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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

US to withdraw all remaining embassy personnel from Venezuela US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late Monday that the United States will withdraw all remaining diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Caracas as the crisis in Venezuela deepens. He said the staff would leave by the end of the week.

The move worsens already frayed relations between the two nations. President Donald Trump has said that he doesnʼt rule out any optionsincluding military intervention to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The US has already imposed sanctions designed to choke off Venezuelan oil sales, which are the lifeblood of the leftist government in Caracas. Much of Venezuela has beenwithout electricitygoing on five days now due to a power outage that the government blames on what it calls sabotage encouraged by the US.

Croatian bishops push for mass at Ustashalinked Bleiburg memorial A Croatian bishop was set to hold mass at the upcomingmemorial in Austriaʼs Blaiburg, where thousands of people, including far-right extremists and Nazi sympathizers, gather to mark the anniversary of the 1945 mass killings of Croatians.

The local Austrian diocese, however, denied permission for the ecclesial ceremony, saying that the mass was being "politically instrumentalized" at the controversial event. The diocese leaders might still change their decision, a spokesman for the Austrian Bishopsʼ Conference told DW on Tuesday.

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Decisive in reducing South Asia tensions German Foreign Minister in Pakistan:

After visiting troops in Afghanistan, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has arrived in the Pakistan capital for talks. Violence in Kashmir and a tense security situation in neighboring Afghanistan are on the agenda.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in the Pakistani capital , Islamabad, Tuesday amidongoing violence in Kashmir and a tense security situation in Afghanistan. Regional security is high on the agenda in his meetings with high-ranking Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Imran Khan. Maasʼ visit comes as the Pakistani army reported that two people were killed Tuesday in the disputed Kashmir region in an exchange of gunfire between Pakistani and Indian border forces. Read more: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas commits to mission in Afghanistan Meeting with Pakistanʼs Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Maas said that "Pakistan and India both have a great responsibility to prevent escalation." He added that both countries needed to keep communication channels open and work to diffuse the conflict. The mountainous, isolated region of Kashmir is claimed by both Pakistan and India.

Tensions are high after a bombing blamed on militants based in Pakistan and air strikes by India on Pakistani territory. While in Islamabad,

Maas is also expected to drum up support for closer cooperation with Afghanistan. Maas arrived in the Pakistani capital after a visit to Afghanistan on Monday, during which he mentioned Pakistan as being "key to a stable Afghanistan."

During his Pakistan visit, the German Foreign Ministry said Maas is also expected to meet with members of Pakistani NGOs and visit a clinic for Afghan refugees. Maas said Tuesday in Islamabad that Pakistan would play "an important role" in the Afghan peace process. Read more: Germanyʼs Afghanistan military mission: What comes next?

"With the trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan we want to send a clear signal: Germany is standing by the responsibility it has taken on as the second-largest donor and troop supplier in Afghanistan," Maas said while in Afghanistan.

Read more: Pakistan clamps down on terrorist groupsʼ property and funds In a statement, the foreign ministry said that Pakistan was "decisive" in reducing tension in the entire region and preventing cross-border terrorism was a priority.

After 20 years in NATO, Poland still eager to please When NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg commended Polandʼs commitment to the alliance in Warsaw in early March, he struck a chord with Poles. "We are very grateful for the contribution Poland makes to NATO every day," he said. "Poland is a very committed ally, an ally which is contributing to our shared security, to our collective defense in many different ways," Stoltenberg added.

"And thatʼs something which we really welcome." An eager partner The praise is justified: Poland has been trying for years to position itself as a model member of NATO. The country spends 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense, participates in NATO foreign missions, such as in Afghanistan, and warmly welcomes the presence of NATO troops on its soil.

