DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Raids across Germany target suspected Iranian spies Germany-wide police raids have been carried out on suspected Iranian spies. Iran has been linked in the past to spying, assassinating dissidents and targeting Israelis. German authorities on Tuesday conducted searches of homes and businesses belonging to 10 suspected Iranian spies. The Federal Prosecutors Office ordered the searches after receiving a tip from Germanyʼs domestic intelligence agency. The suspects are believed to have spied on persons and institutions "on behalf of an intelligence entity associated with Iran," the prosecutorʼs office said. No arrests were made during the raids, which were carried out in Baden-Württemberg, North RhineWestphalia, Bavaria and Berlin. The German magazine Focus, which first reported on the searches, said that the 10 individuals were suspected members of the al-Quds Brigade, the external operations arm of the powerfulIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC).
Myanmar, Bangladesh agree to return Rohingya refugees in two years Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees within two years. NGOs viewed the deal with skepticism, saying it doesnʼt fully address safety and resettlement concerns. Officials in Bangladesh and Myanmar announced the first concrete deadline for returning hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to Myanmar on Tuesday, following a joint meeting in Myanmarʼs capital, Naypyitaw. The repatriation plan, which Myanmar said would start next Tuesday, seeks to return the refugees "within two years from the commencement of repatriation."
16/2018 • 19, JANUARY 2018
Emmanuel Macronʼs EU vision meets Theresa Mayʼs search for the exit How will Brexit affect ties between the two countries?
An "amour fou" it is not. The meeting between French President Macron and UK Prime Minister May pitted EU fervor against Euroskepticism.
Critics weigh in on Germanyʼs coalition talks ʼbreakthroughʼ Germanyʼs prospective deal for Chancellor Angela Merkel to head another grand coalition has been slammed by industry leaders as "expensive." Asylum advocates say it hands hard-liners a "triumph" over human rights. Elements of a 28-page policy paper backed Friday by Merkel and Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Martin Schulz as the basis forrecommended formal coalition talks have quickly drawn criticism. Mario Ohoven, president of Germanyʼs BVMW federation of medium-sized
industrial companies, said a further coalition — potentially Merkelʼs third with the SPD since 2005 — would be "costly for Germany." The outcome of six days of exploratory talks that peaked early Friday would raise the cost of labor, worsen competition and ignore the need for tax competitiveness, Ohoven asserted. President of the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK), Eric Schweizer, said the prospect of a government being formed after a 3-month hiatus was "important and good" but that a great policy vision was not discernible.
Germany must allow third gender in registry of births, court rules An intersex person has won a court case to allow them to enter a third gender into the registry of births. The case was appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court after failing at lower levels. Germanyʼs Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday called for a third gender option in the registry of births. Intersex people, who are neither male nor female, should be able to register their sexual identity as such, the Karlsruhe court ruled. The court found that the general right to the protection of personality in Germanyʼs Basic Law meant the register had to be altered to al-
low a third gender. The court ruled seven to one that lawmakers must create new legislation by the end of 2018 to allow for a third sex, providing the examples of "intersex," "diverse" or another "positive designation of sex." Another possibility raised was to scrap gender entries altogether. "Assignment to a gender is of paramount importance for individual identity; it typically plays a key role both in the self-image of a person and in the way in which the person concerned is perceived by others. The gender identity of those persons who are neither male nor female is protected,"the court ruled.
Polandʼs new foreign minister aims to improve ties with Germany On his first visit to Germany, Polandʼs new Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz has his work cut out for him. Will he be able to mend the turbulent ties between the two European neighbors? For years, German-Polish interests were defined by good relations. After the collapse of Communism in 1989, the two neighbors were able to come together to address global problems, like the war in Ukraine. But compared to those past times of relative friendliness, relations now are quite poor, according to Piotr Buras, head of the European Council of Foreign Relations (ECFR) Warsaw branch. Not much is happening between Germany and Poland, he said, noting that Warsawʼscurrent reparation demands70 years after the end of the Second World War have only increased the diplomatic tension.
Trial in Cologne city archive collapse set to begin Nine years after the devastating collapse of the cityʼs historic archive, six defendants will finally go on trial. The men face charges of negligent homicide and hazardous building practices. Some nine years after the spectacular and deadly collapse of Cologneʼs city archive, the trial of six men accused of negligent homicide and dangerous building practices will begin at the cityʼs state courthouse. City prosecutors had also charged a seventh man but he has since died.
