DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
China: Thousands of North Korean women forced into prostitution A report published by the Korea Future Initiative, a London-based NGO, reveals that thousands of North Korean women and girls are being subjected to forced marriage and prostitution in China. The report, which was presented in the UK Parliament on Monday, forensically details the vulnerability of women and girls as young as 12, who are being tricked into escaping North Korea only to be sold as sex slaves in China. The report– Sex Slaves: The Prostitution, Cyber‐ sex and Forced Marriage of North Korean Women and Girls in China – claims that
an increasing demand for prostitution in China is fueling the exploitation of North Korean women and girls. It says that trafficking gangs are running a multi-million dollar illegal sex industry in China.
ʼKommersantʼ Russian journalists quit over censorship After 10 years on the Kommer‐ sant politics and business newspaper in Moscow, two journalists behind a report about the possible replacement of the speaker of the parliamentʼs upper house have been sacked. One of Kommersantʼs leading reporters, Ivan Safronov, and deputy section editor Maxim Ivanov were fired on Monday by the billionaire owner of the newspaper, Alisher Usmanov,who is close to the Kremlin. The article in question had concerned a possible reshuffle of one of President Vladimir Putinʼs close allies. "The shareholder has the right to make staffing decisions," deputy editor Gleb Cherkasov said. "The employees have the right to disagree with them in the only way possible: by changing their workplace."
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Austria: All far-right ministers leave government after video scandal Austriaʼs far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) says its ministers will step down from the Cabinet
The move came as Chancellor Kurz proposed the ouster of FPÖ member Herbert Kickl as interior minister after a video scandal.
Germany: Thieves steal entire field of strawberries Thieves have plundered a strawberry field in southwestern Germany almost entirely of its harvest. A similar incident a year ago led to pilfered fruit being hawked on eBay. A farmer in Lambsheim, near the southwestern Germany city of Mannheim, has reported the pillage of almost his entire crop of strawberries. Police said on Sunday the 0.7 hectares (1.7 acres) field was plundered overnight into Friday and that the theft probably involved several people. Police added that several vehicles must have been used in the illegal harvest and appealed for witnesses to provide any information they
have. The damage was estimated at several hundred euros. The incident is not a first for German strawberry farmers. Last year, a similar plunder took place in Bad Sobernheim in the same state of Rhineland-Palatinate, according to the TZnewspaper. The paper reported that thieves rented cars to steal the fruit and then sold them on eBay. Germany produces some 160,000 tons of strawberries annually, more than two-thirds are for domestic consumption, according to the Chamber of Commerce for Agricultural in North Rhine Westphalia. Around 35% of the harvest is sold directly to consumers via farm shops and road stalls.
Psychology: A happy partner is the elixir of longer life When your partner is content, you can be sure of pleasant company. But not only that — a study suggests when your partnerʼs happy, you live longer too. So whatʼs to do if you live with a sourpuss? Imagine these two types: One happy, one not. First: The archetypal couch potato. He only ever gets up to smoke a cigarette, because he has to go outside. And when he eats, itʼs a pre-packed TV dinner. Why? Heʼs unhappy. Everything annoys
him: His job, his friends, life in general. Second: Mr. Positive. He loves the outdoors, likes to meet up with friends, and heʼs always enthusiastic about new things. He loves his life. He says life is beautiful. You can be one or the other, or somewhere inbetween. Either way, in a relationship, the happiness or unhappiness of one person will sooner or later rub off on the other — potentially with farreaching consequences.
Google severs Huawei access to Android software US tech giant Google said on Sunday it was pulling Huaweiʼs license to use its mobile phone operating system Android, forcing the Chinese company to rely on an open-source version of the software. New Huawei smartphones will no longer have access to services such as Gmail, maps and YouTube as well as security updates. However, people already owning Huawei phones will be able to use and update apps already downloaded. Last week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by "foreign adversaries" deemed to pose a national security risk.Trump blacklisted Huawei, denying it access to domestic markets and restricting US sales to the company. "We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications," a Google spokesperson said.
Donald Trump threatens ʼofficial end of Iranʼ In a provocative tweet, the US president described retaliation that would mark "the official end of Iran." Iran has remained defiant, saying "genocidal taunts" would not be enough to destroy the country. US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran on Sunday amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. "If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran," said Trump. "Never threaten the United States again!"
