Germany daily COVID cases rise above 200,000

BERLIN - The number of new COVID-19 infections in Germany exceeded 200,000 in a day for the first time on Thursday, hitting staffing at companies including Lufthansa Cargo.

The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases reported 203,136 positive tests in the last 24 hours, 69,600 cases more than the same day a week ago.

The seven-day incidence per 100,000 people rose to 1,017 from 941 the previous day, while another 188 people died, bringing the death toll since the start of the pandemic in early 2020 to 117,314.

The rising number of infections has led to staffing shortages in sectors including logistics, healthcare and child care.

Airline group Lufthansa's cargo arm said a staffing crunch at its hub in Frankfurt meant it was currently unable to handle sorting of loose freight from the United States, Canada and Europe.

"Despite comprehensive preventative measures, we are now clearly feeling the rising infection numbers," Lufthansa Cargo said [in a statement?] on Thursday, adding that up to 15% of cargo at Frankfurt was affected by delays.

It said its flight schedule was unaffected, as was transportation of time-sensitive goods such as organs for transplants or temperature-controlled cargo.

Rival DHL said its operations in Frankfurt and Leipzig were still running smoothly.

The German Hospitals Federation had warned earlier this week that three-quarters of hospitals were reporting higher than usual numbers of staff out on sick leave.

Around 75% of the German population have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine - less than in western European peers such as France, Italy or Spain, where the equivalent figures are 80%, 83% and 86%.

German lawmakers debated on Wednesday whether to impose compulsory COVID-19 shots, while protesters gathered outside the parliament building.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz backs compulsory vaccines for over-18s but his coalition government is divided on the issue and he has told lawmakers to vote according to their conscience.

Many lawmakers, including some from the coalition's junior partner, the liberal Free Democrats, oppose mandatory vaccines, arguing this violates the second article of Germany's constitution that guarantees citizens control over their own bodies. 

-reuters

69,601 new infections, 527 dead from COVID in Germany in 1 day

BERLIN - Germany recorded the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 since February on Wednesday as it battles to stop a fourth wave of the pandemic.

A total of 69,601 new infections were reported, 2,415 more than the same time a week ago, and another 527 people died - the highest number since Feb. 12 - to bring the total to 104,047, the German Robert Koch Institute for disease control said.

However, the country's seven-day incidence rate of cases per 100,000 people continued to fall, declining to 427 from 432 on Tuesday.

Experts have questioned whether the metric means Germany has passed the peak of this wave of the pandemic or whether the figures are unreliable because some health authorities are so overwhelmed, particularly in the hardest-hit areas.

The country agreed last week to bar the unvaccinated from access to all but the most essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries and to ramp up the vaccination campaign. 

-reuters 

Germany's seven-day COVID incidence rate rises to record high

Germany's incidence rate measuring the number of new coronavirus infections per 100,000 people over the last seven days soared to 201.1 on Monday, a record since the pandemic erupted more than a year ago.

The figure, published by Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI), surpasses the last high, which had been 197.6 reached on December 22, 2020. 

While many more people in the country have had the jab than at that point last year, vaccination rates have stagnated at under 70 percent, with officials pleading in the last days for the population to get the jab.

"For the unvaccinated, the risk is high that they will become infected in the coming months," warned RKI chief Lothar Wieler on Wednesday.

In the eastern state of Saxony, where the incidence rate is more than twice the national average at 491.3, unvaccinated people face new restrictions from Monday.

Access to indoor dining and other indoor events will be limited to those who are fully vaccinated or can show proof of recovery.

The new rules are the toughest state-wide restrictions in Germany against non-inoculated people. Only children as well as those who cannot receive jabs for medical reasons will be exempt.

The surge in German cases comes with the country in political limbo following September's general election. 

The incoming coalition parties, aiming to form a government by early December, have so far ruled out mandatory jabs and said there will be no new lockdowns -- at least not for the vaccinated.

Agence France-Presse

Germany extends virus shutdown until March 7

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel's government agreed Wednesday to continue a partial lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic until at least March 7, even as Germans grow increasingly weary of the tough restrictions.

Following crunch talks with the leaders of Germany's 16 states, Merkel said that the number of new Covid-19 infections in Europe's top economy was dropping after more than two months of shuttered schools and shops.

"When we look at this development we can be quite satisfied," she told reporters. 

But she called on Germans to be patient as fears grow over more contagious virus variants first detected in Britain and South Africa.

"We want to do everything in our power so that we don't end up riding an up-and-down wave of openings and closures," Merkel said, calling the period until mid-March "existential" for Germany's management of the pandemic. 

The new strains "are spreading especially quickly and require significant additional efforts", the government said in conclusions agreed at the meeting.

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

Under Germany's federal system, regional states have significant decision-making powers and some have strayed from the government line in the past to loosen some restrictions.

The text stresses that schools and daycare centers should be "the first to gradually reopen", but that it is for individual states to decide how and when.

After the announcement, Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller said the capital would begin partially reopening schools from February 22, with other regions expected to follow suit.

The conclusions call on Health Minister Jens Spahn to review whether nursery workers and teachers can be given higher priority in vaccinations. 

Hairdressers may reopen on March 1 if they take the necessary hygiene precautions.

The conclusions also raise the prospect of museums, galleries and some services restarting once the virus incidence rate falls to 35 new cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period.

The government had earlier set an incidence target of 50 but revised it downward due to the threat of what Merkel called "exponential growth" posed by the more contagious virus mutations. 

With an eye to an outbreak of the South African variant in the Austrian region of Tyrol bordering Germany's Bavaria state, Merkel said she had conveyed her "concern" to Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday.

SCIENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT

Germany closed restaurants, hotels, culture and leisure centers in November, followed by schools and non-essential shops in December. The measures were later extended until February 14.

Since then, new Covid-19 cases have dropped considerably and the seven-day incidence rate has fallen below 75 for the first time since November.

The figure is currently at 68, down from 111 at the last such meeting on January 28, Merkel said. 

But Covid-19 deaths remain troublingly high, and hospitals say they are still close to capacity.

Germany on Wednesday added another 8,072 coronavirus cases to the official figures, bringing the total to just under 2.3 million. 

Almost 63,000 people have died of the virus, according to the Robert Koch Institute for disease control.

Although a majority of Germans still back Merkel's science-based management of the crisis, fatigue is setting in after three long months of restrictions and amid a sluggish vaccine rollout.