Paris okays proposed French-German parliamentary assembly French National Assembly president Richard Ferrand (pictured above) said Monday the chamber had approved the combined Franco-German parliamentary body conceived in January in Aachen — despite objections from Franceʼs radical left and far right. "Building such a unique parliamentary institution is a sign of the intensity of our relationship," said Ferrand, referring to Parisʼ and Berlinʼs renewal in Aachen in January of the Elysee Treaty, their 1963 post-war reconciliation pact.

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61/2019 • 13 March, 2019

ICC acquits former Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo Judges at The Hague-based court delivered the eagerly awaited decision on Tuesday morning, clearing 73-year-old Gbagbo of all charges of crimes against humanity over post-electoral violence.

Head judge Cuno Tarfusser said the court granted "the defence motions for acquittal for all charges for Mr Laurent Gbagbo," as well as his co-defendant, Charles Ble Goude. Tarfusser said that a majority of the three-judge bench found that "the prosecutor has failed to satisfy the burden of proof" against both men. Lawyers for the pair had asked judges to acquit them both over a lack of evidence at the end of the prosecution case in their trial that began just under three years ago. The 73year-old Gbagbo was the first former head of state to go on trial at the court in The Netherlands.

His case was seen as a milestone in efforts to bring high-ranking leaders accused of atrocities to justice.

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.

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Deadly cows prompt law change for hikers in Austria Farmers have been critical of a court decision ordering a farmer to compensate the womanʼs family

Austria is planning new policies to protect farmers after a woman hiker was killed by cows frightened by her dog.

Hikers roaming Austriaʼs picturesque Alpine pastures will have to follow a "code of conduct," the government said Monday, after a German tourist was trampled to death by cows. "We will lay out clearly in the code of conduct what is expected of people who use mountain pastures," Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a press conference in Vienna.

Read more: German city seizes pug, sells it on eBay The incident happened in 2014 in Tyrol when cows felt so threatened by a German hikerʼs dog

Berlin AG wants to get rid of fines for fare evaders Authorities in Berlin view fare dodging as a criminal offense punishable by a €60 ($68.6) fine. Local police filed 12,000 complaints over the issue in 2017 and more than 300 people are imprisoned every year for not being able or willing to pay the fines. The left-leaning mayorand other top officials have recently called for less drastic regulations, with some proposing to downgrade fare dodging to a mere administrative offense. Now, the Berlin attorney general wants to go a step further and "completely abolish" the crime of fare dodging. "We shouldnʼt waste resources for criminal

that they killed the woman. Austrian farmers have been enraged by an Innsbruckcourt ruling last monthordering the farmer who owned the cattle to pay hundreds of thousands of euros in damages to the 45year-old womanʼs family for neglecting to fence in the cows. "We donʼt want mountain pastures to be completely fenced off or closed. We therefore have to inform people about the behavior of wild and farm animals," Sustainability and Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger said. offenses where criminality is highly questionable," Attorney General Margarete Koppers told Berliner Morgen‐ post. Koppers is one of the most senior judiciary officials in Berlin, a 3.6million-strong city which is also considered one of Germanyʼs 16 federal states. Talking to the local daily, Koppers said downgrading the offense would pose "no relief for the judiciary."

Belgium vows to amplify EU voice on UN Security Council Belgiumʼs foreign minister says his country will use its temporary UN Security Council seat to make the EU

The year Trumpian disruption rocked German politics The image that sticks most in my mind from the uniquely disruptive political year that was 2018 is of Angela Merkel with Horst Seehofer on the balcony of the Chancellery building. The chancellor, a glass of white wine in her hand, has turned her back and is stalking away from her rebellious interior minister, as though he were a dog sheʼd just caught going through the kitchen garbage can.

The wind has ruffled her normally perfectly styled hair. She looks unhappy, tired, old. To be fair, Merkel had every reason to be a tad disheveled, having spent many a late night negotiating with Seehofer and her other coalition partners over one-stop holding centers for migrants, so-called "Anker" centers, versus transit centers —an issue that threatened for a few summer weeks to bring down her government and was immediately forgottenwhen a suitably face-saving compromise was found.

