DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Second HIV patient cleared of AIDScausing virus Researchers have announced that a man infected with the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, is in sustained remission following a bone marrow transplant from an HIV-resistant donor. This makes the man, known as the "London patient," the second person ever to have been cleared of the fatal virus thataffects some 37 million people worldwide. The treatment and result was published in the international science journal Nature and is expected to be officially announced at a medical conference in Seattle on Tuesday. The scientists used the same method that proved successful for an an HIV-positive patientin Berlin in 2007. In both cases, the transplant was intended to treat blood cancers. "Byachieving remissionin a second patient using a similar approach, we have shown that the Berlin patient was not an anomaly," lead researcher Ravindra Gupta said.
Pakistan says ʼaction being taken against Jaishe-Mohammedʼ militant group The Pakistani government announced on Monday that it would launch a "decisive" crackdown against militant outfits in the country. The decision comes amid rising tensions with India over militancy in the disputed region of Kashmir. The two nuclear-armed South Asian nations came close to a full-scale military confrontation last week, with New Delhi claiming it bombed an alleged militant camp inside Pakistan and Islamabad saying it shot down Indiaʼs fighter jets in retaliation. Although the two countries continue to trade gunfire across their disputed frontier, known as the Line of Control, the risk of a fullblown war has somewhat subsided after Pakistan handed back a captured Indian fighter pilot to New Delhi on Saturday.
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German politicians welcome Emmanuel Macronʼs EU initiative Some say Berlin itself needs to show more initiative
The German government says it supports a call by the French president for reforming and bolstering the European Union. But some say Berlin itself needs to show more initiative.
Germany: Flexible working conditions lead to overtime, study shows Work from home? Flexible hours? Sounds ideal, right? A German foundation has shown that more flexible working conditions lead to increased total hours on the job. Home office is a hot topic for the Social Democrats. Variable work hours and the ability to work from home lead to more hours worked overall in a job, a study published Tuesday by the Hans Böckler Foundation in Germany has shown. The issue of flexible working conditions is prominent politically at the national level, with Labor Minister Hubertus Heil of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) pushing for
the right to work from home. What the study found Men and women with children use flexible working conditions differently.Work flexibility tends to lead to noticeably more overtime for men than for women: Given flexible work hours, men work four extra hours per week and women work almost one, while when working from home, men worked six extra hours and women one.For women with children, work flexibility sees them spend more time caring for children, a total of three extra hours per week for women working from home and 1.5 hours for those with flexible work times.
Chinese artist Ai Weiweiʼs segment cut from ʼBerlin, I Love Youʼ Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiweiʼs segment in the film "Berlin, I Love You" was cut from the final version due to concerns the artist had become a political liability, the artist and film producers said. "The reason we were given for the episodeʼs removal was that my political status had made it difficult for the production team to secure further funding," Ai told DW reporter Melissa Chan. Read more: Ai
Weiwei: ʼRefugee crisis is a political tool for populistsʼ Ai said he was not aware his contribution was being deleted until after the film was released. The Berlin film is the latest installment in the "Cities in Love" film series, which has already seen films set in New York and Paris. One of the filmʼs executive producers is also making a Shanghai installment of the series, Ai said.
US to scrap India and Turkeyʼs preferential trade status India and Turkey are set to lose their preferential trade treatment with the US, according statements from the White House on Monday. "I am taking this step because ... I have determined that India has not assured the United States that it will provide equitable and reasonable access to the markets of India," Donald Trump said in a letter to leaders of US Congress. Washington intends to terminate Turkeyʼs preferential status because it is "sufficiently economically developed" and no longer qualifies, according to the US Trade Representativeʼs office. Since starting in the program in 1975, Turkey has shown a growth in income per capita, reduced poverty, and diversified exports, officials said.
China sees slower growth, increases military spending China faces a "graver and more complicated environment" with risks that "are greater in number and size," Li said before 3,000-plus delegates at the two-week gathering of the National Peopleʼs Congress. In his speech, Li set the targets for the countryʼs economic growth to between 6 and 6.5 percent in 2019. This would mark 2019 as the worst year of growth in the last three decades, behind 2018 with 6.6 percent. Even with the projected slump, however, China would remain one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
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55/2019 • 6 March, 2019
Berlin protests Turkish treatment of German journalists Maria Adebahr, spokeswoman for Germanyʼs Foreign Ministry, didnʼt hold back when voicing her criticism on Monday, calling it "incomprehensible" that three German journalists had beenstripped of their accreditationin Turkey. "We have very clearly stated our position to Turkey: We regard freedom of press as a precious asset," she said. "German — and European — journalists must be able to work freely in Turkey. And we hope that the press accreditations will be issued shortly." How — and if — that can become a reality are questions that no one in Berlin is able to answer. The official stance of the Turkish authorities doesnʼt leave much room for speculation. In a short email to DW, the intelligence office in Ankara stated: "Dear members of the press. The renewal of your press accreditation for the year 2019 has not been granted." To date, three German journalists have been affected: Thomas Seibert, who chiefly reports from Turkey for Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel, Jörg Brase, public broadcaster ZDFʼs studio head in Istanbul, and NDR journalist Halil Gülbeyaz.
Dirk Nowitzki: A down-to-earth superstar It was exactly 20 years ago, on February 5, 1999, that Dirk Nowitzki played his first game in the National Basketball League. It was a shortened season that started several months late because of the third lockout in NBA history, but the lanky 20-year-old from the southern German city of Würzburg played well enough in the 47 of the Mavsʼ 50 games to earn consideration for the rookie of the year award. In his sophomore season, he was in the frame to be named the NBAʼs most improved player. A year later he was the Dallas Mavericksʼ top point scorer, a title he would hold for the next 13 years.
Chinaʼs slowing economy casts shadow over National Peopleʼs Congress
Thousands of delegates from across China have descended on Beijing to attend the annual gathering of the National Peopleʼs Congress (NPC), which kicks off on Tuesday and ends next Friday (March 5-15). The NPC is often viewed as a flaccid legislature whose role is largely ceremonial. Its delegates are expected to give their stamp of approval to decisions that have already been agreed upon by senior leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The NPC, which has been meet-
ing since 1954, has never rejected a proposed law. Simultaneously, the Chinese Peopleʼs Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body, will also convene. The meetings are typically called the "Two Sessions." Observers say discussions at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing are likely to revolve around economic and trade issues, as the meeting comes amid growing pressure on Beijing to reverse Chinaʼs economic slowdown and resolve the trade spat with the United States.
Cooking stoves that might just protect Rwandaʼs golden monkeys Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is home to unique plants and animals but the hunger for firewood threatens the forest. Can more efficient stoves help people and preserve nature in the densely populated African country? Project goal: Reducing deforestation pressure by the steadily growing population around Volcanoes National Park Project Implementation: Locally produced, efficient cooking stoves will be distributed in up to 50,000 households. They only require one third of the firewood used by traditional stoves Project size: The area aroundVolcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, where more
than 100,000 families live. More than 9,000 stoves have already been delivered since the project launch Project partners:LIKANO, My Climate foundation,International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP),Fondation Artisans de la Paix et du Développment au Rwanda (FAPDR) Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa and as it continues to grow, one of the consequences is rapid deforestation. Volcanoes National Park, which is home to some unique flora and fauna, is under threat from local residents looking for firewood. That, in turn, puts the habitat of the golden monkey and other rare animals at risk. More efficient cooking stoves could offer a solution.
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." "Our ministry has started to prepare immediate measures to limit Airbnbʼs activities" in Israel, he said, adding that the government was prepared to back lawsuits launched by affected property owners against Airbnb in US courts.