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.
weather today BUDAPEST
5 / 9 °C Precipitation: 0 mm