sunday. The Mauerpark Fleamarket, which is held on Sundays, is an ideal place for shoppers who are looking for vintage clothes, vinyl records orantiques at affordable rates. There’s a lovely street food section within the market and you can grab a hamburger and a mug of beer. If you are interested in classical music, you can also attend free lunchtime concerts in the foyer of Berlin Philharmonic. The 40-minute long session showcases the rich musical heritage of the country.

After the walk, we were tired and wanted to relax. So, we decided to go for lunch. After relishing an elaborate meat platter and Berlinese coffee, we decided to go back to the hotel. We had pre-planned a cruise dinner. A cruise along River Spree over a lavish dinner and wine is a great way to spend a romantic evening in Berlin. And if you love photography, then you are spoilt for choice.

Unlike in India, dinneris eaten early in Germany but that doesn’t mean the city sleeps early. Berlin offersa pulsating nightlife. If you are in a mood to explore the narrow alleys of the city with every corner telling a new story, hire a night guide. The guide will take you through the streets of Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain to some of the most popular pubs, where you can relish a mug of the finest craft beer.

Next morning, we planned for an early Berlin Segway Tour. This tour covers almost everything. Berlin has more than a 100 museums and art galleries and although we had already seen a few, we didn’t mind visiting them again. The tour covers Brandenburg Gate, East Side Gallery, Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, Reichstag, and Gendarmenmarkt.

With half the day gone, we decided to go for lunch. If you are in Berlin, you can’t give currywurst a miss. There are manyrestaurants that serve this traditional dish, but Curry 21 certainly tops the list. This was our last day in Berlin and we decided to go shopping. Berlin is a shopaholic’s paradise. We decided to go to Friedrichstrabe. This place, or district as they call it, is surrounded by museums and the iconic Checkpoint Charlie, the main border crossing point during the Cold War. This is also the entertainment hub of the city with a number of theatres.

The next morning, we went on a quick trip to Gottingen. A three-and-a-half-hour drive from Berlin, Gottingen is a small city but home to one of Germany’s most historic institutions. Gottingen University during the 1930s became a focal point of the Nazi crackdown on Jewish physicists, who fled to countries like the US, UK, Sweden and Denmark. It is said that had Adolf Hitler known more about the work there, the atom bomb would have been invented long before in this university. There is a little bit of history in every corner of the university which till date has produced more than 45 Nobel laureates including Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, James Franck, Eugene Wigner and LeóSzilárd.

Back from Gottingen after a whirlwind tour, we freshened up at our hotel and headed straight to the airport, with plans of coming back for a longer stay next time.

RITUJAAY GHOSH, OP

New Delhi: Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom remained undefeated on her return to the 51kg category, winning all her three bouts during a training trip to Berlin, Germany. Mary Kom, who claimed her sixth world title in November last year is making a transition from the 48kg category to 51kg in pursuit of a second Olympic medal.

The 48kg category is not part of the Olympic roster. Her 2012 Olympic bronze medal came in the 51kg division.

In Berlin, Mary Kom defeated Ukraine’s Daria Sierhieieva, Germany’s Ursula Gottlob and Norway’s Veronica Losvik for a confident start to the season. All her victories were unanimous 5-0 triumphs. She would be returning to the country on Saturday morning.

“It is never as easy as the score-line suggests. But I am feeling good about my body and also very confident about my abilities. Let’s see how it goes from here,” Mary Kom told this agency from Berlin. The 36-year-old Manipuri credited her coach Chhote Lal Yadav, who is also an assistant coach in the national camp, for the success she has enjoyed.

“He keeps me on my toes and his inputs are valuable to my training,” she said. The mother-of-three enjoyed a stellar 2018, winning gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, the India Open, the world championships and a tournament in Poland.

BERLIN: Actor Ranveer Singh said India could be on the cusp of a musical revolution with the kind of Hindustani hip-hop that is the subject of his new movie premiering at the Berlin Film Festival.

“Gully Boy”, directed by India’s Zoya Akhtar, tells the fictional tale of Murad (Singh), a student who lives in a slum and ends up temporarily substituting for his injured father as chauffeur for a wealthy family.

He discovers a talent for rapping and uses it to vent his anger about poverty and the chasm between rich and poor, writing lines about babies cowering next to skyscrapers and wealthy people’s cars being big as poor people’s homes.

“This film is something that takes a genre of music that has essentially been underground in India so far and brings it to the mainstream,” Singh said.

“I want this to be the beginning of something because I really think Hindustani hip-hop is a revolution. It’s more than just music. It’s a musical and social revolution,” he said.

Singh said he grew up listening to rap music and it “feels amazing” to have recorded five songs for the film’s soundtrack.

The coming-of-age film depicts a young man who refuses to accept what his father has taught him – that he cannot afford big dreams and should get a stable office job – and who defies class conventions by secretly dating Safeena (Alia Bhatt), a doctor’s daughter.

Safeena is confident and violently attacks potential love rivals while Murad is a more sensitive and reserved character.

“Traditionally our films and gender dynamics are structured very differently,” Singh said. “So that’s an aspect of our film that we’re very proud of.”

He said he initially wanted to become an actor to be a virtuous hero with big muscles who beats other men up and stands up for what is right, but Akhtar had brought out a part of him on screen that was usually reserved for his friends and family.

“Zoya kind of very literally and metaphorically peels away all of those layers to kind of tap into a very real, very authentic side of me … a little bit more quiet, more reserved, more introverted and more internally feeling sensitive, vulnerable,” he said.

The movie – shot in Mumbai – features slum dwellers picking through rubbish, abandoned children preparing drugs to earn their keep and homes made from corrugated iron alongside wealthy Indians attending posh parties, modern skyscrapers and a group of camera-wielding British tourists visiting a slum.

It is one of around 400 films screening at this year’s Berlinale festival, which runs until Feb. 17.

REUTERS