A YouGov poll this week showed that just half of Germans want the current measures to be maintained or tightened, down from 65 percent in early January.

Merkel said she and state leaders would convene again on March 3 to fine-tune the restrictions based on the latest data.

Agence France-Presse

German food company to change racist name of popular sauce

BERLIN (AP) — One of Germany’s best-known food companies said it will rename a popular spicy dressing because of the racist connotations of its name.

Food company Knorr will change the name of its “Zigeuersauce,” or “gypsy sauce” to “Paprika Sauce Hungarian Style,” the German weekly Bild am Sonntag reported Sunday.

“Since ‘gypsy sauce’ can be interpreted in a negative way, we have decided to give our Knorr sauce a new name,” said Unilever, the international consumer goods group that owns Knorr. Unilever could not independently be reached for comment on Sunday.

The popular spicy sauce, a staple in many German households, will within a few weeks show up with the new name in supermarkets across the country, Bild am Sonntag reported.

Civil rights groups have for years called for the renaming of the brand, but in 2013, the company rejected the demand, the German news agency dpa reported.

The renaming of the brand follows recent international debates over racism, especially in the United States, where big national companies have also renamed traditional brands in response to concerns about racial stereotyping.

“Zigeuner” is a derogative German expression for the Roma and Sinti minority groups who have lived in many European countries for centuries. Roma and Sinti are still discriminated against in Europe. They often live below the poverty line and on the margins of society without equal access to education, jobs, or the opportunity for upwards mobility.

The terms “Zigeunersauce” has been used in Germany for more than 100 years to describe a hot sauce based on tomatoes with small-chopped pieces of bell pepper, onions, vinegar and spices like paprika. It’s mostly served with meat.

A popular dish with the sauce that’s often served in traditional German restaurants is called “Zigeunerschnitzel,” or “gypsy schnitzel.” That name is also still used on many menus across the country nowadays — despite much criticism.

Roma and Sinti organizations in Germany have long pointed out that the sauce is not even part of their traditional cuisine and they have also demanded for years that the name be abolished.

The head of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma welcomed Knorr’s decision to no longer use the term.

“It is good that Knorr reacts to the complaints of apparently a lot of people,” Romani Rose told Bild am Sonntag. However, he added that more than the discriminating nature of the sauce’s name, he was worried by the increasing racism against minorities in Germany.

He noted how some soccer fans in Germany chant the words “Zigeuner” or “Jude” — Jew — to insult players or fans of opposing teams during matches.

In June, Germany’s official anti-discrimination watchdog said it received significantly more complaints about racism in 2019 than the year before. The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency said it received 1,176 complaints about racism last year, an increase of 10% compared to 2018.

The number of complaints about racism has more than doubled since 2015, the agency said.

There have also been a rising number of racists attacks in Germany recently, including the killing of nine immigrants in Hanau in February and the attack on a synagogue in Halle last year by far-right extremists.

Associated Press

Deutsche Bank says results will beat forecasts

Germany's biggest lender Deutsche Bank said it expects to report a net profit of 66 million euros ($71 million) for the first quarter, beating market forecasts.

Turnover is expected to reach 6.4 billion euros while provisions for credit losses should amount to 500 million euros, it said in a statement on its website late Sunday.

The bank's common equity tier 1 ratio, the main bank solvency ratio, was 12.8 percent at the end of the quarter, down from 13.6 percent at the end of 2019, it said.

"In light of the current macroeconomic environment", Deutsche Bank "has made the clear decision to allow capital to fall modestly and temporarily below its target in order to support clients and the broader economy at this time of economic crisis."

The bank is due to release its quarterly results on Wednesday.

"The short-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic make it difficult for the bank to accurately reflect the timing and the magnitude of changes to its original capital plan," it said.

"Deutsche Bank's priority is to stand by its clients without compromising on capital strength."

The German group lost 5.72 billion euros in 2019, its fifth consecutive net loss, and in July announced a major restructuring plan.

"We're very satisfied that our first-quarter results demonstrate the progress we're making with the transformation of our bank, the operating strength of our business, and our resilience," chief executive Christian Sewing said in the statement.

At the end of January, Sewing said he was optimistic for 2020 and convinced that the radical transformation of the German banking giant would pay off further ahead.

Agence France-Presse

Balanced Brazil reduces dependence on Neymar for World Cup

SAO PAULO — Brazil is still shaking off the embarrassment of losing to Germany 7-1 in its home World Cup.

Since Tite took over as coach in 2016, the five-time world champions have become a winning machine again and were the first to qualify for Russia.

Neymar, who missed the humiliating match against Germany because of injury, has had to recover from a broken foot that kept him out for three months before the trip to Russia.

But there isn’t such a reliance now on the world’s most expensive player. In six games without Neymar, Brazil still won four times, including a friendly against Germany in Berlin in March.


“He will be missed by any team,” Brazil defender Thiago Silva said, “but not having him sometimes helps us consolidate the style we want.”

Indeed, the Brazilians head into the World Cup looking more balanced and with a range of top players available in every position. They were so dominant in South American qualifying that they would still have secured first place without the points secured in six games under Dunga before the coach was fired.

Brazil should be even more dangerous in Russia if Neymar, who sustained the injury playing for Paris Saint-Germain in February, is fully fit.

“Skill wise, he is already the best player in the world,” Brazil great Pele said. “This is his time to shine.”

Here’s a closer look at the Brazil team:

Coach
In less than two years on the job, Adenor Leonardo Bachi — better known as Tite — has turned Brazil from a flop into a title favorite.

A former pupil of defense-minded Luiz Felipe Scolari — the 2002 World Cup-winning coach who also presided over the Germany match — Tite has grown into a fan of Carlo Ancelotti and his well-balanced teams. The two have exchanged ideas since 2014.
Detractors say Tite’s teams are low scoring and that he charms players and journalists into sparing him from criticism. But his title streak at Corinthians from 2011-15 underscores his credentials for the national team job.

Goalkeepers
Alisson Becker wasn’t a household name in Brazil when he started wearing the No. 1 jersey two years ago. Now a starter for Roma, the 25-year-old Becker’s admirers include Italy great Gianluigi Buffon.

Alisson’s skills with both hands and feet made Tite relegate Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson to the bench. He is now being linked with a move to a leading club, including Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea.

The third option is Tite’s most trusted player in the position, Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio.

