DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Leaders pay respects to D-Day soldiers in Portsmouth Leaders from 16 nations, including the United States and Germany, gathered in the UK naval base of Portsmouth to mark the 75 years since D-Day. The ceremony on Wednesday also involved some300 surviving veteransof the 1944 Normandy landings. While paying his respects in Portsmouth, US President Donald Trump read out excerpts of a prayer which President Franklin Roosevelt delivered to the nation on June 6, 1944. "Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation, this day, have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilization and to set free a suffering humanity," Trump read. The eventʼs host, British Prime Minister Theresa May, said that soldiersʼ "solidarity and determination" defending freedom "remains a lesson to us all."
Berlin takes a new approach to the Three Seas Initiative The three bodies of water in question are the Baltic, the Adriatic and the Black seas. In 2015, Poland and Croatia called together the Three Seas Initiative, a loose group of 12 EU member states in the eastern sector of the bloc. It stretches from Estonia in the north, to Croatia in the south, and extends east to Romania and Bulgaria. What these countries have in common is that they are all members of the European Union, and all of them, with the exception of Austria, joined in 2004. Their aim is to strengthen cooperation, especially in the areas of infrastructure, energy, and security. Members not only feelphysically threatened by Russia— they also want to become more independent of it regarding their energy supply. The 12 countries also feel that their concerns are getting short shrift in Brussels.
129/2019 • 6 JUNE, 2019
Manfred Weber reelected leader of conservative EPP in European Parliament France still opposes his aim of becoming European Commission president
The German lawmaker has negotiated a minor hurdle in his bid for Europeʼs top job. But France still opposes his aim of becoming European Commission president.
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 news-
paper 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.
Thai parliament elects Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister Both houses of Thailandʼs parliament on Wednesday elected Prayuth Chanocha as the countryʼs next prime minister. Prayuth comfortably reached the 375-vote threshold, more than half of the 750-member parliament, needed to win the premiership. Thailandʼs prime minister is chosen in a joint vote of the 500-seat House and the 250-seat Senate, whose members were appointed by the junta. The vote officially restored civilian rule in Thailand after more than five years under the junta leader. The 65-yearold retired general, who was nominated by a military-backed coalition led by the Palang Pracharath party, had been expected to keep his post under a new political system introduced by the junta, which critics say is meant to prolong the military dominance in Thai politics.
Denmark election: Social Democrats on course to win Denmarkʼs Social Democrats won the largest share of the votein the countryʼs parliamentary election on Wednesday, according to exit polls. The center-left party appears to have won crucial support in recent months thanks to its adoption of a a more restrictive immigration policy. Main election results: The Social Democrats won 25.3%. It and other left-wing parties that form the "red bloc" in the Danish parliament are set to win a total of 90 out of 179 seats.
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129/2019 • 6 June, 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.