Nonetheless, this press photo was a disconcerting sight for anyone who has ever come close to the chancellor in person. Iʼve witnessed her testify for five straight hours in front of a parliamentary investigative committee only to decline with a confident smile when asked if sheʼd like a break. For Merkel stress was always like water off a duckʼs back.Until 2018.

more influential on the global stage.

Belgium and Germany are to scheduled to take up their seats on January 1. Belgium will use its two-year seat on the United Nations Security Council to bolster the European Unionʼs influence within the global body, Belgiumʼs foreign minister has said. Didier Reynders told Germanyʼs Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung news outlet that Belgium aims to help harmonize each EU member stateʼs diplomacy so that they "send the same message with different voices." Belgium will take up its temporary seat on the Security Council,the UNʼs highest decisionmaking body, along with Germany on January 1. "We have an important role to play in supporting multilateralism," Reynders said. "There is no better place for it than in the United Nations Security Council."

61/2019 • 13 March, 2019

EU finance ministers shelve plan to tax tech giants At a meeting of European Union finance ministers in Brussels, member states failed to agree a plan on the taxing of digital giants like Google and Facebook. They will try again in 2020.

At a meeting of European Union finance ministers on Tuesday in Brussels, governments scrapped a plan to introduce an EU-wide digital tax as some states opposed it, the Romanian presidency of the EU said. Romaniaʼs Eugen Teodorovici, speaking in a public session of a meeting of EU finance ministers, said there wasno agreement on the tax despite months of talks. He said ministers would focus on trying to reach a common position for the reform of digital taxation at a global level. The move is likely to be welcomed by digital giants such as Alphabet Incʼs Google

German train-delay 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.

and Facebook, which would have fallen under the scope of the proposed 3 percent levy. Meanwhile, a top US trade official said on Tuesday that the US was weighing whether to bring a complaint to the World Trade Organization against "discriminatory" new taxes on digital giants being planned

by EU nations, a top US trade official said Tuesday. "We think the whole theoretical basis of digital service taxes is ill-conceived and the effect is highly discriminatory against USbased multinationals," Chip Harter, a Treasury official and US delegate for global tax talks, said in Paris.

US demands Boeing make changes to 737 Max 8

US federal aviation authorities on Monday said they will order Boeing to make improvements to its 737 Max 8 following two deadly crashes in the past five months involving the new airliner, but did not ground the jet.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified Boeing that it anticipates design changes, including adding anti-stalling software and maneuvering system updates by April.

On Tuesday, the UK Civil Aviation Authority announced it was ground-

ing all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft until further notice as a "precautionary measure." Britain is the first EU country to suspend 737 Max 8 flights.

Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and Oman also announced temporary suspensions.

Read more: Boeing 737 MAX: Is the new airplane safe? It also said that Boeing will update training requirements and flight crew manuals. However, it did not order the grounding the 737 Max 8 jets in the United States.

Huaweiʼs plans in Lithuania under threat after spying allegations Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite made a working visit to China last November, and things started very well for her. She went to Chinaʼs first International Import Expo and said that her countryʼs companies could do more business in and with China. Grybauskaiteʼs Chinese hosts, which included President Xi Jinping, agreed. Chinese trade representatives in Vilnius were instructed by Beijing to start boosting ties with Lithuanian businesses interested in the Chinese market — among them companies producing laser technology, furniture, fish and dairy products.

