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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

66/2018 • 21 MARCH, 2018

Zimbabwe crowns first ʼMiss Albinoʼ in bid to tackle stigma

Zuckerberg summoned to UK parliament in data misuse case

Zimbabwe has put on its first "Miss Albino" pageant in an effort to stamp out discrimination and stigma surrounding the condition. The 22-yearold winner says she wants to fight for the rights of children with albinism.

Sithembiso Mutukura beat 12 other contestants to claim the crown at Zimbabweʼs first-ever Miss Albinism beauty contest — an achievement she hopes will inspire others living with the rare disorder. "We must continue to advocate for our rights and I hope my win will empower the girl child," the 22-year-old social work student said. "I have gone through a lot, but I want people living with albinism to be brave and persevere in life." During the event in Harare on Friday night, the contestants had to respond to questions on stage and model a range of gowns and traditional African robes. Mutukura was awarded US$85 (almost €70) in prize money after being named winner.

The UK and European parliaments have called on Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg to explain the use of its data by Cambridge Analytica. The social network said it also faced questions from the US consumer watchdog.

Vietnamʼs reformist ex-PM Phan Van Khai dies at age 84 Khai was the architect of Vietnamʼs Business Law, which transformed the economy by creating a private sector. He was also Vietnamʼs first postwar leader to pay an official visit to Washington. Phan Van Khai, the architect of Vietnamʼs economic transformation and the countryʼs first prime minister to visit the United States after the war, died Saturday at the age of 84. He died in Cu Chi, his home district, on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon.

Khai was a Soviet-trained economist from southern Vietnam. He was prime minister for nine years beginning in 1997 and ushered in an era of reform that saw Vietnam transform itself into one of Southeast Asiaʼs fastest-growing economies.

Cambridge Analytica:

EU, US lawmakers scold Facebook Lawmakers in the EU and the US demand answers following reports that a firm harvested data from 50 million Facebook users to influence the US election. Cambridge Analytica reportedly retained illegally obtained data.

Politicians in the European Union and the United States have expressed concern about digital privacy after media reported that a consultancy that worked on Donald Trumpʼs 2016 presidential election campaign gained inappropriate access to the personal data of 50 million Facebook users. On Monday, EU Justice Secretary Vera Jourova called the revelations "horrifying," saying that she will "seek further clarification from Facebook" when she travels to the US next week.

EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani tweeted that the "European Parliament will investigate fully, calling digital platforms to account." In the US, Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota and a member of the chamberʼs Judiciary Committee, said on Sunday that "itʼs clear these platforms canʼt police themselves." In Britain, Conservative legislator Damian Collins, the head of the parliamentary media committee, said he wanted the social networkʼs chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, or another Facebook executive to appear before the body. Collins said the company had "consistently understated" the risk of data leaks and given misleading answers to the committee.

German university hospital defends auto firmsʼ nitrogen dioxide test ethics No experiments on animals or humans can take place in Germany without a go from an authorized ethics committee. Dr. Thomas Kraus from Aachen University Hospital says this was the case in the most recent NO2 scandal.

The European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) "did not impinge in any way on the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) research it commissioned Aachen University Hospital to do," Professor Thomas Kraus from the

hospital told the German press agency DPA on Monday. The EUGT is a now defunct organization that was funded

by German carmakers Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW plus partsmaker Bosch, thus raising questions of possible conflicts of interest. In 2013, 25 healthy volunteers were exposed to NO2 pollution for three hours, Kraus said. "None of them had any negative health effects," he went on, adding that the tests were meant to measure the impact of pollutants in the workplace.

Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigns amid financial scandal Mauritius President Ameenah GuribFakim announced her resignation Saturday amid an ongoing financial scandal. She is accused of purchasing personal luxury items with a credit card from a nongovernmental organization.

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Africaʼs only female head of state, offered her resignation in the "national interest," according to her lawyer Yousouf Mohamed.

He added that her resignation would take effect on March 23. Mohamed told local Radio Plus that she had decided to resign "to prevent a constitutional crisis." "She doesnʼt want the country ... to suffer. In the countryʼs best interests she has decided to leave," the lawyer said.

Gurib-Fakim is accused of using a bank card provided by a nongovernmental organization for personal purchases, including jewelry and luxury items worth at least 25,000 euros ($30,000). She has vowed to fight the allegations.

Ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe fired by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions The timing of McCabeʼs ouster means he may lose out on a full pension after 20 years of working for the FBI. US President Donald Trump hailed the firing as a "great day for Democracy." US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday fired former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe two days before the 20-year FBI veteran was set to retire. US President Donald Trump had heavily criticized McCabe for what the president said was McCabeʼs bias against his administration.