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115/2019 • 21 May, 2019
Angela Merkel inspects NATO troops in Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel was treated to the full military works in Munster on Monday, on a visit to the Bundeswehrʼs 9th Armored Demonstration Brigade, which is this year providing the ground forces for NATOʼs Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). Much of the major hardware the Bundeswehr has to offer took part in an impressively coordinated half-hour display, which the chancellor watched through binoculars alongside General Eberhard Zorn, the highest ranking German soldier, and Lieutenant General Jörg Vollmer, chief of staff of the German army. The display itself involved reenactments of full-on assaults involving multiple armored vehicles, complete with tanks crossing water-filled ditches, helicopter rescues and inflight refueling operations. Tiger helicopters, Tornado fighter planes, several Leopard 2 battle tanks, as well as amphibious armored vehicles, motorcyclists and bridge-building trucks, all took part.
Mesut Özil breaks Ramadan fast with Erdogan Arsenal midfielder and former German national team player Mesut Özil came under fire on social media on Sunday after having a Ramadan iftar meal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Özil and his fiancee, Amine Gülse, were Erdoganʼs guests at the event in Istanbul ahead of Turkeyʼs Youth and Sports Day. Photographs showed Özil and Gülse sitting on either side of Erdogan at the Dolmabahce Palace, which was once the administrative heart of the Ottoman Empire.
Easyjet, Thomas Cook and Ryanair — Brexitʼs effect on tourismʼs big names Profits have plunged at Ryanair and Easyjet, while 43% of troubled tour operator Thomas Cookʼs summer holidays remain unsold. The travel sector can only lick its wounds and wait out the Brexit uncertainty. The dark cloud of Brexit still looms large over Europeʼs tourism industry,despite the delay to Britainʼs withdrawal from the European Union. Fewer Europeans are visiting the UK. According to tourism agency Visit Britain, overseas arrivals were down 5.3% last year, while a similar pattern has been observed in the first few months of 2019. Tour operator Thomas Cook, meanwhile, reported a 27% rise in the number of Britons
choosing longer-haul holiday destinations instead of their usual European retreats. In the monthʼs leading up to Britainʼs planned EU departure date of March 29, the tourism sector warned that the threat of customs delays, visas andeven potential EU airspace restrictionshad prompted a considerable drop in overseas bookings. These concerns have been heightened over the past few days by changing fortunes of some of Europeʼs largest travel firms.
Madonnaʼs Eurovision video apparently doctored-up An official YouTube video has emerged with the Queen of Pop singing her song "Like a Prayer" as she appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest finale on Saturday. Commentators were calling the performance "the end of Madonnaʼs career," noting that each of the 41 contestants in the Eurovision Song Contest had sung better. From the first notes, her voice was wobbly, and it only got worse. For much of the song, she sang off-pitch, as documented in thelive stream of the
Grand Final, uploaded by the Eurovision Song Contest and dated May 18. In the over four-hour video, the starting time of the Madonna sequence is 2:56:25. But in a clip dated May 19 posted on the official Madonna Youtube account and on the starʼs verified Twitter account, which both have over 2 million subscribers, there are no obvious vocal problems. Although the sound is clearly from a live performance and not a studio recording, the delivery is on-pitch. Outrage on social media erupted.
Múzeum+ February at Museum of Fine Arts The February edition of monthly event series Múzeum+ is being held on the 14th at the Museum of Fine Arts. For each of these events, besides interactive workshops and concerts, an English-language guided tour also features. This time the theme is German Renaissance Art, starting at 7pm. For the complete schedule, check the museum website.
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Germanyʼs FlixBus in talks to buy intercity competitor Eurolines FlixBus, which offers low-cost intercity bus travel across Europe, is negotiating to buy its smaller competitor Eurolines. French transport group Transdev, which owns Eurolines, and the Munich-based Flixbus confirmed on Monday that exclusive talks were underway, without disclosing the financial details. Eurolines, whose network spans 25 countries, operates French domestic routes under the Isilines brand, which would be part of the possible deal. "With this merger, FlixBus would have an even more comprehensive and more diverse offer to attract even more passengers. We want to be the first choice for travelers across Europe," Flixbus managing director Jochen Engert said.
Airbnb cuts listings in Israeli West Bank settlements Home-rental platform Airbnb announced Monday it would no longer offer its service in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, drawing an angry response from Israel. Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War, but most countries consider the Jewish settlements there to be illegal. The company said in a statement the decision would affect about 200 properties "in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians." "Our hope is that someday sooner rather than later, a framework is put in place where the entire global community is aligned so there will be a resolution to this historic conflict and a clear path forward for everybody to follow," it added. Palestinian and human rights groups had long called on Airbnb to remove the settlement listings from its site. Waleed Assraf, head of a Palestinian anti-settlement group welcomed the development, saying if more companies followed it would "contribute to achieving peace." Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin condemned the move as "the most wretched of wretched capitulations to the boycott efforts."