DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
German Green Party chief Robert Habeck quits Twitter after data hack Green politician Robert Habeck announced via Twitter on Monday that after "a sleepless night" he was deleting his account, as the platform had started to "rub off" on him. The move comes in reaction to criticism of one of his posts and thehacking of his private informationvia his social media accounts. Habeck went on to explain his decision in an article entitled "Bye bye, Twitter and Facebook." Habeck had earlier received backlash for the wording used in a campaign video posted on Twitter ahead of this yearʼs Thuringia state elections. "Weʼre trying to do everything so that Thuringia becomes an open, free, liberal, democratic and ecological state," he said in the video, prompting critics to question why Habeck did not already believe the state was free and democratic.
Carlos Ghosn makes first court appearance in Japan Carlos Ghosn appeared at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday morning to hear an explanation for his ongoing detention. The former Nissan boss arrived in handcuffs with a rope around his waist, wearing plastic sandals and a dark suit with no tie. The 64-year-old appeared to have lost weight during his seven weeks in detention. Ghosn, who is accused of financial misconduct, told the court that all of his actions were taken "with the knowledge and approval of the appropriate executives inside the company." The hearing was requested by Ghosn himself, who told the court he had been "wrongly accused and unfairly detained." However, the presiding judge said Ghosnʼs continued detention was justified because he posed a flight risk and could tamper with evidence. In Japan, suspects are routinely held without bail because of fears they might tamper with evidence.
7/2019 • 9 JANUARY, 2019
Turkeyʼs Erdogan calls for ʼcarefulʼ US withdrawal from Syria ahead of Bolton visit The comments came before Erdogan was to meet Trump adviser John Bolton
Turkeyʼs president praised Donald Trumpʼs decision to remove US troops from Syria, but said the withdrawal should be "planned carefully."
Can fresh US-China trade talks bring a breakthrough? US officials are in China on Monday for the start of fresh trade negotiations. Whatʼs on the agenda — and what progress could be made as another deadline looms in the trade battle between Beijing and Washington? Ahead of US-China trade talks, Chinaʼs Commerce Ministry said in a statement that the renewed negotiations over the ongoing trade row would include "positive and constructive discussions." The key will be how seriously Beijing takes the arrival of the working team led by Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish, who is set to meet midlevel Chinese officials in Beijing.The two sides are expected to discuss a series of technical issues, including
non-tariff barriers, intellectual property and agriculture and industrial purchases. The talks are the first between the worldʼs two largest economies since last monthʼs summit in Argentina, where US President Donald Trump and his counterpart, Xi Jinping,agreed to hold off on more tariffsfor 90 days starting December 1 while they attempted to negotiate a deal. The trade war has damaged both economies over the past year. The Chinese government expects growth to have eased to around 6.5 percent in 2018, down from 6.9 percent in 2017, meaning Beijing may be ready to make a deal. And the conflict has also started to hit global stock prices, with Apple dragging markets down this past week.
Kenya: Solar motorcycles take on Nairobi smog Kenya has a motorcycle problem. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, more than 190,000 new motorcycles and three-wheeled vehicles were registered in 2017, compared to approximately 66,000 cars. This trend has continued into 2018, with 108,000 motorcycles and threewheelers registered since January against just 38,000 cars. Whatʼs worrying is the fact that these motorcycles — which are increasing in demand thanks toa growing young populationin search of employment — produce more carbon emissions than cars. A baseline survey on electric mobility in Kenya conducted by the
University of Nairobi reveals a steep rise in cumulative emissions from two and three-wheeled vehicles between 2005 and 2017. Clean energy technology for motorcycles is simplynot developing at the same rate as cars. "Cars are getting more efficient because of vehicle emission technologies, while motorcycles are not," David Rubia, an air quality and mobility program officer at the United Nations Environment Program (UN Environment), told DW. "One motorcycle can have up to 300 times more hydrocarbon emissions, and 10 to 50 times more for particulate matter [compared to] an average petrol car."
Attackers knock Bremen AfD leader Frank Magnitz unconscious in street Police are looking for three men who attacked and injured Frank Magnitz, party leader of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the city state of Bremen. A police report said the incident happened on Monday afternoon, near Bremenʼs Goetheplatz. Magnitz, a member of Germanyʼs lower house of parliament, was attacked by three masked men, AfD party officials saidin a statement. Magnitz had left a New Year reception hosted by local newspaper the Weser-Kurier shortly before. He was knocked unconscious with a piece of wood and kicked in the head as he lay on the ground, the party said. A construction worker was said to have intervened and stopped the attack. The 66-year-old Magnitz was reported to be in hospital, having sustained "severe" injuries.
German government hack presents media with dilemma The government is hunting for the hacker or hackers who stole massive amounts of personal information from political leaders and celebrities — and the German media is, of course, following every step. Interior MinisterHorst Seehofermet with the heads of the data security and federal criminal police offices on Monday, but there was no press briefing afterward. All a ministry spokesman told reporters was thata 19-year-old witness had been questionedand that "significant progress" was being made in the investigation.
