DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Climate negotiations agree on way forward The Paris Agreement remains on track. Talks in Bonn went 12 hours into overtime as participants reached an agreement on climate finance. But now comes the tough part. The bar was low for his yearʼs United Nations climate summit in Bonn — anything keeping the momentum of the Paris process going was to be deemed a success. And after two weeks of steady progress, participants can leave Bonn pleased with the results. Delegates did wrestle with a few sticking points late into the night on the final day of the climate talks. Early morning Saturday, a compromise was reached: Industrialized nations conceded to developing countries that the Adaptation Fund from the Kyoto Protocol would indeed become a part of the Paris Agreement this in exchange for not including "loss and damage," or compensation for the worst impacts of climate change, formally into the accord.
AC/DC cofounder Malcom Young dead at 64 Malcom Young, a co-founder and guitarist with hard-rock band AC/DC, has died. For nearly four decades, the band has been one of the most popular in the world. Legendary AC/DC rockstar Malcom Young has died at the age of 64, the band said on its website on Saturday. "With enormous dedication and commitment, he was the driving force behind the band," his brother Angus and fellow co-founder of AC/DC said on the website. "As a guitarist, songwriter and visionary, he was a perfectionist and a unique man." The Australian rock band was formed in 1973 and by the end of the decade had burst out into the international music scene by making its mark in the United States For nearly four decades, AC/DC topped the charts with hard-hitting albums such as Highway to Hell and For Those About to Rock We Salute You. AC/DC albums have sold more 200 million records, making them one of the worldʼs top-selling artists.
272/2017 • 21, NOVEMBER 2017
Death toll in Greek floods hits 19 Experts say lax zoning regulations meant it was a disaster waiting to happen
Widespread flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the region around the Greek capital has claimed almost 20 lives.
Siemens to cut 6,900 jobs amid union resistance Labor unions have reacted angrily to layoff plans unveiled by the management of the German conglomerate, which aims to cut costs in its energy business to adjust to the disruption sweeping through the industry. Following closed-door talks with workers on Thursday, the Munichbased industrial group announced that it was planning to cut 6,900 jobs globally as part ofa larger restructuring of its power division. About half of the announced job cuts would be in Germany, where the company said it planned to shut down facilities in the cities of Görlitz and Leipzig. A third
production site in the town of Erfurt could be sold off, it added. "The power generation industry is experiencing disruption of unprecedented scope and speed," managing board member Lisa Davis said in a statement, adding that renewable energy was putting other forms of power generation "under increasing pressure." Siemens said global demand for large gas turbines (generating more than 100 megawatts) had fallen drastically and was expected to level out at around 110 turbines a year. By contrast, the technical manufacturing capacity of all producers worldwide was estimated at around 400 turbines.
Self-driving bus starts first route in Germany German railway company Deutsche Bahn has introduced an autonomous bus to drive passengers along a pre-programmed route in Bavaria. In case of an emergency, a human driver can take control with a joystick. The electric vehicle delivered its first passengers on Wednesday in Bad Birnach, Bavaria, starting on its eightminute route from the townʼs hot springs to the central area and the railway station. The EZ10 bus has six places to sit and can take in a further six standing passengers, and the ride is free of charge. Itʼs the first time a self-driving bus has been incorporated in Germanyʼs public trans-
port system. Among the first group to ride the self-driving bus was Richard Lutz, the head of the German railway giant Deutsche Bahn (DB), the company behind the pilot project. "Weʼve just driven, completely autonomously, into a new era of transport," he said in a statement after the first trip. The bus was developed by the French start-up EasyMile. It is equipped with sensors which can detect obstacles and activate brakes.The vehicle moves along a pre-programmed route with its speed initially limited to 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) per hour on a road with a 30 kph speed limit. Also, the bus is not yet capable of avoiding obstacles on its own.
Rafah crossing to Egypt opens for (some) Gaza Palestinians For the first time in a decade — and for just three days — the Rafah border crossing is open under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority. Itʼs an important step in the reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah. All eyes in Gaza were on the Rafah crossing this week. It was expected to open on November 15 under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority. But the day came and went and the crossing stayed closed. On Saturday, Egypt announced that it would open for three days, mainly for humanitarian reasons. It is the first time since 2007 that the crossing has been opened with the Palestinian Authority in charge. But many had hoped for a more permanent opening — a sign that things might change after the reconciliation announcement between Hamas and Fatah.
US Navy draws giant penis in the sky Residents were variously shocked and entertained to see a navy aircraft drawing a gigantic cloud member. The navy has since apologized for the stunt. The US Navy apologized on Friday after one of its aircraft drew an enormous penis in the sky. Residents of Okanogan, Washington, were alarmed to see a crude phallus drawn in a sky-writing manner on Thursday. People shared images of the penis on social media. One mother reportedly reached out to local broadcaster KREM to complain about the celestial artwork, saying she struggled to explain it to her children.
