Julia Monro, a spokesperson for the German Association for Trans Identity and Intersex People (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transidentität und Intersexualität), in 2017 applied to become a police officer because she wanted to join the fight against Internet crimes Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office rejected Monro’s application because she is transgender “I was really disappointed because their own website had a point for LGBTI people and so I felt very welcome,” Monro told the Washington Blade last month during a Zoom interview from her home near the city of Cologne Germany as of January has officially amended Police Service Regulation 300 (PDV 300) that was used to prevent openly trans and intersex people to work as police officers PDV 300 specifically mentioned men and women Joschua Thuir, a police inspector who is an instructor at a German Federal Police center for basic training and further education, is the trans ambassador of VelsPol Deutschland, an NGO that represents LGBTQ police officers in the country. Thuir, who is a trans man, has also written a diploma thesis about the experiences of trans and intersex people who have applied to become police officers in Germany. Thuir described PDV 300 as “a list that includes different physical and psychological criterion of exclusion.” He also told the Blade that he transitioned after his 3-year probation period ended to make sure he wouldn’t jeopardize his job. Brett Parson, an openly gay man who previously led the Metropolitan Police Department’s LGBT Liaison Unit, is among those who Thuir considers a mentor. Bee Bailey, a member of the Gloucestershire Constabulary in England who is a founding member of Trans Cops Europe, is among the other police officers who have also supported Thuir’s work. Monro reached out to Thuir when she wanted to change the policy. Thuir, for his part, spoke with different equal opportunity officers in the German Federal Police, among others. Thuir also connected with other VelsPol Deutschland members across Germany. “I asked the contact officers to get in touch with the medical services of the different police units to ask how they handle the medical examination for trans and intersex applicants, and to make them see that we need new regulations,” he said. “Together we achieved that just a hand full of trans men got a special admission for exceptional cases, to start the police basic training in 5 years.” Monro told the Blade that she spoke with German politicians who told her it would take the government “a long time” to amend PDV 300. Thuir also met with members of the German Bundestag, the lower house of the German Parliament. “The government answered on an interpretation in 2019, that the PDV 300 needs to open up for trans people because different criteria cause discrimination for trans men,” Thuir said, noting he spoke to the Blade in his capacity as VelsPol Deutschland’s trans ambassador. “They didn’t reform the PDV 300 only for trans and intersex people. The progress of the revision of the PDV 300 started years before.” Thuir said he was invited to ask questions about the criteria that “caused discrimination explicit for trans women.” Thuir told the Blade he also had the chance to ask the government about “the binary construct that also excluded intersex people” in 2020. The new policy took effect in all of Germany’s 19 police departments in January. “We wanted to make a positive report so that a lot of transgender people can now take their chance to go to the police,” said Monro. “We wanted to show the police is a good institution for transgender people to work.” Monro said there has thus far been no backlash against the new policy. She told the Blade she is not sure whether she will once again apply to become a police officer, but added the new regulation sends a positive message to trans and intersex Germans. “It sends a strong signal out to the community that it’s always worth fighting for something,” said Monro. “This process took me almost three years, and if you stand together with your community and you focus on your target while you fight and be patient, then you will get victory in everything you want.” Bailey in an email to the Blade praised Thuir and his efforts to change the policy. “This is absolutely down to the phenomenal hero we know as Joschua Thuir and his efforts made to encourage greater change of the outdated PVD300 regulation within the Polizei (police) in Germany,” said Bailey. “All our public desire from police and policing is that we are capable of doing our role as police to ‘protect and serve,’” added Bailey. Thuir said a labor union plans to unveil a photo project on March 31 in commemoration of the Transgender Day of Visibility. Thuir added the German government’s implementation of the new policy remains slow, in part, because police officials lack the proper information about it. Sign up to receive our weekly newsletters today! © 2025 Watermark Out News. All rights reserved. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world National Front supporters applaud during a local campaign event in Thuir XLinkedInEmailLinkGiftFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftBy John FollainApril 3 2017 at 12:14 AM EDTBookmarkSaveAbout a hundred expectant white people are packed into a drab Big tricolor flags hang from the walls and above the stage a navy-blue poster carries the election slogan of the candidate who is promising to address their frustrations: “In the name of the people — Marine — President.” Marine Le Pen’s potent mix of old-school left-wing economics and diatribes against immigrants resonates in this part of the country — and has brought the National Front closer than ever before to taking power in France While the Parisian elite is detached from the day-to-day battle with nationalism the ruling class in the regional capital of Perpignan has been battling to keep its voters away from extremists for decades Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter His focus is reporting on trending topics on the Internet he covers viral stories from around the world on social media Jack joined Newsweek in 2021 and previously worked at The Irish Post You can get in touch with Jack by emailing j.beresford@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A homeowner has told Newsweek of the moment he "freaked out" after finding bizarre skeletal remains on the roof of his home is still at a loss to explain what he found that day "I discovered it because my cat had a fight and his collar fell off right there," he said Nestled in a space on top of the roof tiles sat a cage containing two pieces of an animal skull Its long bone structure suggested it may have once belonged to a horse or bovine animal although he said one thought immediately came to mind: "Witchcraft." That is not entirely out of the realm of possibility either. A 2022 study published in the scientific journal PLOS One identified 140,000 people from 95 countries and territories who held witchcraft beliefs It is little wonder then that Horia immediately assumed the dark arts were at play. "I freaked out," he said. "I