2-EVERYDAY LIFE Archives | Tunews International

Help for refugees in Tübingen at the new location

October 19, 2021 tunews editorial

The Social Welfare Department of the City of Tübingen has moved. It is now located at Derendinger Straße 50. It is about a ten-minute walk from the main railway station. Lines 2, 5 and 16 take about four minutes from the station to the Hegelstraße bus stop. The building is barrier-free and has a lift. In the department for assistance for refugees, the staff advise on all questions of daily life—for example, language acquisition, education, work integration as well as housing, education and participation. Office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 8.30 to 11.30 a.m. and by appointment. Appointments must… Read More

942 total views, 334 views today

New study reveals prejudices about clan crime

October 16, 2021October 17, 2021 tunews editorial

Since 2018, media reports have often talked about so-called “clan criminality” of Arab-Turkish or Kurdish extended families and comparisons with the mafia have been made. The political scientist Mahmoud Jaraba from the Erlangen Centre for Islam and Law in Europe has accompanied and interviewed members of such families over several years. He now presented the central results of his research to the media service Integration. According to his findings, the extended families are not a homogeneous group under the leadership of a clan chief. On the contrary, there are differences of opinion and divisions among the family members, who often… Read More

893 total views, 23 views today

Asylum center interviewed candidates for the Bundestag

September 25, 2021October 9, 2021 Editorial Editorial

What is your opinion on an asylum procedure / a social consultation that is independent from the state? What is your position on state-organized sea rescue? And: How can the federal government support / simplify the willingness of many cities and federal states to accommodate refugees from camps with terrible living situations? These questions were posed to four Bundestag candidates by the Tübingen asylum center prior to the federal election on Sunday, September 26th. Their answers are available as podcasts and in written form on the website of the asylum center. Annette Widmann-Mauz (CDU), Chris Kühn (Greens), Martin Rosemann (SPD)… Read More

5,775 total views, 11 views today

Tips and help for everyday life in Germany

September 14, 2021September 23, 2021 tunews editorial

The brochure “Strengthening the consumer protection skills of refugees. A working aid in simple language” helps refugees to find their way in everyday German consumer life. The topics are briefly explained, followed by practical hints, tips and examples. The brochure also provides checklists, explanatory videos and overviews, often in several languages, e.g. Arabic. Questions on contracts, online shopping, reminders and debt collection agencies, labor and tenancy law, SCHUFA information, banks, loans and insurance are covered. Further information: https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/sites/default/files/2020-01/AH_Verbraucherschutz_Gefluechtete.pdf tun21081801 “Eine Broschüre der Verbraucherzentrale gibt hilfreiche Tipps in Sachen Banken, Kredite und Versicherungen. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian.” Latest information… Read More

3,307 total views, 5 views today

Back to school in Baden-Württemberg

September 11, 2021September 14, 2021 tunews editorial

Coming Monday, 13 September, school starts for all pupils in Baden-Württemberg. During the first two weeks, masks will be compulsory in schools. Schools usually inform parents in advance by post, e-mail or via the school homepages about other Corona rules in everyday school life and the course of the school year. These rules must be observed from the first day of school. tun21090801 Tübinger Schule. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian. Latest information on Corona: Click here 1,568 total views

1,568 total views

People make climate change

September 9, 2021September 8, 2021 Editorial Editorial

By Ute Kaiser This summer, the news about natural catastrophes was overwhelming: heat and drought, heavy rain and floods, forest fires and storms. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has now published a report on the reasons for these extreme weather conditions. The earth is heating up faster than assumed. This climate change is caused by humans. Their influence can be clearly demonstrated. This is the conclusion reached by more than 230 researchers worldwide. They have evaluated about 14,000 studies for the IPCC report. The greatest responsibility is borne by the industrialised countries and the newly industrialised… Read More

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The battle for votes in the Bundestag election / Merkel era ends