Defenders
In 12 South American World Cup qualifiers under Tite, Brazil conceded only three goals.

The coach would have preferred to play with a solid back four featuring Paris Saint-Germain duo Dani Alves and Marquinhos, Inter Milan’s Miranda and Real Madrid’s Marcelo. But Alves will miss the World Cup because of injury and will be replaced by Manchester City defender Danilo.

At the pre-World Cup training camp, Tite decided to move PSG central defender Thiago Silva to Marquinhos’ place.

The three other reserves, right back Fagner, defender Pedro Geromel and left back Filipe Luis, are clearly lagging behind the starters.

Midfielders
Philippe Coutinho could replace Renato Augusto, who plays at Chinese club Beijing Guoan and is returning from injury, as the playmaker.

If that happens, Coutinho’s position on the left could be filled by Chelsea midfielder Willian. Fred is also in contention to start if he recovers from an ankle injury.

A more defensive variation would see Fernandinho, who plays with Premier League champion Manchester City, take Augusto’s place. While Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro offers protection to the defense, Barcelona rival Paulinho is a box-to-box player who also provides goals.

Forwards
If Neymar isn’t fit for the World Cup, Tite may have to resort to using Willian or Douglas Costa, who is also returning from injury, in his place.

While Gabriel Jesus was Brazil’s top scorer in qualifying, the Man City player faces competition from Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino.

Tite lacks an old-fashioned center forward, so he chose a speedier player, Shahktar Donetsk’s Taison, for the bench.

Group games
Brazil will have its base in Sochi despite playing no games near the Black Sea resort. The team will face Switzerland on Sunday in its Group E opener in Rostov-on-Don and then play Costa Rica on June 22 in St. Petersburg and Serbia on June 27 in Moscow.

Squad
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Roma), Ederson (Manchester City), Cassio (Corinthians)

Defenders: Danilo (Manchester City), Fagner (Corinthians), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Miranda (Inter Milan), Pedro Geromel (Gremio), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders: Casemiro (Real Madrid), Paulinho (Barcelona), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Fred (Manchester United), Fernandinho (Manchester City)

Forwards: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Willian (Chelsea), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Douglas Costa (Juventus), Taison (Shakhtar Donetsk)

source: philstar.com

ThyssenKrupp secrets stolen in ‘massive’ cyber attack

FRANKFURT — Technical trade secrets were stolen from the steel production and manufacturing plant design divisions of ThyssenKrupp AG in cyber attacks earlier this year, the German company said on Thursday.

ThyssenKrupp, one of the world’s largest steel makers, said it had been targeted by attackers located in southeast Asia engaged in what it said were “organized, highly professional hacker activities”.

In breaches discovered by the company’s internal security team in April and traced back to February, hackers stole project data from ThyssenKrupp’s plant engineering division and from other areas yet to be determined.

“ThyssenKrupp has become the target of a massive cyber attack,” the industrial conglomerate said in a statement.

Globally, cyber attacks on banks, retailers and other businesses have led to widespread consumer and financial data losses in recent years. ThyssenKrupp’s disclosure followed last week’s attack on Deutsche Telekom routers that caused outage for nearly 1 million customers.

While revelations of industrial espionage are far rarer, estimates put the costs to businesses in the billions of dollars. China was frequently blamed for such commercial hacking attacks until the United States and China agreed not to hack each other’s businesses (reut.rs/2gewbrH).

German business magazine Wirtschafts Woche reported the attacks hit sites in Europe, India, Argentina and the United States run by the Industrial Solutions division, which builds large production plants. The Hagen Hohenlimburg specialty steel mill in western Germany was also targeted, the report added.

The company declined to identify specific locations which were infected or speculate on likely suspects. It said it could not estimate the scale of the intellectual property losses.

Big-bang counter attack

ThyssenKrupp said it waited to publicize the attack while it identified, then cleansed infected systems in one concerted, global action before implementing new safeguards to monitor its computer systems. “It is important not to let the intruder know that he has been discovered,” a spokesman said.

A criminal complaint was filed with police in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and an investigation is ongoing, it said. State and federal cyber security and data protection authorities were kept informed at each stage, as well as Thyssen’s board.

Secured systems operating steel blast furnaces and power plants in Duisburg, in Germany’s industrial heartland in the Ruhr Valley, were unaffected, the company said.

No breaches were found at its marine systems unit, which produces military submarines and warships.

A previous cyber attack caused physical damage to an unidentified German steel plant and prevented the mill’s blast furnace from shutting down properly.

The country’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) revealed two years ago that the attack caused “massive damage”, but gave no further technical details and the location of the plant has remained shrouded in mystery.

Subsequent media reports identified the target as a ThyssenKrupp facility, but the company has denied it was hit.

The industrial conglomerate, along with Airbus parent EADS, were the targets of major attacks by Chinese hackers in 2012, according to a Der Spiegel report.

The company, a big supplier of steel to Germany’s automotive sector and other manufacturers, is looking to form a joint venture of its European steel operations with India’s Tata Steel to combat over-capacity in the sector.

source: interaksyon.com

Angela Merkel lands in India, with trade high on the agenda

NEW DELHI, India - German Chancellor Angela Merkel landed in New Delhi late Sunday for a visit in which she is expected to push for closer trade ties, and during which India's leader hopes to draw investment from the European powerhouse.

Briefly leaving behind a refugee crisis in Europe, Merkel arrived with a delegation including Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and German business leaders for her first visit to India since the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party stormed to power last year.

"Namaste Chancellor Merkel! Warm welcome to you & the delegation. I look forward to fruitful discussions & strengthening India-Germany ties," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Twitter.

She will meet with Modi, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday before she heads to the southern technology hub of Bangalore for a businness conference the next day.

Modi and Merkel will hold talks on "issues of mutual interest", including trade, defence and renewable energy, according to the Indian foreign ministry.

The two are likely to discuss resuming stalled India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations -- a market-opening pact to boost bilateral commerce.

German investments in India stand at 9.7 billion euros with about 1,600 companies in the country.

Modi officially visited Germany in April when he sought to attract more industries to set up shop in Asia's third-largest economy for his flagship "Make in India" campaign and boost the manufacturing sector.

source: interaksyon.com

Cheaper iPhone 5C raises doubts, guess

BEIJING — A cheaper, smaller version of the iPhone 5C smart-phone was unveiled by Apple Tuesday, but with raised doubts and guess among consumers and experts.

