DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Journalists go to court over Germanyʼs ʼunrestrictiveʼ surveillance laws Press groups have argued that Germanyʼs surveillance laws are unconstitutional as they allow foreign reporters to be monitored. The case is raising awareness on social media under the slogan "No trust, no news." Germanyʼs Constitutional Court is reviewing the legality of the governmentʼs surveillance capabilities, after several journalists and rights activists lodged a complaint arguing that the law allows for the "virtually unrestricted" monitoring of foreign reporters. The complaint aims to strip the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), the countryʼs intelligence agency, of its powers to mass surveil foreign journalistsʼ communications, said Frank Überall, chairman of theGerman Federation of Journalists (DJV).
Kenya: Huge crowds at opposition leaderʼs ʼswearing inʼ ceremony Kenya opposition leader Raila Odinga has sworn himself in as "president of the people." The government responded by declaring the oppositionʼs ʼNational Resistance Movementʼ a criminal group. Opposition leader Raila Odinga took an oath of office as what Kenyaʼs opposition coalition has named the "president of the people." "I, Raila Omolo Odinga, do swear that I will protect the nation as peopleʼs president, so help me God," he said. His running mate Kalonzo Musyoka who was supposed to be sworn in as his deputy did not appear at Odingaʼs side. Thousands of opposition supporters had gathered in Nairobiʼs Uhuru Park on Tuesday for the staged "inauguration."
26/2018 • 31, JANUARY 2018
Brexit will leave UK worse off in every scenario Leaked report predicts
A UK government forecast reportedly predicts the British economy will suffer no matter what trade deal is struck with the EU. In the worst-case scenario, growth could fall 8 percent.
World Economic Forum in Davos out to heal ʼa fractured worldʼ The current global disunity looks set to dominate discussions at this yearʼs gathering of politicians and executives in Davos, Switzerland. US President Donald Trump is still scheduled to top the list of speakers there. The topic of this yearʼs World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos is "Creating a shared future in a fractured world." The motto is in direct contrast to US President Donald Trumpʼs "America first" policy which also involves large-scale protectionism and isolationist security policies.
"There is todaya real danger of a collapse of our global systems," said WEF founder Klaus Schwab. "But change is not just happening — itʼs in our hands to improve the state of the world and that is what the World Economic Forum stands for." "What we know is that what we lack is cooperation," the forumʼs president, Borge Brende, told reporters, adding that the gathering of 70 heads of state and government as well as key figures from the world of business may make a vital contribution toward overcoming current obstacles in global trade and elsewhere.
Germany must allow third gender in registry of births, court rules An intersex person has won a court case to allow them to enter a third gender into the registry of births. The case was appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court after failing at lower levels. Germanyʼs Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday called for a third gender option in the registry of births. Intersex people, who are neither male nor female, should be able to register their sexual identity as such, the Karlsruhe court ruled. The court found that the general right to the protection of personality in Germanyʼs Basic Law meant the register had to be altered to al-
low a third gender. The court ruled seven to one that lawmakers must create new legislation by the end of 2018 to allow for a third sex, providing the examples of "intersex," "diverse" or another "positive designation of sex." Another possibility raised was to scrap gender entries altogether. "Assignment to a gender is of paramount importance for individual identity; it typically plays a key role both in the self-image of a person and in the way in which the person concerned is perceived by others. The gender identity of those persons who are neither male nor female is protected,"the court ruled.
India: 63 million women statistically ʼmissing,ʼ 21 million unwanted The Indian government says sexselective abortions and a neglect of girls have resulted in millions of statistically "missing" women. Despite the numbers, some gender equality indicators have improved for women. An Indian government report presented to parliament on Monday has found that about 63 million women are statistically "missing" from Indiaʼs population, due to a preference for male children. The survey, presented with a pink cover, included a chapter on womenʼs issues for the first time - with the slogan #MeToo in recognition of the global campaign against sexual harassment. A sex ratio of 943 females per 1,000 males has led to the identification of some 63 million "missing" women, the annual economic survey found. The survey reported the reason for the figures was largely because of sex-selective abortions, better nutrition and medical care for boys and that "families where a son is born are more likely to stop having children than families where a girl is born."
German authorities carry out massive raid targeting illegal work racket Raids across the populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia have broken up an organized crime network involved in illegal employment at construction sites. Hundreds of construction companies are believed to be involved. Hundreds of German police and agents with a special customs task force took part in early-morning raids on Tuesday to bust the organizers and backers of a massive network of illegal, off-the-books construction jobs.
