74/2019 • 30 MARCH, 2019 WEEKEND ISSUE
DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Angela Merkel honored with ʼelectro-operaʼ in Netherlands The play focuses on struggles she faced during her career
A Dutch theater has staged a "Wagnerian electro-opera" about German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a "woman whom nobody really knows."
Alaa AbdelFattah freed from prison
Germanyʼs extraspecial wish for the UK to stay
A key Egyptian pro-democracy activist and blogger, Alaa AbdelFattah, was released from prison on Friday afterserving a five-year sentence for holding an unauthorized protest. His imprisonment in 2013 for taking part in a peaceful demonstration was seen by many observers as another indication that Egypt was returning to autocratic rule. Dozens of activists have been jailed in Egypt in recent years for violating draconian laws banning public gatherings that rights advocates say are aimed only at muzzling dissent.
Germany would probably miss Britain more than other members of the EU 27 when, and if, Brexit finally happens. Thatʼs the opinion of Norbert Röttgen, who heads the German parliamentʼs foreign affairs committee. With the Brexit process stalling ahead of athird vote on Theresa Mayʼs withdrawal deal, Röttgen told DW he still hoped that Brexit might not happen. "We know the high and valuable contribution of Britain to the European Union. Perhaps Germany even more than others do," the former environment minister explained.
A musical dedicated to Germanyʼs Angela Merkel went on tour in the Netherlands on Friday, after premiering earlier this week in the central Dutch town of Utrecht. Nineties Productions describes its spectacle as "a Wagnerian electro-opera" featuring the character of "the most influential woman of this moment in history." Merkel is played by a male actor, Benjamin Moen, and the show features video clips, opera segments, and dialogue. The creators say they tried to piece together their image of Merkel by traveling to Germany to the chancellorʼs childhood home, the Berlin supermarket where she does her grocery shopping, and the German parliament, the Bundestag. They have also used biographical sources, political speeches, childhood memories, and sources close to the German leader to show a "woman whom nobody really knows." The 64-year-old German chancellor has been in power since 2005. Throughout her turbulent rule, she has maintained a strangely inconspicuous public image. She has pledged thather fourth term, set to expire in 2021, would be her last. "Our generation grew up with her," the 31year-old director Floor Houwing ten Cate said. "When she leaves politics, it will be the end of an era," she was quoted as saying by Germanyʼs DPA news agency. "And we are taken aback." The play emphasizes the refugee crisis of 2015, with Merkelʼs famous sentence "We can do this" on
the EU accepting millions of migrants. It also shows the eurozone debt crisis, the apparent death of a united Europe, and Merkelʼs clashes with Russiaʼs Vladimir Putin, who is presented as a devil-like character. "Merkel" is due to tour the Netherlands until mid-May. A separate play dedicated to the chancellor, "Angela I" premiered in Germanyʼs Bremen earlier this month. A musical dedicated to Germanyʼs Angela Merkel went on tour in the Netherlands on Friday, after premiering earlier this week in the central Dutch town of Utrecht. Nineties Productions describes its spectacle as "a Wagnerian electro-opera" featuring the character of "the most influential woman of this moment in history." Merkel is played by a male actor, Benjamin Moen, and the show features video clips, opera segments, and dialogue. The creators say they tried to piece together their image of Merkel by traveling to Germany to the chancellorʼs childhood home, the Berlin supermarket where she does her grocery shopping, and the German parliament, the Bundestag. They have also used biographical sources, political speeches, childhood memories, and sources close to the German leader to show a "woman whom nobody really knows." The 64year-old German chancellor has been in power since 2005. Throughout her turbulent rule, she has maintained a strangely inconspicuous public image.
Mass protests in Algeria as Bouteflika clings to power
Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh forced to leave Germany
Protesters crowded the streets of several Algerian cities for thesixth weekly protest against veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflikaand his allies on Friday. Huge numbers of demonstrators, including veterans of the countryʼs 1990s civil war, congregated in front of the central post office in downtown Algiers. "Weʼre fed up with those in power," the demonstrators chanted. "We want a new government." Strong police presence was noticeable in Algiers, with helicopters flying overhead.
The controversial Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh was ordered to leave Germany on Friday after losing an urgent appeal to have a previous decision revoking her visa overturned. The decision from Berlinʼs Foreign Nationals Office to withdraw Odehʼs visa on the grounds it would threaten public order was upheld by the Berlin Higher Administrative Court. It argued that the right to free speech did not oblige Germany to allow foreign nationals to stay in the country to give them a platform.