This 8 GB edition of former iPhone 5C, only available in the UK, France, Germany, Australia and China, aims to boost consumers’ interest and bring the fourth-generation iPad back from the dead.

However, 8 GB of storage is not enough any more, as some iPhone fans pointed out. Because higher quality photos and high definition movies would take up a huge space, and consumers prefer a 32G or even 64G for more storage.



This “cut-price” version of iPhone 5C signaled Apple’s ambitions and appeal shift to wider, more emerging markets, as expert said, which is also a possible move to take on Samsung.

source: interaksyon.com

Chilling out in Germany’s Christmas markets

It’s a Filipino fantasy: snow-covered trees, horse-drawn carriages, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Many from this tropical paradise imagine a different kind of paradise — a snowflaked paradise — so it’s not so surprising that some Filipinos dream of a white Christmas.

Of course, Filipinos and snow may seem like an odd match: like fire and ice, oil and water, or James Franco hosting the Oscars.

But Insight Vacations makes that particular fantasy a reality. Thanks to tour sponsor Rajah Travel, we were able to experience an eight-day journey through history, rich in Christmas tradition. Imagine snowy castles in the Tyrols, or driving through the Black Forest, or ice-skating in Mozart’s city of Salzburg. With an eight-day coach ride through the Christmas markets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the “Winter Wonderland Tour” is a unique way for Filipinos to explore — or get over — their fascination with snow.

The Christmas markets are another treat for Pinoys. Imagine all the handcrafted items you can stuff into maletas — nutcrackers and stuffed animals, train sets and wooden toys, intricate snowflake ornaments, beautiful handmade jewelry. The Philippines has its Christmas bazaars, but Germany has centuries of tradition behind it: the Christmas markets are places where everyone, young and old, gathers in town squares to listen to youth choirs, drink warmed wine or cider, ride on carousels and eat, eat, eat.

First thing to realize about an Insight Winter Wonderland Tour is that it is going to be cold: offered between mid-November and mid-December, it’s the “ber” months for real: temperatures in Germany, Austria and Switzerland can drop below zero Celsius, so bring lots of layers, warm footwear (avoid high heels because you’ll be clambering over snow and ice at times), and wool hats to preserve body heat.




DAY 1 & 2: BRATWURST IN FRANKFURT

AND ROTHENBURG

Start in the city of Frankfurt, where the local Christmas market in Mainz is warmed up by glühwein (or “glow wine”), served at helpful kiosks every five feet or so: it’s mulled wine, usually red port heated up with sugar, cinnamon, cloves and other spices. The glühwein comes in a ceramic cup that you can return for the two-euro deposit or keep as a souvenir.

Around the Mainz market, enjoy the larger-than-life wooden belen display, or take in the many handcrafted ornaments. Artisan candles and German versions of parol lanterns are on display. Everyone’s eating and drinking; some are buying. It’s charming, and instills a warm feeling of Christmas. In our travels, we even encountered a German schoolgirl choir singing and collecting money for Yolanda typhoon victims. If that doesn’t warm the cockles and put you in the spirit of giving, nothing will.

Heading southeast, we traveled to Rothenburg, a walled city with a charming town center (it was particularly charming to Adolf Hitler, who urged Germans to visit the preserved town to see what “true” Germany looked like). Walking through the market square of Alstadt, you are quickly transported back to the 16th century: listen to public performers, load up on bratwurst or schnitzel and try the area’s favorite schneeballen, or snowball pastries (which, to us, tasted like baseball-sized day-old donuts).

DAY 3: MUNCHIN’ IN MUNCHEN


It’s the place where Palestinian terrorists shattered the 1972 Olympic Games, killing nine Israeli athletes. It’s the place where Hitler staged his Munich beer hall rally at Hofbräuhaus Am Platzl to gain support for the National Socialist Party. On the other hand, Munich (or München) is home to Oktoberfest, BMW’s high-tech headquarters and lovely Marienplatz, with its Glockenspiel Tower tolling the noon hour daily. In short, there’s a lot to see in Munich, the capital of Bavaria, and a lot to buy: the Christmas market here is particularly beautiful at night, with store windows showcasing elaborate teddy bear dioramas in motion. An enormous pine tree is hauled in and lit up for the holidays. Head over to the university plazas and stop in at Hofbräuhaus for a taste of pig knuckles and sauerkraut, and a tankard of its patented beer (it still functions as a state brewery). It also operates one of the biggest beer tents during Oktoberfest. If you haven’t been, this involves tens of thousands of people drinking beer simultaneously, and constantly, for 16 days, at the chant of “Einz, Zwei, G’suffa” (“One, two, down the hatch…”) Naturally, such festivity involves a lot of daily cleanup and hosing down of the streets, as people pass out wherever (“Beer corpses”) or toss their cookies.

While still in Bavaria, our Insight Tour took us to one of Mad King Ludwig’s castles — not the one that inspired Walt Disney, but a smaller summer palace up in the snowy hills called Linderhof. Old Ludwig II wasn’t mad, exactly; just a tad eccentric, a lonely figure who loved peacocks and swans (he was known as the Swan King as well as the Moon King). His only completed castle is a cozy, restrained affair, a homage to his favorite ruler, King Louis XIV and his Sun King domain at Versailles.

Our Mercedes-Benz coach next took us to Oberammergau, a truly unique town in the Bavarian hills that stages a Passion play in its town center once every 10 years. (The next is in 2020, if you’re planning ahead.) The reason? Local clerics and townspeople during the late 1600s made a promise to God that, if He spared Oberammergau from the Bubonic Plague, they’d stage a passion play every decade. God apparently came through, so the townspeople hold an elaborate performance in a local theater called Passionspielhaus that lasts for up to seven hours. The town itself is quiet and charming, with its population of about 800 (the Passion Play cast of thousands is largely imported); its houses are decorated in Passion motifs, and stores sell the most ornate hand-carved crucifixes I’ve seen outside of Bethlehem. After a series of tourist complaints in 2000 and 2010, though, the town reportedly struck numerous anti-Semitic references from its play, which were apparently inserted at Hitler’s insistence and never quite excised. Hopefully, Mel Gibson won’t be directing the next staging.

