217/2018 • 22 SEPTEMBER, 2018 WEEKEND ISSUE
DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Moorland fire sparks disaster situation as blaze spreads
Authorities in the German state of Lower Saxony said on Friday that two towns near the site of a moorland fire at a Bundeswehr testing facility may have to be evacuated. The head of the Emsland district authority, Reinhard Winter, said it could no longer be ruled out that the approximately 1,000 residents of the towns of Gross Stavern and Klein Stavern might have to be taken to safety. "It, of course, depends on how firefighting efforts go on the Bundeswehr terrain and on the changing weather conditions as to whether there has to be an evacuation at all," Winter said.
European Court of Justice rules Polish arrest warrants can be halted The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against extraditing suspects to Poland on Wednesday if there are "serious and fact-based grounds" to believe the suspect would not receive a fair trial. The ruling concernsa Polish man in Irelandwho claims recent justice reforms in Poland harmed his chances of being treated fairly. The man is suspected of drug trade. In recent years, Polandʼs ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has been working to place courts under a tighter control of the executive branch. Among other steps, the parliament now has power to choose members of the National Council of the Judiciary whose job is to oversee judicial impartiality. More recently, the lawmakers changed retirement age for the Supreme Court judges, which critics believe was aimed at ousting the most experienced judges and stacking the body with government supporters. The Supreme Court and its chief Malgorzata Gersdorf are opposing the move.
Far-right AfD second only to Angela Merkelʼs weakening conservatives And one conservative politician, in particular, seems to have lost the trust of the electorate
A poll shows Germanyʼs ruling coalition continuing to lose voter support, with the populist AfD as the main beneficiary.
Five charged over acid attack on young boy in Worcester, UK A group of men aged between 22 and 41 were due to appear before a UK court on Wednesday to face charges of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, West Mercia Police said. The authorities believe the men were involved in a suspected acid attack on a 3-year-old child in a shopping mall in Worcester on Saturday. The boy suffered "serious burns to his arm and face" and was hospitalized, police said after the attack. The child has since been released "but the long-term implications of his injuries are unknown at this time" according to the authorities. Read more:German energy executive severely injured in acid attack Three suspects from LondonA
39-year-old from Wolverhampton, some 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Worcester was arrested immediately after the attack. Another man from Wolverhampton and three others from London were detained during the week. In an unusual move for the UK, police said they would not release their names "for legal reasons." They also gave no details on the motive. However, chief superintendent Mark Travis said they were treating the incident as a "deliberate attack." The UK has seen a rise in acid attacks in recent years, although it is highly unusual for the victim to be so young.Hundreds of acid attacks were reportedlast year in London alone.
Thomas Müller: ʼOur heart is still beatingʼ Germanyʼs first game since the World Cup debacle was highly anticipated by both team and fans alike. Against the new world champions, Joachim Löw and his players took positives from a cathartic goalless draw. oni Kroos waved to the remaining fans inside the Allianz Arena with a smile. He looked relieved, as did the rest of his teammates who had already disappeared into the tunnel after their lap of honor. Only Kroos remained to soak up the rest of the atmosphere.
Thegoalless draw against the newly crowned world champions Franceseems to have had an effect. "Today was a good first step," analyzed Leon Goretzka. "It was about showing people that our heart is still beating," added Thomas Müller. Three months after the debacle in Russia, the German national team presented a different face. "That was particularly important for the coach," explained Goretzka. "We wanted to show more commitment and engagement on the pitch and I think we did that."
German firms lead exodus out of Iran In May, the US pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed by the Obama administration in 2015 to lift economic sanctions in return for Tehran limiting its nuclear activities and allowing international inspectors to examine its nuclear sites. To avoid exposure to US secondary sanctions, foreign firms have been advised to use the time period to wind down activities with or involving Iran. The focus is on "bottleneck sectors" — areas where there is little or no way to avoid a US connection, including aviation, insurance, shipping, logistics, and especially banking. This means many German companies are caught in the crosshairs.
Berlin blocks controversial Wall project Berlin authorities refused to approve the ambitious and controversial Dau project, which was to set up a replica of the Berlin Wall from October 12 to November 9 that would have blocked an area surrounding Berlinʼs central boulevard Unter den Linden, well known to tourists for its numerous historical landmarks. At a press conference on Friday, Berlin Senator for Transport Regine Günther and District Councilor Sabine Weissler, explained that the organizersʼ security concept was not fully developed, pointing out that application for the project only came in six weeks before the event was to take place; such a process usually takes an entire year.
weather today BUDAPEST
16 / 17 °C Precipitation: 0 mm