5/2018 • 6, JANUARY 2018 WEEKEND ISSUE
DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Car drives into pedestrians in Melbourne At least 19 people have been injured after a man intentionally drove into pedestrians. Police have said there is no connection with terrorism "at this time." A car intentionally plowed into pedestrians at one of Melbourneʼs busiest intersections on Thursday, injuring at least 19 people. The white four-wheel drive hit the pedestrians at the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth Street around 4:45 p.m. local time (0645 UTC/GMT), Victoria Police said in a statement. The intersection is next to Flinders Street Station.
Russia vetoes last-ditch bid to save probe into gas attacks in Syria Russia used its veto twice in 24 hours to deny a new mandate to the UN team looking into chemical weapon attacks in Syria. Moscow said it would not extend the mandate of the probe without fixing its "fundamental flaws." Tensions were running high in the UN Security Council on Friday after Russia vetoed a lastditch motion by Japan to continue the UN-led investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria. The move comes only a day after Russiavetoed a separate US draft resolutionto extend the probe, and its own draft was in turn rejected by the US, UK, and France. Moscow has repeatedly criticized the findings of the UNbacked investigative body, dubbed Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) as biased and inaccurate. Last week, JIM released a report blaming the Syrian regime for the chemical attack which killed around 100 people in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April. Russia rejected it as "invented" and insisted that the body needed to reform.
Hungaryʼs Viktor Orban pays controversial visit to CSU party conference His planned visit has raised some eyebrows in other quarters
The arch-conservative Hungarian prime minister has made an appearance at the conference of Bavariaʼs CSU party in southern Germany.
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. He was later put under house arrest due to health issues. Ledezma was one of the opposition leaders who led protests against the government in 2014, which also resulted in the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. He remains under house arrest.
Angelique Kerber inspires Germany in Hopman Cup Angelique Kerber showed glimpses of her best form in the mixed doubles as Germany beat hosts Australia to reach Saturday’s final. Kerber and Alexander Zverev will face Swiss pair Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic. Angelique Kerberʼs early season renaissance continued on Friday as she led Germany into their first Hopman Cup final since 1995 at the mixed teams tournament in Perth. The lefthander wound the clock back to 2016 with her menacing forehand as she thrashed Australiaʼs Daria Gavrilova in straight sets in the singles and then lifted the Germans to victory in the deciding mixed doubles as they
notched a dramatic 2-1 win in their final Group A tie. Kerber and Alexander Zverev only had to beat the Australians to reach Saturdayʼs final against Switzerlandʼs Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic. But it came down to a tense mixed doubles clash after world number four Zverev suffered a shock loss to Thanasi Kokkinakis in the menʼs singles. With Zverevʼs form faltering noticeably, the Germans dropped the first set in the Fast4 doubles. Although they levelled the match, their fate looked grim when Australia led 3-1 in the first-tofive third set tie-breaker, with the inform Kokkinakis having two serves to come.
Philippine ferry capsizes with 251 people aboard A Philippine ferry carrying over 250 passengers has capsized off an island south of Manila. Reports suggest at least four people have died as rescue efforts remain ongoing. The Philippine ferry sank off the countryʼs eastern coast on Thursday after being caught in a heavy storm and choppy waters, coast guards said. Officials said that at least four passengers had died in the accident, while between 40 and 88 remained unaccounted for, according to varying media reports. The remaining passengers had been rescued.
UNICEF: 220,000 children threatened by mines in Ukraineʼs east In Ukraineʼs war-torn east, 220,000 children are at risk of injury or death by explosives littering the territory. They have caused scores of deaths, and left many children with "lifelong disabilities," says UNICEF. According to areport by the UN childrenʼs agency, UNICEF, published on Thursday, 220,000 children living ineastern Ukraineare at severe risk of serious injury by landmines and other deadly explosives littering the territory. These landmines and other explosives have caused scores of deaths and have left many children with "lifelong disabilities."
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5/2018 • 6, January 2018 Weekend issue
White rhino killed by suspected
Sandro Wagner joins Bayern Munich
poachers at French zoo
Wagner, whose form under Julian Nagelsmann has put him in with a shot of a World Cup spot, said: "Iʼm coming back home."
The break-in at the Thoiry wildlife park near Paris is suspected as poaching. Rhino horns fetch thousands on the black market. Zookeepers at the Thoiry zoo and wildlife park made the grisly discovery on Tuesday after an overnight attack. "Staff left the rhino enclosure on Monday. When they returned on Tuesday, an animal had been killed and its two horns had been sawn off," a police spokeswoman told news agency AFP. The 4-year-old white male rhinoceros named Vince had been shot three times in the head. His main horn was stolen, the policewoman said. The second horn was partially cut, leading the zoo to believe the poacher or poachers may have been disturbed or suffered equipment failure. The zoo said the intruders broke through a gate and forced through two doors to reach the animal, without disturbing the five staff members who live on site. The wildlife park is also equipped with security cameras.