DAY 4: THE HILLS ARE ALIVE…

AND A CUP IN MOZART’S FAVE CAFÉ

We cross over to Austria, and while winter is perhaps not the ideal time to explore the hometown of the Von Trapp family and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, it is a perfect time for Christmas shopping and ice skating near the Mozart statue. A UNESCO Heritage Site, Salzburg has much more to offer than its old claim to fame as “salt city” (the surrounding salt mines made the town rich in pre-Frigidaire days). Visit Mirabell Gardens where Maria taught the Von Trapp kids how to “do-re-mi” (and maybe do your own poses with the statues there), travel by funicular up to Hohensalzburg Castle for a grand view of the town below. Or, if you’re like me, start your Christmas shopping in the town square, then feast on a hot bowl of goulash before repairing to Café Tomaselli, a place that Mozart frequented daily, though he reportedly disliked the “moldy” lemonade there. Inside, it evokes old-world charm despite its obvious tourist clientele. Sit in a corner booth and enjoy coffee culture the Austrian way: with a rich froth, strong brew, and a spoon resting on the adjacent glass of water.

In the evenings, Insight offers optional excursions (these are paid for separately during the tour, ranging from 39 to 60 euros, so bring extra cash) that can range from a horse and carriage ride in the Tyrols, to a sunset cruise on Lake Lucerne, to a special dinner in a typical Austrian chalet that doubles as a dairy farm. We were pleased to dine with such a family, and it was a great opportunity to sit in a cozy chalet and try the local elderberry wine, home-baked bread and homegrown lamb, plus see how the family maintains its organic lifestyle.





DAY 5: STEP INTO INNSBRUCK’S TIME MACHINE

Still in Austria, we go for a bit of schnapps and cured beef in Innsbruck’s Christmas market. Other than its famed Golden Roof in the town center, decorated with 2,783 fire-gilded copper tiles for Emperor Maximilian I’s wedding, Innsbruck is nestled between majestic mountains and offers gorgeous views of the countryside and gabled houses from the Old Inn Bridge (crossing the river Inn). So many German and Austrian towns have preserved their old-world charm, despite heavy bombing during the Second World War; it’s a rare treat for Filipinos to take in life pretty much as it was 200 years ago (well, except for the modern street mimes and yoga cultists who contort for spare change on the cobblestoned streets).

On our way to Switzerland the next morning, our Insight coach passed through Liechtenstein, which is the sixth smallest country in the world. Honestly, I’ve been to Liechtenstein twice now, and I’ve yet to detect anything charming about it. Certainly, its secluded climes and airtight bank accounts have been attractive tax havens in the past, according to our Insight tour director, Rob Lintott. The city center has little to recommend it, other than public art that seems like an afterthought, and the chance to take a few quick snaps and say “I set foot in the sixth smallest country in the world.” It’s a place that, at the end of the day, doesn’t really want to be noticed; yet tour buses pass through it every day, for about an hour, before packing up and moving along.

DAY 6 & 7: LUCERNE’S LAKES AND STONE LIONS

Lucerne has a tragic story, about its Swiss Guards being hired to protect the French monarchy during the French Revolution, only to be sacrificed and massacred by angry crowds as King Louis XVI and family escaped unharmed. True, the Swiss were hired mercenaries, but that doesn’t detract from the overall effect of the Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal) carved in a sandstone cliff near the town’s center. Mark Twain called it  “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world,” with its lion figure (representing the Swiss soldiers) in death throes, protecting the French fleur-de-lis as a spear stabs its back. A more modern symbol of Swiss protection can be found at Bucherer, a nearby luxe shop that sells Victorinox Swiss Army knives (not to mention Rolexes) to eager tourists. The Christmas markets here are smaller, more social events than proper shopping venues; so perhaps instead spend the afternoon buying chocolate and enjoying a sunset cruise on Lake Lucerne, with Mt. Pilatus looming majestically in the background. Glimpse Richard Wagner’s lakeside house as you drift by, savoring the biting early December air while you quaff a local Eichoff beer, or perhaps a Lowenbrau. If the weather’s clear, take a cable car ride up the snow-capped Jungfrau and Eiger peaks. Nearer town, explore the Chapel Bridge, a 14th-century wooden structure that crosses the lake. Few photo ops are as pristine as this, capturing the beauty of this part of Europe.

If you happen to be in town on Dec. 5, Lucerne offers one of the stranger Christmas pageants I’ve encountered: the Santa Claus Parade here involves townspeople dressed in white hoodies clanging on barrels strapped to their waists in an almost sinister procession; behind them strides St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, followed by black-faced and black-attired folk who represent “dark forces”; periodically, these figures streak out into the watching crowds and smear the children with charcoal. Still, it’s not as bizarre as Klausjagen (“Chasing the Claus”), held in nearby Kussnacht the same night, in which townspeople clang cowbells all night long and chase Santa through town with whips. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

DAY 7 & 8: BLACK FOREST CAKE AND CUCKOOS

Our tour winds up passing through the Black Forest, famous for its cuckoo clocks and carvings and cherry-layered chocolate cake. It’s this pine-covered countryside that led the Brothers Grimm to head into the woods, pen quills in hand, to collect local folk beliefs and lore and compile them into fairytales that are as dark as the forests themselves.

Our Winter Wonderland landed us finally in Heidelberg, which of course has a Filipino connection: Jose Rizal studied here, and also wrote poems such as “Flowers of Heidelberg” during his stay. There is reputedly a statue of Rizal somewhere in this university town, though you’d have to work your way through a lot of schnitzel, carousels and Christmas markets to find it in snowy December.

source: philstar.com

Germany pledges P13.7 million to provide aid for Cebu, Bohol quake victims

Germany, the strongest European economy, has pledged P13.7 million in humanitarian aid for the benefit of earthquake victims in Cebu and Bohol.

The money will be coursed through Johanniter Unfallhilfe, a German humanitarian organization, which will provide assistance to victims, the German Embassy in Manila said in a statement.

"Germany stands shoulder to shoulder with the Philippines at this difficult time and stands ready to support you in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake," the statement said, citing a letter from German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed to President Benigno Aquino III.

Merkel and German President Joachim Gauck also expressed their heartfelt sympathies to the people of the Philippines and their condolences to those that have lost loved ones.

"Please convey my sympathy to the families of the victims, our hearts go out to them at this time of sorrow. I wish those injured a speedy recovery," wrote Gauck in a separate letter to Aquino.

source: interaksyon.com

Merkel wins absolute majority in Germany

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel clinched a surprise absolute majority in her winning bid for a third term in German elections Sunday, estimates on public television indicated.

