DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Paul Manafort gets 3.5 more years in prison on conspiracy charges US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort to 73 months, or just over six years, in prison Wednesday. Manafort was on trial in Washington DC, facing two charges of conspiracy against the United States related to his work as a lobbyist for a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party. Each charge carried a maximum sentence of five years. Manafort was given a 60-month sentence on the first count and 13 months on the second. The judge did not hand down any fines. The charges, to whichManafort had pleaded guilty, were brought as part of Special Counsel Robert Mullerʼs Russia probe investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. Manafort will serve 30 months of the first sentence concurrent with the47month sentence he received in the state of Virginiaon separate charges of bank and tax fraud last week. That means that Manafort will serve a total of seven and a half years behind bars.
Brazil school shooting leaves children dead Two armed men wearing face masks killed at least six children who were on their snack breaks at the Raul Brasil school on Wednesday. Two school officials were also killed. A further 17 people, mostly children, were shot and injured in the attack on the school in Suzano, south-east Brazil. A number of them were in serious condition according to police. The attackers turned their guns on themselves and died shortly after the attack, police said. Their motive is as yet unclear. State police Commander Marcelo Salles spoke outside the school and said that in more than 30 years of service, he had "never seen anything like this, it was an unspeakably brutal crime." Security cameras inside and near the school showed children screaming and running away, looking for help.
62/2019 • 14 MARCH, 2019
After Cardinal Pell verdict, Catholic Church must reform It is time for the Catholic Church to reform itself
Pope Francis once made George Pell one of the Vaticanʼs most powerful men. Now, the cardinal is headed to prison for sexual abuse. It is time for the Catholic Church to reform itself, says dw.
Are ratings agencies hurting Africaʼs economies? When international ratings agencies like Moodyʼs or Fitch downgrade countries, the economies of these nations suffer. African governments have had enough and are retaliating against what they call ʼsubjectiveʼ ratings. Namibian Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein lost his temper over numbers and letters that were meant to evaluate his countryʼs credit risks. The rating was "confusing" and "puzzling," he said in the summer of 2017 after he learned Namibia had been downgraded from "Baa3" to "Ba1" by US ratings agency Moodyʼs — turning Namibian state bonds into "speculative" risks with "substantial credit risk." Still, Namibia has it better than
most African countries: Fourteen out of 21 rated African states have been given even lower ratings such as "high credit risk" or "very high credit risk" by Moodyʼs. These ratings have irked many African governments. Three US ratings agencies dominate the global market: Moodyʼs, Standard & Poorʼs and Fitch. "That is part of the criticism, that it isnʼt a very robust analytical process, there is a high degree of subjectivity to it," said Sean Gossel, who teaches economics at the University of Cape Town. "Much of the criticism is that the personnel making these ratings do not understand the African environment and do not understand the challenges that African countries in particular face," Gossel told DW.
Plovdiv 2019: Historic moment for a historic city The ancient city of Plovdiv put on a party on Saturday nightcomplete with fireworks, light shows, concerts and speeches from dignitaries as it took up its mantle as European Capital of Culture. Having been an architectural hot spot during Roman rule, Bulgariaʼs second city has again taken center stage in the region. "This is a unique and historic moment for our city," said Plovdiv Mayor Ivan Totev before the opening ceremony. The artist collective Phase7 staged an impressive light show in front
of tens of thousands of visitors as performances by local musicians and dancers gave a foretaste of the European Capital of Culture 2019 motto: "Together." As Plovdiv residents combine to showcase their distinctive city, a number of headline events are planned throughout the year, including the Ayliak Art Parade in May on Europeʼs longest boulevard. The focus will be on slow, sustainable and harmonious living via green, creative products and innovations.
German wastedisposal workers lead league for days off sick Analysis of 14 million clients of German insurer AOK showed that waste-disposal workers with physically demanding jobs needed the most sick leave last year. They took an average of 32.5 days off work in 2018. Road and tunnel guards come just next on the list with 31.4 days off work on average, and industrial foundry workers come next with 30 days lost. University teaching and research staff took the fewest days on the list — 4.6 days on average. The AOKʼs Scientific Institute presented its report on Wednesday. "Every job has a specific health risk profile," the Instituteʼs Helmut Schröder said. "The companyʼs prevention measures must therefore always be adapted to the respective occupational group."
