DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Brussels proposes class-action suits for EU consumers Presenting a raft of proposals for its New Deal for Consumers, the European Commission has said it aims to strengthen citizensʼ rights by allowing the filing of class-action suits. Business organizations are not amused. Consumers from across the European Union may in future be able to join forces and file class-action lawsuits with a view to getting compensation from companies that break the law. Under a proposal made by the EU executive Wednesday, consumersʼ rights are to be strengthened considerably. Calls for the EU to introduce collective lawsuits, a tool used extensively in US litigation, had grown after Volkswagen clientswere outraged to learn that the German car giant had cheated on emissions tests. "In a globalized world where the big companies have a huge advantage over individual consumers, we need to level the odds," EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said in a statement.
Algeria: Military plane crash leaves more than 250 dead A Russian-made passenger plane used by the Algerian military has crashed near the capital Algiers. More than 250 people on board have died in one of Algeriaʼs worst air disasters. An Algerian military plane carrying mostly army members and their families crashed on Wednesday shortly after take off, killing 247 passengers and 10 crew members. "This morning at around 8:00 an Ilyushin model military transport plane ... crashed directly after takeoff in an agricultural field that was clear of residents," Major General Boualem Madi told state TV. The Defense Ministry said it had opened an investigation into what caused the Russian-made Il-76 military aircraft to crash near an airbase in Boufarik in northern Algeria. The ministry did not say if there were any survivors. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika called the crash a "grave, heart-breaking calamity" and announced three days of national mourning.
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Catalans rally for freedom and return of independence leaders A wide group of political and social groups came together to organize the protest
More than 300,000 people have rallied in Barcelona calling for the release of Catalan separatist politicians.
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.
Gulf Stream system at weakest point in 1,600 years A further weakening of the system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean could wreak havoc on the Earthʼs climate. But there isnʼt too much reason to be overly concerned about a looming ice age — at least not yet. Two new studies have found that the system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean is exceptionally weak — and its strength, or lack thereof, could have serious ramifications on the global climate. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) — also known as the Gulf Stream system — is often described as part of the global ocean conveyor belt. It transports warm water from the Atlantic towards the Arctic, which influences the relatively mild climate of Western Europe. In the northern Atlantic, this surface water eventually cools and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where another current transports it south to Antarctica before circulating back to the Gulf Stream and beginning the cycle anew. This entire process is known as thermohaline circulation.
Outcry in Bavaria over extending police powers An outcry in Munich over legislation to widen police powers has prompted an angry rebuttal from Bavariaʼs interior minister. Opposition Greens say planned preventive snooping is rejected by 60 percent of Bavarians. Joachim Herrmann, interior minister in Bavariaʼs Christian Social Union (CSU) government, has accused opposition parties in the southern stateʼs Munich assembly of staging a "scurrilous disinformation campaign."
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