Serena Williams to return to tennis in Abu Dhabi The former world number one will make her comeback this month after birth of her first child. The 36-yearold will take on the reigning French Open champion. American tennis star and former world number one Serena Williams is set to make her comeback on December 30 after birth of her first child. The 36-year-old will play her first competitive match in 11 months in the United Arab Emirates. Serena Williams will play an exhibition match on the final day of the Mubadala event on December 30, tournament organizers announced Sunday.
After weeks of rumors, Bayern Munich have finally confirmed the signing of Hoffenheim striker Sandro Wagner for a reported fee of €12 million ($14.25 million). The Germany international joins the Bundesliga champions after two successful years at Hoffenheim, in which he scored 18 goals, and played a key part in the team qualifying for Europe last season. Wagner started his professional career at Bayern in the 2007/8 season. He made his Bundesliga debut with the club, before moving elsewhere in or-
der to secure more game time. The Munich-born striker then went on to play for Duisburg, Werder Bremen, Hertha Berlin and Darmstadt, before joining Hoffenheim. "A long journey has come to an end for me, Iʼm coming back home to my club," said Wagner after the deal was confirmed. "Bayern is one of the worldʼs biggest clubs." Wagner is expected to join the clubas a backup for prolific Polish striker Robert Lewandowski; unusually for a front man, he will play with the number 2 on the back of his jersey.
No, we wonʼt run out of chocolate by 2050 News of a global chocolate doomsday has gone viral, with chocoholics fearing an end to their fix. But donʼt panic: Chocolate is not on the brink of extinction — yet. The new year has just begun, and chocolate lovers have already been hit with scary news: We could run out of chocolate in 40 years, as climate change makes it too hot for cacao plants to survive. The news spread quickly on social media, with chocoholics fearing for their future fix. T-shirts and mugs with the slogan, "Save our planet. Itʼs the only one with chocolate,"
took on new poignancy. But are we really facing a future without it? No, say scientists. The story originated with an article on Business Insider, warning that cacao plants — the source of chocolate — "are slated to disappear as early as 2050 thanks to warmer temperatures and dryer weather conditions." It went on to explain that scientists at the University of California, UC Berkley, are teaming up with candy producer Mars to "try to save the crop before itʼs too late." DW talked to the researchers at UC Berkley who, to our great relief, said cacao plants are not on their way out.
The Sound of Dignity - Boban Markovic Orkestar Müpa Boban Markovic, one of the best known artists of Balkan world-music, who collaborated on many of Emil Kusturica’s films, will visit Budapest once again with his orchestra within the frameworks of a charity gala for the benefit of the Hungarian Hospice Foundation at Müpa. This night is for greeting the foundation’s supporters and, of course, the New Year.
H-1056 Budapest, Só u. 6. Telephone: +36 1 577 0700 Fax: +36 1 577 0710 bhzinfo@zeinahotels.com www.boutiquehotelbudapest.com
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Mourning geckos donʼt need males Some animal species can do very well without male partners. Mourning geckos are just one of many examples. Their reproduction method — known as parthenogenesis — is our natural phenomenon of the week. More or less once every two to four weeks over her five-year lifespan, the female mourning gecko goes through the same ritual: The reptile begins the search for a well-protected place to hide one or two of her eggs. Fifty to 75 days later, new geckos hatch from these eggs. Not very spectacular, right? But the nocturnal climbers look exactly like their mother. And if they lay egg, once they reach maturity after eight months, their offspring will look exactly like them. Thatʼs because mourning geckos clone themselves — and all of them are female. No males are required to reproduce. That reptiles do not need males is not totally unusual in nature and various other species do the same. Some crabs, snails, and plants as well as komodo dragons and single-celled organisms — all of them come into the world alive and well without a male. The process behind this is called parthenogenesis which means something like "virgin birth."
Cambodia charges 2 journalists with espionage The arrests are the latest in a widening crackdown on media and the opposition in Cambodia ahead of elections next year. The move further strains ties between the United States and Cambodia. Two Cambodian journalists who worked for a US-funded radio station were charged with espionage on Saturday, the latest move in a widening crackdown on critics of authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Uon Chhin and Yeang Socheameta, former journalists of the Washingtonbased Radio Free Asia, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly providing information to a foreign power. The offense carries up to 15years in prison. Radio Free Asiaʼs Phnom Penh bureau closed its office in September, citing "intimidation" and threats that it was violating tax and registration regulations. The Cambodia Daily newspaper reported the two journalists were accused of setting up broadcasting equipment in the capital and sending news reports to Radio Free Asiaʼs Washington bureau.