DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Belgium and Netherlands swap land in the New Year A new Dutch-Belgian border agreement has gone into effect, giving the Netherlands two peninsulas the size of 23 soccer fields. The discovery of a headless body prompted the border move to clear up jurisdictional issues. Alongside fireworks and champagne, the Netherlands and Belgium rang in the New Year with some new territory aftera revised border agreementbetween the European neighbors went into effect on Monday. The curious border situation centers on an area between the eastern Belgian municipality of Vise and the southwestern Dutch municipality of Eijsden that are split by the Meuse River. Over time, the riverʼs changing course meant that two uninhabited peninsulas that belong to Belgium ended up on the Dutch side of the river while a section of Dutch territory ended up on the Belgian side of the Meuse.
Berlin police arrest fleeing murder suspects at airport German police arrested a man and a woman at Schönefeld airport as the couple was trying to leave the country. The suspects were wanted over a murder after a body was discovered in Berlinʼs Wedding district. The 36-year-old man and the 27-yearold woman were detained while trying to fly to Turkey from Berlin Schönefeld airport, police said on Sunday. According to the authorities, the man had already garnered "significant attention" from the police over his connections to the drug scene in south Berlinʼs Kreuzberg neighborhood. The man and his female acquaintance were arrested on suspicion of murder, Germanyʼs federal police said. Officials launched the case after the body of a 55-year-old woman was discovered in Berlinʼs area of Wedding about a week ago.
1/2018 • 2, JANUARY 2018
Pope Francis bemoans 2017 as a year of war, lies and injustice He complained that 2017 had been squandered and abused
Bulgaria takes over EU presidency in turbulent times Bulgaria has taken up the rotating sixmonth EU Council presidency. The country, which is under monitoring by Brussels, must work hard to keep the bloc united amid a looming Brexit and unresolved migration issues. Taking over the EU presidency in the present times poses a serious challenge for Bulgaria.Ongoing Brexit talks, debates to establish a coordinated position onrefugee and migration matters, and preparations for the new EU budget from 2020 onward are just three of the most pressing issues to date. Bulgariaʼs minister for the EU presidency, Lilyana Pavlova, said that a successful presidency will require reaching political consensus, engaging in dialogue and reaching mutual understanding. Bulgaria will endeavor to maintain the unity and stability of the bloc, Pavlova said. But her country has additional objectives, too.
Likud Party calls for defacto annexation of West Bank settlements Amid tension over North Korea, Pope Francis has warned of the threat of nuclear war during his last service of the year. Pope Francis told the Catholic faithful that man-made ills, including wars, injustices and social and environmental degradation, had spoilt 2017. Speaking during the New Yearʼs Eve prayer service in St Peterʼs Basilica on Sunday, he said the year had been given "whole and sound" by God but "we humans in so many ways ruined it and hurt it with works of death, with lies and injustices." While war was the most obvious sign of "unrepentant and absurd pride," many other transgressions had caused "human, social and environmental degradation," he said. The popeʼs service included remarks about the brutality of nuclear warfare, and he distributed a photograph of a young victim of Nagasaki — the Japanese city on which the US dropped an atomic bomb shortly before the end of World War II. The image shows
the boy carrying his dead brother on his back to be buried. Francis’ comments follow a year of increased tensions between the US and North Korea over Pyongyangʼs testing of nuclear missiles. He is expected to address the issue again during his New Yearʼs Day Mass on Monday, which is dedicated to the theme of world peace. Despite the gloom, the pope said "gratitude prevails" thanks to those who "cooperate silently for the common good." He singled out parents and educators who try to raise young people with a sense of responsible ethics. He spoke of his gratitude to the residents of the city of Rome, who he said had performed many good deeds over the past year. "Even when these people donʼt generate any news, they make up the majority of the people who live in Rome," Francis said.
Hundreds of delegates from Likudʼs Central Committee voted unanimously to support the non-binding resolution. The move may prompt PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the target of a corruption probe, to call an early election. Israeliʼs conservative Likud Party passed a non-binding resolution Sunday, unanimously urging legislators to effectively annex Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank — land that Palestinians want for a future state. Such a move could accelerate procedures for the construction and expansions of settlements.
