DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
German parliament debates Down Syndrome, trisomy blood tests Members of the Bundestag are holding a two-hour debate on prenatal genetic blood tests on Thursday morning. The debate is not based on a bill but will serve as a guide for lawmakers on the benefits of non-invasive blood tests for the diagnosis of trisomies such asDown syndrome. They will also discuss the question of whether prenatal trisomy blood tests should be paid by health insurance companies in the future. Health Minister Jens Spahn has spoken in favor of the tests as they are less risky than the amniotic fluid examinations, the costs of which are already covered by health insurance companies in certain cases — either for the over 35s or for women who have previously borne children with chromosomal abnormalities. Opponents of insurance reimbursement for the tests say they could lead to more tests being carried out, and ultimately to more abortions.
India elections: Can Narendra Modi repeat his 2014 success? Around 900 million people are eligible to vote for the 543-strong Lok Sabha, Indiaʼs lower house of parliament. The polls, which run from April 11 to May 19, will be held in seven phases to ensure free and fair elections. Many Indian states will complete voting in one day, whereas others with larger populations will take multiple days. Votes will be counted on May 23. More than 84 million people, including 15 million new voters over the age of 18, are going to cast ballots for the first time. Around 430 million women are expected to vote and could exceed the number of male voters for the first time in a general election in India, the worldʼs largest democracy.
85/2019 • 12 APRIL, 2019
Wikileaksʼ Julian Assange arrested in London Charged with conspiracy by the US
London police have said that Assange was apprehended outside the Embassy of Ecuador and is set to appear in court "as soon as possible." Home Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that Assange will "rightly face justice."
China could be big winner in no-deal Brexit A no-deal Brexit would hit the EU and developing countries, but bring big gains for China and the US, a new report says. Unwinding economic integration is not only complex, but doing so is a bad idea, its author says. NewUNCTAD researchshows that the UK and its future trading partners need to think fast about signing new bilateral deals if they are to avoid the costs of the UK exiting the EU without a deal. The UK market accounts for about 3.5% of global trade. In 2018, the UK was the fifth-largest importer inside the EU, letting in almost $680 billion (€600 billion) worth of goods from the rest of the world, about $360 billion of which
came from other EU countries. Read more: EUʼs Tusk argues for longer Brexit extension "Brexit is not only a regional affair. Once the UK has left its 27 EU partners behind, it will alter the ability of non-EU countries to export to the UK market," said UNCTADʼs director of international trade and commodities, Pamela Coke-Hamilton. The biggest beneficiaries of a no-deal Brexit would be countries which now face higher tariffs, the report found. China could gain an additional $10.2 billion in exports to the UK, with the second-ranked US adding $5.3 billion to its exports to the UK. Japan could expect to gain $4.9 billion, the report found.
Man leaves €10,000 Picasso jug on German train German police are trying to help a man find a ceramic jug made by Pablo Picasso, after he accidentally left it on a train earlier this month. The elderly man was traveling from Kassel to Dusseldorf on February 15 when he switched trains at the city of Hamm and forgot to bring his precious cargo with him. Read more: How German was Picasso? The 26centimeter-tall (10-inch-tall) ceramic piece dates to 1953 and was an original crafted by Picasso at his Madoura workshop in Vallauris in the south of France, police said. It is part of Picas-
soʼs "Owl series" and is estimated to be worth at least €10,000 ($8,800). Police said the man reported the disappearance immediately after exiting the train but the bag with the jug inside it was already gone. Read more: Picasso and windows The shopping bag was made of solid cardboard with blue lettering that read "Neumeister — Alte Kunst — Moderne." Munster Federal Police, which is investigating the case, asked witnesses who might have seen the man "forgetting" the bag to report the sighting to them.
Sudanʼs military ousts President Omar al-Bashir following protests The Sudanese military on Thursday removed longtime President Omar alBashir in a coup following months of popular protests against his three decades of iron-fisted rule. The army deployed at strategic points around the capital Khartoum and the international airport was closed, as tens of thousands of protesters gathered at the Defense Ministry celebrating the fall of al-Bashir. Defense Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf in a televised address said the army had arrested alBashir as he announced the dissolution of the regime. "I announce as minister of defence the toppling of the regime and detaining its chief in a secure place," he said on state TV. The statement followed an intense morning after the military had taken control of state radio and television stations, leaving Sudanese awaiting for details in the wake of the coup.
