DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Civilian deaths hit record high in Afghanistan: UN Civilian deaths in Afghanistan rose 1 percent to 1,692 in the first half of 2018, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its latest report released Sunday. Although overall civilian casualties fell 3 percent, fatalities recorded in the first six months of 2018 were the highest halfyearly death toll since UNAMA started its systematic documentation of civilian deaths in 2009. UNAMA also reported that 3,430 Afghans were wounded in the January-June period, a 5 percent drop from previous years. In February, the UN said more than 10,000 civilians were killed or wounded in the ongoing war in Afghanistan in 2017, with militant bombings responsible for inflicting a major proportion of casualties. Just hours after the latest UN report was published, at least 10 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a government ministry building in capital Kabul.
Germany to take 50 migrants from Frontex ships caught in ItalyMalta row Germany told Italy on Sunday it would take in 50 of the 450 migrants that were picked up by two EU border agency ships this weekend in the Mediterranean Sea. "Germany and Italy have agreed that Germany will accept 50 migrants in this case, as part of ongoing talks about more intense bilateral cooperation on asylum," a German government spokeswoman told the DPA news agency. The latest batch of migrants, who had set off from Libya in a wooden vessel, were rescued off the Italian and Maltese coast on Saturday, and eight women and children were taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa for medical treatment.
161/2018 • 17 JULY, 2018
Germans fear Donald Trump more than Vladimir Putin Poll finds
The United States may be Germanyʼs No. 1 ally, but two-thirds of Germans think that the US president is more dangerous than his Russian counterpart. Thatʼs not surprising when you look at Germanyʼs political priorities.
Erdoganʼs son-in-law says heʼll run a clean central bank Turkeyʼs new finance minister has offered a few words to reassure skeptical markets amid nepotism allegations. The lira, already under strain, has taken a further beating since Berat Albayrak assumed the post this week. As the lira falls precipitously against the euro and the dollar, stocks plummet, and inflation soars, the man put in place to steward Turkeyʼs economy earlier this week is seeking to reassure domestic markets, but observers remain highly skeptical. The lira has dropped over 6 percent against the dollar since Berat Albayrak — the 40-
year-old husband of President Recep Tayyip Erdoganʼs eldest daughter, Esra — began leading Turkeyʼs newly combined Treasury and Finance Ministry on Tuesday, falling sharply to reach a record low of 4.9767 against the dollar late Wednesday. By late Thursday, it had recovered slightly, to 4.82 to the dollar and 5.63 to the euro. However, currency exchange offices in Istanbulʼs historic Grand Bazaar werenʼt taking risks. They stopped selling dollars on Thursday morning because of the increased volatility, the daily newspaper Sozcu reported.
The killing of a sacred crow On an early summerʼs evening in Berlin, a growing crowd of crows (a "murder", if you will) are gathering, somewhat ominously, around two large trees in a small park. There are possibly 100 or more of them, but they donʼt seem happy. They are cawing and squawking loudly as they fly around, circling each other, a growing urgency in their cries. After the lengthy conference, they fly off together into the distance, the mystery
of the crow cacophony no clearer. What could explain such behavior?Despite the "bird-brained" misnomer, crows — and other members of the Corvidae family, such as ravens, rooks, jays and magpies — are intelligent creatures. Various studies have shown their ability to develop and shape their own tools for gathering food, recognize individual human faces and even learn modes of human speech.
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline – What is the controversy about? What is it for: Nord Stream 2 is a gas
pipeline that would allow Germany to effectively double the amount of gas it imports from Russia. In 2017,Germany used up a record 53 billion cubic meters of Russian gas, comprising about 40 percent of Germanyʼs total gas consumption. Nord Stream 2ʼs delivery system is designed to carry up to 55 billion cubic meters (1.942 trillion cubic feet) of gas per year. Where is it: Berlin and Moscow agreed on the 1,200-kilometer (746-mile) route, which would connect the UstLuga area near Saint Petersburg with Greifswald in northeastern Germany. The pipes would run across the Baltic Sea, for the most part following the route of the pre-existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which became operational in 2011.
Finland an East-West nexus as Trump and Putin come to talk he singer ended his song with the rowdy recommendation that "Trump and Putin — piss off!" as the crowd erupted in wild cheers at Sundayʼs special summit-themed concert to cap off a march through downtown Helsinki. Two blocks away from where Donald Trump and Vladmir Putin will meet Monday afternoon, the band stood atop a stage reading "We Really Do Care" in a rebuke to Melania Trump and the now-infamous outerwear she displayed while visiting detention camps for children on the US border. "Make Human Rights Great Again." Amnesty International pleaded in banners in Helsinki, where it had put up a poster campaign across town.
weather today BUDAPEST
22 / 30 °C Precipitation: 0 mm
161/2018 • 17 July, 2018
Belgium charges couple for allegedly plotting terror attack against Iranian group Belgian prosecutors suspect a married couple of "having attempted to carry out a bomb attack" at a conference of an Iranian dissident group, officials said on Monday. The 38-year-old man and the 33-year-old woman, both Belgian nationals of Iranian heritage, allegedly intended to target a militant group calledPeopleʼs Mujahedeen of Iran, also known as MEK.The controversial group, listed as a terror organization by the US from 1997 to 2012, held a summit on Saturday in the French town of Villepinte outside of Paris. Belgian police intercepted the couple ahead of the event and found about half a kilogram (one pound) of home-made explosives in their car, alongside a detonator. "We can say we arrested them just in time," Belgian federal magistrate Van der Sijpt told the AP news agency.
