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.
26/2018 • 01, FEBRUARY 2018
Israel risks ʼperpetual occupation and conflict,ʼ German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel says He called on Israel to clarify its policy on Mideast peace talks
Germanyʼs foreign minister ended a 15-hour trip to Israel warning the country against abandoning a two-state solution to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.
World Economic Forum in Davos out to heal ʼa fractured worldʼ The current global disunity looks set to dominate discussions at this yearʼs gathering of politicians and executives in Davos, Switzerland. US President Donald Trump is still scheduled to top the list of speakers there. The topic of this yearʼs World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos is "Creating a shared future in a fractured world." The motto is in direct contrast to US President Donald Trumpʼs "America first" policy which also involves large-scale protectionism and isolationist security policies.
"There is todaya real danger of a collapse of our global systems," said WEF founder Klaus Schwab. "But change is not just happening — itʼs in our hands to improve the state of the world and that is what the World Economic Forum stands for." "What we know is that what we lack is cooperation," the forumʼs president, Borge Brende, told reporters, adding that the gathering of 70 heads of state and government as well as key figures from the world of business may make a vital contribution toward overcoming current obstacles in global trade and elsewhere.
Germany must allow third gender in registry of births, court rules An intersex person has won a court case to allow them to enter a third gender into the registry of births. The case was appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court after failing at lower levels. Germanyʼs Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday called for a third gender option in the registry of births. Intersex people, who are neither male nor female, should be able to register their sexual identity as such, the Karlsruhe court ruled. The court found that the general right to the protection of personality in Germanyʼs Basic Law meant the register had to be altered to
allow a third gender. The court ruled seven to one that lawmakers must create new legislation by the end of 2018 to allow for a third sex, providing the examples of "intersex," "diverse" or another "positive designation of sex." Another possibility raised was to scrap gender entries altogether. "Assignment to a gender is of paramount importance for individual identity; it typically plays a key role both in the self-image of a person and in the way in which the person concerned is perceived by others. The gender identity of those persons who are neither male nor female is protected,"the court ruled.
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.
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. Authorities searched 140 properties in 31 cities in the populous, western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), officials said at an afternoon press conference.
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26/2018 • 01, February 2018
How #MeToo affects the Golden Globes With sexual harassment cases in the backdrop, the Golden Globes are set to launch Hollywoodʼs annual awards season. A black-dress protest will be held — but "men in black" are accused of slacktivism. Hollywoodʼs biggest pre-Oscars prize-giving ceremony takes place on January 7. It is the first major award ceremony since the start of the #MeToo movement and showcases an industry which, after operating for decades under the motto "sex sells," is having to reinvent itself. Organized by the 90-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a total of 25 prizes are up for grabs on Sunday — 14 in film and 11 in television — at the Golden Globes awards ceremony. But the mood in Los Angeles in the wake of widespread sexual harassment claims is rather heavy. As was the case two years ago with the #Oscarssowhite campaign, social media was a driving force in this new reality check for Hollywood. Even before the launch of Hollywoodʼs annual awards season, the fallout of the scandal has already managed to change the face of the industry in various ways — and appears to be set to do so for the foreseeable future.
IOC concerned over possible design flaws of doping test bottles
Theresa May looks to China for post-Brexit future Theresa May has landed in China to seek new trade ties for the UKʼs future outside of the EU. May has also promised Parliament will approve the final Brexit terms following Tuesdayʼs leak of a confidential impact report. British Prime Minister Theresa May touted a "golden era" of UK-China relations as she touched down in the central Chinese city of Wuhan Wednesday, her sights set on her countryʼs future outside of the European Union. Accompanied by a delegation of 50 British business leaders, Mayʼs visit will focus onhashing out new global trade linksa-
head of the UKʼs divorce from the European Union, slated for March 2019. Meeting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing later on Wednesday, May said the UK was considering "how we can build further on that golden era and on the global strategic partnership that we have been working on between the UK and China."
Mayon volcano not just a threat to immediate neighbors The Philippinesʼ Mayon volcano continues to erupt - and itʼs not just a danger to those living nearby. US geologist Ben Andrews explains why 500 degree Celsius hot lava isnʼt even the biggest problem. TheMayon volcanois a stratovolcano in the Philippines. Thatʼs a volcano where most of the activity is focused in a very narrow spot or small area, so over time it builds up a nice, tall, often symmetrical cone of material. The term stratovolcano gives you a definition of what it is: strata would be lay-
ers, so a stratovolcano is made up of a whole bunch of different layers, stacked on top of each other, to build a very tall cone. A volcano like Mayon is built through a combination of lava flows and lava domes, as well as explosive eruptions. And those tend to build up something that makes a steep-sided structure. The average slopes of Mayon are about 35 to 40 degrees. Thatʼs very different from volcanoes on Hawaii – those are shield volcanoes that build up through lots of lava flows that form a much, much gentler slope.
The International Olympic Committee says it is concerned about potential flaws in doping sample bottles. The organization wants assurances that the bottles cannot be tampered with ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Turkish brunch at Pancs Élesztőház You have visited Turkey before and would like to relive the magical experience of a rich Turkish breakfast? Or you’ve never tried it but would like to see an authentic Turkish breakfast? Nar Gourmet will move from its apartment restaurant to the private room of Pancs gasztroplacc with a huge table of cheeses, olives, fresh vegetables, tahini, pekmez, fruits, fresh Turkish pastries, yogurt poached eggs, and many other goodies. The menu will be meatless. Registration is advance is required at nargourmet.hu@gmail.com
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US December job creation disappoints The US has added fewer jobs lately than expected by labor market experts, fresh government figures have shown. The overall unemployment rate held steady at a 17-year low in the worldʼs largest economy. The US economyʼs job creation ability decreased in December 2017 despite solid hiring in the manufacturing and construction sectors, government data showed Friday. While theunemployment rate remained unchanged at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent, employers across the nation added just 148,000 jobs in the final month of last year. The figure was far below expectations of 200,000 new positions and even below the sluggish 155,000 jobs reported in December 2016. Economists had been more optimistic especially after payroll services firm ADP said Thursday that private hiring experienced a boost in the final four weeks of December 2017. But the slowing reported by the government couldpoint to an economy nearly at full employment that is finding it hard to get workersto fill open positions. Thatʼs a sentiment that had been reflected in reports from companies lately.
Ousted Venezuelan opposition leader escapes house arrest, flees to Spain Ousted Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma has likened his escape to a film. He plans to take the fight against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro abroad. The ousted opposition mayor of Caracas arrived in Spain on Saturday after orchestrating a daring escape from house arrest in Venezuela. Antonio Ledezma landed in Madrid from Bogota, Colombia, where he arrived a day earlier after slipping across the border. He was greeted by his wife and two daughters who live in Spain. Ledezma said he planned to organize resistance from abroad to President Nicolas Maduro, under whose rule millions of Venezuelans have suffered from shortages of food and other basic supplies. "I am going to travel the world to spread the hope of all Venezuelans to escape this regime, this dictatorship," Ledezma said. The 62-year-old opposition figure was removed as mayor of Caracas and arrested in 2015 on allegations he sought to topple Maduro.