DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Iran marks 40 years since Islamic revolution Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of the capital Tehran on Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ousted the Shahʼs last government. The march is the culmination of official celebrations called the "10 Day Dawn" that marks the period in February 1979 when the revolutionʼs leader Khomeini returned from exile and toppled the monarchy. Downtown Enghelab, or Revolution Street, was decorated with giant balloons and loudspeakers blasted revolutionary and nationalist songs to encourage people to join the rallies. Fireworks displays were also held across Tehran on Sunday night.
Germanyʼs SPD focuses on welfare as way out of poll misery Lawmakers from Germanyʼs oldest party, the SPD, sealed their plans for a new welfare state on Sunday after months of deliberations, debates, online discussion and regional meetings. "We are leaving Hartz IV behind us," said party head Andrea Nahles, referring to the welfare system that many in the party, and beyond, see as stigmatizing. The state should be viewed as a partner rather than an overseer, she added after party leaders endorsed the plan in Berlin. The SPD wants to replace Hartz IV, the basic welfare benefit — currently €428 ($484) per month — with a basic income. They also want to extend the period of time that older people, from age 58, receiveunemploymentbenefits, to 33 months from 24 months. Younger people, too, will receive unemployment benefits for longer, taking into consideration how long they contributed to the welfare system when they had work. Those who are jobless should have the right to further training, the 17page welfare state concept says.
37/2019 • 13 FEBRUARY, 2019
US may limit ties with nations partnering with Huawei Pompeo was in Hungary for the first leg of his fivenation tour of Europe
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington may scale back certain operations in Europe and elsewhere if countries contin ue to do business with the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.
Brexit: EUʼs Barnier says customs union idea ʼinterestingʼ
The European Unionʼs chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday appeared to welcome the idea of a customs union arrangement with Britain. In a letter to May, UK opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suggested a "permanent and comprehensive UKwide customs union" with the EU. Corbynʼs suggestion appears to envisage Britain being part of a separate customs union, rather than part of the EU Customs Union (EUCU) itself. How this would be established or agreed upon in a matter of weeks is not clear. The Labour leader envisages common external tariffs on goods from the rest of the world. It also aims for Britain to have a say in future trade deals made by the EU.
Munich Security Study: Germany needs 260,000 Report sees world immigrants a year to meet labor demand p as a broken puzzle A study has found that migrant laby the Bertelsmann Foundation said.
bor from within the European Union will fall short of the economyʼs needs. To plug the gap, Germany will need 146,000 workers per year from nonEU countries. Germany needs at least 260,000 new migrant workers per year until 2060 in order to meet labor shortages caused by demographic decline, according to a study published on Tuesday. Of that number, 146,000 people each year would need to immigrate from non-EU member states, the research published
more: Germanyʼs migrants: Wooed and discriminated against Due to an aging population, the labor force in Germany is estimated to shrink by a third, or around 16 million people, by 2060 without immigration. Absent immigration, the labor shortage could have a devastating impact on worldʼs fourth largest economy. Under the calculated scenarios, the researchers assume that the birth rate is rising, more women are working and that the pension age is increased to 70.
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As Game of Thrones teaser drops, ʼUnseen Westerosʼ revealed in Berlin y g
Another dark, somewhat foreboding teaser trailer for the delayed finalGame of Thrones installment wowed expectant fans early Monday. But some will be able to get their fix a few months early at the "Unseen Westeros" show in Berlin. Showcasing neverbeforeseen places from the world of ice and fire originally conceived by George R.R. Martin in his
bestselling book series, the exhibition of artwork is a rare collaboration between Game of Thrones artists, and others not directly associated with the series. Running January 2327 at the Umspannwerk, a vast former factory in Reinickendorf, Berlin, the exhibition and book of the same name was created with the permission and cooperation of Martin and his publisher.
The world is in crisis — and the US is only making things worse. Thatʼs the bold verdict of the Munich Security Report (MSR), released on Monday ahead of this weekʼs Munich Security Conference, the annual gathering for leading representatives of all the major powers. US Vice President Mike Pence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Chancellor Angela Merkel will be among the 100 ministers from across the world expected to discuss growing global instability.
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37/2019 • 13 February, 2019
German traindelay scarf sells for thousands at auction A scarf knitted by a German woman to represent how long she was delayed on trains run by German rail company Deutsche Bahn sold for €7,550 ($8,660) on eBay on Monday. There were 134 bids from 45 bidders for the 1.5-meter (5 foot) scarf, which was knitted over the course of 2018 and features stripes in different colors, to represent differentlength delays. Read more: Deutsche Bahn flaws prompt calls for basic railway reform Journalist Sara Weber, the scarf makerʼs daughter, said her mother was a commuter in the Munich area and had knitted two rows per day: Gray for under five minutes, pink for 5-30 minutes, and red for delays of more than 30 minutes or when both of her trains were running late. Weber posted a photo of the scarf on Twitter and the response was so enthusiastic that she and her mother decided to auction it and give the proceeds to the charity Bahnhofsmission, which assists people in need at railway stations across Germany. On Monday, Weber tweeted that the scarf had been sold for €7,550. "My mum is very happy — and so am I. We never would have expected that would happen," Weber wrote.
