DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Ramadan: Danish immigration minister Stoejberg calls fasting ʼdangerousʼ Inger Stoejberg received backlash after suggesting Muslims spend the month of Ramadan away from work. Experts and businesses fired back that there was no evidence of fasting affecting work safety. Denmarkʼs Immigration and Integration Minister Inger Stoejberg has stirred controversy after claiming late on Monday that the celebration of Ramadan was incompatible with the modern labor market. The minister, who has a reputation for hardline immigration policies, wrote a blog post for the Danish tabloid BT that the month-long Muslim celebration, which includes fasting during daylight hours, was "dangerous for us all." Questioned the idea of "commanding observance to a 1,400-yearold pillar of Islam."Suggested that, if Muslims were going to fast, they should take a month off from work "to avoid negative consequences for the rest of Danish society."
Hundreds of Reichsbürger, extremists lose weapons permits As sympathisers reach out across social media and messaging services, the number of Reichsbürger supporters appears to have grown to 18,000. A number of them hold weapons but 450 have lost their permits. The German Interior Ministry on Tuesday said that approximately 1,200 Reichsbürger and 750 right-wing extremists currently have a permit for one or more weapons. The revelation came as part of its response to a parliamentary question from the Green party on the dangers of right-wing terrorist structures and right-wing militancy in Germany, as the Greens had expressed concern over an increase in the number of acts of violence perpetrated by right-wing extremists.
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Populist academic Giuseppe Conte given mandate to form Italian government Conte pledged to be defense lawyer of the Italian people
Italian law professor Giuseppe Conte from the populist 5-Star movement has been tasked with forming a new government in Rome.
Japan economy shrinks for first time in 2 years The worldʼs third-largest economy has slid into reverse for the first time in two years as a result of sluggish consumption and seasonal factors. But experts said it was not the beginning of a longer downswing. Japanʼs economy contracted by 0.2 percent quarter on quarter in the January-March period, the Cabinet Office reported Wednesday. This brought to an end a series of eight consecutive quarters of growth — a streak not seen since the heady days of the miracle boom in the 1980s. The slight decline at the beginning of the year came as a blow to the economic policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is already under pressure over a series of scandals.
The economy was hit by stagnant private consumption, fresh data showed. "Consumers will keep purse strings tight unless the pace of wage increases shows a clear acceleration," said SMBC Nikko Securities Chief Market Economist Yoshimasa Maruyama. Other pundits mentioned special factors that impacted growth in the first quarter. "There were one-off factors ranging from stock market sell-offs to higher vegetable prices due to bad weather," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin. Also, the yen strengthened against other major currencies on safehaven buying,clouding the prospects for Japanese exporters.
German university hospital defends auto firmsʼ nitrogen dioxide test ethics No experiments on animals or humans can take place in Germany without a go from an authorized ethics committee. Dr. Thomas Kraus from Aachen University Hospital says this was the case in the most recent NO2 scandal. The European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) "did not impinge in any way on the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) research it commissioned Aachen University Hospital to do," Professor Thomas Kraus from the
hospital told the German press agency DPA on Monday. The EUGT is a now defunct organization that was funded by German carmakers Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW plus partsmaker Bosch, thus raising questions of possible conflicts of interest. In 2013, 25 healthy volunteers were exposed to NO2 pollution for three hours, Kraus said. "None of them had any negative health effects," he went on, adding that the tests were meant to measure the impact of pollutants in the workplace.
Former Taiwan president gets jail time for information leak Taiwanʼs High Court has overturned a previous not-guilty verdict and charged former Taiwanese President Ma Yingjeou. Ma plans to appeal his sentence but can also avoid prison by paying a fine of €3,370. Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou was sentenced to four months in prison on Tuesday for leaking classified information. Taiwanʼs High Court found that "Ma Ying-jeou violated the Communication and Surveillance Act," when he leaked information relating to national security and opposition lawmaker Ker Chien-ming, which should have been confidential. Ma told local media he planned to appeal the High Court sentence, but he could also skip prison if he pays a fine of T$120,000 ($4,020, €3,370), the court said. A former stalwart of major opposition party Kuomintang of China, Ma was Taiwanʼs president from 2008 to 2016 and encouraged closer ties with China. He also served as the justice minister and mayor of Taipei.
Five dead in samurai sword attack on Indonesian police Police have shot four men dead during an attack on a police headquarters in Pekanbaru on Sumatra island. The third Islamist militant assault in Indonesia in the past week also left an officer dead and two wounded. Four samurai sword-wielding men were shot dead by Indonesian police on Wednesday after they attacked a police headquarters on the island of Sumatra. National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said the men attacked officers after driving a minivan into the police compound in Pekanbaru.
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115/2018 • 24 May, 2018
Merkel hints at increased military spending Germanyʼs chancellor has hinted that defense spending is likely to increase in years ahead, saying reaching NATOʼs target was "not completely beyond the imagination." It comes amid budget talks and pressure from allies. Merkel said on Monday that it was important to stand by Berlinʼs commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and noted that Germany had in the past spent much more than the current 1.24 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) without any difficulty. Reaching NATOʼs target of 2 percent of GDP was "not completely beyond the imagination," Merkel said. She was addressing top military officers in Berlin, alongside her defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, on the eve of the budget debate in Germanyʼs parliament. Von der Leyen told the officers military spending would increase to about 1.3 percent of GDP by 2019, with a goal of 1.5 percent by 2025. US President Donald Trump in March singled out Germany for failing to meet a defense spending target of 2 percent of GDP agreed upon between NATO members.