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16/2018 • 19, January 2018
How #MeToo affects the Golden Globes
Germanyʼs SPD plans to trim fat from pizza, slash sugar in soda
US December job creation disappoints
With sexual harassment cases in the backdrop, the Golden Globes are set to launch Hollywoodʼs annual awards season. A black-dress protest will be held — but "men in black" are accused of slacktivism. Hollywoodʼs biggest pre-Oscars prize-giving ceremony takes place on January 7. It is the first major award ceremony since the start of the #MeToo movement and showcases an industry which, after operating for decades under the motto "sex sells," is having to reinvent itself. Organized by the 90-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a total of 25 prizes are up for grabs on Sunday — 14 in film and 11 in television — at the Golden Globes awards ceremony. But the mood in Los Angeles in the wake of widespread sexual harassment claims is rather heavy.
Comfort food favorites could be in for a recipe change. The SPD is pushing for reductions in sugar, fat and salt in processed foods, as well as a law to enforce the healthy eating measures.
The US has added fewer jobs lately than expected by labor market experts, fresh government figures have shown. The overall unemployment rate held steady at a 17-year low in the worldʼs largest economy. The US economyʼs job creation ability decreased in December 2017 despite solid hiring in the manufacturing and construction sectors, government data showed Friday. While theunemployment rate remained unchanged at a 17year low of 4.1 percent, employers across the nation added just 148,000 jobs in the final month of last year. The figure was far below expectations of 200,000 new positions and even below the sluggish 155,000 jobs reported in December 2016. Economists had been more optimistic especially after payroll services firm ADP said Thursday that private hiring experienced a boost in the final four weeks of December 2017. But the slowing reported by the government couldpoint to an economy nearly at full employment that is finding it hard to get workersto fill open positions. Thatʼs a sentiment that had been reflected in reports from companies lately.
Dakar Rally: Toyotaʼs AlAttiyah takes first stage Qatarʼs Nasser Al-Attiyah has won the first stage of the Dakar Rally in the Peruvian town of Pisco. Ninetime rally world champion Sebastian Loeb of France endured a torrid opening day, finishing in 29th place. The opening round of the Dakar Rally saw defending champions Peugeot left stunned, as two-time winner Nasser Al-Attiyah of Toyota swept across the short 31-kilometer (19-mile) stretch of desert between Lima and Pisco in just 21 minutes and 51 seconds. The Qatari finished 25 seconds more quickly than his Toyota teammate, Bernhard ten Brinke of the Netherlands, and with 34 seconds in hand over Peruʼs Nicolas Fuchs, driving for Borgward.
Germanyʼs center-left Social Democrats (SPD) are taking aim at the food and beverage industry in an effort to make sweet and savory treats a bit healthier, according to a report published late on Wednesday. An SPD position paper calls for limits on salt, sugar and fat in processed food, the German daily Bild newspaper reported. The plan received unanimous approval
from the SPDʼs parliamentary group. A panel of independent nutrition experts, doctors, health insurance companies as well as health and consumer organizations should establish "binding reduction goals for sugar, salt and fat content," Bild reported, citing the SPD paper. "Health must take precedence over economic interests," SPD politician Ursula Schulte told the newspaper.
Nail biting can make you ill! Nail biting is a bad habit. Most people do it unconsciously, to relieve stress and tension. But nail biting doesnʼt just make your hands unattractive. Our hands touch all sort of things during the course of the day, and we donʼt always have the opportunity to wash them. If you bite your fingernails, youʼre constantly ingesting microorganisms, and that can have consequences. Nail-biters get colds, gastrointestinal infections and skin rashes more frequently. Your teeth and oral cavity can suffer as well, because pathogens can also establish themselves there. If you gnaw your nails down to below the quick, it can lead to bleeding and damage the nail bed. Constantly open wounds on your fingers
can also become infected. In addition, nail biters often suffer psychologically. The feel stigmatized and hide their fingers because theyʼre embarrassed. Many people think chewed fingernails are a sign of being weak-willed and lacking self-discipline. Our tips for kicking the habit: Choose one finger and consciously donʼt bite it. After a few days, youʼll already see progress. Then choose the next one. Or if you have the impulse to bite your nails, clench your fist, squeeze a rubber ball or chew gum. You canʼt chew gum and your nails at the same time. Another option is to wear special nail varnish that acts as a deterrent because of its bitter taste. Another tip: always carry a small nail file with you to smooth out irregularities and hangnails. And use hand cream: that really doesnʼt taste good.
Worldʼs coolest coffee event is back! Location: Ottakringer Brauerei, Ottakringer Platz 1, 1160 / Wien / Austria, Date: 12-14, January, 2018 The festival will feature the best coffee specialities, gourmet food, tastings and demonstrations from world class baristas, interactive coffee workshops, the SCAE Austria Barista Championship, craftmanship, coffee based cocktails, live music, DJs and much more! http://www.viennacoffeefestival.cc/
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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.