Voters turned out in droves to reward Merkel, often called the world's most powerful woman, with another four years at the helm for steering them unscathed through the debt turmoil that engulfed the eurozone's southern flank.

But in one of the tightest races in German history, they punished her pro-business partner, the Free Democrats, kicking them out of parliament for the first time since 1949, according to preliminary results on two public television networks.

Merkel's stunning 42.5 percent score -- the conservatives' highest result since national reunification in 1990 -- means that she may become the only chancellor to govern without a junior partner since Germany's first post-war leader, Konrad Adenauer.

"Together we will do everything in the next four years to again make them successful years for Germany," Merkel told cheering members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin.

"The party leadership will discuss everything when we have a final result but we can already celebrate tonight," a beaming Merkel told supporters, including her chemist husband Joachim Sauer, a music fan who so rarely appears in public he is nicknamed "The Phantom of the Opera".

An upstart anti-euro party, AfD, appeared to fall just short of the five-percent hurdle to representation with their bid to tap into anger over German contributions to bailout packages for stricken eurozone partners.

Exit polls had initially pointed to an awkward left-right "grand coalition" between Merkel's Christian Democrats and their traditional opponents, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), which scored around 26 percent.

Merkel led a fractious grand coalition during her first term in 2005-2009, with the SPD's chancellor candidate this time around, Peer Steinbrueck, as her finance minister.

Political scientist Nils Diederich said Merkel had a tendency to bleed her coalition partners dry.

"You can compare Ms Merkel to a spider that feeds on the flies it captures," he told AFP.

"That is what she did to the Social Democrats in 2009 and that is what she is doing now with the FDP."

A physicist by training, Merkel is only the third person to win a third term in Germany after Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, the father of German unity.

If she serves at least until 2017, she will become Europe's longest serving female leader, besting Margaret Thatcher who was Britain's prime minister for 11 years.

While Merkel became Germany's most popular post-war chancellor, the eurozone crisis laid waste to the careers of leaders in hard-hit countries such as Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and France.

In contrast to Merkel's austerity-driven response to the eurozone crisis, the SPD called for a bit more generosity and patience with nations as they pay back their debts.

But voters handed Merkel a landslide, fully endorsing her strategy of demanding biting reforms in exchange for funding bailouts.

The near success of the AfD, which advocates ditching the single currency and an "orderly dissolution" of the 17-member eurozone, sent a jolt through German politics, where a eurosceptic party has never gained a foothold.

In a last-minute appeal for votes at a Berlin rally Saturday, Merkel had urged voters not to succumb to the AfD's siren call.

"The stabilisation of the euro is not just a good thing for Europe but it is also in Germany's fundamental interest," she said.

Nearly 62 million people were called to the polls after a campaign many voters complained was largely superficial and personality-based.

Economic growth is steady, unemployment at below seven percent -- its lowest level in two decades -- and the political culture is dominated by a long post-war tradition of consensus rather than red-blooded jousting.

That left few issues to separate the main candidates.

"I think we have a good standard of living in Europe, and for me, this must remain stable. So, to me, voting for the extremes, on the left or the right, isn't an answer," Sister Elisabeth Bauer, a nun, told AFP as she cast her vote in Berlin.

The ecologist Greens party, the SPD's preferred coalition partner, scored around a disappointing eight percent in Sunday's poll.

And the far-left Die Linke, which has roots in former East Germany's ruling communist party, also tallied about eight percent but the SPD has repeatedly ruled out forming a coalition with it at the national level.

The brash, gaffe-prone Steinbrueck stumbled again in the home-stretch of the campaign with a front-page magazine photo of him making a surly middle-finger reply to a question on his limping candidacy.

He had zeroed in on a growing low-wage sector, but it was not enough to dislodge Merkel from the top job.

"The SPD did not lead a campaign devoid of content," Steinbrueck said late Sunday in a jab aimed at Merkel.

"But we did not achieve the result we wanted."

source: interaksyon.com

Germany votes with Merkel set for third term

BERLIN - Germany votes Sunday with Chancellor Angela Merkel poised to win a third term, making her Europe's only major leader to survive its financial crisis but potentially forced into governing with her main rivals.

After shepherding Europe's top economy through the debt turmoil, Merkel emerged more popular than ever due to her motherly reassurance as the crisis felled leaders in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.

Pollsters suggest that voters will re-elect the 59-year-old, whose nickname "Mutti" ("Mummy") can seem incongruous with her other often-used description as the world's most powerful woman.

But the burning question will be with whom she will govern.

"Rarely was it so close. Merkel's coalition only has a razor-thin majority in the polls," the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily said, adding that many of the near 62 million voters only make up their minds at the last minute.

Merkel boasts her current center-right coalition has been Germany's most successful since reunification in 1990, enjoying a robust economy and a jobless rate of less than seven percent.

But her stated aim for her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to stay in power with its junior partners, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), hinges on the smaller party's unpredictable fortunes.

"The continued governing by this coalition remains uncertain," Gero Neugebauer, a political scientist from Berlin's Free University said.

If the alliance fails to rally a ruling majority, Merkel could be forced back into the arms of her traditional rivals, the Social Democrats (SPD), with whom she governed in a loveless "grand coalition" during her first term.

Under the watchful eye of Germany's European partners, a new eurosceptic party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) could also prove a wild card, either by clawing enough support to send MPs into parliament or wooing disgruntled centre-right voters away.

"For Chancellor Merkel the eurosceptics are becoming a problem," Spiegel Online commented on the eve of the vote.

"If the protest party manages to jump into the Bundestag (lower house of parliament), that may cost the black-yellow coalition power," it added, referring to the colour code for Merkel's current alliance.

Three polls in the run-up show the AfD, which advocates ditching the single currency and an "orderly dissolution" of the eurozone, falling below the five-percent hurdle needed to enter parliament.

But some analysts and pollsters have not ruled it out amid fresh Greek aid fears, stressing it is hard to assess the fledgling party's chances because it has no election track record and supporters may not own up to backing it in surveys.

Merkel again hammered home Europe's importance for Germany at a last-chance push for votes in Berlin Saturday, saying her country "can only do well in the long term if all of Europe does well."

"This is why the stabilization of the euro is not just a good thing for Europe but it is also in Germany's fundamental interest," she said, as a band belted out "Angie must save the world."