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1/2018 • 2, January 2018
Russia vetoes last-ditch bid to save probe into gas attacks in Syria Russia used its veto twice in 24 hours to deny a new mandate to the UN team looking into chemical weapon attacks in Syria. Moscow said it would not extend the mandate of the probe without fixing its "fundamental flaws." Tensions were running high in the UN Security Council on Friday after Russia vetoed a last-ditch motion by Japan to continue the UN-led investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria. The move comes only a day after Russiavetoed a separate US draft resolutionto extend the probe, and its own draft was in turn rejected by the US, UK, and France. Moscow has repeatedly criticized the findings of the UN-backed investigative body, dubbed Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) as biased and inaccurate. Last week, JIM released a report blaming the Syrian regime for the chemical attack which killed around 100 people in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April. Russia rejected it as "invented" and insisted that the body needed to reform.
Ousted Venezuelan opposition leader escapes house arrest, flees to Spain Ousted Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma has likened his escape to a film. He plans to take the fight against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro abroad. The ousted opposition mayor of Caracas arrived in Spain on Saturday after orchestrating a daring escape from house arrest in Venezuela. Antonio Ledezma landed in Madrid from Bogota, Colombia, where he arrived a day earlier after slipping across the border. He was greeted by his wife and two daughters who live in Spain. Ledezma said he planned to organize resistance from abroad to President Nicolas Maduro, under whose rule millions of Venezuelans have suffered from shortages of food and other basic supplies. "I am going to travel the world to spread the hope of all Venezuelans to escape this regime, this dictatorship," Ledezma said. The 62-year-old opposition figure was removed as mayor of Caracas and arrested in 2015 on allegations he sought to topple Maduro. He was later put under house arrest due to health issues. Ledezma was one of the opposition leaders who led protests against the government in 2014, which also resulted in the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. He remains under house arrest. 2
North Korea has completed nuclear program, US will never attack Kim Jong Un:
North Korea made significant strides in the development of its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs in 2017. In a New Yearʼs speech, the countryʼs leader said it can now start focusing on mass production. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Monday the country had completed its nuclear weapons arsenal in 2017, an achievement that would deter the United States from ever attacking it. "[The North] can cope with any kind of nuclear threats from the US and has a strong nuclear deterrence that is able to prevent the US from playing with fire," Kim said in a televised New Yearʼs Day speech. Tensions between the United States and North Koreareached new heights in 2017after Pyongyang conducted multiple nuclear and ballistic missile tests in violation of international
Argentina navy loses contact with submarine with 44 crew on board No one has heard from an Argentinian submarine for at least two days. While authorities initially insisted it wasnʼt missing, Argentinaʼs navy has stepped up its search efforts. Argentinaʼs navy lost contact with one of its submarines and its 44 crew members, it announced on Friday. Although the German-built ARA San Juan has been out of contact for two days, the navy initially did not consider it lost. "Itʼs not that itʼs lost, because to be lost, you have to look for it and not find it," the navy told a local broadcaster. However, after an initial search operation in the submarineʼs last known position, around 430 kilometers (267miles) off the southeastern
sanctions. In September,North Korea tested its sixth and most powerful nuclear warhead, and in November,it launched its longest-range missilethat it claims can deliver a nuclear strike anywhere in the continental United States. "The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and a nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a threat," Kim said. The Northʼs weapons, he added, "will be used only if our security is threatened" and will multiply as Pyongyang focuses on mass production of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles. Valdez peninsula, bore no results, Argentina said it was stepping up its search efforts and calling on allies for help. "We have not been able to find, or have visual or radar communication with the submarine," navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters at a news conference. "I donʼt want to dramatize the issue. Weʼre lacking communication and donʼt know what happened." The incident has formally been upgraded to a "search and rescue" operation, Balbi added.
