DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Armenia Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan resigns after antigovernment protests The move follows days of protests against him, who protesters accuse of clinging to power. Earlier on Monday, opposition leader Nikol Pashinian, who was detained for his role in the protests, was released. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan stepped down on Monday amid widespread protests over his tenure, according to his official website. Protesters in the capital, Yerevan, accused him of holding on to power and demanded his resignation. "I got it wrong," Sargsyan said in a statement issued by his office. "In the current situation there are several solutions, but I wonʼt choose any of them. Itʼs not my style. I am quitting the countryʼs leadership and the post of prime minister of Armenia." Yerevan residents took to the streets to celebrate Sargsyanʼs departure. People hugged and kissed each other, and motorists honked their horns.
Yemen war: Houthi political leader killed in coalition air raid Saleh al-Samad, the acting head of the Houthi administration in northern Yemen, was killed last week in a Saudi-led coalition air raid. A rebel-run TV channel confirmed his death on Monday. The political leader of Yemenʼs Houthi rebel group, Saleh al-Samad, was killed last week in an air strike carried out by Saudi Arabia-led coalition, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported. Samad was second on the coalitionʼs most wanted list of Houthi leaders. His death is a major victory for the coalition forces, who have been fighting the Houthis since March 2015 to restore the internationally-recognized government to power.
92/2018 • 24 APRIL, 2018
British royal Kate gives birth to third child Itʼs a boy!
The new addition to the royal family has arrived! Kate, Prince Williamʼs wife, gave birth to a baby boy, the coupleʼs third child. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth.
Facebook rolls out new privacy policy under stricter EU rules Facebook users in Europe will soon be asked to adjust their privacy settings as the company seeks to comply with a new EU law. Despite the giving users more control over their data, thereʼs still a catch. Facebook announced on Wednesday that it will begin rolling out new privacy policies worldwide, starting with changes in Europe this week. The embattled social media giantʼs new privacy plan is being closely watched by regulators and privacy advocates to make sure it complies with the European Unionʼs new data privacy law, which comes into effect next month. Users will be asked to make choices
about ads they receive on the site.They will review whether to share their political and religious beliefs as well as their relationship status on their profiles.Adults will be able to either opt in or out of facial recognition technology.Facial recognition will not be permitted for anyone under the age of 18.Facebook will limit content shown to users between the ages of 13 and 15 unless they get parental permission. What is staying the same? People will not be given the option to opt out of targeted ads. They will ostensibly be better able to control what information is shared with third parties, but wonʼt completely be able to get out of the ads.
German university hospital defends auto firmsʼ nitrogen dioxide test ethics No experiments on animals or humans can take place in Germany without a go from an authorized ethics committee. Dr. Thomas Kraus from Aachen University Hospital says this was the case in the most recent NO2 scandal. The European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) "did not impinge in any way on the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) research it commissioned Aachen University Hospital to do," Professor Thomas Kraus from the
hospital told the German press agency DPA on Monday. The EUGT is a now defunct organization that was funded by German carmakers Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW plus partsmaker Bosch, thus raising questions of possible conflicts of interest. In 2013, 25 healthy volunteers were exposed to NO2 pollution for three hours, Kraus said. "None of them had any negative health effects," he went on, adding that the tests were meant to measure the impact of pollutants in the workplace.
Lesbos: Farright attack on migrants leaves several injured Police on Lesbos cleared the main port area on Monday following a clash between far-right extremists and migrants. While no longer a key transit point for entering Europe, the Greek island suffers severe over-crowding. A dozen people were injured and 100 arrested in skirmishes after members of a farright group attacked Afghan migrants staging a sit-in protest in Lesbosʼ main town of Mytilene overnight, police said on Monday. Lesbos was a key gateway into Europe for almost a million migrants in 2015 and still suffers from severe overcrowding as the Greek government continues to grapple with solutions to the refugee influx.
Toronto: Truck runs over pedestrians Toronto police say at least 8 people are believed to have been struck by a white van in the North York district. Police have detained the driver of a van that ran over up to a dozen pedestrians in Canadaʼs largest city, Toronto, at 13.30 local time (19.30 UTC), local police said. No details of the personʼs gender, age or motive were given. The incident happened at the corner of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue East in the North York area some 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north of the city center.
weather today BUDAPEST
4 / 25 °C Precipitation: 0 mm
92/2018 • 24 April, 2018
Facebook bans Trump campaign data firm Cambridge Analytica The social media giant has accused the data analysis company of illegally obtaining user data. At the same time, a whistleblower has said that Cambridge Analytica illegally harvested data from 50 million users. Facebook announced on Saturday that it had suspended the data research firm Cambridge Analytica for holding onto dubiously obtained user data after assuring the social media firm that the information had been deleted. Cambridge Analytica has become well-known in political circles for its work on the election campaign of US President Donald Trump and for the pro-Brexit group Leave.eu. Facebook said it was also suspending the firmʼs parent company, Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL). The incident revolves around an app put on the site in 2015 by Aleksandr Kogan, a professor at the University of Cambridge, that purported to be a personality test and psychological research tool. About 270,000 users downloaded it and shared their information with it, according to Facebook.
