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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Journalists go to court over Germanyʼs ʼunrestrictiveʼ surveillance laws Press groups have argued that Germanyʼs surveillance laws are unconstitutional as they allow foreign reporters to be monitored. The case is raising awareness on social media under the slogan "No trust, no news." Germanyʼs Constitutional Court is reviewing the legality of the governmentʼs surveillance capabilities, after several journalists and rights activists lodged a complaint arguing that the law allows for the "virtually unrestricted" monitoring of foreign reporters. The complaint aims to strip the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), the countryʼs intelligence agency, of its powers to mass surveil foreign journalistsʼ communications, said Frank Überall, chairman of theGerman Federation of Journalists (DJV).

Kenya: Huge crowds at opposition leaderʼs ʼswearing inʼ ceremony Kenya opposition leader Raila Odinga has sworn himself in as "president of the people." The government responded by declaring the oppositionʼs ʼNational Resistance Movementʼ a criminal group. Opposition leader Raila Odinga took an oath of office as what Kenyaʼs opposition coalition has named the "president of the people." "I, Raila Omolo Odinga, do swear that I will protect the nation as peopleʼs president, so help me God," he said. His running mate Kalonzo Musyoka who was supposed to be sworn in as his deputy did not appear at Odingaʼs side. Thousands of opposition supporters had gathered in Nairobiʼs Uhuru Park on Tuesday for the staged "inauguration." Authorities had initially warned the opposition to not gather in the park, but security forces remained at a distance and allowed the ceremony to go ahead. Following the ceremony, the government issued a notice, declaring the oppositionʼs National Resistance Movement illegal.

27/2018 • 02, FEBRUARY 2018

Duterte bent on rewriting Philippine constitution Critics say it is but a smokescreen to prolong his stay in power

The Duterte administration is moving to make changes to the nationʼs constitution, to turn the Philippines into a federal state. PresidentRodrigo Duterteis determined to carry out his campaign promise to amend the constitution and turn the Philippines into a federal state. The shift to a federal form of administration would diffuse government powers centralized in the Philippine capital of Manila, giving local governments more autonomy. The nationʼs legislature has earlier passed a resolution to convene the two chambers into a Constituent Assembly that would lay out the constitutional reform needed to transition to a federal form of government. Proponents of federalism say that the current system of governance concentrates wealth and power in Manila, creating an imbalance that has excluded remote provinces from development and prosperity. "Constitutional reform is very much needed. The existing constitution provides a political system that favors only those in power. That is why you have the same political dynasties, particularly in areas with small constituent sizes and are therefore easy to dominate," Edmund Tayao, political analyst and executive director of the think tank Local Government Development Foundation. Tayao also sees constitutional reform as a way to pass and gain acceptance for the Bangsamoro Basic Law, a peace deal that would grant greater autonomy to thepredominantly Muslim provincesin the southern part of the country. Under Philippine law, amending the 1987 constitution

would require the support of both houses of Congress and the approval of the people through a national plebiscite. But the two houses have so far been unable to agree on the timeline for the referendum. The Senate is eyeing 2019, while the House of Representatives wants voter ratification to take place as early as May this year. Critics say that the rush to change the constitution is a smokescreen meant toconsolidate Duterteʼs powerand keep him and his allies in office indefinitely. Tony La Viña, a legal expert and former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, worries more about how the Duterte administration plans to implement a change as drastic as a nationwide overhaul in governance. "There is no clarity on how he is going to carry this out. Regional divisions would work out a lot of problems, it would diffuse powers but there is no vision, no clear legal framework to guide the move to federalism," La Viña told DW. His other concern is the short cuts taken to convene a Constituent Assembly necessary to initiate federalism. "Such a constitutional change should not be rushed. It leaves no room for debate, discussion or consultation. Any constitutional change should not take place before the next scheduled presidential elections in 2022. This would mean ensuring that the current administration does not benefit from any kind of constitutional changes it had initiated," said La Viña.

India: 63 million women statistically ʼmissing,ʼ 21 million unwanted The Indian government says sexselective abortions and a neglect of girls have resulted in millions of statistically "missing" women. Despite the numbers, some gender equality indicators have improved for women. An Indian government report presented to parliament on Monday has found that about 63 million women are statistically "missing" from Indiaʼs population, due to a preference for male children. The survey, presented with a pink cover, included a chapter on womenʼs issues for the first time with the slogan #MeToo in recognition of the global campaign against sexual harassment. A sex ratio of 943 females per 1,000 males has led to the identification of some 63 million "missing" women, the annual economic survey found. The survey reported the reason for the figures was largely because of sex-selective abortions, better nutrition and medical care for boys and that "families where a son is born are more likely to stop having children than families where a girl is born." German authorities carry out massive raid targeting illegal work racket Raids across the populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia have broken up an organized crime network involved in illegal employment at construction sites. Hundreds of construction companies are believed to be involved. Hundreds of German police and agents with a special customs task force took part in early-morning raids on Tuesday to bust the organizers and backers of a massive network of illegal, off-the-books construction jobs.

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