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.
215/2018 • 20 SEPTEMBER, 2018
North Korea just buying time with empty concessions? Kim-Moon summit: Is
Climate change prompts Berlin to rethink water strategy Jens Feddern picks up a long-stemmed 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.
Disruption to supplies coming through Hodeida could "cause starvation on an unprecedented scale" 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. Kim Jong Un rolled out the red carpet in Pyongyang on Wednesday for South Korean President Moon Jaein, and there evenappeared to be a degree of progress made on North Korean denuclearization. Yet, despite all the positive indicators, analysts still believe that Kim ultimately intends to keep Pyongyangʼs nuclear deterrent because the survival of his regime depends on it. Moon arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday morning and the first day of the closely watched summit was largely spent in symbolic gestures of friendship and inter-Korean fraternity. Read more: South and North Korean leaders meet amid denuclearization doubts Kim met Moon at Pyongyang airport and the two men drove into the city in an open-top Mercedes car, cheered by tens of thousands of North Korean citizens waving plastic flowers.The two leaders reportedly spent two hours in preliminary discussions, during which Kim told his visitor that he anticipates progress in a new round of talks with the United States.
Moon used the occasion to declare that a sense of "trust and friendship" has evolved between the two leaders and that they are committed to creating "a future that nobody has experienced." In a joint press conference held after their talks on Wednesday, Moon and Kim announced a number of agreements, which include what the North claims are significant steps towards the denuclearization that Washington has been demanding before international sanctions on Pyongyang can be lifted. Read more: Opinion: No peace for Korea Kim has agreed to "permanently" shut down its Dongchang-ri missile engine testing facility, a process that will be verified by international monitors, while there was also a commitment to remove all nuclear weapons and threats from the Korean Peninsula. In a joint declaration, the North also said it would take "additional steps, such as the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear facility, should the United States take corresponding measures."
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? Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement and video on Tuesday that she would examine reports of "alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting."
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