Cambodia charges 2 journalists with espionage The arrests are the latest in a widening crackdown on media and the opposition in Cambodia ahead of elections next year. The move further
Australia shutters Papua New Guinea detention center Around 600 asylum seekers have refused to leave the facility, citing fears of attacks from locals. Australian lawmakers have warned of a "humanitarian emergency" when authorities in Papua New Guinea shut off the water. Private security staff at a controversial Australian detention center in Papua New Guinea left the facility for the first time in years on Tuesday ahead of its expected closure. The facility formed an integral part ofAustraliaʼs expensive offshore detention programknown as "Sovereign Borders." However, Papua New Guineaʼs Supreme Court ruled that the facility is unconstitutional and needed to be closed. Some 600 asylum seekers residing at the facility have refused to leave, saying the alternatives provided are less secure. Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the campʼs closure would proceed, and that the asylum seekers have access to temporary residences nearby. "All have been informed for a considerable period of time that there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," Dutton told Reuters news agency in an emailed statement.
strains ties between the United States and Cambodia. Two Cambodian journalists who worked for a US-funded radio station were charged with espionage on Saturday, the latest move in a widening crackdown on critics of authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Uon Chhin and Yeang Socheameta, former journalists of the Washington-based Radio Free Asia, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly providing information to a foreign power. The offense carries up to 15-years in prison. Radio Free Asiaʼs Phnom Penh bureau closed its office in September, citing "intimidation" and threats that it was violating tax and registration regulations. The Cambodia Daily newspaper reported the two journalists were accused of setting up broadcasting equipment in the capital and sending news reports to Radio Free Asiaʼs Washington bureau.
1/2018 • 2, January 2018
Afghanistan suicide attack: Kabul blasts kill dozens near media outlet Suicide bomb attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, have killed at least 40 people and injured some 30 others. The attacks were near a media outlet and a Shiite cultural center. A suicide bomber on Thursday blew himself up near the news agency Afghan Voice Agency, killing at least 40 people and injuring many others, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry said, adding that the toll might rise. The attack occurred at a Shiite cultural center located in the same building as the agency while a panel discussion on the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was being held there, the spokesman, Nasrat Rahimi, said. He said many of the vic-
US and Poland strike $10.5 billion missile defense deal The US has approved the $10.5 billion sale of a Patriot anti-missile system to NATO ally Poland. Eastern European NATO states have been ramping up their military capabilities in the face of perceived Russian aggression. In a move likely to irk Russia, the US and Poland agreed on Friday a major arms deal that could see the eastern European NATO member soon begin conducting air and missile defense operations. As part of the $10.5 billion (â‚Ź8.9 billion) sale, Poland is expected to receive 208 Patriot Advanced Capabilty-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 16 M903 launching stations, four AN/MPQ-65 radars, four control stations, spares, software and associated equipment. Made by US defense contractor Raytheon, the missiles are reportedly designed to detect, track and engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles and shortrange or tactical ballistic missiles. In a statement issued following the sale, the State Department said that: "A secure Europe capable of deterring air and missile threats and other forms of aggression promotes peace and stability within NATO and on the European continent."
tims were students who had been attending the event. Two other smaller bombs also went off at the center, though it is not clear whether they claimed any casualties. The Sunni extremist group "Islamic State" (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement posted by its propaganda outlet Amaq. The agency, however, offered no evidence for its claim. In its statement, Amaq alleged that the center was funded by Iran and propagated Shiite beliefs.
Turkey pushes for normalizing relations with Germany
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the push for formal charges against Yucel as he said Germany and Turkey were ready to "normalize relations." He also encouraged German tourists to visit Turkey. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the Turkish government was encouraging the judiciary to speed up anindictment against German journalist Deniz Yucelon Monday. Yucel, a correspondent for German newspaper Die Welt, has been in pre-trial de-
tention for more than 10 months without any formal charges. His detention has soured already tense ties between the two countries. Yucel was arrested in February on accusations of sedition and disseminating propaganda affiliated with terror groups. "I am also not very happy that the indictment is still not there. But we can only encourage the judiciary to speed up the process. We have done that already," Cavusoglu said in an interview with the German dpa news agency.
Austrian full-face veil ban comes into effect AustriaĘźs prohibition of full-face coverings has officially come into force. The government said the ban helps uphold Austrian values and promotes integration despite criticism from Muslim and refugee groups. People in Austria are now banned from covering their faces in public.