Grand National 2019: One For Arthur to miss prep race at Haydock
Bundesliga title race a TV rights blessing in catchup contest with Premier League
Seeking a bumper new TV rights deal, this seasonʼs exciting Bundesliga title race couldnʼt have arrived at a more opportune time for Germanyʼs top flight in their quest to reel in the Premier League. After romping to six consecutive Bundesliga titles, even the most diehard Bayern Munich fan would begrudgingly admit that the 28time German championʼs monopoly on the Bundesliga title was becoming a little boring and potentially damaging the leagueʼs image — particularly overseas — and its potential profitability. Even the German Football Leagueʼs (DFL) CEO Christian Seifert was irked by Bayernʼs dominance, regularly urg-
y y g y g ing Bundesliga clubs to increase the level of competition for the serial winners. Therefore, this seasonʼs title race is a timely godsend for "product Bundesliga," aided immensely by Bayern enduring their worst season in seven years with four Bundesliga defeats already after 21 games. So, Seifert has finally had his wish granted with the combined Borussia might of Dortmund and Mönchengladbach challenging Bayern for Bundesliga supremacy.
In Ghana, farmers try to boost ailing cocoa production Cocoa farming is the first step in making the worldʼs most popular sweet treat: chocolate. But in one top cocoa producing nation, yields have been plummeting for years. What can be done to boost production in Ghana? Project goal: Modernizing cocoa farming in Ghana by improving growing conditions for new trees and helping farmers to overcome lean times. Project size: Some 750 farmers are preparing their fields for new trees. Four tree nurseries are being built to grow 600,000 new cacao trees. Approximately 20,000 shade trees will also be planted. Project partners:
p j p SNV Netherlands Development Organisation – Smart Development Works, International Climate Initiative (IKI). Project budget: The initiative is part of a larger project taking place in Vietnam, Peru and Ghana, whichIKI has financed with €1,966,384 ($2,243,791). Ghana is one of the worldʼs largest cocoa exporters. How ever, it could lose its standing in light of the fact that badly managed plantations and severe drought have sent yields plummeting. Small farmers growing the treasured pods — from whichchocolateis ultimately derived — have been using chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and clearing woodland to boost production.
The 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur will miss his prep race for this yearʼs Aintree contest because of new rules introduced as a result of the equine flu outbreak. Trainer Lucinda Russell told BBC Sport the horse had to be vaccinated and will not run at Haydock on Saturday. "Itʼs disappointing but hopefully we can find another race for him," she said.
Hungary’s best craft beers created for the winter season Budapest’s booming craftbeer industry has long gone seasonal, but this particular winter sees a rare crop of quite excellent brews. From Russian imperial stout to barley wine matured in Tokaji wine barrels, we sip and assess our favourites.
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US sanctions Venezuela state oil firm PDVSA The US said on Monday that it would impose sanctions on Venezuelaʼs state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), as it ramps up pressure on the countryʼs president, Nicolas Maduro. The move followsWashingtonʼs public backing of National Assembly leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president last week. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions were meant to prevent Maduro from diverting more resources from the crisis-hit country, until control in Caracas could be transferred toGuaidoʼs interim governmentora new democratically elected government. Mnuchin specified that PDVSAʼs USbased subsidiary Citgo could continue operations, so long as its earnings are deposited into a blocked account in the US. Maduro accused the US of attempting to steal Citgo, saying the state oil firm will seek legal action against the US. Washington was "holding accountable those responsible for Venezuelaʼs tragic decline," Mnuchin told reporters.
US and Turkish presidents discuss safe zone in northern Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, took to the telephone to discuss the situation in northern Syria on Monday. "The president expressed the desire to work together to address Turkeyʼs security concerns in northeast Syria while stressing the importance to the United States that Turkey does not mistreat the Kurds and other Syrian Democratic Forces with whom we have fought to defeat ISIS," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement, referring to the "Islamic State" (IS) extremist group. The Turkish presidency said the two men discussed the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria cleared of militia groups. It did not provide any other details. Thedisagreement between the NATO alliesis the latest consequence of Trumpʼs December 19 decision to withdraw US military personnel from Syria. This could leave the Kurdish militia under threat should Turkey start a new offensive. Over the weekend, Trump had taken to Twitter to threaten he would"devastate" the Turkish economyif Ankara sent its forces to attack the Kurds in northern Syria.