September 8, 2021September 8, 2021 Editorial Editorial

By Ute Kaiser The final spurt for the 2021 federal election has begun. Posters are hanging in squares and streets. On them, parties and candidates are canvassing for votes for the election on Sunday, 26 September, from 8 am to 6 pm. The Bundestag (= the parliament) in Berlin is elected every four years. The Bundestag represents all the people in Germany. Anyone who is at least 18 years old and has German citizenship may vote. Those entitled to vote are sent an official election notification. The election is secret. No one is allowed to see who a person is… Read More

4,743 total views

First study about „Russian-Germans”: well-integrated

August 28, 2021August 30, 2021 tunews editorial

Since the end of the 1980s, 2.7 million people from countries of the former Soviet Union have migrated to Germany. With about 3.5 million, they form the largest immigrant group today. However, little is known about their situation. The migrant researcher Jannis Panagiotidis (University of Osnabrück, University of Wien since 1/8/2021) has recently published the first comprehensive study about this population group, which he calls “post-soviet migrants”. Incidentally, the current German tennis Olympia winner Alexander Zverev also belongs to that group. The largest part of the post-soviet migrants is from Russia and Kazakhstan, but also from Ukraine. One part of… Read More

4,611 total views

Security measures on social media for people in Afghanistan

August 27, 2021August 30, 2021 tunews editorial

Facebook and Instagram allow people in Afghanistan to protect their accounts from getting spied on. Nathaniel Gleicher, Head of Security Policy at Facebook, wrote this on Twitter on 19 August. People in Afghanistan could lock their accounts for other users with a single click. This means that only friends can see the photos or posts in a user’s timeline. In addition, the possibility to search the friend lists of other users has been suspended in Afghanistan for a short time. This is to prevent the Taliban from tracking down political opponents on Facebook, such as former employees of foreign armed… Read More

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Offers for caregiving relatives in Tübingen

August 8, 2021September 3, 2021 tunews editorial

Caregivers need rest so that they do not get sick themselves. That is why the Tübingen old people’s welfare offers them various options that can relieve them. In the Pauline-Krone-Heim there are 16 places for short-term care throughout the year. The people in need of care are admitted to an inpatient facility. In many cases, the long-term care insurance funds cover the costs of the stay, writes the city of Tübingen in a press release. Further information can be found at www.altenhilfe-tuebingen.de Tübingen also has four day care facilities. There people in need of care are cared for on individual… Read More

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Advice and help with addiction issues

June 25, 2021June 26, 2021 tunews editorial

Nicotine, alcohol, medication and/or drugs: even some young people can no longer get away from their addiction.They can find contact persons at the youth and drug counselling centre in Tübingen (and the Rottenburg branch). The team provides free counselling and care for those affected by addiction and their relatives. The staff members from the departments of psychology, education and social work provide counselling and treatment for adolescents and young adults who abuse drugs or are dependent on them. However, they also provide counselling to adults who are addicted to illicit drugs or who abuse these drugs. Those seeking advice with… Read More

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State pays a one-off 100 euros per child in August

June 23, 2021July 9, 2021 tunews editorial

The Corona pandemic has restricted the lives of children and adolescents. In order to alleviate the consequences somewhat, the Bundestag has passed a children’s recreation bonus. Families with very low incomes receive a one-time payment of 100 euros per child. The money is to be paid out in August. The 100 euros can be used for holiday, sports and leisure activities. This is what the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs writes in a statement. Families who receive, for example, child benefit, housing benefit, basic income support or support under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act in August 2021 are entitled to… Read More

5,777 total views

Start with a friend in Tübingen

June 10, 2021 tunews editorial

Since October 2017 the organisation “start-with-a-friend” unites refugees and locals in Tübingen. They connect interested persons who exchange ideas in tandems and participate in intercultural programs. A team of 11 full-time staff, 25 fellows and more than 300 volunteers has arranged over 6000 tandems in more than 20 cities across Germany. In Tübingen, “start-with-a-friend” can be contacted via email at tuebingen@start-with-a-friend.de More information can be found on the webisite: www.start-with-a-friend.de tun21060801 Die Stadt Tübingen am Neckar. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Mostafa Elyasian. Latest information on Corona: Click here 3,433 total views

