Saturday, June 10, 2017

German News for Saturday Afternoon

Suspect attacked in prison:  Things got heated yesterday in Freiburg's state-prison yesterday.  The Romanian truck-driver who was picked up last week for the murder of a German gal from October of last year.....was attacked by 20 prisoners in the facility. Roughed up pretty bad.  Cops will have to keep this guy in isolation until the court case can be heard.  If declared guilty, it's hard to imagine where they can send him without keeping him in isolation for his prison sentence.

Half-a-million per trip:  The Express out of the UK put up a story where they discussed the profit margin for each boat-load of migrants (250 usually) that they can get out to sea.  The profit is around $500,000 per load.  You can do the math....but go figure two loads a week....a million per week.  In six months, you and your four buddies running the 'delivery-business' can retire with 24-million dollars.  All tax-free, if you think about it.

1 October vote in Spain:  The state of Catalonia in Spain (northeast corner of the country) has said that an election will occur on 1 October to seek leaving Spain and becoming their own republic.  Spain says no....it will not be allowed.  Might be curious how the election comes out.  The grudge held by Catalonia is that they are the most profitable state of the country and simply don't see tax revenue returned to the state.  If they were permitted to leave Spain, it would bring up a massive problem in funding various social programs for the remaining states of Spain.

Poland referendum:  The EU is probably looking at the threat made by Poland and a bit worried.  The Polish government says that they will have a referendum up for 2019 (two years away) which will concern EU quotas being handed down to individual states on accepting a number of migrants into these countries.  If the referendum goes against the quotas?  The EU will claim they have authority to issue the quotas.  But 2019 is also the next election period for the EU and this might be timed to affect the European-wide election.  Simply taking a guess....but you might find two or three other countries talking on a referendum as well.

Frankfurt growing:  Growth is something that is continually discussed in Frankfurt.....with expectations of 80,000 more residents within 13 years.  Yesterday, the city approved a farm-area transformation on the far northwest side of town.  Massive new neighborhood being built.  11,000 new apartments part of this community.  Supposed to be a combination of high-end and affordable apartments.  If you go and draw a 25-mile circle around Frankfurt, there's easily more than two-million people in the region.

Merkel in Mexico:  Chancellor Merkel is in Mexico and a trade agreement deal is being discussed.  Mexico wants an inside seat to the EU.....part of which is to put more pressure on Trump/USA.  One curious aspect which the EU might be stupid enough to allow......BMW-Mexico is manufacturing cars in Mexico, and the company probably would like to have a front-door to bring their products into the EU.....bringing less costly BMWs (probably 30-percent less) into the EU market.  It would be amusing for the German car market to wake up and realize what the EU might be discussing.

Air Berlin in spiral:  For months, the marginalized German airline has been in trouble.  It's primary owner....Etihad Airlines....had hoped on some deal unfolding with TUI using the airline for it's travel business to resorts throughout Europe.  Well....late in the week, that deal fell through.  Right now, Air Berlin is searching for some loan guarantees with two German states.  This is an airline which started up in the late 1970s, and was contained to a very small market.  At some point in the past 15 years, some major money flowed in and there was the expectation of them becoming the number two airline in Germany, and taking a full seat at the new BER airport in Berlin.  For the past ten years...one single year with profit, with all of the rest set to losses.  It's hard to figure out the big screw-up....they are moving 30-million passengers a year.....yet showing dramatic losses.

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