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26/2018 • 31, January 2018
How #MeToo affects the Golden Globes With sexual harassment cases in the backdrop, the Golden Globes are set to launch Hollywoodʼs annual awards season. A black-dress protest will be held — but "men in black" are accused of slacktivism. Hollywoodʼs biggest pre-Oscars prize-giving ceremony takes place on January 7. It is the first major award ceremony since the start of the #MeToo movement and showcases an industry which, after operating for decades under the motto "sex sells," is having to reinvent itself. Organized by the 90-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a total of 25 prizes are up for grabs on Sunday — 14 in film and 11 in television — at the Golden Globes awards ceremony. But the mood in Los Angeles in the wake of widespread sexual harassment claims is rather heavy. As was the case two years ago with the #Oscarssowhite campaign, social media was a driving force in this new reality check for Hollywood. Even before the launch of Hollywoodʼs annual awards season, the fallout of the scandal has already managed to change the face of the industry in various ways — and appears to be set to do so for the foreseeable future.
Dakar Rally: Toyotaʼs AlAttiyah takes first stage
New Amazon joint venture aims to lower health care costs Internet giant Amazon has said it will team up with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase in a project aimed at lowering health care costs for its US employees. The American tech star is getting all disruptive, again. Amazon.com, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase & Co said in a statement on Tuesday that they plan to create an independent firm "free from profit-making incentives and constraints." It will initially focus on technological solutions to provide employees and their families with health care "at a reasonable cost." "The ballooning costs of health care act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy," said Berkshire Hathaway Chairman
and CEO, Warren Buffett. "Our group does not come to this problem with answers. But we also do not accept it as inevitable." "Hard as it might be, reducing health careʼs burden on the economy while improving outcomes for employees and their families would be worth the effort. Success is going to require talented experts, a beginnerʼs mind, and a long-term orientation," Jeff Bezos (pictured above), Amazon founder and CEO, said.
At what time of day are our bodies ready to exercise? Because they sit at desks all day, many office workers have to exercise in the early morning or late evening. But when is it best to work out? Our internal circadian biological clock regulates our body’s functions, including our readiness to exercise. In principle, you can exercise early in the morning, but because not all body systems are up and running at full capacity yet, there are better times of day. Mornings are generally ideal for endurance sports such as running, aerobics and spinning, provided you haven’t eaten too much for breakfast.
You shouldn’t exercise on an empty stomach either, however. Around noon, the body needs at least two hours of rest to digest food. The hours between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. are a good time to work out, because our body systems are working at full capacity. Dr. Ingo Froböse says that’s when physical exercise feels easier and we can work out more intensely. Afternoons are best for weight training, as well as high intensity and technically skilled endurance sports such as tennis and martial arts. Early evening is also a good time to exercise, until around 8 p.m., when our performance capacity slowly drops.
Qatarʼs Nasser Al-Attiyah has won the first stage of the Dakar Rally in the Peruvian town of Pisco. Nine-time rally world champion Sebastian Loeb of France endured a torrid opening day, finishing in 29th place.
Turkish brunch at Pancs Élesztőház You have visited Turkey before and would like to relive the magical experience of a rich Turkish breakfast? Or you’ve never tried it but would like to see an authentic Turkish breakfast? Nar Gourmet will move from its apartment restaurant to the private room of Pancs gasztroplacc with a huge table of cheeses, olives, fresh vegetables, tahini, pekmez, fruits, fresh Turkish pastries, yogurt poached eggs, and many other goodies. The menu will be meatless. Registration is advance is required at nargourmet.hu@gmail.com
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US December job creation disappoints The US has added fewer jobs lately than expected by labor market experts, fresh government figures have shown. The overall unemployment rate held steady at a 17-year low in the worldʼs largest economy. The US economyʼs job creation ability decreased in December 2017 despite solid hiring in the manufacturing and construction sectors, government data showed Friday. While theunemployment rate remained unchanged at a 17year low of 4.1 percent, employers across the nation added just 148,000 jobs in the final month of last year. The figure was far below expectations of 200,000 new positions and even below the sluggish 155,000 jobs reported in December 2016. Economists had been more optimistic especially after payroll services firm ADP said Thursday that private hiring experienced a boost in the final four weeks of December 2017. But the slowing reported by the government couldpoint to an economy nearly at full employment that is finding it hard to get workersto fill open positions. Thatʼs a sentiment that had been reflected in reports from companies lately.
Ousted Venezuelan opposition leader escapes house arrest, flees to Spain Ousted Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma has likened his escape to a film. He plans to take the fight against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro abroad. The ousted opposition mayor of Caracas arrived in Spain on Saturday after orchestrating a daring escape from house arrest in Venezuela. Antonio Ledezma landed in Madrid from Bogota, Colombia, where he arrived a day earlier after slipping across the border. He was greeted by his wife and two daughters who live in Spain. Ledezma said he planned to organize resistance from abroad to President Nicolas Maduro, under whose rule millions of Venezuelans have suffered from shortages of food and other basic supplies. "I am going to travel the world to spread the hope of all Venezuelans to escape this regime, this dictatorship," Ledezma said. The 62-year-old opposition figure was removed as mayor of Caracas and arrested in 2015 on allegations he sought to topple Maduro.