DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Investigative journalism is a dangerous job in Ukraine Vadym Komarov is not the type to stay silent. In the sleepy provincial capital city of Cherkasy, three hours south by car from Kyiv, there are few journalists who scrutinize local authorities and oligarchs. But Komarov does; he is probably the most determined of them all. For years he shone a light on misconduct in the construction and health sectors and corruption in local politics. On his Facebook page last weekend, the journalist announced that he would imminently post new controversial recordings. He said that the voices of two city councilors would be audible on the tape, extorting a disagreeable official by threatening to close down sporting facilities. But the social media post containing these recordings never materialized. Since May 4, things have gone quiet — no new revelations, and none of his typical acerbic comments on other news of the day. Thatʼs because Komarov is now lying a coma after almost being beaten to death by unknown assailants in the center of Cherkasy.
Frankfurt Airport resumes flights after drone sighting The operator of Frankfurt airport, Fraport, said air traffic had resumed after a drone sighting. Flights at Germanyʼs busiest hub had been grounded for around an hour on Thursday morning. Around 70 flights were cancelled due to the drone sighting, an airport spokesperson confirmed to news agency AFP. Frankfurt police have launched an investigation and are using a helicopter to determine the reason for the disturbance to the airport. Frankfurt Airport is Germanyʼs biggest airport and itʼs busiest passenger hub — serving over 64 million passengers in 2017.
106/2019 • 10 MAY, 2019
Pope Francis issues new law to force clergy to report sex abuse The law doesnʼt completely meet the demands of victimsʼ groups
The groundbreaking new law requires clergy to report suspected cases of sexual abuse to their superiors — and report cases where abuse had been covered up.
US vows to check ʼaggressiveʼ China, Russia in Arctic The eight-member Arctic Council is meeting in Finland as thawing of polar ice has some countries scrambling over the earthʼs untapped resources. The US is set to strengthen its presence in the region. Top diplomats from the United States, Russia and other member nations of the Arctic Council met in Rovaniemi, Finland on Monday to discuss policies pertaining to the polar region. The summit comes as tensions grow over how to deal with global warming and jurisdiction of the Arcticʼs wealth of minerals. Speaking on Monday ahead of the talks in Finland, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US would strengthen its Arctic presence to keep in check what he called
the "aggressive attitude" of China and Russia. Pompeo said: "The region has become an arena of global power and competition." "Just because the Arctic is a place of wilderness does not mean it should become a place of lawlessness," Pompeo added. The issues under discussion at the Council meeting include: Concerns over the climate policies of US President Donald Trump.Chinaʼs "Polar Silk Road" plan, which it outlined last year.Russiaʼs reopened Cold War military bases and Northern Fleet modernization. US and Russian officials could also meet separately to discuss the political crisis in Venezuela which is Russiaʼs biggest South American ally.
As Germany phases out coal, villages still forced to make way for mining This end of thevillage of Immerathis peaceful, with birds chirping in the gables of empty houses. But off in the distance, the sound of excavators tearing down walls and smashing stones betray that calm. The open-pit lignite mine Garzweiler II is just a stoneʼs throw away from Immerath, and soon the village will be no more. Im-
merath was once a lively community with a sports club, church and several kindergartens. Today, the homes have been barricaded or bricked up. Down one abandoned street, a gutted car sits in the open garage of a family home covered in ivy. At the other end of the road, demolition work has already begun.
EU leaders discuss future of Europe at Romania summit Leaders of 27 EU member states are meeting in the Romanian city of Sibiu to discuss the blocʼs future course after Britainʼs departure. The summit comes some two weeks before important European elections. European leaders stressed the continued solidarity of the European Union at a summit in Romania as the bloc faces a range of challenges threatening to divide it. The summit in Sibiu comes some two weeks before European parliamentary elections that have been overshadowed by concerns overBritainʼs fraught efforts to leave the blocand the resurgence of nationalist forces across the continent. The agenda of the summit includes: drawing up a "Sibiu Declaration" with 10 commitments to values such as democracy, rule of law and justice;formulating a strategic agenda for the next five years that is to be ratified at a June summit;discussion of a proposal from eight countries to make the EU net-greenhouse gas neutral by 2050.
North Korea fires shortrange missiles as US envoy visits the South North Korea appeared to have fired two short-range missiles, South Koreaʼs military said on Thursday. The Southʼs Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the two missiles were fired from the northwest area of Kusong, in an easterly direction, before falling into the sea. The missile launches came afterNorth Korea carried out a military drill and fired multiple projectiles on Saturday.