3,433 total views

Ticks transmit infectious diseases

June 9, 2021 tunews editorial

Ticks become active in early summer. They are then at a stage in which they suck blood from living things such as animals and humans. They can transmit pathogens during the suction process. The risk of being infected by tick bites is particularly high in Baden-Württemberg. Here up to five percent of all ticks transmit the TBE virus and up to 35 percent the Lyme disease bacterium. That is why the Baden-Württemberg State Health Office is now recommending protective measures to people who are often in their own garden and in nature. Ticks do not fall from trees and cannot… Read More

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Baden-Württemberg’s new government is sworn in

June 8, 2021 tunews editorial

Winfried Kretschmann (Green Party) has been voted Baden-Württemberg’s governor for the third time. The 72-year-old was voted in by secret ballot by the majority of the representatives in the Stuttgart state parliament on Wednesday, 12th May. For the first time, Kretschmann became Baden-Württemberg’s head of government ten years ago. After his election, the eleven secretaries of the green-black coalition were sworn in. As the Green Party is the stronger faction, they provide six secretaries: for finances, environment, science, social affairs and transport as well as the culture secretary for the first time. The CDU provides five secretaries: justice, economics, agriculture,… Read More

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Ramadan in Covid conditions

May 13, 2021 tunews editorial

For the second consecutive year, Muslims around the world fasted during the month of Ramadan under extraordinary circumstances due to the corona pandemic. However, this year was more difficult and sadder than the previous year. The effects of the coronavirus were stronger this year. They strongly influenced social life. Ramadan is known as a month of collective prayer in which Muslims gather in great numbers to perform tarawih (nightly prayers). These are customs and rituals that Muslims had to do without this year as well. Ramadan is a month in which the families usually gather at iftar (breaking the fast)… Read More

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Ramadan in Covid conditions

May 12, 2021 tunews editorial

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Educational and participation services in Tübingen

April 29, 2021April 28, 2021 tunews editorial

Families with little money can offer their children opportunities in school and free time that they could not otherwise afford. To do this, you can apply for benefits from the education and participation package at the District Office. For example: the transport of pupils to school, learning support (tuition), school trip costs and many other offers. Education and participation benefits are only given to those who are already receiving unemployment benefits, asylum seekers benefit or social assistance. The District Office is responsible for this in the Tübingen district. More information at www.kreis-tuebingen.de Contact via email: bildungspaket@kreis-tuebingen.de tun21040303 Das Landratsamt liegt… Read More

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Helpline Sexual Abuse

April 27, 2021May 6, 2021 tunews editorial

The Helpline Sexual Abuse by N.I.N.A e.V. is offering anonymous consultation as well as help for affected and concerned people. People who experienced sexual abuse during their childhood or youth or are currently experiencing by it, can receive support here. All questions concerning the topic of sexual abuse and child abuse can be asked here. The number is: 0800 44 55 530 You can also contact them by writing an email: beratung@hilfetelefon-missbrauch.de More information under https://nina-info.de tun21020905 Viele junge Menschen erleben sexualisierte Gewalt – für sie bietet N.I.N.A. e.V. ein Hilfetelefon. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Kerstin Markl. Latest information on… Read More

2,585 total views, 1 views today

Caution against fraud via SMS

April 25, 2021May 5, 2021 tunews editorial

During corona, many people order goods over the internet. Fraudsters exploit this. They send links about the shipping of packages via the short messaging system (SMS). These links lead to fake websites. This way, the criminals want to spread malware or gain access to sensible data, such as passwords or credit card numbers. This is called smishing, a composition of SMS and phishing. Internet specialists from the police advice: under no circumstances click on unknown links or files and don’t install unfamiliar apps on the smartphone. Furthermore, the SMS should be deleted. If users click on the link, they should… Read More

