DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
German press review: Maassen promotion a win for the right National weekly paper Die Zeit said the message being sent by theGerman governmentʼs promotion of HansGeorg Maassan— current president of Germanyʼs domestic intelligence agency — to deputy head of the Interior Ministry was "unsettling." It said Maassen, "a man who has triggered a unique crisis of trust, government and credibility should not be given a leadership position" in the Interior Ministry. Maassen "ran the business of right-wing populists," the paper alleged, and with his "unproven accusation ofʼdeliberate misinformationʼ in Chemnitz, he has crossed the line to conspiracy theory" and "scratched the most important currency of democracy: trust." Regional daily Mannheimer Morgen wrote that the whole fiasco "knows only one great profiteer: the Alternative for Germany party (AfD)." The paper said the AfD had turned Maassen into a martyr for its anti-refugee stance. "It is almost inconceivable that the CDU, CSU and SPD have given [Maassen] something of a new beginning," the paper wrote. "
Yemen conflict: 5 million children face famine Disruption to supplies coming through Hodeida could "cause starvation on an unprecedented scale," the UK-based NGO Save the Children has said in a new report. Renewed attacks on the Red Sea city by the Saudi-led coalition could temporarily shut down the key port, putting 5.2 million children at risk of famine as food and fuel prices soar. Read more: Yemenʼs war explained in 4 key points "Even the smallest disruption to food, fuel and aid supplies through its vital port could mean death for hundreds of thousands of malnourished children unable to get the food they need to stay alive," said Yemen representative Tamer Kirolos on Wednesday.
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North Korea just buying time with empty concessions? Kim-Moon summit
North Korea has agreed to take big steps towards denuclearization and rapprochement with the South, but experts remain skeptical if these lofty promises will result in any real change on the ground.
Coming together against cybercrime The risk of becoming a cybercrime victim is growing. Command Control, a summit in Munich, is bringing together security experts from around the world to show companies how to better protect themselves. The numbers are alarming. According to a study by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), almost 70 percent of all companies and institutions in Germany have been victims of cybercriminals since the beginning of 2016. In just under half of the cases, the attackers were successful and able to gain access to IT systems. Every second a successful attack led to production or
operational interruptions. In addition to costs for the investigation of the incidents and the restoration of IT systems the companies involved also suffer reputational damage. The industry association Bitkom puts the resulting losses for the German economy alone at €55 billion ($64 billion) per year. This number includes losses to counterfeit sales, patent infringement, lost IT and production interruptions. And the risk is growing, because in almost all industries the degree of digitization is increasing. The more devices that are networked via the internet of things, the more new entry points for hackers, malware and phishing programs.
Ig Nobel Prize winners: Self-colonoscopy, roller-coaster kidney stones The comfort of a home colonoscopy, the benefits of taking out anger aimed at a boss on a voodoo doll and cannibalismʼs lack of nutritional benefits were all scientific discoveries that received Ig Nobel Prizes on Thursday in a laughter and music-filled ceremonyat Harvard University. The annual prize serieshonors 10 comical but practical scientific studies "that
first make people laugh, and then make them think." The prize is run by Annals of Improbable Research (AIR), an international scientific humor magazine that satirizes traditional academic journals, and seeks to raise public attention about science. The event was broadcast live on YouTube and will later air on American National Public Radio.
Climate change prompts Berlin to rethink water strategy Jens Feddern picks up a longstemmed glass of sparkling liquid, looks at it and tastes. The water from this part of Berlin has a distinct character. Crisp and fresh. In other districts, it has an earthier quality, he explains with the expertise of a sommelier. And he should know. The engineer has been working with the cityʼs water utility Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB) since 1987 and is now director of the supply division. That supply comes from underground. The water Feddern has just been sipping was pumped from about 40 meters (131 feet) down through a well in Wuhlheide, one of the cityʼs nine waterworks. Read more: German astronaut Alexander Gerst shocked by parched Earth images from space The BWB supplies some 3.7 million Berliners with around 550,000 cubic meters (the equivalent of 220 Olympic-sized swimming pools) of water daily. On hot summer days, when people are showering more and watering their gardens, it soars past 1 million.
Disruption to supplies coming through Hodeida could "cause starvation on an unprecedented scale" The International Criminal Court (ICC) has launched a preliminary probe into the mass deportation of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar to Bangladesh. The Hague-based courtʼs preliminary examination will gather more evidence before deciding whether to launch a full investigation. Read more: Will Myanmar generals face ICC justice?
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