Latest news with #NorthRhineWestphalia
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Patrik Schick on Bayer Leverkusen's goals for this season: We'll try to be competitive. We want to finish in the top four.'
Speaking to kicker, Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick as spoke about the club's aims for this season, how they will deal with the absence of Florian Wirtz and if he and Victor Boniface can play together. It is clear that Leverkusen have gone through a transition this summer following the departures of Xabi Alonso, Jonathan Tah, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong so far. The arrival of Erik ten Hag as head coach also means their goals for this season will be different. After the upheaval this summer, Schick was asked about Leverkusen's goals this season and said: 'Of course, we'll try to be competitive. We want to finish in the top four. That's our goal.' One area that Leverkusen will greatly miss will be the absence of Wirtz in their attack. Last season, die Werkself were very reliant on the 22-year-old to create most of their chances. Leverkusen's team was notably different when the Köln native wasn't there. On how, when he expected him to leave, and how they will deal with his absence, Schick said: 'Honestly, it's only been a matter of time for me for a while now. He's an exceptional player who can make any team better. In my opinion, he was ready for the next step a year ago, and now he's taken it. I think it would be a mistake if we tried to replace him one-for-one. This type of player isn't easily replaceable. We have to find other ways to compensate for this loss and compete at the highest level without Flo.' One way of mitigating Wirtz's absence is to play Schick alongside Victor Boniface, something that rarely happened under Alonso, but when it did, it was successful, as seen with Leverkusen's 4-3 win against Stuttgart at the backend of last season. On partnering with the Nigerian, Schick said: 'Let's see. Unfortunately, we haven't played together much in the last few months. Especially last season, I think we should have played together more often. I can imagine him up front. We have different skills, and the combination could work well.' This is a sentiment that Boniface shared in an interview with Bild: 'Do you remember our 4-3 win in Stuttgart? We played together and had one of the best games of the season. Patrik is a very good friend. We push each other every day. When I'm not playing, I know Patrik is there – and vice versa. That's how it should be. Every coach has his own ideas. In Belgium, I often played at striker or on the flank, and I did that in Leverkusen, too.' What is clear is that Leverkusen will be an interesting team to watch this season, not only due to how Erik ten Hag will play, but also how their new signings will play. GGFN | Jack Meenan
Washington Post
15-07-2025
- Washington Post
Roughly 1,500 tarantulas found stuffed in boxes meant for chocolate cake
Customs officials smelled that something was amiss even before they unpacked roughly 1,500 tarantulas that had been hidden in boxes that should have been filled with about 15 pounds of chocolate-flavored cake. The tarantulas — large and hairy arachnids — were in a packet addressed to be shipped from Vietnam to North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. The venomous spiders were crammed into small plastic containers that were then filled into the bright-red cake boxes.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Influencers 'who evaded €300 MILLION in tax' are hunted by German cops
German tax investigators are cracking down on major social media stars accused of dodging hundreds of millions of euros in unpaid tax. Authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia believe influencers have defrauded the state of around €300 million through organised tax evasion. Many are allegedly earning tens of thousands of euros per month from brand deals without ever declaring the income. The State Office for Combating Financial Crime (LBF NRW) confirmed it has launched a major investigation targeting high-profile content creators who officials claim are avoiding tax with 'a high degree of criminal intent.' A specialist 'influencer team', the first of its kind in Germany, has been formed within the LBF to focus on major players across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. They are currently examining 6,000 data records from multiple social media platforms to identify undeclared income and evidence of fraud. Stephanie Thien, head of the LBF, said the task force is not going after amateurs or part-time promoters, but instead focusing on 'the big fish' in the influencer world. She said: 'Our influencer team is explicitly not focused on young people who have amassed a few followers and promoted a few creams or clothes.' 'The LBF NRW also has its sights set on the big fish on social media.' Investigators say many influencers fail to register a tax number at all, despite pocketing substantial sums from advertising and sponsorship deals. Some are even believed to deliberately move abroad, often to Dubai, in a bid to sidestep German tax authorities as their earnings grow. Tracking that income is far from easy. Sponsored content often vanishes within 24 hours through Instagram Stories, and luxury trips or freebies provided by major brands frequently go unreported. Officials say a recurring issue involves influencers being flown abroad or gifted high-end products by companies such as TUI, with the expectation that they promote the perks online. But the value of those trips and goods, classed as income under German tax law, never makes it onto official tax returns. There are currently around 200 open criminal proceedings against influencers living in North Rhine-Westphalia. There has been a clampdown on social media influencers and their earnings - although Chiara Ferragni is not connected to the German case, she's under fraud investigations in Italy In most cases, tax losses range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros, although in some instances, the damage runs into the millions. The Regional Finance Directorate has declined to reveal which influencers are under investigation, citing 'investigative reasons,' and the Cologne Public Prosecutor told German publisher BILD it had no official knowledge of the influencer task force as of May. But the allegations are already rippling beyond Germany's borders. Italian fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni, who boasts more than 28 million Instagram followers, is under investigation over her role in the so-called 'Pandoro affair.' Ferragni promoted a limited-edition Christmas cake that was supposedly raising funds for charity, but prosecutors claim she kept much of the proceeds herself. Ferragni has denied any wrongdoing and is expected to face a commercial fraud trial in Milan later this year. Last year, a British court said officials could confiscate £2.5 million from Andrew and Tristan Tate's frozen bank accounts. The brothers were accused of failing to pay taxes on £21 million they made from online transactions between 2014 and 2022.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany debates quota for immigrant students
