DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
German police launch raids on Iraqi organized crime gang German police carried out earlymorning raids at apartments in 11 cities on Wednesday as part of an operation targeting organized crime. Hundreds of officers were involved in the raids in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, focusing on the Cologne area and the Ruhr Valley. A spokeswoman for police in the city of Essen, Sylvia Czapiewski, said authorities targeted the homes of 34 suspects. "We have been carrying out an investigation into a large group of people for some considerable time," she said. Those targeted were suspected of involvement in people smuggling, as well as trading in weapons, narcotics and false IDs. One person was arrested. North RhineWestphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul told journalists that the seized evidence must be examined to determine whether more arrests would be made.
Germanyʼs CDU slams YouTuber Rezo over political viral video Christian Democratic Union(CDU) politicians went on the defensive Wednesday after a popular YouTuber published a 55-minute video criticizing the party. In what he called a "destruction video," German YouTuber "Rezo" slammed the CDU for failing to tackle critical issues, saying they have shown "gross incompetence" on climate change, security, intellectual property rights and narcotics policy, among other areas. He said the government, which includes the Social Democrats, was "destroying our lives and our future." Rezo said he spent weeks researching the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). The video, which included statistics on Germanyʼs wealth and gender gaps as well as foreign policy, has been seen nearly 4 million times since going online on Saturday.
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Austriaʼs caretaker government assumes power after video scandal The government is already facing a no-confidence vote
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has vowed that his new Cabinet will probe the contents of the controversial video. But the government is already facing a no-confidence vote and may not survive next week.
Tariffs prompt US firms to rethink China business: survey US businesses in China are increasingly worried about the trade conflict between the US and China. They are bearing the brunt of tariffs and non-tariff barriers adopted in recent months, a new survey said. Three-quarters of US companies in China say they are being hit hard by the ongoing US-China trade dispute, according to a new survey released Wednesday by the American Chamber of Commerce in China and its sister organization in Shanghai. The poll was conducted between May 16 and 20, days after Washington more
thandoubled duties on $200 billion (€179.3 billion) worth of Chinese goods. Beijing retaliated by charginghigher tariffs on $60 billion of American products. Firms manufacturing in China were the hardest hit, with more than 80% reporting adverse affects from both US and Chinese tariffs. Nearly half of the 250 respondents said they have experienced non-tariff retaliatory measures in China since last year. About one in five US companies experienced increased inspections, similar to the proportion reporting slower customs clearance.
Tintin and Snowy turn 90 — havenʼt aged a day He has fought organized crime, solved mysteries and even helped to bring down despotic regimes. The famous Belgian cub-reporter Tintin, with his trademark shock of strawberry-blonde hair, blue sweater and plus-four trousers, has taken his fans with him on world adventures that have been translated into more than 100 languages and dialects. Tintin made his first appearance 90 years ago, in the Catholic conservative Belgian
newspaper Le Vingtième Siècleʼs youth supplement, Le Petit Vingtième. Tintin and Snowy headed deep into Soviet territory, with Stalinʼs secret police watching them from around every corner. The story first appeared on January 10, 1929, running as a serial until May 1930; it was essentially anticommunist propaganda, neatly packaged for children. In 1930, the series was published in book form as Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.
ʼVastʼ far-right disinformation networks discovered in EU Millions of Europeans are being exposed to far-right propaganda on Facebook ahead of the EU elections, a report by the Avaaz NGO shows. The activists say their research prompted an "unprecedented" cleanup by Facebook. Fake news, fake quotes, and movie clips presented as proof of migrant misdeeds are only some of the tactics used byfar-right Facebook pages, activists from the US-based Avaaz movement said when presenting anew reporton Wednesday. The malicious content was seen 533 million times in the last three months alone, or six million times per day, according to the Avaaz estimate. While European voters prepare for this weekʼs EU parliamentary polls, the EU is "drowning in disinformation," Avaazʼs campaign director Christoph Schott said.
Ai Weiwei sues Volkswagen for copyright infringement Artist Ai Weiweiis taking Volkswagen / Skandinavisk Motor Co. to court for copyright infringement, as the company published a magazine advertisement for the car VW Polo in 2017 that featured one of his art installations as a backdrop. The trial started in Copenhagen on Wednesday. According to Ai, the image was used without the artistʼs or the museumʼs knowledge or permission. "These actions are clear violations of my intellectual property and moral rights, but more importantly they raise larger questions of corporate power and responsibility in our era of global capitalism," Ai wrote in an opinion piece published by The Guardian and on his Instagram account.