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1/2018 • 2, January 2018 Can the ad industry become sustainable?
A look at an entrepreneur who wants to revolutionize the ad industry. Andrea Henao is a former advertising executive who left the corporate world to found her own business — a boutique ad agency that vets its clients. ndrea Henao wants to change the ad industry. Two years ago, the Berlin-based French entrepreneur founded an ad agency that only works with sustainable brands. I met Henao in her offices, not too far from the Berlin’s notorious Alexanderplatz. The premises are decorated with second-hand furniture that she bought online, and art pieces collected and made with friends and colleagues. While showing me around, she shared the stories about the furniture and art. Henao understands the importance of stories. And she knows just how brands come up with stories that appeal to customers with certain values. With rising consumer awareness about environmental issues and labor practices, brands increasingly emphasize ecological footprint and employee working conditions. Unfortunately, ad campaigns do not always tell the truth — they exaggerate, embellish and lie. And this is something Henau wants to change. "We really believe that we are responsible for the ad that we promote, hence we promote exclusively sustainable brands," she tells me. The ad industry has yet to play a significant role in ensuring brands tell the truth.The onus to reveal false claims has generally fallen on activists, consumer groups and the media. But Henao believes advertisers can play a bigger role.
China sales behind German carmakersʼ rosy third quarter Strong vehicle sales in the wordʼs most important car market have been essential in enabling German carmakers to end their third quarters on a positive note. Their dependence on China is expected to increase further. Germanyʼs top carmakers would not have been able to present positive third-quarter results without a booming auto market in China, a study by consultancy EY showed Tuesday. It said China had long become the most important market for Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler, with one in three of their cars sold in the third quarter having gone to the Asian nation. To be more precise, the Chinese market accounted for 34 percent of Germanyʼs overall car sales between July and September, the highest ever rate logged so far. Back in 2010, only 23 percent of Germanyʼs quarterly car sales ended up in China. 4
How a hard Brexit could hurt Germany: Reckoning with the worst that may befall Despite the endless media coverage and fevered political rhetoric, no one yet knows for sure what is ultimately going to happen with Brexit. But should Germany really be scared of a messy outcome? Brexit means Brexit. At least thatʼs what UK Prime Minister Theresa May has told us several times.The problem with that is, 18 months on from the referendum, no-one seems to know what that crucial ʼBrexitʼ bit itself means. Hard, soft or medium-boiled? Rare or well done? Or, to borrow another impenetrable phrase of Mayʼs — a ʼred, white and blue Brexitʼ? With a year of difficult negotiations past and another one ahead, every outcome is still on the table, including what is surely the nightmare scenario for all parties —
Germany bans sale of childsnooping smartwatches A German regulator has banned the sale of childrenʼs smartwatches that have one-way monitoring functions. Officials said parents had been using the watches to listen in on teachers while their children were in class. Certain smartwatches for children can no longer be sold in Germany as some of these models are equipped with a "wiretapping" function, a regulator said on Friday Germanyʼs Federal Network Agency, orBundesnetzagentur, announced the ban saying that these watches can be classed as "unauthorized transmitters." "According to our investigations, parents were using the watches, for example, to listen in on teachers during class," said Bundesnetzagentur President Homann. Germany Germany bans sale of child-snooping smartwatches A German regulator has banned the sale of childrenʼs smartwatches that have one-way monitoring functions. Officials said parents had been using the watches to listen in on teachers while their children were in class.
Hotel Moments Budapest H-1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 8. T.: +36 1 611 7000 reservation@hotelmoments.hu www.hotelmomentsbudapest.hu
Norwegian wealth fund plans to divest of oil and gas Norwayʼs trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund is proposing to drop oil and gas companies from its holdings, saying it already has enough exposure to the industry and wants to protect against fluctuating oil prices. Oslo is set to decide in the fall of 2018 on backing a proposal from the countryʼs sovereign wealth fund —the worldʼs biggest— to cut oil and gas companies from its benchmark index. In a letter to the government, the Norwegian central bank, which manages the fund, said on Thursday that the move would make Norway "less vulnerable to a lasting decline in oil prices." "This advice is based exclusively on financial arguments and analyses of the governmentʼs total oil and gas exposure," the bankʼs deputy governor Egil Matsen said in a statement. "It does not reflect any particular view of future movements in oil and gas prices or the profitability or sustainability of the oil and gas sector," he added.