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272/2017 • 21, November 2017
US and Poland strike $10.5 billion missile defense deal The US has approved the $10.5 billion sale of a Patriot anti-missile system to NATO ally Poland. Eastern European NATO states have been ramping up their military capabilities in the face of perceived Russian aggression. In a move likely to irk Russia, the US and Poland agreed on Friday a major arms deal that could see the eastern European NATO member soon begin conducting air and missile defense operations. As part of the $10.5 billion (€8.9 billion) sale, Poland is expected to receive 208 Patriot Advanced Capabilty-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 16 M903 launching stations, four AN/MPQ-65 radars, four control stations, spares, software and associated equipment. Made by US defense contractor Raytheon, the missiles are reportedly designed to detect, track and engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles and shortrange or tactical ballistic missiles. In a statement issued following the sale, the State Department said that: "A secure Europe capable of deterring air and missile threats and other forms of aggression promotes peace and stability within NATO and on the European continent."
Angelique Kerber changes coaches in a bid to revive her career
Volkswagen Group unveils five-year investment plan
UN: End child labor by 2025
German carmaker Volkswagen has announced it will boost investments in the development of electric cars in the next five years. The company has set out to become a global leader in e-mobility and new-energy vehicles.
The international community has pledged to accelerate efforts to eradicate child labor by 2025 at a major UN conference in Buenos Aires. Around 10 percent of children have to work, and the problem could get even worse. The fourth annual Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labor ended late Thursday with governments and international organizations adopting theBuenos Aires Declaration. "We know what to do, and there are no excuses not to do so," said Guy Ryder, director-general of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN labor agency. "The future is going to be a world free of forced labor and child labor." The declaration spells out concrete actions aimed at eliminating child labor by 2025 and forced labor by 2030, as well as steps to improve employment opportunities for young people around the world. "We hope that Buenos Aires will be the place where the international community takes measures so as not to tolerate the intolerable," Ryder said.
Following a meeting of its supervisory board, Volkswagen said Friday it planned to invest more than €34 billion ($40 billion) over the next five years in new technologiesto advance its push to become a global leader in electric cars. "We are reinventing the car," Chief Executive Officer Matthias Müller said in a statement, adding that the bulk of the 2018-2022 spending spree would go into developing all-electric and hybrid vehicles. A lot of resources would also be spent on self-driving cars,new mobility services such as car-sharing and
digitalization, the company added. The owner of 12 brands including Audi, Porsche and Skoda said it planned to electrify its entire fleet by 2030, promising fully electric or hybrid versions of some 300 models. Müller said VWʼs facility at Zwickau in eastern Germany would only produce electric cars in the future. According to Works Council chief Bernd Osterloh, Zwickauʼs current Passat and Golf production units would move completely to Emden and Wolfsburg respectively.
Our addiction to growth is harming the climate We must wean ourselves off unsustainable economic growth if we are to cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid catastrophic climate change, say some economists. On the way home from work in your electric car, you stop off at the local discount store and pick up some beef for dinner. The meat was shipped in from Brazil to Germany. The land where the cow grazed was once rainforest. The nickel used in the car made its way
from a polluting mine in the Philippines to a European assembly line. Extracting, producing and shipping both products involved vast amounts of energy, resources, and greenhouse gas emissions. Taken in isolation, thatʼs not a big deal, you might think. But the scale of consumption — particularly in industrialized countries — and the the relentless pursuit of goods and services, is putting a huge strain on the planetʼs ecosystems and atmosphere, say scientists.
Former womenʼs world No. 1 Angelique Kerber has switched coaches at the end of a disappointing season for the German. Kerber is hoping to the move will help her kick-start her career in 2018. Angelique Kerber, who started 2017 as the world No. 1 but has since plunged down the rankings to 21, announced via Twitter on Thursday that she was parting ways with longtime coach Torben Beltz for a second time.
Netflix to release Hungary’s Oscar Entry ‘On Body and Soul’ On Body and Soul’ by eminent Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi receives its U.S. premier on November 12th at the prestigious American Film Institute Fest in Los Angeles, before being made available from February on streaming service Netflix. Hungary’s Oscar entry for Best Foreign-Language Film in 2018 will be the first Hungarian feature to be released on Netflix.
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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-yearold opposition figure was removed as mayor of Caracas and arrested in 2015 on allegations he sought to topple Maduro. He was later put under house arrest due to health issues. Ledezma was one of the opposition leaders who led protests against the government in 2014, which also resulted in the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. He remains under house arrest.