told my family. We all had no idea what it was at first and thought it was witchcraft." Eager to find answers, Horia turned to the internet and Reddit posting a picture of the skull alongside the caption: "Skull in cage on my roof "They may have been left out to be picked clean by bugs and stuff prior to being used for art or something," one user wrote the cage might've been to keep a fox or raccoon or some other animal from chewing on it," another posted "A lot of animals that aren't even carnivores like squirrels will chew on bones for calcium." A third agreed that the previous owner of Horia's house was "Probably cleaning it up" for later use as part of a display "I worked at a weird old hunter guy's house asked what's with all the flies and 5 gallon buckets "Everyone's got some kinda weird hobby out there That theory was further backed up by another Reddit user who commented: "I had a veterinarian student as house mate during university He also once did this with an animal skeleton to get the last bits clean to make it fit for an exhibition of some sort." Other users, however, couldn't resist seeing the spooky side of it all. "It's a curse, beware!" one wrote, with another adding that "black magic" could be at play Despite the vast number of comments suggesting bone bleaching Horia said the "the answer is still unclear." "Some people think it's for bleaching the bones to be then used as decoration," he added "The cage is situated on top of a house that used to belong to some sage burning women Now it's changed ownership multiple times; the cage looked like it was there for a long time." Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all PERPIGNAN: France´s women´s world featherweight champion Angelique Duchemin died aged 26 on Tuesday after suffering a heart problem in training Duchemin fell ill at her boxing club in Thuir in the Pyrenees Orientales region on Monday evening She received a cardiac massage before being rushed to hospital in Perpignan the head of the local boxing federation Jacques Rovira told AFP She passed away in hospital on Tuesday morning was a double champion of France and Europe in 2015 and won her world title in May She was due to defend her title on October 12 in Montpellier posted on Twitter: "It´s with sadness that I heard about the death of Angelique Duchemin Occitanie.Photo: Groupe Mercure/Forbes Global PropertiesSave this storySaveSave this storySaveA second home—whether it’s a multi-bedroom jewel box apartment overlooking New York’s East River or a charming ranch-style bungalow along the Pacific in Malibu—is a highly coveted refuge choosing the right spot is paramount—especially if it’s within driving distance from the primary residence But for anyone who wants to spend more than a weekend here and there at their new digs consider exploring the real estate market outside the United States’ borders—specifically in France may have an impressive collection of high-tech penthouses but several European and African countries boast one type of dwelling that America doesn’t: palaces From a Manueline-style castle on nearly 45 acres of active vineyards in Portugal to an ornate Islamic-style alcázar in Marrakech’s exclusive Palmeraie district these sprawling estates that formerly housed some of the world’s most extravagant royalty are on the market MoroccoThe Moroccan architects who built the Atlas Mountains-facing Palace Granada in Marrakech turned to an iconic Spanish landmark for inspiration: the intricately designed Alhambra fortress in Andalusia Palace Granada consists of a complex of medieval- and Renaissance-style residential suites and courtyards all of which are enveloped within a red clay wall there are a few differences between the two palaces: The Moroccan one’s basement includes a spa For more information, please click here FranceWith seven bedrooms scattered throughout the 11th-century sentinel-turned-private residence the stone castle wears its historical roots well: There are plenty of deep cannonball scars it’s since been restored to reveal the magical Mediterranean-facing estate that’s enveloped in a forest of fruit-bearing trees that it is today it perched among 17 acres of a rocky piton that subtly dominates the valley beneath.The castle may be medieval—complete with original stained glass windows and hidden passages—but it’s been renovated to fit the lifestyle of contemporary residents: There’s a heated swimming pool a pool house and bar in what used to be the dungeon and a patio with an ethereal fountain on the roof of the keep For more information, please click here which features about 20 stately rooms on each floor Originally built in 1805 for royal knight Luis Pereira Velho Moscoso and his family the estate often hosted the Portuguese royal family during the summer months ownership shifted from high-ranking military officials to wealthy aristocrats all of whom added their own unique touches on the estate designed by famed architect Miguel Ventura Terra He tapped artist Jorge Pinto to outfit the stairs with traditional Portuguese blue-tiled panels Though the Portuguese have been enjoying alvarinho grapes for centuries the vineyards weren’t planted until the mid-1970s the neatly organized rows of alvarinho trees produce nearly 75,000 bottles of wine per year For more information, please click here ItalyNestled within vineyards and olive trees the historic Italian palazzo is old—to say the least It was mentioned in a circa 1020 AD certificate of sale and again in a similar document in 1085 AD when the castle changed ownership the castle was handed over to the prominent Gianfigliazzi family of bankers and traders which is quite secluded between Florence and Tuscany Though nearly every one of the palace’s windows offers sweeping views of the rolling hills of Chianti the best vantage point is from a ​​panoramic tower which was constructed to surround an internal courtyard is outfitted in traditional terracotta floors For more information, please click here FranceOverlooking the majestic neighboring Pyrénées mountains the recently renovated chateau with a natural stone facade is the structural equivalent of Provencal Residing in France’s charming Occitanie region the quietly luxurious chateau features spiral staircases and two sweeping terraces with a manicured park beneath This elegantly bucolic spot makes for the perfect summer escape For more information, please click here ArgentinaBefore it became Mandl Castle in the 1940s the 16-bedroom palace that architects Emilio Maisonnave and Ernesto Mansella designed for surgeon Bartolomeo Vasallo sat relatively unnoticed at the base on the Andes mountains for nearly two decades Built on 24 acres atop a hill just outside the quaint town of La Cumbre the palace underwent a remarkable facelift between 1943 and 1947 when Hungarian architect Jorge Kalnay completely refurbished the entire estate Mandl Castle (named for its new owners) looked like a European-style chalet with avant-garde minimalism reminiscent of Jean-Michel Frank the property features plenty of space for guests The abundance of fruit trees and colorful gardens don’t hurt For more information, please click here.