DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
WWII delayed-fuse bomb ʼneutralizedʼ off Italyʼs Adriatic coast Authorities in the eastern Italian town of Fano ordered some 23,000 people to evacuate after the discovery of a bomb from World War II. Officials said the device was neutralized at sea in a "highly risky operation." Officials in the Adriatic town of Fano gave the all clear on Wednesday after a British-made bomb dating back to the Second World War was safely disposed of at sea. Mayor Massimo Seri announced that the city was "out of danger," as he revoked evacuation orders and allowed local shops, public offices and the hospital to reopen. Schools remained closed, but the local train station, port and airport were back in service. A statement from the town hall said army and navy experts had lifted the bomb and dropped it into the ocean in "a special and highly risky operation."
Russia, China react to Mike Pompeo becoming US top diplomat Nations across the world have mostly shrugged off Donald Trumpʼs decision to put CIA head Mike Pompeo in charge of the US State Department. Moscow said it was "hardly possible" for bilateral ties to fall any lower. Relations between the US and Russia were already so low that it was unlikely that a new US Secretary of State would make them worse, Vladimir Putinʼs spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Peskovʼs comments come a day after Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Mike Pompeo wasslated to replace Rex Tillerson as the US top diplomat. "It is hardly possible to fall any lower than the floor," Peskov said in Moscow. "From this perspective, it is hardly necessary to worry about any further deterioration." At the same time, Peskov said there was always hope that the ties would be treated "soberly and constructively."
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Merkel elected to fourth term as German chancellor Germanyʼs parliament has confirmed Angela Merkel as the countryʼs next leader
The conservative Merkel will govern in a grand coalition with the Social Democrats. But the vote margin was very tight - a mere 9 votes.
Japanese consumers increasingly getting a taste for German food Asia Japanese consumers increasingly getting a taste for German food Stereotypical images of German bread, beer and sausages begin to fade in Japan as imports of fine wines, quality meat and highend chocolate and cocoa products rise. To the average Japanese person,German cuisinerevolves almost exclusively around bread, sausages and beer. The common refrain is that it is a "heavy" diet that does not always sit well with the Japanese palate. Dozens of German companies that recently took part in Japanʼs largest food and drinks trade show, however, are convinced that they can win over sufficient consumers here to make it an important export market for their
products. But they admit that there are some uniquely Japanese hurdles that they need to overcome if their products are to be a success here. "This is the second year that I have been at Foodex Japan and it is an important part of our three-year plan to get a firm foothold here," said Sascha Magsamen, founder of the Weingut Meine Freiheit vineyard in the Rheingau, a wine-growing region in Germany. "For me, it is a question of sustainability in this market and because German wines do not have much of a reputation in this market — Japanese consumers almost always think of France and Italy when it comes to wines — we have to work hard to build a good image for German wines," he told.
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.
EU proposes visa restrictions on countries refusing to take back illegal migrants Countries who refuse to take back migrants living illegally in the EU could face problems in the future when their citizens apply for visas. New rules proposed by the EC would set stricter conditions. The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday announced plans to penalize citizens from countries that refuse totake back illegal migrantsby restricting visas. Under new rules proposed by the EC, countries that fail to cooperate on illegal migrant returns could face a restrictive visa policy. The restrictions may include longer visa processing times, higher costs, fewer exemptions given to visiting diplomats or greater restrictions on the length of time they can stay in the EU. "The new rules will provide for a regular assessment by the Commission of non-EU countriesʼ cooperation on return," the Commission said.
Myanmar ready to work with UN on Rohingya repatriations Just 374 Rohingya refugees have been cleared by Myanmar authorities to return to their homes from their shelters in Bangladesh. Estimates put the number of the Rohingya who have fled at 700,000. Government officials in Myanmar announced Wednesday that they have begun discussing with UN agencies the possible repatriation of Rohingya Muslim refugees. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmarʼs western state of Rakhine to Bangladesh since last August, following brutal crackdowns carried out by security forces in retaliation for attacks committed by Rohingya insurgent groups.
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