DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Russia denies it is violating nuclear arms treaty The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed US claims that Russia is violating a major Cold War treaty that limits mid-range nuclear arms, from which Washington is planning to withdraw. "Groundless accusations are again being repeated," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Russia in "material breach" of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. "No proof has been produced to support this American position," Zakharova said. She described the treaty as a "cornerstone of global stability and international security." Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that facts had been distorted "in order to camouflage the true goal of the US withdrawing from the treaty."
Terrorism deaths down, but still a widespread issue "The total number of deaths fell by 27 percent between 2016 and 2017, with the largest falls occurring in Iraq and Syria," the report said. However, despite both Middle East countries seeing the biggest improvement in sheer numbers, they still ranked in the top three countries most impacted by terrorism. In total, Iraq recorded more than 5,000 fewer deaths as a result of terrorism last year, while Syria had more than 1,000 fewer compared to 2016. The military defeat of the "Islamic State" (IS) militant group in Iraq and Syria resulted in the significant drop in terrorism-related deaths in the Middle East as well as in Europe. "ISIL has now lost most of its territory and sources of revenue and is actively redirecting "Despite its reduced capacity, ISIL remained the deadliest terrorist group globally in 2017."
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China vows quick trade deal as Trump sends mixed signals President Trump welcomed a deal, but reiterated that he was a Tariff Man
Beijing said bilateral talks were "very successful" and that it was "confident" a trade pact with the US would be reached in 90 days.
Venezuela: Erdogan and Maduro slam US sanctions Venezuela has suffered from a severe political and economic crisis since a collapse in oil prices several years ago. It has sought to bolster its ties with Turkey as it faces down a range of US sanctions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced US sanctions against Venezuela at a joint press conference with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Monday. Ties between the two countries have grown closer in recent months as Venezuela struggles to overcome a severe economic and political crisis. The Turkish president said Venezuela
had been unfairly targeted with economic sanctions, adding that he "did not approve of these measures that ignore the rules of global trade." He said his "friend" Maduro was facing "manipulative attacks from certain countries and acts of sabotage from economic assassins." He vowed to strengthen trade ties with Venezuela to help alleviate the economic crisis. He also praised Maduro, saying the Venezuelan leaderʼs "exemplary attitude is very valuable at a time when enmity toward Islam has risen and Western countries are stoking hostility toward foreigners."
Client Earth: Changing environmental law, the world over James Thornton, head of public interest law firm Client Earth, holds governments around the world accountable for environmental damage. He tells DW how the law can be harnessed for the good of people and the planet. James Thornton: The thing that allows a really small group of people to change the world is using the enormous power of the law. Legal systems encapsulate, really, what a society thinks about itself and the rules that
people in the particular society have mutually agreed to be governed by. It always includes enforcement mechanisms. If, for example, a government has passed a law about air pollution or water pollution and then it doesnʼt do the right thing and protect the people like the law says, we — using the power of the law — can go to the courts and force the government to do the right thing. Thatʼs an example of how just a few people can actually make a big difference.
Trumpʼs exsecurity adviser Michael Flynn may avoid prison According to a court filing, President Donald Trumpʼs former national security adviser Michael Flynn has provided so much information to the Special Counsel Robert Muellerʼs Russia investigation that prosecutors say he shouldnʼt do any prison time. Prosecutors said that his cooperation has been substantial. The filing provided the first details of Flynnʼs assistance in the Russia investigation. Prosecutors say that he participated in 19 interviews and cooperated extensively in a separate and undisclosed criminal probe. The filing comes two weeks ahead of Flynnʼs sentencing and just over a year after he became one of five Trump associates to plead guilty in the Russia probe, in his case admitting to lying to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US.
Police target ʼNdrangheta mafia in raids across Europe Police in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium have arrested several members of the Calabrian mafia. The ʼNdrangheta is heavily involved in Europeʼs cocaine trade. Joint investigative teams involving police in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium are targeting members of the Calabrian ʼNdrangheta mafia, Germanyʼs Federal Criminal Police Agency and Italyʼs Polizia di Stato confirmed after several media outlets had reported the story.
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276/2018 • 6 December, 2018
Invisible and dangerous: The Salafist scene in North Rhine-Westphalia There are more Salafists in North Rhine-Westphalia than in any other German state. The scene has all but vanished from the public eye in its stronghold. But it is still very active, as DW is told by numerous sources. "Speak after me," the red-bearded German convert and Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel says as he publicly summons the young woman. Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd in the pedestrian zone of the western city of Offenbach, she does exactly that, and repeats the words of the Islamic profession of faith. That was in 2010. The conversion was filmed and uploaded to YouTube — just one example of the many videos shared online from the heydays ofSalafist missionary work in Germany. Until 2016, the scene had a self-confident and sometimes aggressive public appearance. Bearded men in baggy pants and flowing white robes such as Pierre Vogel regularly distributed free Germanlanguage editions of the Koran in market squares and pedestrian zones.
