Latest news with #Politik
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Woke sexual harassment poster that shows a white woman groping a disabled black person sparks outcry
A German council has come under fire for a sexual harassment poster that shows a white woman groping a disabled black person. The sign was put up in an outdoor swimming pool in the western town of Büren with the caption: 'Stop! Grabbing is forbidden.' At the bottom of the poster, a turtle wearing goggles and rubber armbands tells the reader: 'If something doesn't feel right, you have the right to call for help by calling out my name: Tiki!' Several signs were put up to spread awareness about sexual assault as part of the 'Summer Sun Safety' campaign. The campaign comes after a group of Syrian men were arrested for groping girls at a swimming pool in the nearby region of Hessen. One of the posters, depicting a white woman groping a black boy with a prosthetic leg, sparked outrage - with critics saying it must be a 'bad joke'. They said it was an attempt to make a politically correct statement about sexual harassment by making the perpetrator a white woman and giving the victim a physical disability. Official German statistics show that men are responsible for the overwhelming majority of sexual assaults in outdoor swimming pools. The debate has now caught international attention. Right-wing conservative US activist Charlie Kirk, a supporter and close confidant of President Donald Trump, wrote on X: 'Germany has a problem with Third World migrant men groping German women' In 2024, 237 out of 367 recorded incidents were also committed by foreigners. Rainer Wendt, the head of the German police union, warned the poster would likely embolden the far-Right Alternative for Germany [AfD] party, which is a vocal campaigner against 'woke' values. 'This campaign has only one winner, the AfD. But there are many losers: women and girls. Their dire situation is being ridiculed,' he told the German tabloid Bild. Manfred Pentz, the European affairs minister for the state of Hessen, said: 'After the incidents we've recently experienced here, this must be a bad joke, which makes a mockery of those who have been affected. 'If it doesn't fit into their world view, it isn't allowed. Simply unbelievable.' The city of Büren apologised for any offence caused by the poster and said it had not meant to upset victims of sexual harassment, or to play down the issue. 'The city takes seriously the public criticism of design elements of the campaign, Summer Sun Security.' a spokesman said. 'The occasion is an opportunity for reflection by the city administration. We are re-evaluating our communication methods and they will be more sensitive, and different, in the future.' The debate has now caught international attention. Right-wing conservative US activist Charlie Kirk, a supporter and close confidant of President Donald Trump, wrote on X: 'Germany has a problem with Third World migrant men groping German women. 'So the German government has put up a PSA warning about white women groping vulnerable immigrant men who also have prosthetic legs for some reason.'
Bloomberg
01-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Germany's Merz Secures Long-Awaited Trump Meeting on June 5
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington for his inaugural meeting with US President Donald Trump next week, almost a month after starting his term leading Europe's largest economy. The 69-year-old conservative, who became Germany's chancellor on May 6, will meet the US leader at the White House on June 5, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in an emailed statement on Saturday.
Bloomberg
31-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Germany's Merz Secures Long-Awaited Trump Meeting on Thursday
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington for his inaugural meeting with US President Donald Trump next week, almost a month after starting his term leading Europe's largest economy. The 69-year-old conservative, who became Germany's chancellor on May 6, will travel to Washington for a meeting at the White House on Thursday, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in an emailed statement on Saturday.
RNZ News
28-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
For the love of leaks
Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche issued a memo to government staff warning against leaks of sensitive information - a memo that was subsequently leaked to RNZ. Editor of Richard Harman joins Emile Donovan to talk about receiving leaks, how journalists can use them, and what leaks say about the government agencies they originate from. Photo: Reece Baker/RNZ
Bloomberg
28-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Germany's Top Diplomat Expects New US Sanctions Against Russia
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said after meeting his US counterpart Marco Rubio that he's optimistic Washington will issue new sanctions against Russia if President Vladimir Putin continues to dodge a peace agreement with Ukraine. 'We have a common position regarding Ukraine,' Wadephul said in Washington after a 45-minute meeting with Rubio on Wednesday. 'Here in the United States, over 80 senators are prepared to consider and pass a sanctions bill in Congress. That is not in the hands of my interlocutor today, but of the Senate. But he, like me, assumes that if Putin continues his attitude of denial, action will be taken.'