Supporters of stronger stimulus measures have pinned their hopes on the SPD whose gaffe-prone candidate Peer Steinbrueck, 66, has struggled to score points and still trailed Merkel's conservatives by 13 points in the last opinion poll.

A former finance minister in Merkel's 2005-2009 grand coalition, Steinbrueck has run into trouble during the campaign, most recently with a surly middle-finger front-page photo of him as a non-verbal reply to a question on his stumbling candidacy.

He has zeroed in on the growing low-wage sector and calls for an across-the-board minimum wage, while Merkel favors more flexible pay agreements hammered out between employers and unions, regionally and by sector.

In his final-day stump speech, he urged voters to remove "the most inactive government that has made the most reversals" in over two decades and mocked the famously ideologically flexible Merkel for "going round and round."

Polls open at 0600 GMT, with initial television estimates expected shortly after booths close at 1600 GMT.

source: interaksyon.com

Germany, France pull euro zone out of recession

BRUSSELS - The German and French economies grew faster than the United States in the second quarter, pulling the euro zone out of its longest recession.

Growth in the 17-country bloc was 0.3 percent from the previous quarter, with its two biggest economies both revealing unexpected strength, data from the European Union's statistics office Eurostat showed on Wednesday. A Reuters poll had forecast 0.2 percent.

Germany grew 0.7 percent, its largest expansion in more than a year thanks largely to domestic private and public consumption.

France's economy expanded 0.5 percent, pulling out of a shallow recession to post its strongest quarterly growth since early 2011. The turnaround was driven by consumer spending and industrial output, although investment dropped again.

That compared with around 0.4 percent growth in the quarter - 1.7 percent annualized - in the United States, considered one of the bright spots of the global recovery.

"For next year, our projections show the (European) recovery should be on a more solid footing, as long as we can continue to avoid new political crises and detrimental market turbulence," EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said.

He added there was no room for complacency.

Improvement was noticeable elsewhere in the bloc. Bailed-out Portugal's GDP leapt 1.1 percent in the quarter due to higher exports and an easing of previous investment contraction.

Austria and Finland also saw improved growth.

But recession continued in The Netherlands, as well among the debt-laden periphery including Spain and Italy.

"The return to modest rates of economic growth in the euro zone as a whole won't address the deep-seated economic and fiscal problems of the peripheral countries," researchers at Capital Economics wrote in a note.

Uneven, bumpy recovery ahead

Recent economic data and sentiment surveys had suggested the German economy was picking up after contracting in late 2012 and a weak start to 2013.

But look south and a different picture emerges.

The International Monetary Fund said earlier this month that Madrid's reform program, fiscal consolidation and crackdown on external imbalances were bearing fruit, but that urgent action was needed to create jobs and stimulate growth.

The scope and form of the austerity drive in the European Union is now changing. Policymakers still say adjustments in excessive deficits and high debt are essential. But they now emphasize that any action taken must not choke growth and must help create jobs.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said this month that labor market conditions remained weak, though he expected the bloc's growth to benefit from a gradual recovery in global demand.

"Overall, euro area economic activity should stabilize and recover at a slow pace. The risks surrounding the economic outlook for the euro area continue to be on the downside," Draghi said after the ECB rate meeting on August 1.

Beyond the euro zone

In emerging Europe, the Czech Republic exited recession in the second quarter while the European Union's other bigger eastern economies improved, although there was little sign yet of the outright optimism among consumers needed to drive a stronger upturn.

Headline numbers showed the Czechs as expected firmly back in positive territory with growth of 0.7 percent compared with the first quarter. Hungary grew 0.1 percent and Poland 0.4 percent.

The pickup in emerging Europe is expected largely to have come from improvement in Germany and other larger euro zone countries to which the region's cheap and flexible businesses send much of their exports.

source: interaksyon.com

Hotpants show where bad girls go during summer in Europe

HANOVER, Germany--A woman in hotpants with the writing 'Good Girls Go To Heaven Bad Girls Go To Ibiza' climbs her bike during summer.

source: interaksyon.com

Euro zone economy falls deeper into recession

BERLIN/PARIS - The euro zone slipped deeper into recession in the last three months of 2012 after its largest economies, Germany and France, shrank markedly at the end of the year.

It marked the currency bloc's first full year in which no quarter produced growth, extending back to 1995.

Economic output in the 17-country region fell by 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter, the EU's statistics office Eurostat said on Thursday, following a 0.1 percent drop in output in the third quarter.

The drop was the steepest since the first quarter of 2009 and more severe than the average forecast of a 0.4 percent drop in a Reuters poll of 61 economists.

For the year as a whole, gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.5 percent.

Within the zone, only Estonia and Slovakia grew in the last quarter of the year, although there are no figures available yet for Ireland, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia.

The big economies set the tone.

Germany contracted by 0.6 percent on the quarter, official data showed, marking its worst performance since the global financial crisis was raging in 2009.

France's 0.3 percent fall was also slightly worse than expectations.

Worryingly for Berlin, it was export performance - the motor of its economy - that did most of the damage although economists expect it to bounce back quickly.

"In the final quarter of 2012 exports of goods declined significantly more than imports of goods," the German Statistics Office said in a statement.

The euro hit a session low against the dollar after the weaker than forecast German reading and dropped again after the release of full euro zone figures.

Back revisions to the French figures showed its output fell by 0.1 percent in each of the first and second quarters of 2012, meaning the country has already experienced one bout of recession in the last twelve months.

While the European Central Bank's pledge to do whatever it takes to save the euro has taken the heat out of the bloc's debt crisis, even its stronger members are gripped by an economic malaise that could push debt-cutting drives off track.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that weak growth was putting his government's deficit goal for 2013 out of reach.

Economists say the euro zone may also shrink in the first quarter of 2013 although more resilient Germany is expected to rebound.

"The chances that the (German) economy will return to growth at the beginning of this year are very good. The early indicators are all pointing upwards," said Andrea Rees, chief German economist at UniCredit.

"The question is how strong the first quarter will be. We expect growth of 0.3 percent but it could be more."

Dutch GDP dropped 0.2 percent over the quarter, keeping it in recession, while the Austrian economy shrank at the same rate.

Weak periphery

For the more embattled members of the currency bloc, matters are of course worse.