824 total views, 2 views today

Small purchases

April 24, 2021May 5, 2021 tunews editorial

A customer comes to Mohammad in the greengrocer’s and wants to buy a banana. What does one banana do? Do people in Germany live and eat for themselves? Mohammad suspects that many go shopping here because they want to have fun. In Afghanistan, where Mohammad came to Germany from five years ago, people would buy much larger quantities of food. Instead of one kilogram of potatoes, they usually buy three kilograms that would be enough for a medium-sized family for a week. Rice would be fetched by the sack for a whole month. In Afghanistan, shopping is really something different.… Read More

1,158 total views

It’s worth applying for a tax return

April 5, 2021 tunews editorial

As a rule, anyone who works in Germany has to pay taxes. The employer pays these taxes directly to the tax office. For many people it is worth filing a tax return every year. Then, for example, they can inform the tax office of their costs for training, for the home office or for transportation to work. They can even apply to claim a flat rate for tax relief. The tax office then calculates whether someone will get money back. Of the 25.5 million people who were not self-employed in Germany in 2016, 13.7 million filed a tax return for… Read More

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Yellow sacks are available in Nonnenhaus

April 3, 2021April 3, 2021 tunews editorial

Tübingen residents living in the city center can no longer pick up yellow bags at the Citizens’ Office in the city center. The yellow bags are now available in the magazine department of the Scriptum company on the first floor of the Nonnenhaus. The store is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Yellow bags are also available in the citizens’ offices in Derendingen and Lustnau as well as in the administrative offices of the city districts. What belongs in the yellow sacks can be found online at… Read More

1,454 total views

Scammers steal with fake emails

April 2, 2021 tunews editorial

You may receive e-mails promising shopping vouchers or prizes. Sometimes the emails ask recipients to take part in a survey to receive the prizes. Sometimes these mails appear to come from the online mail order company Amazon, from food companies such as Edeka, Rewe and Lidl, or even from the furniture store Ikea. Attention: These are fake e-mails. Internet scammers want to trick the recipients. Anyone who clicks on the link provided is led astray. The link leads to the website of data collectors who want to get hold of pins or passwords, for example. With this data, they can… Read More

1,710 total views

Women strengthen women

March 30, 2021 tunews editorial

“Female Fellows” is an organization in Stuttgart. It was established in 2018. “Our aim is a society in which diversity thrives and which everyone can help shape equally,” says Female Fellows on its website. Diversity also defines the organization’s team: The women are from different countries and have different focuses in their work. The project for refugee women has developed continuously and has expanded to multiple cities. Eva Maria Lehmann has established this project together with Nour Othman in Tübingen. One of the project’s activities is the “Tandem Project”. It connects migrants and citizens so that they can support each… Read More

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State election in Baden-Württemberg: The Green Party can choose coalition partner

March 27, 2021March 27, 2021 tunews editorial

The Green Party has won the state election in Baden-Württemberg. They improved to 32.7 percent statewide. So far, this is their best result: 2.4 percent more than during the state election five years ago. The CDU, the current coalition partner of the Green Party, got their worst result yet with only 23.8 percent. As a consequence to this defeat, Susanne Eisenmann, the leading CDU candidate and culture minister, wants to withdraw from politics. The SPD continued to also loose approval. They got 11.5 percent. This puts the, just ahead of the FDP, which improved to 10.4 percent. The Green Party… Read More

1,291 total views

About bulbs and grapes

March 21, 2021March 20, 2021 tunews editorial

There are customers who approach Mohammad at the vegetable stall and want to buy 500 grams of celery. He asks: Would you like a bulb? A big or a small one? He has been selling vegetables and fruits for four years now and still wonders: People don’t know the “package size”. It is important to understand one another. Because of this, it is also important how one says something. At his home in Afghanistan, one has to say exactly what they want at the vegetable seller: A bulb of garlic, not a piece; you ask for a stick or a… Read More

1,076 total views

Museums and other places open again in the District of Tübingen

March 21, 2021March 20, 2021 tunews editorial

Because of the relaxation of the shutdown, museum and other cultural places are open again in the District of Tübingen. tünews INTERNATIONAL is giving an overview: Tübingen University Museum in the Schloss Hohentübingen (Castle of Hohentübingen): Museum Old Cultures and special exhibition, Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; City Museum, Kornhausgasse: permanent exhibition and special exhibition, starting March 17th, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Kunsthalle (Art Gallery): reopening with new exhibition on March 26th; Hölderlinturm: Mondays, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Botanical Garden of the University,… Read More