Robert Lewandowski in Niko Kovac’s Bayern Munich plans When it came to his own personal ambitions, Kovac claimed his previous experience would give him a "slight advantage”. "Iʼm hoping to repay the faith Bayern have shown in me,” said the 46-year-old, who won the league and cup double in his final season in Munich. "I know how they think and I know what it takes to be successful here. My aim is to get the very best out of every single player. Weʼll have to see what comes out of that. At the end of the day, weʼre here to win titles.”
Italians likely to scupper EU-Canada free trade deal The Italian government has reiterated its opposition to the CETA free trade deal between the European Union and Canada. The deputy prime minister said parliament would not ratify the agreement formally signed in 2016. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio told a farmersʼ association gathering in Rome Friday that Italy would not ratify the European Unionʼs free trade agreement with Canada. "Soon CETA [Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement] will arrive in parliamentand a majority will reject it and will not ratify it," Di Maio told his audience. "If so
much as one Italian official continues to defend treaties like CETA, they will be removed," added Di Maio, who leads the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement governing with the right-wing League. The CETA accord needs to be approved by all 28 EU member countries to take full effect, meaning that Italyʼs refusal to ratify it would scupper the whole agreement.
What Germans eat in the summer Germans donʼt eat sausage, sauerkraut and potatoes all the time. Here are some of the lighter dishes theyʼll typically prepare during the summer. "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper" is an old adage in Germany. The German tradition of "Abendbrot," which literally translates as "evening bread," is a very attractive option during the summer, as no cooking is involved. Instead of a big meal, a typical Abendbrot is made up of a selection of cheeses, cold cuts or sausage, and pickles served with slices of dark bread. Add a beer or an "Apfelschorle" (apple juice mixed
with carbonated mineral water) to your meal, and youʼll definitely be doing it the German way. Otherwise, the classic German summer dishes presented in the gallery above are also easy to prepare. Donʼt be fooled, simplicity can be very addictive. If regional and seasonal products are the stars of summer cuisine in Germany, potatoes remain the year-long supporting act. Hereʼs more insight into the Germansʼ insatiable love affair with potatoes. If ever it suddenly gets cold and you feel like warming up to a hearty meal, you can also turn to one of these German comfort foods typically prepared during the winter for inspiration.
Greenland iceberg could cause tsunami Greenland is monitoring a giant iceberg drifting off its coast, with fears it could break up and flood a part of the Danish autonomous territory. A rising number of icebergs are increasing tsunami risks in the region. Authorities warned shoreside residents of Innaarsuit Island in Greenland they were at risk of being flooded, after a 100-meter (300 feet) high iceberg was spotted drifting off the coast on Thursday.
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The never-ending story of Germanyʼs ghost money Nostalgia can be a powerful temptation. But the dozens who line up each morning at Germanyʼs central bank, the Bundesbank, are perhaps among the less sentimental. A smorgasbord of the elderly, young mothers with children in tow and students, they have one thing in common and more often than not itʼs hidden inside a heavy bag. Nearly 28 years after the complete demise of the East German mark and 16 years after the introduction of the euro, these people are patiently waiting to hand in some of the billions of old deutschmarks still in circulation. Read more: German banker takes 6 months to count 1.2 million inheritance pennies by hand Today German marks are travel souvenirs, bits of history forgotten at the back of a drawer or still stashed in safety deposit boxes. Most assuredly, marks are not an old-fashioned alternative to cryptocurrencies. Yet with so much of the cash still out there, many more Germans are holding onto the old currency than will probably ever own bitcoin, the most famous digital asset. It is no secret thatGermans love carrying and paying with wads of cash, and despite being branded with a dark history of super inflation they are also hoarding a currency that no store or taxi driver will accept. Amazingly, its limited practicality doesnʼt seem to bother Germans.
Too expensive to die in Hong Kong Despite having an area of just 1,100 square kilometers, Hong Kong is home to 7.3 million people. This makes the Asian financial hub one of the worldʼs most densely populated and expensive cities to live in. In fact, Hong Kong retained its title of "worldʼs least affordable city" for the eighth consecutive time this year. According to Demographia, an American research institute, it will now take an average income household more than 19 years to buy a place to live. That too, if they donʼt pay taxes and have no other expenses. It is not unusual for families to live in cramped "sub-divided" units where one flat is partitioned into several self-contained housing units. Also known as "coffin cubicles," these wooden boxes are no bigger than a twin-sized bed. These poor living conditions have made international headlines, which many find a stark contrast to the cityʼs affluent metropolitan image.