Italy suffered its sixth successive quarterly fall in GDP - this time by a sharp 0.9 percent - putting it into a longer slump than it suffered in 2008/2009.

Its recession has been deepened by austerity measures that outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti introduced to stave off a debt crisis.

With an election due on February 24/25, all sides in a three-way race between Monti's centrist bloc, Pier Luigi Bersani's center-left coalition and Silvio Berlusconi's center-right are pledging to cut taxes to try to kickstart economic growth.

Spain, the euro zone's fourth largest economy, released figures two weeks ago which showed it remained deep in recession after a 0.7 percent contraction in the fourth quarter.

Madrid is also pressing on with harsh austerity measures to cut its debt but may be given more time to meet its deficit targets by the European Commission if its economy worsens further.

There are signs that countries like Spain are starting to benefit from harsh internal devaluations - marked by wage falls and job losses aimed at making companies leaner and more productive.

The ECB predicts the euro zone will pick up later in the year although its currency, if it keeps strengthening, could quickly snuff out any of those hard-won competitive advantages for its high debt members.

More recent data for January have already suggested some upturn in the first months of 2013, in the bloc's stronger members at least, and if improvement comes it is likely to be seen in Germany first.

"The debt crisis has ebbed significantly and the global economy has turned up," said Joerg Kraemer at Commerzbank. "Therefore all the important early indicators for Germany are pointing upwards. I expect noticeable economic growth again in the first quarter."

source: interaksyon.com

German cabinet approves law allowing circumcision

BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet Wednesday passed a draft law to allow circumcision in Germany after a court said the rite amounted to grievous bodily harm, a ruling that caused international uproar.

The new legislation, which must now be passed by the German parliament, "makes clear that circumcision is possible in Germany," said Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger in a statement.

The ministry added the new text would "remove the legal uncertainty created by the judgement of the regional court in Cologne."

While considering a case brought against a doctor who had circumcised a Muslim boy, the court in the western German city ruled that the rite was tantamount to grievous bodily harm.

The decision united Jewish and Muslim groups in opposition and caused outrage from religious and political leaders in Israel and Muslim countries.

Diplomats admitted that the ruling proved "disastrous" for Germany's international image, particularly in light of its Nazi past.

Merkel was reported to have warned that Germany risked becoming a "laughing stock" if it banned circumcision.

The new bill stipulates certain provisos for a boy to be circumcised.

Among these conditions, the draft law stipulates the practice must be carried out "professionally" and "with the most effective pain relief".

An exception must also be made in individual cases if there are health risks, for example if the infant is suspected of being a haemophiliac.

Germany is home to about four million Muslims and more than 200,000 Jews.

source: interaksyon.com

Pastor dies at wedding ceremony

MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Guests at a wedding in Germany said they were stunned when the minister performing the ceremony died just before the bride and groom could say "I do."

"It was like something out of a movie," organist Andrea Wittmann told The Local.de.

Grzegorz Wieczorek, 47, was reciting a prayer when he stopped mid-sentence and collapsed at the altar, hitting his head on the stone floor of the St. Lambert church in southern Bavaria.
 
Panicked guests tried to help him while Wittmann summoned an ambulance.

The bride and her Italian groom were married several hours later at another church.

source: upi.com

St. Scholastica's College honors Women in Media via the 6th Hildegarde Awards

Now on its 6th year, the award is given in honor of St. Hildegarde von Bingen of Germany, the controversial medieval Benedictine abbess who, in the 11th century, was a counsellor to popes and princes. Hildegarde was also a mystic, scholar, musician, poet, painter, philosopher, herbalist and visionary. Considered as a prototype feminist in the patriarchal milieu of medieval Europe, Hildegarde was an outspoken advocate of ethical virtue who encouraged her congregation of religious women to articulate their own voices.

The Hildegarde Awards are given to women in media and communication who echo Hildegarde’s fearless spirit and vision in today’s information age. This year’s Hildegarde Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to writer-publisher Gilda Cordero Fernando and Isis International, a non-government organization advocating women’s rights through media.

Fernando’s celebrated career in literature, journalism and theatre spans more than five decades. A multi-awarded fictionist and publisher of pioneering books on Philippine culture, Fernando is also a theatre and stage producer and a painter whose works in aquarelle have been sold out in recent solo exhibitions. Her column ‘Forever 81’ published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer is popular among readers of all ages.

Isis International was founded in Rome, Italy in 1974. Based in Manila since 1971, it is an international NGO that has been advocating women’s rights through the media for the past 38 years. Working strategically with women’s groups and networks that engage media and communications for women’s empowerment, Isis organizes capacity-building workshops for women and media practitioners. Its headquarters, Bahay ni Isis, located along Marunong Street in Quezon City also serves a training facility, resource center, and hostel.

Fernando and Isis International received trophies designed by feminist artist Mary Elizabeth Alejo-Aytin. The unique trophy entitled ‘Oyayi sa Kandungan ni Inang Karunungan’ is actually a painting of a mother and child draped in a malong and rendered on an ostrich egg. Alejo-Aytin, already popular among collectors for her quail egg miniature paintings, expands her canvass in this project and draws inspiration from Hildegarde’s visions of eco-feminism and cosmic birthing.

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Awards, Special Citations for Outstanding Achievements in the fields of broadcast journalism, development communication, print journalism and advertising were also given.

For broadcast journalism, special citations were given to GMA’s ‘The Good News with Vicky Morales’ and ‘Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho’ and ABS-CBN’s ‘Storyline’.

The PJR Reports, Elena Masilungan of Newsbreak and Jessilyn de la Cruz of the Philippine Daily Inquirer will receive special citations in the print journalism category.

In the field of development communication, the ‘We can be anything’ initiative, a joint project of the Apld.de.Ap Foundation and the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation,shared special citation honors with the World Wildlife Fund and GMA’s ‘Think before you click’ campaign.

Publicist Jimenez’s ‘Surrogates’ for Magnolia Chicken and ‘Baptism of Fire’ for Lucky Me received special citations for advertising along with Aspac Global Service’s ‘Bayanihan’ campaign for Gawad Kalinga.

The 6th Hildegarde Awards was held on March 10, Saturday, at the St. Cecilia’s Hall of St. Scholastica’s College, Manila.

For inquiries, contact Camille Mendez at 0915.639.3117 or Soleil Manara at 0906.369.2714.

Press release from St. Scholastica’s College, Manila

source: gmanetwork.com