Mesut Özil and Ilkay Gündogan criticized for Erdogan meeting Germany players Mesut Özil and Ilkay Gündogan have been criticized for meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Both are of Turkish heritage, but chose to represent Germany in international football. The Premier League stars, who were joined by a third player, Everton striker Cenk Tosun, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Londonʼs Four Seasons hotel on Sunday.
Sony to secure majority stake in EMI Music Publishing
WTO rules against Airbus in
Electronics and entertainment company Sony has announced itʼs acquiring another big stake in EMI Music Publishing in a bid to strengthen its entertainment portfolio.
subsidies row with Boeing
Sony said Tuesday it planned to buy a 60-percent stake in EMI Music Publishing for $2.3 billion (€1.95 billion). The Japanese conglomerate already owns 30 percent of EMI, so once the deal is finalized, itʼll boast a 90percent stake in the entertainment firm. EMI has under its wing classics such as the Motown catalog and Queen, as well as contemporary artists including Kanye West, Alicia Keys and Pharrell Williams. Sonyʼs move to secure a majority stake in EMI comesas the Japanese company aims to broaden its entertainment
portfolio. Sony also unveiled plans to invest $9 billion mostly in image sensors over the next three years under a revamped strategy to boost profits from both hardware and creative content. CEO Kenichiro Yoshida told reporters the companyʼs main focus was "getting closer to people" by connecting consumer services and contentthroughout its sprawling operations, which include the PlayStation game platform, music, films and home entertainment, still and video cameras, cellphones, computer chips and financial services.
Internet provides vast platform for illegal trade of live animals A fresh study by the International Fund for Animal Welfare has highlighted the vast quantity of live animals and their body parts that are available for sale online and the threat this poses to their survival. A report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released Wednesdaydetailed the challenges faced by conservationists, governments and the private sector in curbing wildlife cybercrime. Specifically looking at the situation in France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom over a six-week period in 2017, IFAW researchers found thousands of live en-
dangered and threatened animals and animal products offered for sale online. The fund said it had identified well over 5,000 advertisements spread across 106 online marketplaces and social media platforms, listing over 11,000 endangered specimens worth $3.9 million (€3.3 million). "For the first time in Europe, IFAW investigated the burgeoning wildlife trade on social media," said Wildlife Crime Program Director Rikkert Reijnen. "While this represents a small percentage of overall online trade, we caution that thereʼs reason to believe itʼs just the tip of the iceberg, with traffickers likely to be operating in closed groups."
English-Language Daytime Science Camps Center of Scientific Wonders (Csopa) 6/12/2018 - 8/31/2018 The fascinating Center of Scientific Wonders in Budapest now awaits children aged between 8 and 12 with exciting English-language daytime science camps. Kids who wish to dig deeper into the nature of sciences and art can get an insight into what it is like working in a laboratory, at an interactive exhibition, or at a scientific auditorium while they also get a chance to spread the wings of their creativity.
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The global trade body has found the EU is still ignoring requests to stop its illegal subsidies for Airbus, handing a victory to its US rival Boeing and paving the way for potentially billions in punitive tariffs. In its ruling on Tuesday, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said the European Union had failed to remove support in the form of preferential government loans for AirbusʼsA380 superjumboand A350 twin-aisle jet programs, causing losses for Boeing and US aerospace workers. At the same time, however, the appellate division of WTOʼs Dispute Settlement Body dismissed a US claim that loans for Airbusʼs most popular models, the A320 and A330, were costing Boeing significant sales. The ruling was not subject to appeal, WTO said, potentially clearing the way for the US to seek billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs against European exports. But its decision on the A320 and A330 models is seen narrowing the scope of punitive tariffs in one of the worldʼs longest and costliest trade disputes.
Brexit causes record number of Britons to be granted German citizenship Britons are rushing to become German citizens before their country leaves the European Union. More than 10 times as many Britons became German citizens in 2017 than in 2015. A record number of Britons became German citizens for the second year running, the German Federal Statistical Office reported on Wednesday. The consecutive record has been linked to Britainʼs upcoming departure from the European Union. "A link with the upcoming Brexit is obvious,” Germanyʼs statistics office Destatis said. About 7,500 Britons were granted German citizenship in 2017 —more than double the record set in the previous year. The 2017 figure eclipses the 2015 number, when 622 pre-referendum Britons gained German citizenship. A total of 112,200 foreigners were granted German citizenship in 2017, the most since 2013 and a 1.7-percent increase on the previous year. The largest contingent of foreign naturalizations came from Turkey (14,984), followed by Britain, Poland (6,613), Italy (4,256) and Romania (4,238). The new citizens from Britain are on average almost 53 years old, significantly older than other naturalized persons.