74/2019 • 30 March, 2019 Weekend issue
French retailer Decathlon cancels plan to sell sports hijab French sporting goods chain Decathlon has canceled plans to sell a runnerʼs hijab in France following a public outcry and opposition from some politicians who called for a boycott. Decathlon official Xavier Rivoire told the RTL broadcaster on Tuesday that the Muslim headscarf designed for runners would not be sold at its stores in France for the time being. Read more: Muslim fashion for women: Modesty meets trendy style Decathlon had initially said it would sell the sports hijab to meet "a requirement of certain runners, and we are therefore responding to this sporting requirement." Several French politicians criticized Decathlon for its plans to sell the product in France, including Health Minister Agnes Buzyn. Such a product is "not forbidden by law," she said on RTL, but "it is a vision of women that I do not share. I would have preferred that a French brand not promote the veil."
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. Antifascist and anti-racist organization Hope Not Hate welcomed the decision, referring to Robinson as "a farright thug who uses his platform to bully, abuse and stir up division." "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 farright thug who uses his platform to bully, abuse and stir up division." 2
Pope Francis issues sweeping sex abuse legislation It aims to be a model for the church globally
At the Vatican, Pope Francis has issued wide-ranging new sex abuse legislation that covers all Vatican personnel as well as those who work for the Vatican diplomatic corps. Pope Francis issued sweeping new sex abuse legislation on Friday for Vatican personnel and diplomats that requires the immediate reporting of abuse allegations to Vatican prosecutors. For the first time, the law provides an explicit Vatican definition for "vulnerable people," who are entitled to the same protections as minors under church law. The Vatican amended its canon law covering sex abuse to
Berlin AG wants to get rid of fines for fare evaders
Authorities in Berlin view fare dodging as a criminal offense punishable by a €60 ($68.6) fine. Local police filed 12,000 complaints over the issue in 2017 and more than 300 people are imprisoned every year for not being able or willing to pay the fines. The left-leaning mayorand other top officials have recently called for less drastic regulations, with some proposing to downgrade fare dodging to a mere administrative offense. Now, the Berlin attorney general wants to go a step further and "completely abolish" the crime of fare dodging. "We shouldnʼt waste resources for criminal
include "vulnerable adults" in 2010, but never defined it. It is a policy shift aimed at being a model for the Catholic Church around the world. While limited in scope, the mandatory reporting provision marks the first time the Vatican has put into law requirements for Catholic officials to report allegations of sex crimes to police or face fines and possible jail time. offenses where criminality is highly questionable," Attorney General Margarete Koppers told Berliner Morgen‐ post. Koppers is one of the most senior judiciary officials in Berlin, a 3.6million-strong city which is also considered one of Germanyʼs 16 federal states. Talking to the local daily, Koppers said downgrading the offense would pose "no relief for the judiciary."
Belgium vows to amplify EU voice on UN Security Council Belgiumʼs foreign minister says his country will use its temporary UN Security Council seat to make the EU
Friend of Berlin truck attacker in France during Nice attack According to a German criminal police document seen by the dpa news agency, Bilal Ben Ammar met with Anis Amri the night before he killed 12 people in a truck attack at Berlinʼs Breitscheidplatz on December 19, 2016. Read more: ʼTerrorist accompliceʼ in Anis Amri Berlin attack deported, according to report Media outlets ARD, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) and the Berliner Mor‐ genpostreported that Ammar may have also been in Nice around the time of the July 14, 2016 truck ramming attack that killed 86 people. RBB presented a screenshot obtained from German police documents that showed Ammar had a boarding pass on his phone for a flight from Berlin to Nice dated July 6, 2016 — eight days before the Nice attack. The name on the boarding pass was an alias. Ammar applied for asylum in Germany under different names and separately claimed to be from Morocco, Egypt and Libya. Investigators found the boarding pass on Ammarʼs confiscated phone after he had already been deported to Tunisia, Amriʼs home country. Other photos on the phone showed Ammar in Paris with friends in the days before and after the Nice attack.
more influential on the global stage. Belgium and Germany are to scheduled to take up their seats on January 1. Belgium will use its two-year seat on the United Nations Security Council to bolster the European Unionʼs influence within the global body, Belgiumʼs foreign minister has said. Didier Reynders told Germanyʼs Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung news outlet that Belgium aims to help harmonize each EU member stateʼs diplomacy so that they "send the same message with different voices." Belgium will take up its temporary seat on the Security Council,the UNʼs highest decision-making body, along with Germany on January 1. "We have an important role to play in supporting multilateralism," Reynders said. "There is no better place for it than in the United Nations Security Council."