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61/2019 • 13 March, 2019

Slovakia at an economic crossroads Slovakia reported the worst economic freedom results in Central Europe in 2018, falling to 65th in the latest Economic Freedom Index, published by the Heritage Foundation. "We have been below average for a long time," said Jan Oravec, president of the Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia (ZPS). As US tariffs threaten its car exports, slower growth undercuts budget revenues and organized crime revelations expose murky links to public officials, the so-called Tatra Tiger is asking itself some hard questions. The country has seen strong growth since it joined the EU in 2004, its economy closely linked — mainly via exports of manufacturing goods — with the German economy, where 23 percent of its exports end up. And while exports will be bolstered by production inNitra-based carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, as well as Bratislava-based Volkswagen, the economy passed its cyclical peak in 2018, when it grew at 4.3 percent, as the global downturn hit the exportoriented economy, as the Institute for Financial Policy (IFP) reported recently. The Finance Ministry last week revised its growth forecast for 2019 downwards. Compared with last September, it lowered its prediction by 0.5 points to 4 percent. "Weʼre making this revision based on the situation outside Slovakia, and not in Slovakia," said Finance Minister Peter Kazimír.

US sanctions Venezuela state oil firm PDVSA 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.

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VW reports €12 billion profit and plans 22 million electric cars in 10 years Germanyʼs Volkswagen announced a €12.15 billion profit for 2018, beating analystsʼ forecasts. The automaker also said that electric cars would play a major role in the future, as it continues to deal with ʼDieselgateʼ.

2019: The year after peak global growth After boom comes bust — few economists would disagree that this eternal rule of free market-based or capitalist economies is as true today as it was, say, 150 years ago. A similar consensus seems to be emerging in the profession about the current business cycle, which many say is nearing its end — in 2019, or 2020 at the latest.

At the time of writing though, the post financial crisis economic boom still seems well set on becoming the longest expansion in many countries.

If the American economy, for example, makes it past June 2019 without a recession, the recovery will exceed 120 months and become the longest expansion since US economic records were first taken in 1857.

Yet, global data trackers, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), are less optimistic about ongoing growth in the rest of the world.

The IMF, for example, thinks global growth plateauedat 3.7 percent in 2018.

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Volkswagen announced on Tuesday it had made a net profit of €12.15 billion ($13.7 billion) in 2018, beating analystsʼ forecasts. The profit comes despite huge charges linked to its "Dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal, and a difficult road ahead due to tough new pollution tests. The operating results of the main brand Volk-

swagen was €3.2 billion as opposed to last years €3.3 billion. All together VW sold 10.8 million vehicles around the world from its 12 brands, bringing in €235.8 billion, with revenues posting slower growth than profits. "We performed very well in spite of strong headwinds," chief executive Herbert Diess said in a statement.

Japanʼs Nikkei plunges after US economic turmoil

US warns Germany over use of ʼuntrusted vendorsʼ in 5G network

Japanʼs Nikkei index closed on Tuesday after tumbling by an unusually large 5.1 percent. Stocks in Shanghai and Taiwan also tumbled following heavy losses on Wall Street over PresidentDonald Trumpʼs attack on the US central bank. Tokyoʼs benchmark stock index hit a 20-month low as worries mounted over the US economy during a government funding crisis. On Monday evening, Trump shocked investor confidence by hitting out at the Federal Reserve, tweeting: "The only problem our economy has is the Fed. They donʼt have a feel for the Market, they donʼt understand necessary Trade Wars or Strong Dollars or even Democrat Shutdowns over Borders."

Although the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, was nominated by Trump, the Fed is not under the control of the White House, much to Trumpʼs consternation. The US economy has also been suffering from trade disputes Trump has started with China.

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The US has sent the German Economy Ministry a letter warning of the risks posed by using "untrusted vendors" in its 5G network. The letter comes amid tensions between Chinese telecom giant Huawei and the US. The United States on Monday warned Germany that sensitive communications could be compromised if "untrusted vendors" were used within its 5G telecom infrastructure, according to a Wall Street Journal report. US Ambassador Richard A. Grenell wrote to German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier on Friday, saying the participation of Huawei or other Chinese equipment vendors in the 5G project would mean the "US wonʼt be able to maintain the same level of cooperation with German security agencies," WSJ reported. Read more: Germanyʼs 5G: The bidders — and whatʼs involved "To the extent there are untrusted vendors in the networks of an ally, that could raise future questions about the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive communications within that country, as well as between that country and its allies," a US embassy spokesman said.