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66/2018 • 21 March, 2018

Facebook bans Trump campaign data firm Cambridge Analytica The social media giant has accused the data analysis company of illegally obtaining user data. At the same time, a whistleblower has said that Cambridge Analytica illegally harvested data from 50 million users.

Facebook announced on Saturday that it had suspended the data research firm Cambridge Analytica for holding onto dubiously obtained user data after assuring the social media firm that the information had been deleted.

Cambridge Analytica has become well-known in political circles for its work on the election campaign of US President Donald Trump and for the pro-Brexit group Leave.eu. Facebook said it was also suspending the firmʼs parent company, Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL). The incident revolves around an app put on the site in 2015 by Aleksandr Kogan, a professor at the University of Cambridge, that purported to be a personality test and psychological research tool. About 270,000 users downloaded it and shared their information with it, according to Facebook.

Germany coach Joachim Löw gives Marco Reus some time off Germany coach Joachim Löw has left the oft-injured Marco Reus out of his squad for the Spain and Brazil matches.

These are Germanyʼs last two friendlies before he has to name his provisional World Cup squad. Perhaps the most notable feature of the squad that Germany coach Joachim Löw announced on Friday was the absence of Borussia Dortmundʼs Marco Reus (pictured above), who is hoping to take part in his first major international tournament after missing the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 European championship through injury.

Ex-Siemens manager pleads guilty in US court to Argentine bribery scheme The case dates back to 2008 when Siemens agreed to resolve bribery investigations in the US and Germany that included a contract in Argentina. The manager admitted he had approved fake invoices to disguise bribes.

The 78-year-old Eberhard Reichert was one of nine people charged in 2011 by the US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission for their roles in a bribery scheme in Argentina. "Eberhard Reichert tried to sidestep laws designed to root corruption out of the government contracting process," Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in a statement. "Todayʼs plea should be a warning to others that our office is

committed to bringing corrupt criminals to justice, no matter how long they run from the law." Reichert, who worked for Seimens for 37 years, until 2001, entered his plea to one count of conspiracy in the New York court. He admitted that while working as a manager at Siemens Business Services in Argentina between 1996 and 2001, he had approved fake invoices and contracts intended to disguise bribery payments to Argentine officials.

Bottled water not safe from microplastic contamination The revelation from a new global survey into microplastics in bottled water serves up a bitter irony.

Advertisements for bottled water tend to play on themes of purity and healthy living. If sales figures are anything to go by, many of us seem to be buying into that. The global industry is worth €119 billion ($147 billion) a year. But original research and reporting by the global journalism organizationOrb Media, and shared with DW, muddies the association.

The first of its kind on a global scale, the research tested bottled water from 11 brands bought at 19 locations in

nine countries around the world for microplastics. The contaminant was identified in 93 percent of samples — in sometimes greatly varying quantities. In a world where, according to forecasts by online statistics portal Statista, we will be drinking 391 billion liters of bottled water in 2017 — up from 288 billion liters in 2012 — the study begs the question: Is consuming such tiny plastic particles safe? Thatʼs a tough question to answer. Despite the ubiquity of microplastics in the environment, toxicologists are still in the early stages of figuring out their potential threat to human health.

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German metalworkers finally secure wage agreement Following weeks of bitter fighting, a wage agreement for the German metal and electrical industries has finally been struck. Employees were able to secure higher wages and more flexible working hours.

A wage agreement was reached in the early hours on Tuesday in Germanyʼs metal and electrical industries. The powerful IG Metall union announced the deal initially covering workers in the southern German state of BadenWürttemberg, but expected to be eventually implemented for a total of 3.9 million workers in the sector nationwide. According to the deal, employeesare to receive a pay hike of 4.3 percent from April this year. Additionally, monthly one-off payments of €100 ($124) were agreed for January through March. Employers and trade union representatives also agreed on the possibility of workers reducing their hours from 35 to 28 hours per week for two years, should they need to look after children or care for older relatives.

Publisher slammed as Hitler appears in ʼgreat leadersʼ book The book "would bring tears of joy to neo-Nazis," a Jewish human rights organization has said. Adolf Hitler carries a certain fascination in some parts of the world that is largely untouched by his atrocities.

Indian publisher Pegasus landed itself in hot water this week when it emerged that itʼs "Great Leaders" book for children included Adolf Hitler. Pictured alongside freedom fighters Mathama Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, the book chose Hitler as one of the "powerful world leaders who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of their countries and the people living in them." Also included in the book are current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, controversial Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former US President Barack Obama.

"Dedicated to the betterment of countries and people? Adolf Hitler? This description would bring tears of joy to the Nazis and their racist neo-Nazi heirs," said Abraham Cooper of the Jewish human rights organization the Wiesenthal Center.