Nigeria building collapses ʼwith schoolchildren feared killedʼ Nigerian emergency services said on Wednesday that a building collapsed, possibly trapping schoolchildren inside. The Nigerian news station Channels TV reported that a school was located on the top floor of the building, adding it collapsed "with pupils feared killed and others trapped." Over the past five years, more than 170 people have been killed inbuilding collapses in Nigeria.
weather today BUDAPEST
7 / 11 °C Precipitation: 0 mm
62/2019 • 14 March, 2019
Germany: Torchwielding neoNazis march in Nuremberg German prosecutors were considering filing criminal charges after a video emerged that showed members ofthe extreme-right NPD partyand Wodans Erben Germanien group marching through the northern Bavarian city of Nuremberg. The prosecutors were deciding if there was "evidence of incitement of the masses" at the event, which was held without permission, Nurembergʼs left-leaning mayor Ulrich Maly said on Tuesday. Police representatives reported that 18 rightwing extremists marched past a refugee center last Saturday, with police showing up to identify and record them. The participants declared themselves members of the NPD and Wodans Erben Germanien. Police ordered them to disperse and then left the scene. After the police withdrew, the demonstrators gathered again and marched with lit torches to the area used by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and his associates for annual rallies from 1923 to 1938.Torches were often used as a propby the supporters of the original Nazi party and its allies.
Mexican Open: Johanna Konta, Cameron Norrie & Rafael Nadal win
Boeing 737 MAX: a plane of compromise Boeingʼs new passenger aircraft has crashed twice within the space of a few months, raising a number of safety questions. So far, the 737 has been the backbone of many fleets globally. For two years now, the Anglo-German travel company TUI has been making preparations for the arrival of Boeingʼs 737 MAX flagship plane. The first plane was due to be moved to Germany from Seattle this week. But now a massive debate about the safety of this aircraft is in full swingfollowing the crash of a brand-new 737 MAX in Ethiopia on Sunday. Itʼs the second crash involving that particular model, following the Lion Air crash of October 2018, in which 189 people were
killed. The model has now come under intense scrutiny, so how does it differ from other 737 models, the best-sold aircraft in the world? Boeingʼs plight At the beginning of this decade, Boeing faced a dilemma. Airlines around the world were looking for a low-fuel, modern plane for short and mediumhaul distances. The US company only had its regular 737 on offer, a particularly suitable plane for journeys lasting a couple of hours. That had been the case for about 50 years.
The science of migratory birds As spring begins we can hear the birds returning from winter. But why do they migrate? Are they coming back early this year? And why are they so loud? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Just birds actually, migrating ones. Theyʼre gradually returning from their winter cabins flying in V and 1 formations. This year, we were only halfway through winter when the first ones arrived, but theGerman Nature Conservation Society (NABU)said this was "not unusual” and happened last year too. Why are some migratory birds
returning so early? We hate to disappoint you: It doesnʼt mean that spring is almost just around the corner. The reason for the early return is that the hatchery is first-come-firstserved, so nobody wants to get there late, and if winter comes back the cranes can move to warmer climes in a few days. However, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithologyhave also found that long-distance migrations are going out of fashion. As birds become more comfortable with the changing climate, they shorten their travel distance and adapt their destinations.
Britainʼs Cameron Norrie and Johanna Konta both won to reach the second round of the Mexican Open. Norrie, 23, beat Japanʼs Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2 2-6 6-2, while Konta, 27, overcame Germanyʼs Laura Siegemund 6-3 6-2 in Acapulco. Spainʼs Rafael Nadal beat Germanyʼs Mischa Zverev 6-3 6-2 in his first match since losing the Australian Open final in January. Nadal has reached the Mexico Open final in his three previous appearances. "Iʼm happy for the victory.
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German online shoppers are serial returners German shoppers return roughly 12 percent of online purchases, a new poll by digital industry association Bitkom shows. Two years ago, the figure was 10 percent. One-third of shoppers said they send back every tenth item, 14 percent admitted to returning a quarter of all purchases. "The share of returns is extremely high and rising steadily, especially in certain sectors, like the fashion industry," says Julia Miosga, who heads Bitkomʼs trade and logistics department. The 14 to 29-year-olds are the worst offenders, with a hefty 18 percent of purchases being returned. Overall, women return 15 percent of items bought online, men only make up 9 percent of the total figure. Retailers are increasingly looking for ways to make it easier to buy the right product and size online by giving more detailed information – specifically about clothes – via chats, product descriptions, 360 degree pictures and videos. Some also reward honest feedback with vouchers and discounts.
Facebook, Instagram ban British far-right figure Tommy Robinson Facebook has taken harsh measures against British far-right personality Tommy Robinson, banning him from its platforms and closing his Facebook page and Instagram profile. Robinson is said to have violated Facebookʼs "community standards" by promoting "organized hate" and other prohibited behavior. Specifically, the company noted in a statement that Robinsonʼs pages had repeatedly broken its standards by "posting material that uses dehumanizing language and calls for violence targeted at Muslims." "This is not a decision we take lightly, but individuals and organizations that attack others on the basis of who they are have no place on Facebook or Instagram," the social media giant said. Anti-fascist and anti-racist organization Hope Not Hate welcomed the decision, referring to Robinson as "a far-right thug who uses his platform to bully, abuse and stir up division."