DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
German headscarf ban for children met with mixed response One of Germanyʼs states is considering plans to ban girls under the age of 14 from wearing headscarves. The Islamic Council has criticized the proposal, but some teachers say itʼs a good idea. Germanyʼs Teachersʼ Association on Monday welcomed a proposal from the government of the countryʼs most-populous state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) to prohibit girls under the age of 14 from wearing headscarves to school. "A headscarf ban would help, at least generally speaking, to undermine discrimination on religious grounds and antireligious bullying," the associationʼs president, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, told the mass-circulation daily Bild newspaper. He acknowledged that the reality may be different for older girls, but called for an end to the "deliberate display of religious symbols among children with religious backgrounds."
Münster attacker had ʼsuicidal thoughtsʼ The man behind the van attack in Münster reportedly left behind a letter detailing difficulties with his parents and a desire to take his own life. Several victims remain in critical condition. Police probing what led a man to ram his van into an open-air restaurantin the western city of Münster found an 18-page letter in one of his apartments, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily newspaper. In the missive, the suspect — identified as German national Jens R. — referred to "repeated nervous breakdowns" and "outbreaks of aggression," as well as a botched medical operation. He also wrote about humiliating childhood experiences, and anguish caused by serious problems with his parents. Police have not confirmed the discovery of the letter, but they did reveal that an email R. wrote to several people in March contained "vague hints of suicidal thoughts, but no indication he might endanger the lives of others."
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European right greets Viktor Orbanʼs Hungary win Detractors of the European Union see it as a sign that voters are getting behind their cause
Populists in Germany and across Europe were celebrating the landslide re-election of the Hungarian prime minister.
Spotify: Market unicorn prepares to go public The Swedish music-streaming platform Spotify goes public on Tuesday, following in the footsteps of fellow "unicorns" Dropbox and Zscaler. The stock market is healthy and the timing seems good, but what are the risks? Drew Houston and Arash Ferdosi stood in New Yorkʼs Times Square, surrounded by their associates who cheered and threw confetti in celebration. The two Dropbox founders highfived, onlookers clapped, and the cameras flashed. On March 23, theNasdaq stock market welcomed Dropboxwith open arms. Only a few
minutes into trading and stock prices had risen over 50 percent. "A very exciting day for us," said billionaire Houston. "A milestone," said Matt Kennedy of Renaissance Capital, an IPO-focused analyst firm. In the wake of the Dropbox IPO, investors are turning their attention to another major startup about to go public. Spotify,the beloved music-streaming platform based out of Stockholm, opens for public trading on Tuesday. The media is hyping Spotify, the third unicorn to go public this year following Dropbox and the cybersecurity provider Zscaler.
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.
Missiles fired at military airport in Homs: Syrian media Syria and its main ally Russia have accused Israel of carrying out a missile strike on a Syria air base that killed 14 people. It took place amid an international outcry over a suspected poison gas attack two days ago. Russiaʼs military on Monday blamed Israel for an early morning bombing raid on the Syrian governmentʼs T4 air base near the western city of Homs. It said Israeli F-15s had fired eight missiles at the facility. The accusations were echoed by Syrian state media, which reported the weapons were launched from Lebanese territory. At least 14 people were killed, most of them members of Iran-backed groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the attack as a "very dangerous development."
French police official held in inquiry into 2016 Islamist killing A policewoman is among six people detained in France over the murder of two police officers by an Islamist extremist, a judicial source says. Her daughter is also being questioned. rench investigators on Monday detained three men and three women, including a police woman and her daughter, for questioning over their possible role in a2016 murder of two police officersclaimed by extremist group "Islamic State" (IS), a judicial source says. The policewoman was already interrogated in 2016 in connection with the killings in Magnanville, west of Paris, but nothing was found against her.
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80/2018 • 10 April, 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.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge lashes out at St Pauli over 50+1
Facebook to notify users affected by Cambridge Analytica scandal Facebook users are about to find out if their information was harvested by the political research firm. More than 70 million of the 87 million affected people reside in the US, but the scandalʼs impact spans the globe. Facebook users are about to find out if their information was harvested by the political research firm. More than 70 million of the 87 million affected people reside in the US, but the scandalʼs impact spans the globe. Facebook has said that it will inform users on Monday if their information was harvested by the data research firmCambridge Analytica. The move comes as authorities in the US and the UK are scrutinizing the social media giant over user privacy. Of
the at least 87 million users affected by the scandal, more than 70 million are in the US, and there are more than a million each in the UK,Indonesia, and the Philippines. The firm is also set to put out a notice on privacy protection to all its 2.2 billion users, which will show individuals what apps are linked to their account and what information has been shared with those apps. The user will then be able to turn off third-party apps individually or altogether.
Antarctica is melting from below and thatʼs bad news So far, the Antarctic was seen as relatively stable. But a new study suggests that climate change is affecting the polar region on a much larger scale than previously believed – which could have devastating consequences. Scientists have long been alarmed by the rate at which ice is melting in the Arctic around the North Pole. According to recent reports, the Arctic may be ice-free by 2040 due to climate change. The Antarctic, the region around the South Pole on the other side of the world, wasthus far
deemed more stable, as its ice had been shown to melt slower and in a less regular pattern. But a newstudy examining the current state of the Antarctic ice sheet shows that glaciers there are actually retreating at great speed, thereby contributing to arise in sea levels. In fact, Antarctica could soon overtake Greenland to become the biggest source of sea-level rise. Until now, the retreat of glaciers was mainly determined by looking at the extent of ice mass of our two poles from above. It turns out that glaciers arenʼt just getting smaller above water, but also underneath.
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has criticized second division club FC St Pauli, labeling last weekʼs DFL vote an "emotional, populist spectacle." He also spoke about the future of striker Robert Lewandowski. Bayern Munich chief executive officer Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has hit out at the German Football League (DFL) followingThursdayʼs vote to retain the Bundesligaʼs so-called 50+1 rule.
Budapest Spring Fair Between March 23rd and April 22nd, Budapest’s central Vörösmarty Square fills with stands and stalls crammed with hundreds of handcrafted Hungarian products for the Budapest Spring Fair. Besides the traditional and modern folk-art displays, visitors can sample local flavors prepared on-site, while cultural and artisanal events, workshops, folk music and folk-dance shows entertain children and adults alike.
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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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.