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that in March 2019, the UK leaves the EU, the customs union and the single market without a deal, or with one that significantly changes the status quo. Were that to happen, what would it mean for Germany? Europeʼs largest economy has been inextricably bound to the continentʼs second largest one for decades. A sundering is inconceivable. Yet out of a clear blue sky, it has emerged as a troubling reality that German business leaders, economists, trade unionist and industry representatives must face.
VW aims to block emissions audit in constitutional court
The German carmaker has lodged a complaint with Germanyʼs highest court, seeking to overturn a lower courtʼs ruling that it must appoint a special auditor to investigate its Dieselgate emissions scandal. Germanyʼs Constitutional Court on Friday confirmed media reports that Volkswagen (VW) was seeking to prevent the instalment of a special auditor to investigatemanagement actions during its diesel emissions scandal. A lower court appointed the auditor in November, in a victory for shareholder groups that want to establish whether VW bosses withheld market-moving information about the manipulation of emissions tests in VW vehicles. The court in the town of Celle ruled that VW could not appeal, which the auto maker views as a violation of its fundamental rights, according to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which researched the report together with public TV channels NDR and WDR.
1/2018 • 2, January 2018
New Yearʼs Eve: Are fireworks harming the environment? In some countries like Germany, itʼs not New Yearʼs Eve without a night sky full of fireworks
But how bad are these colorful explosions for our environment? And what are the health effects? Starting a new year can be costly. Germans, for instance, send €100 to 200 million ($240 million) up in smoke every New Yearʼs Eve, as spectacular fireworks displays light up the sky above villages and cities across the country. But the annual tradition also has an environmental cost, with each rocket releasing a toxic mix of chemicals and particulates into the air. "Each rocket consists of about 75 percent potassium nitrate, 15 percent charcoal and 10 percent sulfur," said
Günter Klein-Sommer, a chemist and pyrotechnist, speaking at a recent lecture on the chemistry of pyrotechnics at the University of Cologne. Depending on the desired effects, other components might be added, including copper, barium or strontium compounds. These end up coloring the fireworks blue, green or red. All of these chemicals require high amounts of energy to be produced, only to fizzle out in a few short seconds, critics have argued.
Teachers for AI — can robots create more jobs than they retire? While headway in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry has many worried about potential jobs losses, others see this as a perfect opportunity to nurture an economy that is completely human-based. Workers can spend anywhere from 5 minutes to 40 hours a week going through simple tasks on a smartphone, making AI all over the world more intelligent and efficient. By building platforms and crowd sourcing a large supply of workers, the companies that train AI were smart to realize the data needed could be processed by anyone with steady access to the internet. From this developed companies like Clickwork, Neurala,
and Alegion Inc., which utilize "human taggers" to push AI education. With over a million "clickworkers" signed up, thereʼs an estimated 100,000 people logged on at this very moment, sifting through droves of information and lending a human touch to robot training. "Staring at security cameras or an airport scanner, remote-controlling a robot, driving trucks up and down a mine did not exist as jobs until recently," says Massimiliano Versace, CEO of Neurala, "and will probably not exist as jobs occupying a full-time human as they are today. Humans were created to do much more complicated and elevated tasks than watching videos 24/7."
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Germany must allow third gender in registry of births, court rules An intersex person has won a court case to allow them to enter a third gender into the registry of births. The case was appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court after failing at lower levels. Germanyʼs Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday called for a third gender option in the registry of births. Intersex people, who are neither male nor female, should be able to register their sexual identity as such, the Karlsruhe court ruled. The court found that the general right to the protection of personality in Germanyʼs Basic Law meant the register had to be altered to allow a third gender. The court ruled seven to one that lawmakers must create new legislation by the end of 2018 to allow for a third sex, providing the examples of "intersex," "diverse" or another "positive designation of sex." Another possibility raised was to scrap gender entries altogether. "Assignment to a gender is of paramount importance for individual identity; it typically plays a key role both in the self-image of a person and in the way in which the person concerned is perceived by others. The gender identity of those persons who are neither male nor female is protected,"the court ruled.