3,118 total views, 1 views today

Hand gestures for domestic violence

March 17, 2021March 26, 2021 tunews editorial

As part of the corona pandemic, domestic violence has risen worldwide. Women and children are affected most often. Consequently, the “Canadian Women’s Foundation” has developed hand gestures, which can save human lives. Without having to speak, victims of domestic violence can show that they need help, for example during a video chat. If one sees a hand gesture such as the one shown here, they can help. Information and support: The violence against women support hotline 08000 116016 The violence against men support hotline 0800 1239900 Child and youth telephone 0800 1110333 https://www.fritz.de/programm/aktuelle-themen/2020/06/handzeichen-fuer-hilfe-hausliche-gewalt-schlaege-notruf-frauen-kinder-zuhause-lockdown-corona-angst.html tun21011902 Latest information on Corona: Click here… Read More

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Syrian sentenced because of state torture

March 9, 2021May 3, 2021 tunews editorial

At the end of February 2021, the Koblenz Higher Regional Court has sentenced the 44-year-old Syrian Eyad A. to four and a half years imprisonment because of his involvement in torture in Syria. The court found the convict guilty of being complicit in a crime against humanity. Eyad A. fled to Germany, before that he worked for the Syrian secret service. The court saw it as proven that Eyad A. was involved in torture and false imprisonment. The detention period that the court decided on is slightly less than what the Federal Prosecution requested. The defense argued that Eyad A.… Read More

592 total views

UN report about war crimes in Syria

March 9, 2021 tunews editorial

It started with protests ten years ago: Syrians demonstrate against the regime of leader Baschar al-Assad in March 2011. The power of the state immediately reacted with brutal violence against the demonstrators. Since 2011, tens of thousands of people have been put into prison, many of them have been tortured. The 30 pages long report by an international investigation team of the United Nations documents the “hideous” (as it’s called in the report) crimes against the human rights – committed by both the government and the rebel groups. The authors have conducted around 2500 interviews in ten years. Among other… Read More

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Changed phone hours for the Foreigners’ Office Tübingen

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021 tunews editorial

The local Foreigners’ Office Tübingen has changed its phone hours and is now available for half an hour longer in the morning. However, the afternoon phone hours from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. are cancelled. The Office is now reachable Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. There are different numbers one can call, depending on the first letter of the family name. Letter A to Ha: phone 07071 204-2553. Letter Hb to Om: phone 07071 204-2383. Letter On to Z: phone 07071 204-2549. On-site appointments are only possible upon agreement. tun21022601 Impressionen zum Leben in Zeiten der… Read More

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Families receive child bonus

March 1, 2021 tunews Editorial

The Bundestag has decided on a new corona-aid package. This also includes families. As they did in 2020, they are supposed to receive a child bonus this year as well. Parents will receive 150 euros once for each child for which they already receive a child benefit this year. The bonus will be paid in May. The responsible family benefits department (Familienkasse) does this automatically. One does not have to apply for the bonus. More than 10 million families will receive the child bonus in Germany, as the Federal Family Minister Franziska Giffey has announced. The cost for this aid… Read More

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Apply for a spot in the day care center

February 25, 2021 tunews editorial

Everyone who wishes to enroll their children in a day care center or nursery school in Tübingen must do so until the end of February 2021. The day care center years starts in September. The date until which parents have to accept the spot is provided in the acceptance letter. Detailed information about child day care in Tübingen : (https://www.tuebingen.de/158.html) ; and the application procedures (www.tübingen.de/23418.html) are available on the internet. There, it is also possible to apply for a public or private childcare spot online or to download the application forms as paper. The Zentrale Anmeldestelle Kinderbetreuung (Central Application… Read More

