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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

ʼLaser manʼ John Ausonius receives life sentence in Frankfurt John Ausonius has received a second life sentence, this time for the murder of a Jewish woman in Frankfurt. Ausonius has been serving another life sentence in Sweden for the murder and attempted murder of 10 immigrants. John Ausonius — the Swedish convicted killer dubbed "the laser man" and suspected white supremacist — has received another life sentence for the murder of a Jewish woman more than 25 years ago. A Frankfurt court on Wednesday found Ausonius guilty of shooting dead Blanka Zmigrod, a 68-year-old Holocaust survivor, near her home in February 1992. Prosecutor Nadja Böttinger told the court during Tuesdayʼs plea hearing that the evidence at hand was far too abundant to be considered mere coincidence. During Wednesdayʼs sentencing, Judge Bärbel Stock agreed.

German prisons: 150 dangerous Islamists need deradicalizing German jails are struggling to cope with scores of radical Islamist extremists. Their number is expected to grow following the opening of a slew of terror-related probes in recent months. About 150 dangerous Islamists are being held in prisons across Germany, according to figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) published by German daily Die Welt on Wednesday. The men are either serving jail sentences or are in custody on terror-related charges, the paper cited the BKA as saying. The newspaper said there were also several "relevant persons" being held, which it said were those regarded as sympathizers or supporters of radical Islam. "In the next few years we must expect a wave of extremists in our prisons," the German state of Hesseʼs Minister of Justice, Eva Kühne-Hörmann (CDU), told the newspaper.

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EU eyes enlargement as JeanClaude Juncker tours Balkans Jean-Claude Juncker is set to visit six western Balkans states hoping to join the EU

With a possible accession date named, the trip is aimed at encouraging progress towards Brusselsʼ mandated reforms. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Sunday kicks off a visit the newest prospective European Union member states. The whirlwind tour through the western Balkan countries of Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina andKosovois intended as an encouraging gesture, as Juncker himself put it. Arecently agreed EU enlargement strategyeven included a timeline for when these states could join the bloc: 2025. But this target date should not be understood as a guarantee that all western Balkan countries will be admitted to the EU in seven yearsʼ time. Instead, Juncker has said the 2025 timline is intended to encourage the governments of the six potential member states to undertake political reforms, uphold the rule of law, fight corruption,ensure press freedom, stimulate their economies and resolve outstanding conflicts with their neighbors. European Commission staff close to Juncker have said new members will only be admitted if sufficient progress that meets concrete targets is made in these areas, but that that the EU is willing to enlarge the bloc and the six states have a realistic chance of joining. Immediately prior to Junckerʼs departure, the EUʼs top enlarge-

ment official, Johannes Hahn, promised in a newspaper interview that formal accession talks with Albania and Macedonia will begin soon. A specific date to start talks would be decided in the summer, he said. So far, formal EU accession negotiations have only been held with Serbia and Montenegro. Montenegro, already a NATO member, has made the greatest progress. "Weʼre talking about over 18 million people in six states that still find themselves in a fragile environment," Hahn said at a presentation on the EUʼs latest plans in the Balkans. "For this reason alone itʼs in the interest of the EU to give these states and its peoples an opportunity to join." On his journey through the western Balkans, Juncker will have to address the regionʼs numerous unresolved conflicts, and Kosovo presents perhaps the greatest challenge of them all. After a period of violence,Kosovodeclared itself independent from Serbia in 2008. Not all EU members have recognized Kosovo as an independent state, however, and neither has Serbia. Brussels has made clear that this long-standing conflict must be resolved if Kosovo and Serbia are to join the EU.

Nearly four-inten Germans use online services The shared use of cars, music, accommodation, files and more looks set to increase in Germany, a new survey shows. Germanyʼs share economy market is worth more than €20 billion, according to the survey. Almost 40 percent of Germans used "share economy" services, such as Uber and Airbnb in 2017, according to a survey published on Wednesday by auditing and consulting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC). The study, "Share Economy: The New Business Model," was based on a representative survey of more than 4,500 consumers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey and Germany. Of these countries, Germany had the largestshare economymarket at more than €20 billion ($24.6 billion) and therefore 2,000 German participants were included in the survey.

US evangelist Billy Graham dies at 99 The Baptist preacher who counseled presidents and spoke about the Bible to hundreds of millions has passed away in his native North Carolina. Conservative politicians paid tribute to Graham online. Evangelist Billy Graham has died at the age of 99, a spokesman confirmed on Wednesday. According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, he preached to more people than anyone else in history during his 70 years on the pulpit.

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