South Koreaʼs top court strikes down abortion ban South Koreaʼs Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that the countryʼs law criminalizing abortion is unconstitutional, as well as a law making doctors who perform them liable to criminal charges. "The law criminalising a woman who undergoes abortion of her own will goes beyond the minimum needed to achieve the legislative purpose and limits the right of self-determination of the woman who has become pregnant," the court said.
weather today BUDAPEST
8 / 11 °C Precipitation: 0 mm
85/2019 • 12 April, 2019
German traindelay scarf sells for thousands at auction A scarf knitted by a German woman to represent how long she was delayed on trains run by German rail company Deutsche Bahn sold for €7,550 ($8,660) on eBay on Monday. There were 134 bids from 45 bidders for the 1.5-meter (5 foot) scarf, which was knitted over the course of 2018 and features stripes in different colors, to represent different-length delays. Read more: Deutsche Bahn flaws prompt calls for basic railway reform Journalist Sara Weber, the scarf makerʼs daughter, said her mother was a commuter in the Munich area and had knitted two rows per day: Gray for under five minutes, pink for 5-30 minutes, and red for delays of more than 30 minutes or when both of her trains were running late. Weber posted a photo of the scarf on Twitter and the response was so enthusiastic that she and her mother decided to auction it and give the proceeds to the charity Bahnhofsmission, which assists people in need at railway stations across Germany. On Monday, Weber tweeted that the scarf had been sold for €7,550. "My mum is very happy — and so am I. We never would have expected that would happen," Weber wrote.
Virus-hit Alexander Zverev knocked out of Indian Wells
In Belize, farmers turn away from slash and burn agriculture
US sanctions Venezuela state oil firm PDVSA
Small farmers around the world burn woodlands to create fertile fields, releasing vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. In Belize, one project wants to move farmers away from this old method toward greener pastures.
The US said on Monday that it would impose sanctions on Venezuelaʼs state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), as it ramps up pressure on the countryʼs president, Nicolas Maduro. The move followsWashingtonʼs public backing of National Assembly leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president last week. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions were meant to prevent Maduro from diverting more resources from the crisis-hit country, until control in Caracas could be transferred toGuaidoʼs interim governmentora new democratically elected government. Mnuchin specified that PDVSAʼs US-based subsidiary Citgo could continue operations, so long as its earnings are deposited into a blocked account in the US. Maduro accused the US of attempting to steal Citgo, saying the state oil firm will seek legal action against the US. Washington was "holding accountable those responsible for Venezuelaʼs tragic decline," Mnuchin told reporters.
Project goal: Supporting small farms to become more sustainable and to replace old, polluting machinery Project implementation: Farmers are learning environmentally friendly farming techniques in workshops and onsite training Project partners: NGO Yaʼaxche Conservation Trust is working with the Honduras Foundation for Agricultural Research (FHIA), Friends
for Conservation and Development (FCD) and the Inga Foundation, among others Project scope: Yaʼaxche works in the Toledo district in southern Belize. Theyʼre cooperating with 80 farmers to implement greener agriculture. The project covers the nearly 300,000 hectares of the Maya Golden Landscape, a forest area threatened by slash and burn farming.
Weather forecasters put climate change on their maps Now the climate is changing, so are their jobs. Many see it as their role to help raise awareness. Though it was a couple of years ago, weathercaster Anju Singh clearly recollects the message she delivered to camera when unexpected heavy rains started pounding and destroying crops in parts of India. "We convinced farmers to do water harvesting, so at least water was not wasted and could be used later when there is scarcity," Singh told DW. "Because the pattern has totally changed." As has
the job of a weather forecaster. When she started out almost 15 years ago, "the role of weather presenters was just to talk about the weather forecast," Singh said. "But now they are educators and a kind of bridge between (the) masses and the scientists." She is a senior presenter atDD Kisan,the agriculture television channel with Indiaʼs public service broadcaster Doordarshan. Sheʼs also a member ofClimate without Borders, a global network of weather presenters from more than 100 countries pushing to include more climate change talks in their daily work.
A virus going around the Indian Wells tournament in California has claimed its latest victim, with Alexander Zverev well below his best as crashed out of the tournament in the third round. Zverev fell to compatriot Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-1, who will now face Canadian 13th seed Milos Raonic.
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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US and Turkish presidents discuss safe zone in northern Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, took to the telephone to discuss the situation in northern Syria on Monday. "The president expressed the desire to work together to address Turkeyʼs security concerns in northeast Syria while stressing the importance to the United States that Turkey does not mistreat the Kurds and other Syrian Democratic Forces with whom we have fought to defeat ISIS," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement, referring to the "Islamic State" (IS) extremist group. The Turkish presidency said the two men discussed the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria cleared of militia groups. It did not provide any other details. Thedisagreement between the NATO alliesis the latest consequence of Trumpʼs December 19 decision to withdraw US military personnel from Syria. This could leave the Kurdish militia under threat should Turkey start a new offensive. Over the weekend, Trump had taken to Twitter to threaten he would"devastate" the Turkish economyif Ankara sent its forces to attack the Kurds in northern Syria.