1,178 total views

Gradual increase in the minimum wage

February 20, 2021February 22, 2021 tunews Editorial

In 2021 and 2022, the legal minimum wage in Germany will be increased in four stages. In doing so, the German government is following the recommendation made by the Minimum Wage Commission in June 2020. For 2021, the following applies: the minimum wage will be raised from 9.35 to 9.50 euros gross per hour on January 1, 2021, and then to 9.60 euros on July 1, 2021. For 2022, the following applies: From January 1 to June 30, 2022, the minimum wage will be further increased to 9.82 euros. From July 1 to December 31, 2022, it is expected to… Read More

1,415 total views

Receive child bonus belatedly

February 19, 2021February 22, 2021 tunews editorial

In 2020, the child bonus, or Kinderbonus, was paid for around 16 million children. Its aim is to support families during the corona pandemic. A requirement was that the children were entitled to the child benefit for at least a month in 2020. Children who were born in the year 2020 and for whom no application for the child benefit was filed yet, can receive the child bonus belatedly in 2021. Important is to file the application for the child benefit. If receiving it, the child bonus is given automatically. The application for child benefit can be filed directly online.… Read More

1,414 total views

Daily news on Facebook

December 24, 2020January 8, 2021 tunews editorial

tünews INTERNATIONAL has a Christmas present for all readers. From now on, we are quadrilingual on Facebook. There, you can find our latest news in your language, if you speak German, English, Dari, Persian or Arabic. Read the news from tünews INTERNATIONAL daily under https://www.facebook.com/T%C3%BCnews-International-English-106584848018157 tun122208 Latest information on Corona: Click here 2,757 total views

2,757 total views

State can help with legal costs

December 7, 2020December 9, 2020 tunews editorial

People sometimes encounter legal problems, such as disputes with the landlord about the rent or with the employer about wages. This also affects refugees. Some fear they cannot finance the trial in court. Because of this, they may waive their right to a trial. But there are more options. The state can financially support those in need with legal aid. It can completely or partially take over the costs of a trial before a civil court. The conditions are that the plaintiffs do not have insurance (legal protection or via the trade union), which would bear the costs. To get… Read More

1,338 total views

Check debt collection online and free of charge

November 23, 2020 tunews editorial

If you order something online, receive the goods, but do not pay the invoice on time – things can get difficult. In such a case, the company that shipped the goods can claim its money. The procedure is called debt collection (Inkasso). The company can hire special companies or a lawyer to collect the money. These companies often threaten the buyer with enormous costs – for legal proceedings for example. “The bills are often excessive,” writes the consumer advice center on its website. There, it offers a free debt collection check (Inkasso-Check). Through this, it can be checked whether the… Read More

1,858 total views

Wi-Fi and charging for free: “Smart-Bänkle” makes it possible

November 7, 2020 tunews editorial

Sitting, watching, surfing – all is made possible by the new “Smart-Bänkle”. It is situated in front of the municipal utility’s headquarters in the Tübinger Eisenhutstraße 6 and, until October 17th, in the outdoor pool Tübingen. The two intelligent benches offer a public Wi-Fi hotspot and charging opportunities for the smartphone. The free Wi-Fi helps shorten the waiting time and one can easily charge their phone on the bench, even without a cable. The “Smart-Bänkle” are equipped with solar modules at the top. Because of this, these innovative benches are powered completely by themselves and are 100 percent climate neutral.… Read More

1,385 total views

From Sunday 25th of October: end of summer time in Europe

October 24, 2020 tunews editorial

During the night going from 24th to 25th of October, the official time throughout Europe will be changed back to the so-called normal time. Those who are still awake in the early morning will reset their clocks from 3 o’clock to 2 o’clock. Their reward will be to sleep an hour longer. This time change was introduced by Directive 2000/84/EC of the European Parliament and the European Council of 19th January 2001 concerning summer-time arrangements. This Directive defines “summer time” as the time between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October. The “summer time” has applied… Read More

930 total views

All lies: Spoofing scams over the phone and by e-mail

September 28, 2020October 10, 2020 tunews editorial

A specific criminal act has become more widespread in the district of Tübingen in the past year: Spoofing (fraud). Fake police officers attempted 454 times to deceive (most often) elderly people. And exploit their fear of crime. That is 258 cases or almost 130 percent more than in 2018, according to the Reutlingen police headquarters in its current crime statistics. The crooks claim might that there has been a break-in in the neighborhood and that the people called are on an address list. Therefore, they should hand over money and valuables to a policeman who would pick them up. On… Read More

2,146 total views

What is „Schufa“?

