German industries reeling after Trump tariff announcement
Business leaders in Germany have expressed shock and dismay after US President Donald Trump announced his latest round of tariffs on foreign imports.
On April 2nd, branded "Liberation Day" by the White House, Trump had announced 20 percent tariffs on all future imports coming from the EU.
The new tariffs "will only create losers", the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA) said on Thursday, calling on the EU to respond with "force".
"The EU is now called upon to act together and with necessary force, while continuing to signal its willingness to negotiate," the VDA said in a statement.
The body represents the German auto industry, which counts the US as its largest export market.
READ ALSO: How will Trump's car tariffs impact Germany?
Meanwhile the German chemical industry called for the EU to "keep a cool head" in response to new US tariffs, warning that "a spiral of escalation would only increase the damage".
"We regret the decision of the US government," the Association of the German Chemical Industry (VCI) said in a statement, calling on Brussels to maintain a "close dialogue" with America, the largest export market for the German chemical industry.
The United States is by far the most important export market for German chemical products outside the EU and absorbs almost a quarter of the country's pharmaceutical exports. Along with the auto industry, it is particularly vulnerable to th effects of tariffs.
Trump announced the EU tariffs on Wednesday as part of a long list of levies against countries around the world, including major trade partners.
He had previously announced a round of tariffs targeted at foreign steel and aluminium, as well as car manufacturing. His 25-percent taxes on imported cars came into force on Thursday.
Jesuit priest jailed for protesting climate change
Rev. Jörg Alt began his 25-day prison sentence in Nuremberg this week for participating in a climate activists’ street blockade.
He and 40 other activists had blocked traffic by gluing their hands to a street in front of the city’s main train station to draw attention to climate change.
A Bavarian court had sentenced Alt to pay €500, but as a devout priest who had taken a vow of poverty, Alt insisted he had no bank account and no income with which to pay the fine.
"I do not want to harm the order and my fellow brothers by paying my fine,” he told DPA.
The Munich Eye reported that Alt estimates his stay in prison will amount to a total cost of €4,500. He has also said that he plans to donate any excess funds from a crowdfunding initiative created in his name to support other activists facing legal challenges.
“I don’t like doing this, especially as my health is no longer the best at the age of 63," Alt said before entering prison. "But I see no alternative, because it’s the last form of protest I have left in this case to draw attention to important issues."
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Tesla sales continue to tumble amid Musk controversies
Tesla announced its Q1 sales on Wednesday, revealing that deliveries fell by around 13 percent year-on-year in the past quarter following a model change and controversies surrounding company CEO Elon Musk.
Germany saw one of the sharpest drops in Tesla sales recently, with new registrations in February falling by 76 percent to 1,429. In February last year, the company had sold 6,038 vehicles.
Musk sparked resentment among many Germans for repeatedly endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany on his social media platform X.
The billionaire also whipped up controversy in the country by appearing to show the Hitlergruß (Hitler salute) on stage at the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
A number of issues surrounding Musk's Brandenburg-based Tesla factory have also served to weaken his brand in the Bundesrepublik.
Bosses at the site recently sparked fury by threatening to take back sick pay from employees working there - a violation of German workers' rights. The factory has also angered local residents who say its expansion threatens drinking-water supplies.
International operation takes down major child porn site
German investigators said Wednesday they had dismantled a major streaming site for images of child sex abuse in an international operation coordinated by Europol.
The move to shut down the "KidFlix" streaming service was "one of the biggest blows against child pornography in recent years, if not ever", said Guido Limmer, deputy head of the Bavarian criminal police.
The investigation was led by German police and supported by authorities in 38 countries under the coordination of Europol.
In all, "KidFlix" is said to have hosted more than 91,000 videos with images of child sex abuse, totalling around 6,288 hours of film, according to Bavarian police.
Authorities were able to identify almost 1,400 individual users of the platform, which was hosted on the so-called darknet.
Police in March carried out searches at locations in 31 countries in the "largest operation ever" organised by Europol, according to Limmer.
READ ALSO: Which types of crime are rising and falling in Germany?
German authorities said they had endeavoured to identify victims of child sex abuse while the investigation was still in progress.
Berlin evacuates 19 Germans and their relatives from Gaza
Germany said Wednesday that 19 of its citizens and 14 of their relatives had been evacuated from Gaza as Israel presses its offensive against Hamas in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said the evacuation on Tuesday "took considerable time" but Berlin was "very relieved that this succeeded through close cooperation" with Israeli officials.
Deschauer added that she welcomed reports of talks, facilitated by regional actors, towards a new Gaza truce.
"That's important, good and somewhat encouraging, but the current situation is dramatic, and it's important that all parties return to the negotiating table to achieve a ceasefire," she said at a regular news briefing.
Israel resumed major air strikes on Gaza on March 18th after talks on next steps in a six-week truce with Hamas broke down. On Wednesday, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a major expansion of military operations in Gaza to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists".
Jordan's King Abdullah II, speaking during a Berlin visit, deplored the dire humanitarian situation and the war's impact on children.
READ ALSO: Germany 'examining' ICC arrest warrant for Israel's Netanyahu
"Today, Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world, along with massive numbers of injured adults," he told the Global Disability Summit.
He said a Jordanian aid project with mobile clinics had helped more than 400 amputees in Gaza, including children. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, 50,399 people - mostly civilians - have been killed in the war so far.
In November last year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrent for Isreali Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
With reporting by Imogen Goodman, AFP and DPA.
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