61/2019 • 13 March, 2019

A master of reinvention and his muse Picasso:

In his late years, Picasso shifted both his studio and his work, focusing on his second wife and muse, Jacqueline, and their home in South France, the Villa La Californie, as can be seen at the Museum Barberini.

One of the best-known artists of his time, the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso is at the center of a new exhibition in Potsdamʼs Museum Barberini.

Comprising 136 of his artworks on loan from his late wife, Jacqueline, and her daughter, Catherine Hutin, "Picasso: The Late Work," features several pieces which have never been seen by the public before. DW spoke to art historian Valerie Hortolani at the showʼs opening. Hortolani, together with Bernardo LaniadoRomero, director of the Picasso museums in Barcelona and Malaga for many years, curated the exhibition.

Thematically, the focus was on the

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 Picassoʼs "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.

last 19 years of his life, a time which he spent with his second wife and last partner Jacqueline. In this exhibition, we also wanted to put an end to (pre)judgments about this lesser-known late work by Picasso. His late works show a more jittery way of painting and come from a very masculine perspective, which drew a lot of criticism. We try to portray him as a contemporary painter. In the 1950s and 1960s, Picasso created his works at a time when a great deal was happening in international art, for example in connection with the emergence of Abstract Expressionism or Art Informel.

No Red Bull Air Race for Budapest in 2019

Ukraineʼs Eurovision contestant Maruv clouded by political scandal

Budapest Mayor István Tarlós has not authorised the organisation of the Red Bull Air Race in Budapest this summer – according to a statement just issued by the Mayor’s Office. Held annually in several major cities with notable landmarks for skyline backdrops, the Red Bull Air Race is Formula 1 in the air, presenting incredible stunt-flying spectacles performed by the world’s best pilots. Every year except one since 2003, Budapest has hosted the race, but now it seems that for 2019, the Red Bull Air Race will skip the Hungarian capital.

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is supposed to be a purely musical competition that transcends politics — a claim that has been spectacularly disproved in Ukraine this year. On Monday, the result of the Ukrainian national final was canceled, and Ukraineʼs participation in the ESC finale in Tel Aviv in May is now uncertain. Itʼs possible the eastern European country may have to cancel its appearance at the song contest for the second time since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukrainian winner dropped The bombshell came late on

Monday afternoon. State broadcaster UA Suspilne Movlennya announced that it would drop Maruv, the winner of the national final, after it was unable to reach an agreement with her.

The statement said there was "evidence of politicization" of the competition. It was initially unclear what would happen next. Maruv, 27, won the national final on February 23. Her raunchy performance of "Siren Song” garnered the most votes, both from the jury and from the viewers of the channel broadcasting the event, state broadcaster UA Pershiy.

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Culture

Hungary at a Glance (Published

by Scolar Publishing Company) look for it in bookstores It is a unique feature of the Carpathian basin that its relatively small area hosts an unparalleled variety of ethnic groups, religions and civilizations. This cohabitation gave birth to a common culture, while a truly multilayered nation was also formed.

For centuries the descendants of the founding Hungarian tribes lived alongside ancient peoples who preceded them and the people migrating here from neighbouring nations. Hungarians, Slovaks, Romanians, Serbs and Germans shared a common land here, just like the members of the different faiths – Catholics, Calvinists, Lutherans and Jews – did. Our book is a special project, as it tries to convey the colourful nature of Hungary and its people. This unique “guidebook” covers everything from history to cultural heritage, from the achievements of the arts and sciences to the extraordinary music scene. Although these pages will give you only a glance, we do hope that this glimpse will inspire real love for this country in all our readers.