74/2019 • 30 March, 2019 Weekend issue
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Post Malone, Franz Ferdinand, Son Lux and many more confirmed for Sziget 2019 After Ed Sheeran, the Foo Fighters and Twenty One Pilots, more major stars have been confirmed for the Sziget Festival 2019. Post Malone, Franz Ferdinand, Son Lux, Years&Years and other attractive acts have just been announced to appear at Budapest’s biggest summer extravaganza, taking place between 7-13 August.
Stars named for Balaton Sound 2019 Hungary’s biggest music festival outside Budapest, Balaton Sound, has just announced a second round of headliners for its 2019 event. Artists include Brit-nominated UK singer Jess Glynne, rap star G-Eazy and big-name trance DJ Armin van Buuren. The Chainsmokers return to Balaton Sound after last year’s successful set, Alex Pall and Drew Taggart having just released Sick Boy, an album of singles issued throughout 2018. A set by legendary Dutch DJ Tiësto will crown opening night, while London drum ‘n’ bass band Rudimental close the whole shebang. Balaton Sound, Zamárdi, 3-7 July
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74/2019 • 30 March, 2019 Weekend issue
Amador: 8 Jahre lang 3 Michelin Sterne, seit 2016 in Wien Ihr Lieblingsrestaurant zum Ausprobieren bei Ihrem Wien-Besuch:
Juan Amador, deutscher Sternekoch mit spanischen Wurzeln, blickt auf mehr als 20 Jahre internationale Kocherfahrung in den besten Küchen der Welt zurück. (Fotokredit: DREAMS+HAPPEN Communications) Seine kulinarischen Geschicke brachten ihm unter anderem drei Hauben von Gault&Millau und acht Jahre in Folge drei Sterne des Guide Michelin ein. Um seine Kochphilosophie verwirklichen zu können, ist Amador stets auf der Suche nach den besten Produkten, aus denen er kreative, authentische Gerichte auf höchstem Niveau auf die Teller zaubert. Seit 2016 ist er mit dem Restaurant Amador in Wien Döbling vertreten, für das ihm zwei Sterne sowie 18 Punkte von Gault&Millau verliehen wurden. Es
handelt sich um ein Gemeinschaftswerk von Juan Amador, dem Tourismusprofi Gebhard Schachermayer sowie dem bekannten Wiener Winzer Fritz Wieninger. Das umgebaute Kellergewölbe von Wieninger mit 45 Sitzplätzen und einem Weinkeller, in dem mehr als 1200 edle Tropfen aus der ganzen Welt lagern, vereint das Traditionelle mit einer eleganten Note. Diese spiegelt sich nicht zuletzt auch in den Gerichten von Amador wider. Mehr Infos über Amador und seine Küche: www.restaurant-amador.com
Find vegan beers, Baileys and brandy at new Budapest pub
Carnival season in Budapest and beyond
Szabad Bistro is a welcome venture for vegans in Budapest looking to eat and drink in a casual environment. Besides focusing on food free from meat and dairy products, here beer and even Baileys are prepared according to vegan guidelines. The newly opened Szabad Bistro breaks away from this trend by featuring a strong line of drinks that haven’t been in contact with animal products, such as gelatine, during the manufacturing process. You can ask for different types of craft beers, pálinka and Baileys made with almond milk. Freshly pressed almond milk goes into the coffee, too. American beet salad(950 forints) is made of beetroot, orange, cabbage and coriander, all mixed with a sauce comprising sunflower oil and black salt. There are also pesto paninis (740 forints), bagels with hummus (850 forints) and sandwiches with beetroot and tzatziki (950 forints).Szabad Bistro FacebookDistrict VII. Király utca 101Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 3pm-11pm 4
How to celebrate Beethoven? The festival named after him shows the way Another stone has been laid in the mosaic of the coming Beethoven anniversary year. At the International Trade Show (ITB) in Berlin, the Beethovenfest Bonn is giving a sneak preview of its special lineup. Germanyʼs president, government and parliament have all declared honoring the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethovenʼs birth a "national assignment." Public subsidies have been flowing to the Beethoven Anniversary
Company under the project name BTHVN2020, so the composer will be celebrated nationwide next year — but nowhere more than in Bonn, the city of his birth. TheBeethoven House recently announcedits year-long series of special events. Now the Beethovenfest is also offering a glimpse of its own anniversary program at the International Trade Show (ITB) in Berlin on Friday. Usually lasting three weeks in September, the festival will this time have spring and fall editions.
