10/2019 • 12 JANUARY, 2019 WEEKEND ISSUE
DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Winter storms sweep across southern Germany and Austria In Austria, at least eight people have died since the weekend, and a 9-yearold child was killed near Munich on Thursday when a tree collapsed under the weight of the snow. On Friday, a snow plow driver in southern Germany died when after his vehicle after it plunged into an icy river. The heaviest snowfalls in 20 years havecovered southern Germany and Austriaand parts of Czechia over the last week. Transport on road and rail has been affected, mainly by snow-laden trees.
Two ships collide in Mediterranean near Corsica The collision between the Tunisian and Cypriot ships spilled a trail of pollution stretching 4 kilometers across the water. Italy and France have sent ships to assist with cleanup efforts. Two cargo ships collided in the Mediterranean Sea near the island of Corsica on Sunday, causing an oil spill, coastal authorities said. The Ulysse, operated by the Tunisian operator CTN, ran into the Cyprus-based CLS Virgina while it was anchored about 30 kilometres (20 miles) off the northern tip of the island at around 7:30 a.m. local time, the regional naval authority said in a statement. Read more: Time to clean up the ocean garbage dump No one was injured but "the collision caused considerable damage, with an opening several meters long in the CLS Virginiaʼs hull," the statement said. The spill created a trail of pollution 4 kilometers long and several hundred meters wide, heading away from Corsica to the northwest, toward the French and Italian mainland, the statement continued.
Counting the cost of the US government shutdown But an extended shutdown could prove a drag
As the partial closure of the US government is set to become the longest ever, its immediate impact on the economy is negligible the American central banks says.
Vietnamʼs dog meat culture clashes with modern tastes Hoang has been eating dog meat since he was young. He canʼt imagine there will be a time that he wonʼt be eating it at least twice a month. However, Vietnamese officials announced in September that dog and cat meat should no longer be served in the inner districts of the capital city Hanoi because itʼs offensive to tourists and can spread diseases like rabies. Read more: Illegal dog meat trade raises moral questions Dog meat lovers and restaurant owners fear that the government will try to expand the ban and decide to officially forbid eating
dog and cat meat entirely. "I donʼt see how they can ban it. The demand is just too high," Hoang said at a restaurant in Vietnamʼs largest metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. In a small alley in Ho Chi Minh City, at least four restaurants serve dog meat, or Thịt chó. People gather around small tables to dine on the canine meat, complementing it with rice wine or beer. Hoang, who declined to give his full name, is sitting at a table with three good friends. "For us itʼs a tradition to eat dog meat. Itʼs just as normal as eating seafood or chicken," he told DW.
Police ask for Cristiano Ronaldo DNA sample in rape case Las Vegas police have asked Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo to submit a DNA sample as part of their investigation into rape allegations made against him. The request relates to an alleged rape nearly a decade ago. The Portuguese forward has consistently denied the allegations and his lawyer Peter Christiansen told press agency AFP that the DNA request was standard practice. "Mr Ronaldo has always maintained, as he does today, that what occurred in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature, so
it is not surprising that DNA would be present, nor that the police would make this very standard request as part of their investigation," he said in a statement. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said it had made an official request to Italian authorities and confirmed that the request for DNA was a case of taking "the same steps in this case as in any other sexual assault." Former model Kathryn Mayorga, 34, of Las Vegas,made the accusationagainst the 33-year-old footballer last year in the state of Nevada.
Saudi woman in Thailand flying to Canada, granted asylum Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun, 18, who last weekend barricaded herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room, alleging she had been abused by her Saudi family, boarded a Korean Air flight Friday, bound ultimately for Toronto. Thailand, which initially had threatened to deport her back to Saudi Arabia, said she was seen off by Canadaʼs ambassador. "Canada has been unequivocal that weʼll stand up for human rights and womenʼs rights around the world," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
Germany books €11.2 billion budget surplus Even though Germany had taken in more in taxes and spent less than expected, resulting in abudget surplus of €11.2 billion ($12.8 billion), German Finance MinisterOlaf Scholzwarned, "The good times in which the state keeps taking in more taxes than expected are coming to an end." The budget surplus was Germanyʼs fifth in a row and the first in Scholzʼs tenure after taking over for Wolfgang Schäuble. "The good times in which the state keeps taking in more taxes than expected are coming to an end." The budget surplus was Germanyʼs fifth in a row and the first in Scholzʼs tenure after taking over for Wolfgang Schäuble.
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