When Sabine Schwarz* first heard about German Education Minister Karin Prien's idea via a friend, she thought it was just a bad joke. A quota limiting the number of immigrants at German schools was a "conceivable model," the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician had suggested, adding that Germany should check what other countries do to determine "whether that ends up being 30 or 40%". Schwarz is the head of an elementary school in Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia. More than 80% of her 350 pupils are from immigrant families. She says Prien's proposal would be impossible to implement in reality: "We don't even have the quota of people here who would qualify as German-speaking or German," Schwarz told DW. The Germans who live in the detached houses next to the school prefer to send their children elsewhere, says Schwarz. She finds this sad. Almost 20 years ago, North Rhine-Westphalia abolished the obligation to send one's child to a primary school in the neighborhood. As a result, many parents avoid schools like Schwarz's — for fear that learning among a high proportion of immigrants could have a negative impact on their own children's academic success. "What you always hear is that migration is equated with a lower level of education and that the children learn more slowly. But that's not true at all," Schwarz says. "For example, we benefited from the wave of refugees in 2015 because we received many children who were very interested in getting a good education." Schwarz criticizes the fact that all children are lumped together. There are "traumatized children with refugee experience who can't even think about education at first, and children who are very interested in education and children who have fled poverty." Her school's motto is: Every child is welcome, no matter where they come from. And no child is abandoned. In Germany, around 30% of the population of over 80 million have some immigrant background. But this percentage is much higher among young people, especially in urban areas. According to Berlin's statistics office, for example, children make up 17% of the population, and 55% of all children and teenagers living in the city have an immigrant background. In individual districts of the capital, such as Neukölln, that number rises to over 70%. Stefan Düll, president of the German Teachers' Association, has welcomed the debate that Prien has initiated, although he suspects that her proposal will fail to be implemented. He agrees with critics who say that the problem is not an immigrant background, but rather a lack of German language skills. "The German Teachers' Association has been pointing out for years that it makes teaching considerably more difficult if many pupils do not have sufficient knowledge of German," he told DW in a written statement. "In our view, however, there is little point in redistributing pupils just to achieve a certain quota in individual classes. This is hardly feasible from an organizational point of view and does not promote social cohesion within a school community." Instead, Düll praised the federal and state government's program making €20 billion ($23.4 bn) available over the next few years for 4,000 schools with a particularly high number of immigrant students. German education researcher Klaus Hurrelmann believes in the positive effect of diverse school classes: "The minister's proposal is understandable, because a well-mixed composition of school classes and learning groups according to origin clearly leads to better work." However, he warns that implementing Prien's proposal would lead to discrimination and be counterproductive. "The resulting misunderstandings and perceived discrimination do not outweigh any potential benefits. Approaches that support schools with a very high proportion of children and young people with language problems would be better." The federal students' body (Bundesschülerkonferenz) sharply criticized Prien's idea of introducing an immigrant quota at German schools. In a statement, it said it sends out the dangerous signal that not all children are equally welcome. The students argue that such quotas do not promote a fairer education system, but stigmatize children. An individual's ethnic origin should never become a criterion for educational opportunities. Also, schools should be places of participation, not exclusion, they wrote. However, the students' representative body does agree with one of the minister's proposals: "We are in favor of the German aptitude tests for four-year-old children suggested by Karin Prien. However, these must be introduced across the board and be compulsory for all children in Germany, not just students with an immigrant background. If the results are inadequate, targeted, comprehensive support measures must be introduced — early, binding and effective. This is the only way to ensure that every child starts their educational career with the same opportunities." Performance problems among students in Germany are by no means exclusive to those with an immigrant background. When it comes to education in Germany, one thing is certain: Teachers, parents, pupils and experts all agree that the system urgently needs to be reformed. Germany performs too poorly in many categories: In the last PISA study in 2022, Germany only came in mid-table in an international comparison. The competence of 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science fell to the lowest levels ever measured. According to the International Primary School Reading Survey (IGLU) from 2023, one in four fourth-graders in Germany has difficulties reading. And 56,000 pupils left school in Germany in the same year without obtaining even a low-level degree. That's over 7%, and the trend is rising. Many argue that issues of integration and language learning must be tackled in pre-school education. But statistics show that Germany lacks around 125,000 nursery teachers in childcare facilities across the country. Sabine Schwarz can confirm this from her own experience: "We work very closely with the kindergartens, but we can't make up for the lack of staff there. They need trained specialists and the appropriate resources to promote language learning. Unfortunately, this is not happening at the moment, so we have a gap between kindergarten and elementary school." The principal emphasizes: "The work in the kindergartens is key to educational success in elementary school." *Name changed to protect anonymity. This article was originally written in German.