Michelangelo, Rubens and Dalí all coming to Budapest in 2019 view for nearly three months until 30 June, The Triumph of the Body exhibition featuring 80 drawings by Michelangelo should draw bumper crowds to Budapest’s revamped Museum of Fine Arts this spring. Later in October, the museum will present Rubens and the Golden Age of Flemish Painting, a total of 120 works of art,
Costume parades and carnival masks denote Budapest’s farewell to winter. With the onset of ‘farsang’, or carnival season, Hungary’s capital sees colourful crowds flooding to masquerade galas and themed events. This colourful festive period stretches until Ash Wednesday, this year falling on 6 March, when Lent begins the run-up to Easter. However, in stark contrast to fasting, farsang celebrations see a diet rich in meat and sweets. A staple for the season is the carnival doughnut, a treat of powdered sugar and jam.
Michelangelo, Rubens and Salvador Dalí all feature at the bighitting exhibitions coming to Budapest’s Museum of Fine Arts and the Hungarian National Gallery during 2019. The season starts on 5 April with a display of 80 drawings by Michelangelo, on loan from the Louvre, the Uffizi and the British Museum. On
ten by Van Dyck and 30 by Rubens himself. Curated from 50 prestigious collections around the world, including the Hermitage, the Prado and London’s National Gallery, the exhibition will run until February 2020. Over at the National Gallery, The
Surrealist Movement from Magritte to Dalí – Crisis and Rebirth in 1929 will focus on
the leading artists active in this groundbreaking genre during the momentous year of the Wall Street Crash. The exhibition, on show from 27 June until 20 October, is being organised in collaboration with the Pompidou Centre in Paris, which will provide many of the featured pieces.
74/2019 • 30 March, 2019 Weekend issue
ʼDumboʼ is not the end of Disney remakes ʼDumboʼ (2019)
Reviews for Tim Burtonʼs new film are underwhelming, but that doesnʼt mean Disney will stop revamping its trove of animated classics into live-action films that feature top stars and amazing CGI. An adorable computer-generated flying elephant, a circus world steampunked by Tim Burton in his signature style, Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton among an allstar cast and a bittersweet score by Danny Elfman: Despite the series of average reviews Dumbo has already collected, Disneyʼs latest offering still promises to draw families. Based on the negative press for Tim Burtonʼs latest film ahead of the re-
lease on Friday, an observer at The Guardian was quick to predict that "Disneyʼs Dumbo flop could threaten its master plan." That grand plan is not set to be derailed in the immediate future. Disneyʼs systematic recycling of its animated classics might result in a few middling box office results, but the recipe, tested multiple times over the last two decades, has been successful enough for the company to stick to the strategy.
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.
Brand new place on the Buda side! Spatula Cafe · Crêperie · Breakfast & Brunch Restaurant
ʼAnti-deportation industryʼ named Germanyʼs Non-Word of the Year 2018 Nina Janich, a linguistics professor and spokesperson for the independent jury that selects the Unwort des Jahres ("Non-Word of the Year"), has announced the selection of this yearʼs term, "Anti-AbschiebeIndustrie" ("anti-deportation industry"). The term was used by rightwing politicians and commentators in 2018 to refer to "those who legally support rejected asylum seekers and seek judicial review, and those who intend to protect refugees who have become criminals" — es-
sentially, accusing them of making money out of support for deportees, said Janich in Darmstadt on Tuesday. She added that the jury found the descriptor defamatory and discrediting. The term was first used in May 2018 by Alexander Dobrindt, parliamentary group leader of the conservative Christian Social Union — sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs Christian Democratic Union — who also said in April that "Islam shouldnʼt culturally shape Germany."
Address: 1111 Budapest Bartok Béla út 8 (only 100 metres from Hotel Gellért) Brand new place - just opened end of November! With amazing coffee, breakfast, soups, sandwiches, tortillas, pancake, cookies, etc. even lunch menu! Come and see us for a coffee or more before or after your Gellért Bath visit! :)
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Hungary Budapest: Debrecen: Eger: Hévíz:
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Culture
Renovated Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest to Open on 31 October AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BUDAPEST WILL OPEN ON 31 OCT NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC Thanks to the largest-scale and most comprehensive reconstruction project in the museum’s history, the museum building has been renewed, and, returning to the collection’s first concept, the museum’s permanent exhibitions will also be rearranged. Besides the new permanent exhibitions, the revamped museum will welcome visitors with a chamber exhibition titled Leonardo & the Budapest Horse and Rider. The museum reconstruction, implemented within the framework of the Liget Budapest Project, included the restoration of the Romanesque Hall, which sustained severe damage in World War II and since then had been only partially renovated and used as a storage area, along with the modernisation of the building’s obsolete heating system, the installation of air conditioning in some of the exhibition halls, the renewal of a large part of the roof structure, as well as the addition of new exhibition spaces, visitor areas and modern storage facilities.