September 23, 2020November 18, 2020 tunews editorial

Every person who has applied for a loan or opened an account, has come into contact with the “Schufa”. Schufa is short for „Schutzgemeinschaft für allgemeine Kreditsicherung“ which can be translated as General Credit Protection Agency”. So, what exactly does Schufa do? At Schufa, all data concerning loans, checking accounts, installment payments and other such things, is saved – but only with the consent of the affected person. An inquiry with Schufa is supposed to give information about the creditworthiness, meaning how financially trustworthy, someone is or how orderly they pay back their debts. This is important for banks when… Read More

2,202 total views, 4 views today

Opening packages, tasting fruit … what is allowed in the supermarket?

September 22, 2020September 23, 2020 tunews editorial

Germans love their supermarkets, as a survey by the German Ministry of Agriculture shows: More than half of all consumers shop there at least once a week. But what is allowed in a supermarket and what is not? The legal experts at Stiftung Warentest have compiled important rules. Nibbling on not-yet-paid-for sweets is prohibited, because the goods still belong to the store owner. Consequently, eating or drinking first and then paying is not allowed. Anyone who wants to buy fresh eggs can open the carton to see if the contents are intact. But it is not allowed to exchange broken… Read More

1,200 total views

Car racing prohibited

September 9, 2020September 21, 2020 tunews editorial

The public roads in Germany are used by many different people: pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks and more. There are laws and rules to ensure that everything works smoothly. The laws dictate who can travel where, how and at what speed. The main purpose of this is to keep traffic flowing, avoid accidents and protect everyone’s life. These laws include the ban of illegal car racing, a topic of recent interest in the media. Anyone who organizes or takes part in such races, risks their own life or that of others. Furthermore, there are also severe penalties for this:… Read More

1,737 total views

Warning day in Germany

September 9, 2020September 11, 2020 tunews editorial

Starting this year, the nationwide warning day will take place in Germany. From now on, this will happen each year on the second Thursday in September. This falls on September 10th at 11 a.m. in 2020. Warning days and “siren tests” such as this used to happen regularly, but lately only North Rhine-Westphalia had been doing them. On this warning day, the sirens will sound everywhere, loudspeaker trucks will send messages, radio, television and social media will send information and emergency apps such as the NINA app will send push messages. The aim of these measures is to familiarize people… Read More

1,132 total views

Coronavirus is not taking a break

August 27, 2020November 18, 2020 tunews editorial

Daily, the number of people infected with the coronavirus is rising fast. This is true for the state of Baden-Württemberg and for the rest of Germany. Many people are bringing back the virus from their vacation or are getting infected during gatherings with family or friends. The Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, understands that people are longing for a break. However, he says: “The virus is not taking a summer break.” In fact, the opposite is the case, “It is using every opportunity to spread again.” The head of state wants to avoid a second coronavirus wave as it happened… Read More

2,687 total views

Going to the daycare center with a cold

August 26, 2020October 10, 2020 tunews editorial

During the fall, many children get a cough and a runny nose. This is also the case during times of the coronavirus. When are children with cold symptoms allowed to go to their daycare center and when not? The state of Baden-Württemberg’s public health department gives an answer to this before the opening of the daycare centers on Monday, August 31st. If a child has a runny nose without any other symptoms, a light cough or a sore throat, they are allowed to go to the daycare center. However, if they have a fever of at least 38 degrees Celsius… Read More

