DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Berlin police chief forced out after years of scandal Since Klaus Kandt took the job in 2012, there have been accusations of negligence and cover-ups. Kandt maintains that there were only minor mishaps and that the Berlin police are role models around the world. Berlin Chief of Police Klaus Kandt and his deputy were forced to step down on Monday following months of hefty criticism. Kandt and his office have repeatedly come under fire for scandals ranging fromabuses at the police academyto mishandling the investigation into the 2016 attack on a Christmas market in the city. The 57-yearold chief had been in the post since 2012. According to a statement from Berlinʼs Interior Senator Andreas Geisel, Kandt lacked the requisite trust from the government to continue leading the Berlin police departmentʼs 22,000 personnel.
Rome sees first snowfall in years A rare snowfall has paralyzed Italyʼs capital, forcing authorities to shut schools and send in the army to help clear the streets. The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and other major tourist sites were closed to visitors. Residents of Rome awoke on Monday to find the city transformed into a winter wonderland after its heaviest snowfall in six years. The Italian capital usually experiences mild winters thanks to its Mediterranean climate. But an Arctic storm passing over much of Europe dumped enough snow to shut down schools and severely disrupt public transport. Italyʼs civil protection agency announced it had decided to dispatch the army to clear snowclogged streets, adding that volunteers would be sent to help commuters stranded at train stations. One runway was open at Romeʼs main Fiumicino Airport, while its second hub at Ciampino was closed overnight due to the snow. Ryanair said it had canceled all flights to and from the airport.
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Chinaʼs Communist Party mulls end to two-term limit for president Such a move could pave the way for current leader Xi Jinping to remain as head of state after 2023
The ruling Communist Party of China has called for the removal of two-term limits for the office of president.
Prominent ivory trade investigator killed in Nairobi home World-renowned ivory investigator Esmond Bradley-Martin has been found dead in his home with a stab wound to the neck. Martin had spent decades tracing the trade of ivory and rhino horns from Africa to Asian markets. Kenyan police said on Monday that ivory trade investigator Esmond Bradley-Martin had been found dead in his home by a family member. The relative had gone to check on Martin at his home in the Nairobi suburb of Langat on Sunday afternoon after he did not respond to phone calls. "He was found dead in
his house and had stab wounds," said a police officer. "An investigation has been launched." The head of the United Nationʼs Environment Program, Erik Solheim, said he was shocked by Martinʼs murder and described the late investigator as a "global authority" on ivory and rhino horn trafficking. Martin, an American citizen who had lived in Kenya for decades, was a key figure in the global crackdown on illegal ivory supply chains. Much of his research quantified and analyzed the Asian ivory markets in China, Hong Kong,Vietnam and elsewhere.
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.
Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor ʼdrowned in bathtubʼ Police in Dubai say Indian film star Sridevi Kapoor drowned in her hotel apartmentʼs bathtub after losing consciousness. Earlier reports had cited a cardiac arrest as the 54-year-oldʼs cause of death. Legendary Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor, whodied in Dubai at the weekend, drowned in the bath after passing out, local police said Monday. Two officials who wished to remain anonymous said she appeared to have been under the influence of alcohol. Authorities said they had carried out a post-mortem on the 54-year-old and referred the case to the public prosecutor. Initial media reports quoting her brother-in-law listed cardiac arrest as the cause of death. Sridevi, who is often known by just one name, was in Dubai to attend a family wedding. Her body was due to be flown to Mumbai later Monday ahead of a cremation on Tuesday.
Investigative journalist Jan Kuciak killed in Slovakia Slovak reporter Jan Kuciak and his partner have been shot dead in an attack "likely" tied to his reporting, officials say. Kuciak went to the police last year after receiving threats, but the case was reportedly ignored. Investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his girlfriend were shot to death in their home east of theSlovak capital, Bratislava, authorities said on Monday. "The evidence indicates that the murder was planned and did not result from a spontaneous confrontation," police president Tibor Gaspar said.
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