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 snow-clogged 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.
49/2018 • 28, FEBRUARY 2018
Eurozone economy still requires stimulus: ECBʼs Mario Draghi The bank is gradually reducing its bond purchase program but it may continue past September
European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi says the eurozone still needs significant monetary stimulus to help boost inflation.
German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer pays ʼflyingʼ visit to Mobile World Congress Deutsche Telekom has ʼflownʼ in a special guest to showcase its broadband capabilities at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The German telecom giant focused on its activities to advance 5G mobile networking. Deutsche Telekomʼs Head of Innovation Claudia Nemat was just wrapping up her description of the European Aviation Network, a project that allows passengers to use broadband thousands of meters up in the air, when she casually invited CEO Timotheus Höttges up on stage, claiming she had a surprise for him. Next thing,legendary German goalkeeper
Manuel Neuerappeared on the screen behind them. He was sitting in a plane, live-streaming the Deutsche Telekom press conference. "Howʼs it going?" Höttges asked breezily. Neuer grinned and pointed his smartphone out the window at the clouds. The gimmick concluded a press event that was dedicated to showcasing Deutsche Telekomʼs advances in 5G, its new voice assistant Magenta (meant, Nemat stressed, as an alternative, not as a replacement to counterparts like Alexa) and a pair of smart glasses that could one day display a checklist for doctors to consult before performing surgery.
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.
weather today BUDAPEST
-12 / -4 °C Precipitation: 0 mm
49/2018 • 28, February 2018
Germany to compensate Algerian Jewish Holocaust survivors Jews who lived in Algeria during the Vichy regime will receive compensation, said the Claims Conference. Algerian Jews were "one of the last" groups to be recognized by Germany, the organizationʼs vice president told DW. The Claims Conference Hardship Fund on Monday announced that a new group ofJewish Holocaust survivorswill be eligible forcompensation from the Germany government. The group consists of Jews who lived in Algeria between July 1940 and November 1942. Those eligible for compensation will receive a one-time payment of €2,556 ($3,180), which the German government will begin paying out in July. "Even at this late stage, itʼs very important both for the individuals, because it acknowledges what they went through, and in general, because it creates a historical record which will stand the test of time," Eric Schneider, who serves as executive vice president of the Claims Conference, told DW. "The further we get away from the events, I think thereʼs the greater possibility of Holocaust revisionism … When the German government takes responsibility and acknowledges the event, then it makes it a lot harder to refute it.
Usain Bolt to play charity football match amid pro contract hint
Gmail German case to be decided by ECJ For close to a decade, the German telecommunications regulator has argued that Google’s email service should come under its legal remit. Google disagrees. Now, Europe’s highest court will ultimately decide. The long-running legal dispute between the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) and Google over the search giantʼs email service Gmail took another twist on Monday. The German Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Münster ruled on Monday that the case be referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the EUʼs highest court. It means the dispute, which has rumbled on for close to a decade, may have several years left to run. The issue at hand is the fact that the German Federal Network Agency believes Googleʼs popular Gmail service — which has over 1
billion users— qualifies as a telecommunications service, and ought to be regulated accordingly by German and European telecommunications law. Google disputes this designation, which a German Administrative Court in Cologne upheld in November 2015. Google appealed that verdict to the Münster court, which has now sent the case to the EUʼs highest court on the basis that the relevant sections in the German Telecommunications Act are based on identical provisions in EU law. Google welcomed the courtʼs decision.
Arctic warmer than much of Europe is a worrying sign of climate change As frigid air sweeps across Europe, the Arctic itself is seeing an unprecedented warm spell. "Freezing cold ʼSiberian Expressʼ is roaring towards Britain," screamed the front page of the Daily Express newspaper last Friday as a cold front, the socalled "Beast from the East," battered its way west. By the weekend, snow and temperatures of minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) had hit Britain, while cities likeRome in
southern Italy had transformed into a winter wonderland. This came soon afterMoscow experienced a record whiteout during the "snowfall of the century." But the weather situation looked very different high up in the polar ice cap, where itʼs actually supposed to be freezing cold. In northernmost Greenland, it was 6 degrees Celsius above zero on Sunday. And itʼs consistently been above zero for the last fortnight. Arctic sea ice has also been retreating at record rates.
After his retirement from the track, Usain Bolt is making strides towards a new career. The Jamaican sprint great will captain a star-studded side in charity football match and has hinted at a professional contract. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Usain Bolt is set to make a return to the sporting world in a charity football match which has previously attracted such luminaries as Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, actor Will Ferrell and pop star Robbie Williams.
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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.
A record 28 French restaurants get Michelin three-star ratings Twenty-eight French restaurants have been honored with the gastronomic sectorʼs most coveted rating. Thatʼs a record number of three-star ratings for any single country in the Michelin Red Guide. A comeback by La Maison des Bois mastermind Marc Veyrat (pictured) and the emergence of Christophe Bacquieʼs Hotel du Castellet as another culinary force in southern France have given the country a record for most restaurants to hold a vaunted foodie guideʼs coveted three-star maximum. Set for official release on Friday, Michelin France has become the most prestigious of the publicationʼs 31 national editions and the domestic culinary bible. Michelin has faced criticism that its stars reward pomp and presentation rather than the food itself and for the guideʼs putting restaurateurs under unbearable scrutiny. The guide has made many a chefʼs name; others say it has nearly broken their wills. Veyrat — a 67-yearold who quit cooking after a skiing accident nine years ago and faced hardship again when La Maison burned down in 2015 — told The Associated Press that he does not mind the stress. "We need the pressure and adrenaline because we are creatives," he said late Monday.