DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Germany ʼgreatly concernedʼ about Crimea crisis The German government has expressed concern about the military escalation in the Sea of Asov, after Russia seized three Ukrainian navy shipsoff the coast of the Crimean peninsula. "The developments around the Sea of Asov are extremely worrying," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday morning during a visit to Spain. "It is not acceptable that there is a blockade by Russia there. All one can do is call for de-escalation from both sides and I hope that this call, which will surely not only come from Germany, will be followed. We must end this war happening in our neighborhood." "We have observed the events in Ukraine and Russia with great concern," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said at a regular press conference. "We are in contact with both sides." Seibert also reaffirmed Germanyʼs support to Ukraineʼs "sovereignty and territorial integrity, which includes shipping rights in the Kerch Strait. Free access to the Sea of Asov must be guaranteed."
Worldʼs first gene-edited babies born, scientist claims A Chinese scientist on Monday said he has created the worldʼs firstgenetically-edited babiesin a controversial medical procedure that threatens to shake the foundation of bioethics. He Jiankui, a professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Shenzhen, said the twins — identified as "Lulu" and "Nana" — had their embryosʼ DNA changed using a method known asCRISPR. The genes were edited to prevent the embryos from being able to contractHIV, He said, noting that the twinsʼ father had the virus. "Their parents donʼt want adesigner baby. Just a child who wonʼt suffer from a disease which medicine can prevent," He said in a video published on YouTube.
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Staunch EU critic Yanis Varoufakis to run in European election — in Germany Announcing the run, Varoufakis said it was time for a European Spring
The ex-Greek finance minister, who opposed deep austerity imposed by Brussels and Berlin, is to stand in the European elections next year. Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has announced he will stand in next Mayʼs European elections — representing Germany. At a press conference in Berlin on Sunday, Varoufakis accepted the nomination on behalf of the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25), which he launched in 2016 to "democratize" the continent. As the economist spoke, his colleagues unfurled a banner with the slogan "European Spring" — a reference to the democracy movements that swept the Arab world from 2010. Varoufakis insisted he meets the requirements for representing Germany, including that nationals of other European Union countries have a residence in Germany. Varoufakis was outspoken in his opposition to thedeep reforms and austerity measures imposed on Greeceby its creditors after the country veered per-
ilously towards bankruptcy and nearly crashed out of the euro currency. He frequently clashed with his hardline German counterpart at the time, Wolfgang Schaeuble, who backed the painful medicine for Greece in an attempt to push the country back from the brink of default. Following the recent rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Varoufakis said the political center in Germany was under threat because of austerity. "On paper, Germany is drowning in money ... but the German people have been victims of the same austerity as the rest of Europe. The result is low levels of investment," he said. This, he argued, boosted inequality, share prices, and real estate prices. He said his movement wanted to pour cash, raised if necessary via bond issuance, into green policies to tackle climate change.
Migrant surge forces US to shut CaliforniaMexico border crossing temporarily All border traffic was halted for several hours at the busy crossing between the US city of San Diego and the Mexican city of Tijuana on Sunday after migrants from Central Americaattempted to make their way over the border fence, the US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) agency said. Hundreds of migrants, mostly men, made a dash for the border fence and tried to climb over, officials said. Border security officers used tear gas to disperse the migrants. Local authorities said they arrested 39 people involved in the incident. In response, Mexico said it would bolster security at its border. By late Sunday, US authorities reopened the crossing in both directions, the CPBʼs San Diego branch said in a tweet.
German rightwing AfD party fears radicalization of youth wing The right-wingAlternative for Germany (AfD)party is so worried about its youth organization becoming radicalized that there are calls to disband it entirely, according to German media reports on Monday. The Junge Alternative(Young Alternative or JA) has become increasingly close to the radical Identitarian movement (IB) over the past several years, and several JA state chapters are being surveilled by intelligence services over concerns about extremism.
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