Sustainability Times
07-07-2025
- Health
- Sustainability Times
Yueling Lai's AlzCare App Wins 2025 Red Dot Design Award
Founded in 1955 by Germany's Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, the Red Dot Design Award is regarded worldwide as a definitive mark of design quality. An independent jury of close to forty international experts sifts through thousands of entries each year, judging each on originality, usefulness, and aesthetic clarity across three pillars: Product Design, Brands & Communication Design, and Design Concept. AlzCare was born as a compassionate response to the realities of Alzheimer's caregiving. Over 55 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer's, and more than 100 million family members share in the daily challenges of caring for them – often feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and exhausted by the journey. Lai envisioned AlzCare as a gentle remedy for this struggle, a digital companion created to lighten the heavy load and guide families through the uncertain days of caring for a loved one with dementia. Every aspect of the app was conceived with one goal in mind: to bring comfort, dignity, and support to those who give so much of themselves each day. At the heart of AlzCare is an intuitive AI guide that offers personalized support around the clock. This calm, knowledgeable assistant can answer a panicked question at midnight or suggest a soothing approach when a loved one is anxious – all in real time and with a reassuring tone. Safety is another pillar of AlzCare's design: if a patient wanders beyond a designated safe zone, the app's GPS-based alert system immediately notifies caregivers and then guides them step by step to bring their family member safely home. In these critical moments, AlzCare acts like a gentle guardian, using technology to watch over those who cannot always watch over themselves. Beyond its practical caregiving tools, AlzCare nurtures the emotional well-being of caregivers. Within the app's community hub, users find they are not alone – they can share stories, advice, and moments of solace in a circle of fellow caregivers who truly understand. Recognizing that caregivers need care too, AlzCare provides gentle tools for emotional support – from stress-relief exercises and guided reflections to curated resources that offer encouragement and hope. The app even helps entire families stay connected and coordinated, allowing multiple relatives to share updates and responsibilities so that no single caregiver shoulders the burden alone. In essence, AlzCare transforms the solitary struggle of caregiving into a shared journey of strength and solidarity. Such thoughtful details did not arise by chance – they grew from Lai's deeply human-centered design process. From the very first sketch, she sought out the voices of those on the front lines of Alzheimer's care. Lai sat with patients and families, listening to their daily routines, fears, and small triumphs. These conversations and field observations revealed practical needs and emotional truths that would directly shape AlzCare's features. When families confided that nothing scared them more than a loved one wandering and disappearing, Lai made a reliable alert system her top priority. When caregivers spoke of exhaustion and loneliness, she wove in features to lift their spirits and build community. Every insight – whether a logistical hurdle or a quiet heartache – found its way into the app, ensuring that AlzCare reflects the real people it serves. Even the app's look and feel were crafted with caregivers in mind. Visual accessibility and comfort were paramount in Lai's design choices. AlzCare's interface unfolds in warm, soothing colors reminiscent of a gentle sunrise, with large, high-contrast text that is easy on tired eyes. Icons and layouts are clear and uncluttered, welcoming users of all ages and tech backgrounds with a calm simplicity. Knowing that a caregiver's hands are often full – holding a loved one or juggling tasks – Lai included voice-activated controls, so help is always just a spoken question away. Each design decision was made with intention: to make an overwhelming journey feel a bit more navigable, and to make the app itself feel like a caring presence rather than just a piece of software. Lai is a UX/product designer who has built her career on bridging people and technology with delightful, meaningful design. She holds advanced degrees in Human-Computer Interaction and Psychology, a background that clearly informed AlzCare's user-first approach. While she has created digital products reaching millions in her professional work, AlzCare was a passion project driven by her desire to harness tech for good. 'The Red Dot Award is an affirmation of a simple idea – that design, at its best, cares,' Lai reflects. 'It shows that when we design with empathy and purpose, we can truly improve lives.' As communities everywhere grapple with the challenges of an aging population, AlzCare's recognition with a Red Dot Award carries a significance beyond one designer's achievement. It signals a broader shift in the design landscape – a growing understanding that the most meaningful innovations are those rooted in empathy and aimed at the greater good. Yueling Lai's creation stands as a powerful example of technology's potential to strengthen our capacity to care for one another. In AlzCare's story, we see design's ability to solve practical problems while also healing hearts, connecting people, and inspiring change. AlzCare is not just an award-winning app – it is a reminder that when design is guided by compassion and intention, it can illuminate even the darkest moments and help carry us through them together. *Partner article Did you like it? 4.6/5 (26)
