21:35, 08 February 2019 World 15 The three-page paper calls for exceptions to be made which would allow "German banks and companies to complete business that cannot be unwound easily." REUTERS German banks are seeking to blunt any fresh U.S. sanctions against Russia so they can continue existing business with Russian clients, according to an internal briefing paper prepared by a financial industry lobby group. The risk of new restrictions on doing business with Russia has risen since the Democratic Party won control of the U.S. House of Representatives. New anti-Moscow measures could jeopardize funding for a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline between Germany and Russia, Reuters said. In response, lenders in Europe's largest economy have ratcheted up their lobbying efforts with U.S. lawmakers and government officials, warning that current proposals to sanction major Russian banks would be so expansive that they could disrupt global markets. "In their current form, the proposed … [Read more...] about German banks maneuver in Washington to temper Russia sanction risk – media
German dating sites
Jack’d dating app exposes MILLIONS of private sext selfies – leaving users open to blackmail
A POPULAR dating app has a major design flaw that lets anyone view saucy selfies sent privately between users. The stunning blunder means that even naked selfies sent in a private chat to another user of the Jack'd app have been exposed. Jack'd is a popular app for dating and hooking up, aimed primarily at gay and bisexual men. Users don't need to sign up to the app, and there's no authentication system – which is a big problem. It means that anyone can download the entire image database of the site – numbering millions of pics – and steal sensitive photos from users who thought they were sexting safely. The flaw was first exposed by tech site The Register, after a tip-off from cybersecurity researcher Oliver Hough. The risks of sexy selfies being exposed are immense, and the report warns that there's a risk of "potential blackmail" – especially for users who have chosen not to publicise their sexuality. According to the report, the developers of the dating app … [Read more...] about Jack’d dating app exposes MILLIONS of private sext selfies – leaving users open to blackmail
German auction house pulls 26 ‘Hitler paintings’ on forgery fears
A German auction house Thursday scrapped the planned sale of 26 artworks attributed to Adolf Hitler, after doubts emerged about their authenticity just days before they were to go under the hammer. Five other paintings signed "A. Hitler", all of them watercolours, will still be auctioned off on Saturday as scheduled, according to the Weidler auction house in the southern city of Nuremberg. A vase, wicker armchair and table cloth presumed to have belonged to the late Nazi dictator also remain on offer in what Weidler has billed a "special auction". "Unfortunately we must inform you that some of the pictures have been dropped because of a review," the auction house said in a statement. The move came after prosecutors on Wednesday collected 63 artworks from the Weidler premises bearing the signature "A.H." or "A. Hitler", over suspicions the works were not created by Hitler himself. Twenty-six of them -- a selection of watercolours, oil paintings and sketches -- had been advertised for … [Read more...] about German auction house pulls 26 ‘Hitler paintings’ on forgery fears
German competition watchdog to rule on Facebook
Date created : 07/02/2019 - 03:29 Frankfurt am Main (AFP) Germany's competition watchdog is set to rule Thursday on whether Facebook abused its dominant position in social media to collect excessive data and could even ban the site's "Like" buttons from other webpages.Officials have been looking into Facebook since mid-2016, charging that the Silicon Valley giant uses other networks -- like subsidiaries Instagram and Whatsapp, as well as Twitter and other websites -- to collect masses of information about users without their knowledge.That data then provides the foundation for Facebook's advertising profits.Federal Cartel Office (FCO) chief Andreas Mundt will announce his findings in a press conference at 10:00 am (0900 GMT) in Bonn.There is no danger Facebook will suffer swingeing fines like those imposed by Brussels on rival Google over competition misdeeds.But the social network could be ordered to update its terms of use in Germany, Europe's largest economy, or even see some of … [Read more...] about German competition watchdog to rule on Facebook
German business warns of Brexit ‘chaos’
"A chaotic Brexit is coming dangerously close," Federation of German Industry (BDI) director Joachim Lang said in a statement, warning that more than €175 billion of German-British exchanges in goods and services could be affected. "The top priority must be to avoid a hard Brexit," Lang added. "Responsibility for that lies solely with the government and the opposition in London." British Prime Minister Theresa May faces a no-confidence test in Westminster late Wednesday after MPs rejected her hard-fought pact with Brussels by 432 to 202 votes on Tuesday. Without a withdrawal agreement, Britain will abruptly tumble into "third-country" status after March 29th and face regulatory and tariff barriers to trade with the EU, rather than enjoying an almost two-year "transition period" when present rules will still apply. For firms, "I believe it won't be possible to prepare properly for the chaos," Martin Wansleben, director of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and … [Read more...] about German business warns of Brexit ‘chaos’