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117/2019 • 23 May, 2019
Hedgehogs British Steel collapses but will trade in threatened by loss administration UKʼs second-largest steel of habitat and food The maker has been battling a financial in Europe crunch over the past year. A court
ITB Berlin tourism partner Malaysia claims it has ʼno gaysʼ
Hedgehogs, Europeʼs only spiny mammals, are under threat due to a loss of habitat and food. The result has been declining reproduction, landing the creature on a range of endangered species lists. The main drivers of the decline appear to be linked to the agricultural industry. Largescale farming has deprived hedgehogs of their natural habitat as farmers remove copses of hedges and trees in order to make way for ever-larger crops. Another problem is that of increasingpesticideuse, which kills off the hedgehogʼs natural diet ofinsectsand invertebrates such as worms and slugs. Other threats to hedgehogsinclude increases in road construction as well as walls and fences that limit their ability to migrate, harming their long-term survival by greatly hampering mating options.
Malaysia faces a potential backlash from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights groups after claiming that the Muslim-majority country doesnʼt have gays. On Tuesday, Tourism Minister Datuk Mohammaddin bin Ketapi was asked by reporters ahead of the opening of the ITB Berlin tourism fair whether the country was safe for gay and Jewish visitors. After initially sidestepping the question, the minister was asked again whether gays were welcome and he replied: "I donʼt think we have anything like that in our country." Denial could hurt bookings Despite efforts by Malaysian officials to downplay the incident, Ketapiʼs comments could derail attempts to entice more tourists to visit Malaysia. The remarks came after he spoke for several minutes about the countryʼs natural beauty and welcoming culture. The country has set itself a target of receiving 30 million visitors in 2019.
Cristiano Ronaldo will play in Nations League finals, says Portugal manager Cristiano Ronaldo will play for hosts Portugal in Juneʼs Nations League finals, says manager Fernando Santos. The Juventus forward, 34, missed six international games after the World Cup, including the Nations League qualifying campaign, before returning for Marchʼs Euro 2020 qualifiers. Portugal play Switzerland in their semi-final on 5 June; the winners then face England or the Netherlands. "He has a constant appreciation and passion for his country," said Santos.
has now ordered its liquidation, leaving thousands of workers staring at job losses. Troubled steel producer British Steel has been placed into administration, UK officials said on Wednesday, putting some 25,000 jobs at risk. "The company in liquidation is continuing to trade and supply its customers while I consider options for the business. Staff have been paid and will continue to be employed," the official receiver said. "The court also appointed Special Managers to assist me with my work and they are engaging with staff and their representatives to keep them informed, as well as contacting British
Steelʼs customers." The company had earlier sought financial assistance to the tune of 30 million pounds ($38 million, €34 million) from the British government to remain afloat, but the request was rejected. The government quickly issued a statement saying it had done all it could for the company. "I have been advised that it would be unlawful to provide a guarantee or loan to British Steel on the terms of any proposals that the company or any other party has made," said Business Secretary Greg Clark.
Asparagus: An ode to Germanyʼs favorite vegetable The Germans are never happier than when asparagus season rolls around. Rachel Stewart heads out into the fields to find out what makes this "white gold" so beloved. Rachel Stewart had never even heard ofwhite asparagus before she moved to Germany. But now she canʼt avoid it — at least for a few months a year. This week onMeet the Germansshe
tries to find out what all the fuss is about. Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. Every two weeks she explores a new topic — from beer to nudity to complicated grammar. This week itʼs all about the "king of vegetables" — asparagus.
Traditions and rituals of Ramadan Ramadan marks a special time of spiritual discipline and purification for millions of practicing Muslims across the globe. From local traditions to holy rituals, DW examines the religious month of fasting. Every year, millions of practicing Muslims across the world fast, pray and give alms in observance of Islamʼs holiest month, which begins in 2019 on May 5 and ends in the evening of June 4. From firing off cannon to lunar sightings, DW explores how Muslims mark the occasion and what it means to the faithful.
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Germany grants asylum to two Hong Kong prodemocracy activists Germany has granted asylum to two Hong Kong activists who were facing rioting charges at home. Ray Wong, 25, and Alan Li, 27, were granted refugee status in May 2018, making it the first apparent case of a foreign country acknowledging refugee status for democracy campaigners from the Chinese-ruled city. "Now Hong Kong also has political refugees," Wong said. Germanyʼs Interior Ministry would not confirm the identities of the people due to privacy regulations, but it did say it had granted asylum to two people from Hong Kong asylum in 2018. Wong and Li fled as they were set to stand trial on rioting charges linked todemonstrations that turned violent during the 2016 Lunar New Year, known as the "Fishball Revolution" clashes. The highprofile trial went on without them and eventually led to theimprisonment of Hong Kongʼs most well-known independence activist, Edward Leung, in 2018.