Covid

"Deeply concerned": who speaks of corona pandemic

The World Health Organization now regards the corona crisis as a pandemic. One is "deeply concerned". Chancellor Merkel appeals to citizens to show solidarity in order to contain the virus.

The World Health Organization now classifies the outbreak of the corona pathogen as a pandemic. The extent of new diseases and new deaths worldwide in the past two weeks has led to this decision, said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. According to the WHO, a pandemic is a worldwide outbreak of a new disease.

More than 4,000 dead so far

Covid-19 diseases have now been recorded in 114 countries, said the director general. According to WHO information, around 118,000 people are infected with the pathogen. More than 4,000 people died, the organization said. Many more patients fought for their lives in hospitals. It is to be expected that the numbers will continue to rise.

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Coalition agrees on electoral reform and corona package

At the last minute, the coalition committee agreed on a reform of the electoral law. In addition, the top of the SPD and Union agreed to extend the short-time allowance.

The grand coalition has settled its dispute over electoral reform. The party and parliamentary group leaders agreed in lengthy negotiations on a two-stage model in the evening: A transitional solution is to apply to the federal election in 2021 to "dampen" the increase in the number of MPs, as CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said.

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Coalition agrees on demand for financial market tax

The black-yellow coalition has agreed on an initiative to introduce a Europe-wide financial market tax. The coalition committee had agreed on it, said Union parliamentary group leader Volker Kauder and the FDP parliamentary group leader Birgit Homburger after consultations in Berlin. In the joint resolution, the federal government is called upon to "work at European and global level for an effective financial market tax – that is, financial transaction tax or financial activity tax." Both models should therefore be tested.

Financial markets should share in the costs of the crisis

"We want the euro to stabilize, but we also want the financial markets to participate in this stabilization," said Kauder. The Union was able to convince the FDP that there must be an instrument beyond the bank levy that curbs "the unrestrained hunger of financial jugglers," said CSU regional group leader Hans-Peter Friedrich after the agreement. The FDP advocated regulation of financial market products on an international level. "Those who speculate to the detriment of taxpayers must be drawn to the cost of the crisis," said Homburger.

In the debate about the different models of a financial transaction tax and a financial activity tax, the coalition committee did not make a clear decision. FDP parliamentary group leader Homburger said in the evening that the discussion should not be narrowed down to an instrument such as the transaction tax, where it was questionable whether it would actually have the desired success. According to the parliamentary manager of the Union parliamentary group, Peter Altmaier, a clear majority of the board of the Union parliamentary group had previously spoken out in favor of the financial transaction tax. In coalition circles it was also said that the FDP had given up the previous resistance to the financial transaction tax by approving the decision.

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Coalition agrees on a quota for women on executive boards

As early as in the coalition agreement, the Union and the SPD agreed on improvements for women on company boards. After a long struggle, there is now a compromise. The Justice Minister speaks of a "great success".

The grand coalition has basically agreed on a binding quota for women on executive boards. According to Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht, after the coalition committee set up an agreement on this issue, a member of the executive boards of listed and jointly determined companies with more than three members must be a woman in future.

A supervisory board quota of at least 30 percent and a minimum participation in executive boards were agreed for companies with a majority stake by the federal government. A minimum participation is also to be introduced for corporations under public law such as health insurance companies and pension and accident insurance institutions, as well as the Federal Employment Agency. "This is a great success for women in Germany and at the same time offers a great opportunity both for society and for the companies themselves," said Lambrecht.

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Coalition agrees on a billion dollar stimulus package

VAT reduction, child bonus, help for municipalities – but no purchase bonus for combustion vehicles: the Union and SPD have agreed on a 130 billion euro package with which the corona crisis is to be overcome.

In the fight against the consequences of the corona pandemic, the federal and state governments are launching an economic stimulus package worth 130 billion euros in 20. As Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) said in Berlin after two days of deliberations with the coalition leaders, the federal government accounts for 120 billion euros.

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Coalition agrees billion aid for farmers

In the dispute over the planned tightening of the fertilizer ordinance, the coalition is planning to help farmers financially with the "farmer billion". The money is to be made available for agri-environmental programs and investments.

In view of the severe upheavals due to the planned tightening of the fertilizer ordinance, the grand coalition is planning billions in aid for the farmers: In order to support the farmers in the upcoming transformation process, a total of one billion euros will be made available for agri-environmental programs and investments within four years the resolution paper of the coalition leaders from early morning.

CSU boss Markus Soder spoke of a "peasant billion". "It’s about a clear signal of appreciation and support in difficult times," said Soder. One fights for the avoidance of hardship in the fertilizer regulation. But if changes are necessary, the money should then be a help, for example for the purchase of new slurry systems.

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Coal phase-out: rwe expects "significant job cuts"

According to its own statements, RWE is preparing for job cuts after the compromise for the coal phase-out. However, there are still no concrete figures for this "substantial downsizing".

According to RWE, the planned exit from coal will also cost jobs at the energy company. In the WDR interview, RWE board member Frank Wiegand said that the recommendations of the coal commission would have "serious effects" and that there would be a "significant downsizing".

"Deep cuts"

RWE boss Rolf Martin Schmitz had previously spoken of "significant job cuts" in the Rheinische Post. Over the past few years, power plant blocks in the Rhenish mining district have already been taken off the grid to ensure safety: "This makes further shutdowns all the more difficult and will then probably have a major impact on the opencast mining system."

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Coal project in australia: siemens holds onto order

It’s about technology for a train that is supposed to transport coal in Australia. By Siemens standards, the contract does not bring a lot of money, but it does bring a lot of criticism. Nevertheless, the group is sticking to it.

Siemens wants to carry out the order as part of a controversial coal mine project in Australia despite strong criticism from environmental groups. "We have to meet our contractual obligations," wrote CEO Joe Kaeser on Twitter in the evening – after an extraordinary board meeting.

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Coal project in australia: protests against siemens contract

Siemens wants to decide on a delivery for a controversial coal mine in Australia by Monday. The project is met with bitter resistance and climate activist Thunberg has also intervened.

Siemens has been criticized for delivering a train signaling system for a controversial coal mine in Australia. The group now wants to make a decision on this by Monday. Climate activists protested violently against the German company’s commitment.

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Coal phase-out: companies receive billions in compensation

The operators of the coal-fired power plants will receive over four billion euros in compensation from the state treasury over the next few years. That is what the timetable for the coal phase-out provides. The first details of the shutdown were also known.

The coal phase-out brings the power plant operators billions in compensation. Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said in Berlin that payments totaling 4.35 billion euros from the state treasury are planned. The companies in western Germany accounted for payments of 2.6 billion euros, those in the east 1.75 billion. A substantial sum should go to RWE. "That is spread over roughly 15 years – in each case based on the shutdowns." That is affordable for the state.

This was preceded by a top meeting between the federal government and the four coal countries. A binding timetable for the exit from coal had been agreed. Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said eight "very old and dirty" power plant units should now be disconnected from the grid quickly, the first at the end of the year. "The coal phase-out begins immediately, it is binding."