718 total views, 2 views today

Distorted picture: Immigrants in German media

August 8, 2020August 18, 2020 tunews editorial

How does the German media report about people with a history of immigration? The media researcher Thomas Hestermann from the Macromedia University of Applied Sciences investigated this in a study for the Migration Media Service. People with an immigration history rarely have a voice in the media – even when they are being reported on. In only 12.3 percent of TV and newspaper reports about immigrants, are those mentioned quoted directly. For example, the “Bild-Zeitung” (6.9 percent) and the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (9.2 percent) rarely allow people with a history of immigration to speak, while the most quoting occurs in the… Read More

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Killing wild animals is punishable by law

June 22, 2020July 17, 2020 tunews editorial

If important flower pollinators such as bees were to disappear, the food supply of humans would be endangered. The Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNaSchG) makes the killing of wild animals a punishable offence: “It is forbidden to deliberately disturb (…) catch, injure or kill wild animals” (§ 39 Abs. 1 Nr.1 BNaSchG). This law applies to all wild animals, including insects such as hornets, wasps, bees or butterflies. www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bnatschg_2009/index.html#BJNR254210009BJNE004002124 tun060907 Impressionen zum Leben in Zeiten der Corona-Pandemie: Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL; Oula Mahfouz, 14.06.2020 Latest information on Corona: Click here 884 total views

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Academic life and family life in the time of Corona

May 25, 2020July 2, 2020 tunews editorial

Youssef Kanjou My academic work as a researcher in Middle Eastern archaeology at the University of Tübingen and in the field of research usually does not happen at home. At the same time, my children are usually in schools and kindergartens. The situation, now, has changed because of the Corona virus: I can no longer go to university and my children are permanently at home. That has forced me to change my social and scientific lifestyle: on the one hand, I work from home and on the other hand, my family life challenges me. It costs a lot of time… Read More

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Corona: Additional body-related services allowed

May 12, 2020July 2, 2020 tunews editorial

Starting May 11th, tanning salons and other body-related services with comparable hygiene standards such as hairdressers may open in Baden-Württemberg. They must comply with special hygiene regulations. Explicitly mentioned are: massage studios, cosmetic studios, nail studios and tattoo studios. Facial services such as beard care, eyelash coloring and eyebrow plucking are again permitted in hairdressing salons. This is from the regulation of the state government on infection protection measures against the spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2 from May 9, 2020. tun051003 Impressionen zum Leben in Zeiten der Corona-Pandemie: Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL; Mostafa Elyasian, 12.05.2020 Latest information on Corona: Click here… Read More

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Higher fines for road traffic

May 4, 2020July 2, 2020 tunews editorial

With the new regulations on road traffic regulations, the Federal Ministry of Transport is also announcing new regulations on fines, which also came into force on April 28th. Consequently, the fines for violations of parking, stopping and for speeding are now higher. If the speed limit is exceeded, driving bans could occur earlier than in the past: in towns and cities when exceeding the limit by 21 km/h, out of town by 26 km/h. The unauthorized use of an emergency lane is now tracked and penalized in exactly the same way as the failure to create an emergency lane (up… Read More

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Disposing of hazardous materials

May 4, 2020July 2, 2020 tunews editorial

The collection points for problematic substances in the cities and municipalities in the district of Tübingen will start operating in their usual opening hours once again from May 4th. Due to the Corona virus pandemic operation of the facility was stopped end of March. Now, a safety distance of two meters must be observed both while waiting and when handing over the hazardous substances. In order not to endanger anyone, you should wear mouth-nose protection. It should be noted that, for reasons of capacity and in order to reduce long waiting times, only small quantities from households will be accepted.… Read More

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Cover mouth and nose on public transport and in shops

April 28, 2020June 11, 2020 tunews editorial

As of Monday, 27th April, people in Baden-Württemberg will have to cover their mouth and nose while using public transport or while shopping. This “mask obligation” also applies to bus and train waiting areas. The regulation applies to everyone including and over six years of age. This means that your mouth and nose need to be covered either with a non-medical “everyday mask” or with another covering, such as a scarf or a cloth. The aim is to reduce the spread of droplets expelled when people exhale, speak, cough or sneeze. Mutual protection will increase if all people cover their… Read More

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