+++ Ticker +++
Today’s news
Ex-Trump adviser Bannon is on trial for Capitol attack
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon
© Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP / AFP
Today’s news in star-Ticker.
Today’s news in star-Ticker:
8.33 a.m.: Ex-Bundeswehr soldiers arrested on suspicion of terrorism
The federal prosecutor’s office arrested two former Bundeswehr soldiers on suspicion that they were trying to found a terrorist organization. The two men had planned since the beginning of the year to form a 100 to 150-strong mercenary force under their command, the authority in Karlsruhe announced. With this group they would have wanted to intervene in the civil war in Yemen.
7.25 a.m.: Syrian media report 13 dead in bomb attack on army bus
At least 13 people were killed in a bomb attack on a Syrian army bus in Damascus. In the “terrorist bombing attack” two explosives detonated while the bus crossed the Raiss Bridge in the Syrian capital, said the state news agency Sana. Three people were injured.
The civil war in Syria began in 2011 with peaceful protests against ruler Bashar al-Assad. Since then around 500,000 people have been killed and more than 6.6 million forced abroad to flee. Assad had been able to extend his control over the country again. From 2011, there were regular bomb attacks in Damascus, but they have now become rare because jihadists and other Assad opponents were largely expelled from the Damascus region in 2018.
7.03 a.m.: Heavy squalls expected in the Harz Mountains
Stormy gusts are expected in the Harz Mountains today. As a spokesman for the German Weather Service said, strong gusts are to be expected, especially in higher altitudes. Hurricane gusts are expected on the Brocken. According to the DWD, a strong south-westerly current also ensures stormy weather in the Harz during the rest of the day. A short rest period is predicted for Thursday night. After that, squalls in the Harz region and gusts of wind on the Brocken can also be expected on Thursday morning.
6.36 a.m.: Woman falls out of window because of cell phone
A woman fell out of the window of a residential building in Essen after using her cell phone and was slightly injured. During the night, the 20-year-old stood at the window on the first floor, the police said. According to initial findings, her cell phone fell out of hand first. When she tried to grab it, she rushed out of the apartment.
6.35 a.m.: Olympic flame arrived in Beijing for the winter games
The Olympic flame for the 2022 Winter Games has arrived in Beijing. As China’s state news agency Xinhua reported, a plane with the flame on board landed in the Chinese capital that morning. Accordingly, a welcoming ceremony was planned at the Beijing Olympic Tower near the national stadium.
6.17 a.m.: According to the UN, national plans on fossil fuels are torpedoing the 1.5 degree target
According to a UN report, the national plans to promote fossil fuels are still not compatible with the climate targets set out in the Paris Agreement. The report of the UN Environment Program (UNEP) published today came to the conclusion that the signatory states of the agreement want to produce more than twice as much coal, gas and oil in this decade as a limitation of global warming to 1.5 degrees would actually allow.
5.43 a.m.: Australia reaches a vaccination rate of 70 percent
Australia has reached a vaccination milestone: As of today, more than 70 percent of the population over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. “To be precise, it’s 70.007 percent of Australians. That’s a respectable number,” said Health Secretary Greg Hunt. “This allows us to think about what else we can do to get back to some kind of Covid normal here in Australia,” said government health advisor Paul Kelly.
5.37 a.m.: Volcano erupted in Japan
The Aso volcano erupted in southwestern Japan. During the eruption, thick clouds of ash piled up to a height of around 3500 meters, as reported by the Japanese TV station NHK. The volcano hurled rocks and volcanic ash for more than a kilometer. There were initially no reports of possible injuries. The Meteorological Authority warned residents of the region on the southwestern main island of Kyushu not to approach the 1,592-meter-high mountain under any circumstances. Large boulders and volcanic ash could fall within a radius of two kilometers. The Asian island kingdom of Japan has around 110 active volcanoes. Around 50 of them are monitored around the clock.
4.53 a.m.: Nationwide seven-day incidence increases to 80.4
The nationwide seven-day incidence of new corona infections has risen again and is now 80.4. As the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Wednesday morning, citing data from the health authorities, 17,015 new infections with the corona virus were registered within one day. The previous day the seven-day incidence was 75.1; a week ago it was 65.4. The value indicates the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week. The number of deaths in Germany in connection with a corona infection rose by 92 cases to 94,808. According to the RKI, the total number of detected infections since the start of the pandemic is 4,401,631, the number of those who have recovered is around 4,174,400.
4.02 a.m.: 14-year-old comes to court for the murder of 13-year-old in Heidelberg
A murder trial against a boy who was 14 at the time of the crime begins today at 8:30 a.m. in front of the Heidelberg Regional Court. He is said to have ambushed a 13-year-old in a forest in Sinsheim near Heidelberg in February and killed him with several stab wounds. The victim is said to have been lured into the forest by a child who is not yet of age. In their indictment, the public prosecutor’s office assumes a detailed planned act of jealousy. The chamber invited 34 witnesses and three experts to take evidence. Because of the young age of the defendant, the main hearing is not open to the public.
2.09 a.m.: Committee on Capitol attack – Ex-Trump adviser Bannon should go to court
The committee of inquiry into the processing of the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th wants to bring the former Trump adviser Steve Bannon to court. The committee unanimously adopted a report finding Bannon’s disregard for Congress. In a next step, the House of Representatives, dominated by US President Joe Biden’s Democrats, has to vote on it before the case goes to court. Bannon was Republican Donald Trump’s chief strategist for the first few months of his presidency.
0.49 a.m.: North Korea claims to be successfully testing submarine-supported missiles
According to state media, North Korea has successfully tested a submarine-based ballistic missile. The “new type” missile has “many advanced control and steering technologies,” reported the state news agency KCNA. According to diplomats, the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting for Wednesday.
0.14 a.m.: Facebook pays million fine for discriminating against US workers
The US Internet company Facebook has to pay a fine totaling 14.25 million dollars (12.25 million euros) for allegedly discriminating against Americans when awarding jobs. The company of tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg preferred foreigners when filling positions over US workers, said the US Department of Justice in Washington. Allegedly, Facebook is said to have primarily considered foreigners for certain lucrative jobs and obtained visas and green cards for them instead of looking around the US job market.