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74/2019 • 30 March, 2019 Weekend issue
Tiger Woods to play Rory McIlroy in WGC Match Play knockout round
Tiger Woods produced a superb burst of scoring at the WGC Match Play in Texas to set up an intriguing knockout round match with Rory McIlroy on Saturday. The three-time winner was one down to Patrick Cantlay but played the next four holes in five under and won 4&2. Aaron Wiseʼs emphatic 6&4 win over Brandt Snedeker ensured that world number 14 Woods topped Group 13. McIlroy,the 2015 winner,continued his 100% start with four front nine birdies in a 4&2 win over Matthew Fitzpatrick. Woods, playing the event for the first time since 2013,lost to Snedeker on Thursdayand was one down to Cantlay after 10 holes.
Pep Guardiola: Manchester City manager wants to ʼsmellʼ playersʼ desire
Toni Söderholm takes charge of German national ice hockey team Weeks after Marco Sturm left to pursue an opportunity in the NHL, the German ice hockey team have a new coach. Finnish coach Toni Söderholm has signed a contract that will take him through the 2022 Winter Games. The German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) confirmed on Thursday what had been widely rumored for days;Toni Söderholm is the national teamʼs new head coach. "The decision was an easy one for us," DEB President Franz Reindl told a press conference in Munich. "He knows the system, he is predestined for international ice hockey. I am proud and am 100 percent certain that it will work out well with Toni." For his part, said he was "very happy" to have accepted the post. "The No. 1 job is to make the national team better and better. Söderholm, a former defenseman, is a relatively inexperienced coach, having only retired as a player in 2016 following a season at Red Bull Munich. Before turning professional, Söderholm spent four years playing US college hockey with the University of Massachusetts. As a pro he spent the bulk of his career at the club of his youth, Helsinki IFK, but also had spells in the top leagues in Sweden and Switzerland – where he learned to speak German.
Arjen Robben set to miss Der Klassiker but hopeful of final Bayern Munich appearance Road to redemption
Clashes with Borussia Dortmund have been pivotal in Arjen Robbenʼs long Bayern Munich career, with memories good and bad. But the Dutchman admits injury is likely to deny him a last chance to face Bayernʼs title rivals. As the opponent heʼs both faced and lost against most in his career, those with an eye for a narrative arc would have hoped Arjen Robben might have played one last time against Borussia Dortmund, before leaving Bayern Munich and riding off in to the sunset. But the 35-yearold Dutch winger, who will leave the club he joined in 2009 at the end of the season, believes the April 6
meeting will come too soon. "I still donʼt know whether I will be fit, we will have to see, but I think it is probably unrealistic," Robben told Munich newspaper Abendzeitung on Wednesday. "I am on the road to recovery, but I am not yet training with the team," he added. "I think it will take a bit more time. All I can do is keep working hard and fighting to get back on the pitch."
Ronnie OʼSullivan and Mark Selby through to second round Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he wants to "smell" his playersʼ desire to leapfrog leaders Liverpool in the title race. The Premier League champions remain on course for the quadruple after lifting the Carabao Cup on Sunday. City played for 120 minutes before beating Chelsea on penalties at Wembley, but Guardiola says he will not tolerate "excuses about tiredness". "In the last two months the mentality makes the difference," he said. 6
Five-time world champion Ronnie OʼSullivan booked his place in the second round of the Welsh Open with victory over Sanderson Lam. After going 2-1 down, breaks of 95 and 116 helped OʼSullivan to a 4-2 win to set up a tie with Chinaʼs Yuan Sijun. Three-time world champion Mark Selby beat Anthony McGill 4-2, with Adam Duffy his next opponent. Former world champion Neil Robertson made a maximum 147 break during his 4-1 win
against Jordan Brown. There were also first-round wins for Barry Hawkins and Stuart Bingham, Hawkins beat Sunny Akani 4-0, Bingham was a 4-0 winner over Ali Carter, while Nigel Bond won a deciding frame to beat Alan McManus 4-3. Duane Jones gave the home crowd something to cheer when he produced an upset to beat Xiao Guodong 4-3. Jonesʼ compatriot Jackson Page is out, having lost 4-1 to Zhao Xintong.