Germany in Brief
March 14, 2003
Michael Jackson to pay German company damages
Popstar Michael Jackson has to pay €4,9 million ($5,3 million) in damages to Munich Concert Manager Marcel Avram, after cancelling two "Millenium-Concerts" in Sydney and Honolulu in 1999. Avram, a former close friend of Jackson, sued the singer for a total sum of $21,2. Avram's spokeswomen said it was "a great victory" after a Los Angeles Court announced the verdict on Thursday. Michael Jackson has come under heavy media criticism in recent months after a controversial documentary on his private life was shown on television around the world.
Bundesrat rejects government's tax plans
The Upper House of the German parliament, the Bundesrat, has rejected a new law to slash tax privileges on Friday. The new law, presented by the government coalition of the Social Democrats and Greens, is being widely criticized by the opposition. It plans to increase the reduced sales tax from 7 percent to 16 percent, impose extra taxes for sales profits and private use of company cars as well as reduce government assistance for home buyers. Oppostition conservative politicians claim that the new law would lead to more unemployment and thus the opposition-dominated Bundesrat voted against the proposal.
Go-ahead for peace demonstration
A planned peace demonstration in front of the U.S. Airbase in Frankfurt can go ahead as planned on Saturday, the city's administrative court ruled on Friday. In response, city officials filed an appeal with a higher level court. A ruling was expected to be issued on Friday evening. The municipal authorities initially forbade the demonstration organized by the "Resist"-Initiative. The protesters plan to walk from the main station to the U.S. Airbase and then block its entrances for 24 hours. During another "Resist" demonstration in February, around 3,000 protesters blocked the main gate for several hours.
15 accused of spreading child pornography
Police in the German city of Nuremberg have begun a judicial inquiry against 15 men suspected of spreading child pornography. The suspects saved half a million pornographic pictures on 30 computers and 4,000 disks, CDs and videos. Police found 20,000 items of child porn among them, a speaker said on Friday. The apartments of the men, aged 35-45 were searched in a nationwide raid in September 2002. The raids were triggered after a tip-off by American police authorities in Texas, where the suspects are believed to have bought pornographic pictures in 1997.