Fans will decide ʼUEL2ʼ success Sundayʼs announcement that UEFA is set to introduce a new club competition, known provisionally as "UEL2," came as no great surprise, as the Executive Committee of European footballʼs governing body merely confirmed what for months had been widely expected.
Ranking: The most visited cities in the world The British market research institute Euromonitor has determined which cities counted the most visitors in 2017. With 27.9 million visitors, Hong Kong once again achieved 1st place, Bangkok 2nd place, London 3rd place.
Asian cities dominate the top positions. Of the European cities, only London and Paris made it into the top ten most visited cities in the world. The French capital recorded growth of 13.7 percent over the previous year. Amsterdam ranked 23rd, Vienna 34th and Berlin 36th. Ranking 2018 1. Hong Kong (27.9 million visitors) 2. Bangkok (22.5 mil-
lion visitors) 3. London (19.8 million visitors) 4. Singapore (17.6 million visitors) 5. Macau (17.3 million visitors) 6. Paris (15.8 million visitors) 7. Dubai (15.8 million visitors) 8. New York City (13.1 million visitors) 9. Kuala Lumpur (12.8 million visitors) 10. Shenzhen (12.1 million visitors)
Soyuz rocket lifts off with new crew for ISS It is the first liftoff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan since a mission failed in October. Three astronauts blasted off for the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday from the Russian-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three travelers, a Russian, an American and a Canadian are on the first manned mission since a failed launch from the facility on October 11. New astronauts Anne McClain of the United States and David Saint-Jacques of Canada, together
with veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko of Russia, are due to arrive at the space station after a trip of six hours. A few minutes after the rocket lifted off the Russian space agency Roscomos announced that the capsule was "successfully launched into orbit". Aboard the space station, German astronaut Alexander Gerst posted photos of the three current crew members tidying up "for the arrival of our friends," according to a post on Twitter. "Looking forward to having a full crew of six up here again, at least for a few weeks. Godspeed," Gerst said.
Budapest’s charming Basilica Advent Fair is now open The Advent Fair by St Stephen’s Basilica is one of the most atmospheric in Budapest. Centrepieced by a towering Christmas tree and a free ice-rink for kids, stalls offer delicious dishes and all things jolly, while special light shows projected onto the façade of the Basilica make every night special. See below for tips on what to eat, drink and buy – and find out what film star Antonio Banderas was up to here last year! Right in the city centre, this Christmas fair has been improving year upon year, offering an enchanted experience for all ages. The main attraction is a recent one, illuminated visuals projected onto the façade of the historic Basilica.
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Indiaʼs currency tumbles amid rising oil prices The rupee has dropped over 12 percent against the US dollar since the beginning of 2018, earning it the unfortunate distinction of Asiaʼs worst performing currency this year. Economists blame risingglobal crude prices for the slide. India imports 80 percent of its oil needs and soaring prices have blown a hole in the nationʼs finances. The country also imports huge quantities of items like gold and electronics, swelling its import bill further. Indiaʼs current account deficit (CAD) will also likely widen to 2.8 percent of GDP in financial year 2018 — up from 1.9 percent last year — according to consultancy Nomura Research Institute. CAD is a measure of the flow of goods, services and investments in and out of the country. Still, macroeconomic problems resulting from a higher CAD and depreciating rupee are not Prime Minister Narendra Modiʼs biggest concerns. His administration is more worried about growing public discontent due to the rise in petrol and diesel prices.
Disaster-prone nations threatened by huge insurance gap New research from Lloydʼs and CEBR has shown that vast assets are underinsured, posing a huge threat to livelihoods particularly in poorer nations. Those most at risk are also those with the lowest insurance levels. Disaster-prone developing nations are exposed to crippling losses when storms, floods or earthquakes strike, because they suffer from a dangerous lack of insurance, industry experts said Monday. Globally, assets worth about $163 billion (€141 billion) are not insured against catastrophes, posing a significant threat to livelihoods and prosperity,London-based insurance market Lloydʼs said in a fresh report. The value of underinsured assets had shrunk by only 3 percent since 2012, it noted. Many nations with the lowest levels of insurance were also among those most exposed to risks, including from climate change impacts, and were least able to fund recovery efforts, the study stressed. "If insurance is not available,catastrophes can have a much greater impact on economies and lives, Lloydʼs Chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown said in a statement. Emerging and low-income nations accounted for almost the entire global insurance gap, the report noted.