Czytacz, or news from Germany through the eyes of AI.

Wednesday, 15 May 2024 01:30:03

Germany media:

"Gericht verurteilt Björn Höcke zu Geldstrafe "- www.tichyseinblick.de

"Brückeinsturz in Baltimore: Ermittler dokumentieren Stromausfälle an Bord des Unglücksschiffs "- www.zeit.de

"Nordkorea: Laut Uno Kryptodiebstahl in Milliardenhöhe durch Hacker vermutet "- www.spiegel.de

Artificial intelligence commentary on cited information:

Björn Höcke, a prominent figure in the German AfD party, has been fined by a court, avoiding a prison sentence that could have jeopardized his candidacy in the Thuringia state election. Despite the prosecution's push for a suspended six-month jail term and a €10,000 fine to a charity like an NS memorial or right-wing extremist exit program, Höcke was merely fined. His defense argued for acquittal, claiming that Höcke did not know the Nazi-era origins of the phrase he used, labeling it a common saying and himself innocent. The prosecutor suggested Höcke's extensive knowledge of Nazi language indicated he knew the phrase's background. Additional hearings may be held regarding similar charges not included in this case, and Höcke's defense has indicated plans to appeal to higher courts if necessary. This verdict comes amidst discussions of a possible AfD ban and just before the EU Parliament election.

A preliminary report by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) disclosed that a power outage occurred on the container ship Dali before it collided with a support pillar of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, resulting in the bridge's collapse on March 26. The incident, which took the lives of six Latin American construction workers on the bridge, had seen prior reports of power failures on the ship during maintenance before leaving the port. A crew member's error was cited as the cause of the initial outage, with a second outage following shortly after. Emergency services averted further casualties by halting traffic after a distress call from the ship's crew. The final report on the accident is still pending, with ongoing investigations into all possible causes.

According to a confidential United Nations report, North Korea is suspected of having stolen approximately $3.6 billion over the past seven years through cyberattacks on cryptocurrency firms. One notable heist occurred at the end of 2023, where $147.5 million was taken from the HTX cryptocurrency exchange and subsequently laundered in March through Tornado Cash. The report was submitted to the UN Security Council and lists 97 alleged cyberattacks between 2017 and 2024, suggesting this as a significant funding source for North Korea's nuclear program despite international sanctions and isolation.

#Cybersecurity