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106/2019 • 10 May, 2019
German export policies threaten European defense projects: French ambassador Franceʼs ambassador to Germany, Anne-Marie Descotes, warned on Monday that German arms export policies and licensing rules threatened future Franco-German defense projects. The remarks come as the two European nations are seeking to form closer defense cooperationand deepen ties between their parliaments. In anessay published by the German militaryʼs Federal Academy for Security Policy, she said Germany had a tendency to see arms exports as a domestic political issue, but that its policies still "have serious consequences for our bilateral cooperation in the defense sector and the strengthening of European sovereignty."
Greeceʼs Tsipras to cut taxes and hike pensions The left-wing prime minister said his government would reward the Greek people for their "sacrifices." The move comes as his Syriza party lags in the polls behind the main opposition party.
GreeceʼsPrime Minister Alexis Tsipraspledged Tuesday to cut taxes and increase pensions after years of austerity in the debt-laden country. "The time has come for the sacrifices of the Greek people to be rewarded," he said. "The money is on the table." At a hastily organized press conference, the prime minister said his government would: Cut value-added tax on food from 24% to 13%.Decrease
electricity and gas taxes from 13% to 6%.Reduce hotel accommodation tax from 13% to 11%.Give poorer retirees an average of half-a-monthʼs extra pension every year. Read more: Greece exits bailout: Is the Greek economy strong enough? ʼExample for Europeʼ The tax cuts were possible because of government savings and better-than-expected economic performance, Tsipras said.
Gay, straight or bi — sexuality is hard to categorize
Luis Suarez: Barcelona forward could miss Copa del Rey final
The sexual orientation of Millenials is flexible and goes beyond traditional categories such as homosexuality, heterosexuality or bisexuality — especially among women, a new study in the Journal of Sex Research shows.
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez is likely to miss the Copa del Rey final against Valencia after the club announced he will have a knee operation. The 32-year-old, who has scored 25 goals in 29 matches for the Spanish champions this season, will have keyhole surgery on a medial meniscus injury in his right knee. It could take up to six weeksfor the Uruguay international to recover. The Copa del Rey final takes place on 25 May. Suarez has previously had issues with his right knee, and hadstem cell treatment earlier this season.
At the age of 20, many people still donʼt know exactly what they want to do with their lives. The same seems to apply to sexual orientation. This, at least, is a result ofa survey of almost 7,000 American students.They were interviewed three times about their sexual preferences between 1995 and 2009: as teenagers, in their early
twenties and in their late twenties. Especially for young women, the early twenties are a sexually dynamic time. In contrast to young men, out of whom 90 percent said that they were heterosexual, only two thirds of young women would place themselves in this category. Ten percent felt they were mostly heterosexual and 7.5 percent expressed a clear interest in both sexes. Among young men, the latter two categories together accounted for just under four percent. Only 1.5 percent of women and 2.4 percent of men identified themselves clearly and exclusively as homosexual.
Sting to return to Budapest for summer 2019 Sting is head over heels for Budapest. After a successful free show with Shaggy a month ago on Heroes’ Square, the former Police frontman has just announced another Budapest concert for next summer. On 2 July, the Grammy-winning singer brings his My Songs tour to the Papp László Aréna, where he will be taking the stage with his own band. From “Englishman In New York” to “Every Breath You Take”, the set should include Sting’s biggest hits. Tickets are on sale now.
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Malta in the eye of a financial tempest A recent European Commission report on Malta warned that the country had made "limited progress in addressing the 2018 Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) concerning money laundering, corruption and financial supervision." A European Parliament report meanwhile described "systemized and serious deficiencies" in the rule of law in Malta, while a police investigation in Italy has alleged that theSicilian Mafiainfiltrated companies in the online-gaming sector some based in Malta to launder money. Read more: Opinion: Golden visas and passport trade undermine EU As if that werenʼt bad enough for the Mediterranean investorsʼ paradise, the EUʼs parliament recently voted to adopt a "tax harmonization” scheme that would create one common corporate tax rate throughout the EU, a move that could halve Maltaʼs tax base.
Vietnamʼs dog meat culture clashes with modern tastes Hoang has been eating dog meat since he was young. He canʼt imagine there will be a time that he wonʼt be eating it at least twice a month. However, Vietnamese officials announced in September that dog and cat meat should no longer be served in the inner districts of the capital city Hanoi because itʼs offensive to tourists and can spread diseases like rabies. Read more: Illegal dog meat trade raises moral questions Dog meat lovers and restaurant owners fear that the government will try to expand the ban and decide to officially forbid eating dog and cat meat entirely. "I donʼt see how they can ban it. The demand is just too high," Hoang said at a restaurant in Vietnamʼs largest metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. In a small alley in Ho Chi Minh City, at least four restaurants serve dog meat, or Thịt chó. People gather around small tables to dine on the canine meat, complementing it with rice wine or beer. Hoang, who declined to give his full name, is sitting at a table with three good friends. "For us itʼs a tradition to eat dog meat. Itʼs just as normal as eating seafood or chicken," he told DW.