Miroslav Klose the latest addition to Bayern Munichʼs old boys club Niko Kovac wonʼt be the only former Bayern Munich player returning to the club in the off season. According to reports in Germany, Miroslav Klose will leave Germanyʼs national team set up to coach Bayernʼs under 17s. Klose, the all-time top scorer at World Cup finals with 16 goals, retired from playing in 2016 and joined Joachim Löwʼs coaching staff with the national team almost immediately after.
IMF seeks to crack down on corruption, World Bank boosts lending capacity The IMF is calling on wealthier countries to limit potential safe havens for dirty money. Meanwhile, the World Bank has approved a large increase in lending capacity.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced new guidelines Sunday aimed at systematically addressing corruption and its impact on economic growth in all 189 of its member states. The announcement came at the IMFʼs and World Bankʼs spring meeting in Washington. The new policy also addresses how wealthy countries contribute to corruption in developing nations by failing to prevent bribery and money laundering and by allowing anonymous corporate ownership. "We know that corruption hurts the poor, hinders economic opportunity and social mobility, undermines trust in institutions and
causes social cohesion to unravel," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde wrote in a lengthy statement. "We have now adopted a framework for enhanced engagement on governance and corruption that aims for a more systematic, evenhanded, effective and candid engagement with member countries," she continued. Corruption and poor governance diminishes economic growth and worsens inequality, according to the IMF. The new policy framework aims to ensure that the institution will hold all members to the same standards — something it has sometimes failed to do in the past.
Amazon reef is huge — and under threat from Total oil drilling A reef at the mouth of the Amazon is almost six times larger than initial reports, scientists say — meaning the recently discovered site is threatened by proposed oil drilling. Researchers in Brazil have determined that the reef in the Amazon River delta,first discovered in 2016, is much larger than initially thought. And that means the reef extends right into areas where French company Total plans to drill for oil. "We found reefs in the shallowest part of the blocks where they want to extract oil," Ronaldo Francini-Filho, a researcher at the Federal University of Paraiba (UFPA), told
DW. He is taking part in an expedition backed by Greenpeace off the north coast of Brazil in the Foz do Amazonas basin. "There is an area of oil here that is on top of the reef areas. We cannot fail to consider this." Total, which has applied for a license to drill at the mouth of the river off the Atlantic coast, is waiting for the go-ahead from IBAMA, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. But Greenpeace has said these new findings invalidate Totalʼs environmental impact assessment, which is based on the reef being located at least 8 kilometers (around 5 miles) from any drilling site.
Sakura celebrations paint Budapest pink Spring is now in full swing and Budapest is swathed in pink with all the lovely cherry trees in bloom. At this time of the year, the sprawling 200year-old ELTE Botanical Garden attracts crowds for picnics. People gather on the grass with blankets to celebrate the Hanami, a traditional Japanese custom when the flowering cherry trees create colorful scenery. On Saturday and Sunday, this alfresco extravaganza is complete with Asianinspired activities and attractions, concerts, martial arts and board games. Every year, there are only two weekends when picnics on the grass are allowed in the park.
H-1056 Budapest, Só u. 6. Telephone: +36 1 577 0700 Fax: +36 1 577 0710 bhzinfo@zeinahotels.com www.boutiquehotelbudapest.com
Published by: Mega Media Kft. 1075 Budapest, Madách I. út 13-14. +36 1 398 0344 www.hotelujsag.hu
German metalworkers finally secure wage agreement Following weeks of bitter fighting, a wage agreement for the German metal and electrical industries has finally been struck. Employees were able to secure higher wages and more flexible working hours. A wage agreement was reached in the early hours on Tuesday in Germanyʼs metal and electrical industries. The powerful IG Metall union announced the deal initially covering workers in the southern German state of BadenWürttemberg, but expected to be eventually implemented for a total of 3.9 million workers in the sector nationwide. According to the deal, employeesare to receive a pay hike of 4.3 percent from April this year. Additionally, monthly one-off payments of €100 ($124) were agreed for January through March. Employers and trade union representatives also agreed on the possibility of workers reducing their hours from 35 to 28 hours per week for two years, should they need to look after children or care for older relatives.
Publisher slammed as Hitler appears in ʼgreat leadersʼ book The book "would bring tears of joy to neo-Nazis," a Jewish human rights organization has said. Adolf Hitler carries a certain fascination in some parts of the world that is largely untouched by his atrocities. Indian publisher Pegasus landed itself in hot water this week when it emerged that itʼs "Great Leaders" book for children included Adolf Hitler. Pictured alongside freedom fighters Mathama Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, the book chose Hitler as one of the "powerful world leaders who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of their countries and the people living in them." Also included in the book are current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, controversial Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former US President Barack Obama. "Dedicated to the betterment of countries and people? Adolf Hitler? This description would bring tears of joy to the Nazis and their racist neo-Nazi heirs," said Abraham Cooper of the Jewish human rights organization the Wiesenthal Center.