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7/2019 • 9 January, 2019
German intelligence foiled 2016 Islamic State terror attack Three teams of "Islamic State" (IS) terrorists were to have traveled to Germany in 2016 to prepare for and carry out a devastating attack — with the target possibly a music festival. A man, Oguz G., and woman, Marcia M., who traveled to Syria in autumn 2015 to join IS were to have played a central role in the attack. From ISʼ then-de facto capital of Raqqa, Marcia M. — who was herself a convert to Islam — tried to recruit women in northern Germany to marry IS members so that they could be granted permission to enter Germany. However, one of the women who was contacted was an informant for Germanyʼsdomestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), who alerted authorities. Details of the case emerged after an investigation by the German broadcasters ARD and WDR, as well as the Süddeutsche Zeitung and Zeit newspapers. The case was confirmed by the German Federal Prosecutorʼs Office.
Andy Murrayʼs expectations ʼtemperedʼ before Australian Open A year on from hip surgery, and with just eight wins to show for his trouble, Andy Murray has definitely not lost his sense of humour. On New Yearʼs Eve, he posted a picture of himself drinking from an (empty?) bottle of champagne. Six other unopened bottles of booze were in front of the teetotaller as he "celebrated" the end of a miserable 2018.
France plans tougher laws to counter yellow vest protests France has said it plans to ban participation in unauthorized demonstrations in an effort to counter the ongoing yellow vest movement. The government is scrambling to put an end to the increasingly violent protests. France plans to introduce tough legislation to ban unauthorized demonstrations and sanction rioters in response to violent yellow vest protests, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced. Eight weeks into demonstrations that have led toriots and clashes with police in Paris and other cities, the French government is struggling to deal with the leaderless movement that has become increasingly radicalized. Philippe said Monday the government planned "updating the law in order to
sanction those who do not respect this obligation to declare protests, those who take part in undeclared protests, those who arrive at protests with balaclavas." He also announced a plan to ban "troublemakers" from participating in demonstrations, similar to the way football hooligans are banned from stadiums. In response to destruction of businesses and property in riots, "the troublemakers, and not taxpayers" would be responsible for paying for damages, he said.
Celebrated artists who took a final bow in 2018 From Dolores OʼRiordan of The Cranberries fame to "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin and writer Tom Wolfe, we celebrate those dearly departed musicians, directors and artists whose legacies continue to resonate. In 2018, comic book fans mourned two of the industryʼs legends: Stan Lee, the man who invented Marvel Comics, died in November, just a few months after Steve Ditko, the artist and co-creator of various Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, passed away in June. The creator of the cult Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants,Stephen Hillenburg, also died in November. Indie rock pioneers Dolores OʼRiordan had a
string of global hits with her band The Cranberries in the 1990s, including "Zombie," a protest song against the Northern Ireland conflict and one of the signature songs of the era. Following a suicide attempt, OʼRiordan was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2013 anddrowned in a bathtub hotel in January 2018. The autopsy revealed heavy alcohol intoxication. OʼRiordan was 46 years old. The nameRichard Swiftis less known, but the musician and composer had a defining impact on the indie rock scene of the past decade and before. The multi-instrumentalist played with the bands The Shins and The Arcs and accompanied the Black Keys on tour. He died from complications related to alcohol addiction at the age of 41.
Sting to return to Budapest for summer 2019 Sting is head over heels for Budapest. After a successful free show with Shaggy a month ago on Heroes’ Square, the former Police frontman has just announced another Budapest concert for next summer. On 2 July, the Grammy-winning singer brings his My Songs tour to the Papp László Aréna, where he will be taking the stage with his own band. From “Englishman In New York” to “Every Breath You Take”, the set should include Sting’s biggest hits. Tickets are on sale now.
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eBay sues Amazon for allegedly poaching its sellers Online retailer eBay filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against its competitor Amazon, accusing the Seattle-based giant of using eBayʼs own messaging system to steal sellers. eBay described Amazonʼs scheme as an "orchestrated, coordinated, worldwide campaign" to "illegally lure eBay sellers." While both eBay and Amazonʼs revenue is boosted by independent sellers, the group has become a greater part of Amazonʼs recent growth. In 2017, more than half the items sold on Amazon came from third-party sellers. In eBayʼs lawsuit, Amazon representatives are accused of creating eBay accounts and then messaging sellers to persuade them to take their goods to Amazon.com instead. eBay argues that the move violated its user agreement. The plaintiff claimed that Amazonʼs "abuse" was systematic and had the sole purpose of harming eBay.
Nigerian army targets newspaper for ʼundermining securityʼ Nigeriaʼs military has been accused ofundermining press freedomafter soldiers raided a newspaper for publishing a front-page story about a planned operation against the Boko Haram insurgency. Two reporters at the Daily Trustnewspaper in the northeast city of Maiduguri were arrested on Sunday, including regional editor Uthman Abubakar and reporter Ibrahim Sawab, and dozens of computers were seized. The military claims it was forced to take action because the newspaper had published "classified security information." However, human rights activists and journalists have condemned the militaryʼs actions, describing as a blatant attack on freedom of speech. The newspaper reported that the Nigerian military was assembling thousands of troops and equipment in preparation for a large-scale operation in the northern part of Borno State – the latest attempt to retake Baga and five other towns from extremist group Boko Haram. More than 27,000 people have been killed since the violence broke out in 2009 and approximately 1.8 million are homeless. Army spokesman BrigadierGeneral Sani Usman alleged the report provided the insurgents with "early warning" and ultimately "sabotaged the planned operations…putting the lives of troops and imminent and clear danger."