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61/2019 • 13 March, 2019

Virus-hit Alexander Zverev knocked out of Indian Wells

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 JanLennard Struff 6-3, 6-1, who will now face Canadian 13th seed Milos Raonic. The match last barely an hour as Struff saved all four break points he faced to seal his first win over Zverev in five attempts. "I have been sick for a week. That hasnʼt changed unfortunately," Zverev, the world number three, said. "I think I just got unlucky, got a virus somewhere and thatʼs how it is."

The Open: Royal Liverpool to host major for 13th time in 2022

Royal Liverpool Golf Club will host the Open Championship in 2022. It will be the 13th time the Hoylake venue has hosted the championship, with Rory McIlroy winning on the last occasion it staged the event in 2014. Governing body the R&A said the 151st edition of the major will take place from 10-17 July. "We know that there will be tremendous excitement among golf fans at its return to Royal Liverpool," said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A. "Its famous links has a cherished history and has produced a revered group of champion golfers, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy most recently." Royal Liverpool returned to the Open rota after a 39-year gap in 2006.

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Toni Söderholm takes charge of German national ice hockey team Weeks after Marco Sturm left to pursue an opportunity in the NHL, the German ice hockey team have a new coach. Finnish coach Toni Söderholm has signed a contract that will take him through the 2022 Winter Games.

The German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) confirmed on Thursday what had been widely rumored for days;Toni Söderholm is the national teamʼs new head coach. "The decision was an easy one for us," DEB President Franz Reindl told a press conference in Munich. "He knows the system, he is predestined for international ice hockey. I am proud and am 100 percent certain that it will work out well with Toni." For his part, said he was "very happy" to have accepted the post. "The No. 1 job is to make the national team better and better. Söderholm, a former defenseman, is a relatively inexperienced coach, having only retired as a player in 2016 following a season at Red Bull Munich. Before turning professional, Söderholm spent four years playing US college hockey with the University of Massachusetts. As a pro he spent the bulk of his career at the club of his youth, Helsinki IFK, but also had spells in the top leagues in Sweden and Switzerland – where he learned to speak German.

Real Madrid captain charged with getting booked deliberately against Ajax Sergio Ramos:

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has played a key role in their three consecutive Champions League triumphs.

Sergio Ramos has been charged by Uefa with "receiving a yellow card on purpose" in Real Madridʼs Champions League last-16 first leg with Ajax. Ramos fouled Kasper Dolberg in the 89th minute with Real leading 2-1, meaning he is suspended for the second leg. Uefa opened an investigation into the Spaniard when, after the match,he told reportershe would "be lying if I said I didnʼt force [the booking]".

The case will be dealt with on 28 February. Ramos later clarifiedhis

post-match comments, saying: "I was referring to forcing the foul, a foul that was inevitable. Not to forcing the booking. "It was a very dangerous counter-attack in the 88th minute, with an open match and the tie as well." He added: "Thatʼs why I said that I would lie if I said I did not know that I was carrying a penalty, just as I knew that I had no other choice than to make a mistake.

And thatʼs what I meant when I said that in football you have to make complicated decisions."

LeBron James is first player in the NBAʼs top 10 all-time scoring and assists lists LeBron James became the first player to feature on the NBAʼs top 10 all-time scoring and assists lists in the LA Lakersʼ 110-105 defeat by Memphis Grizzlies.

Already the fifth highest scorer of all time, James, 34, moved into 10th place in assists with 11 on Monday night. With 24 points and 12 rebounds he also registered his 79th tripledouble to move up to fifth on that list.

But James criticised his team-mates

after a 31st loss of the season. "The last few years, everyoneʼs so accustomed to the losses that Iʼm just not accustomed to," said three-time NBA champion James, who joined the Lakers last July despite the team having failed to reach the play-offs since 2013. "I would never get comfortable with losing. If youʼre still allowing distractions to affect the way you play, this is the wrong franchise to be a part of and you should just come in and be like, ʼListen, I canʼt do thisʼ."