Advent Feast at the Basilica November 24 - January 1
One of the ‘Best European Christmas Markets’ is a must-see event in the heart of Budapest Discover Hungary’s most acclaimed Christmas market: The Advent Feast at the Basilica is blending Central European traditions and modern attractions, turning the iconic St. Stephenʼs square into 3D cinema. For more details and information about the Advent Feast’s event schedule, check out thewww.adventiunnep.hu/enwebsite. Budapest 1051, Szent István tér Opening hours: MondayFriday: 11 am – 10 pm, SaturdaySunday: 10 am – 10 pm, and 10 am – 2 pm on December 24. Skating class hours: Friday from 2-8 pm, Saturday from 10 am – 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am -6 pm.
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Culture
New Hungarian film Aurora Borealis now screens in Budapest Becoming a mother is a miraculous time in a woman’s life. However, there are certain scenarios when the arrival of a newcomer is not entirely wonderful news. The new motion picture by eminent Hungarian director Márta Mészáros, Aurora Borealis, tells a touching tale, taking viewers back in time in Hungary and leaving them reaching for the Kleenex. The story has two timelines. One transports viewers back to a western Hungarian village in 1953, where a descendant of an aristocratic family, Ákos, falls for a village girl, Mari. They try to escape to Austria together, but unfortunately with no success, and after being harassed by soldiers, Mari has to start a new life alone and pregnant in occupied Vienna. The other storyline is in the present, unfolding the events through the recollections of old Mari, now a pensioner living in her old village. One day she gets a letter from Russia and falls into a coma. Her daughter Olga, a lawyer living alone in Vienna, comes back to care for her. Suspecting something about her mother’s past isn’t quite right, she starts investigating. This is only a fraction of the story, as anything else would be a major spoiler. However, even the trailer foretells that Olga’s dad might not be who she thinks after all.
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1/2018 • 2, January 2018
Serena Williams to return to tennis in Abu Dhabi
The former world number one will make her comeback this month after birth of her first child. The 36-yearold will take on the reigning French Open champion. American tennis star and former world number one Serena Williams is set to make her comeback on December 30 after birth of her first child. The 36-year-old will play her first competitive match in 11 months in the United Arab Emirates. Serena Williams will play an exhibition match on the final day of the Mubadala event on December 30, tournament organizers announced Sunday. The former world number one will take on reigning French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in Abu Dhabi. Williams has not played since hervictory in the Australian Open11 months ago. She gave birth to her first child, Alexis Olympia, in September.
Eleven Russian athletes banned for life for doping
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the offences were committed during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Further cases “cannot be excluded,” the IOC said. According to the IOC Disciplinary Commission, the athletes were also stripped of their medals and banned from future Olympic events. The list of banned athletes includes speed skaters Ivan Skobrev, a two-time Olympic medallist, and Tatyana Ivanova, who won a silver medal in Sochi. According to the IOC, the number of cases opened has reached 46. The committee said that it couldnʼt rule out the possibility of "new elements that would justify opening further new cases and holding more hearings." 6
Athletics doping: IOC confident over Russia doping reform plans International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach believes Russia will resolve its doping issues and field athletes at next yearʼs Rio Games. Russia was provisionally suspendedfrom world athletics after an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report alleged "state-sponsored doping". Bach met with his Russian Olympic Committee counterpart Alexander Zhukov to discuss the report. He said he was "confident" in the measures put forward by the ROC. Council members of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Friday voted 22-1 in favour of Russia being banned. As it stands, Russian athletes may not enter international competitions, including the World Athletic Series and Rio Olympics, which begin on 5 August next year. Russia will also not be entitled to host the 2016 World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary and the 2016 World Junior Championships in Kazan. "We are confident that the initiatives being proposed by the ROC, with the responsible international organisations - Wada and the IAAF - will ensure compliance as soon as possible in order to provide participation of the clean Russian athletes at the Olympic Games," said IOC president Bach.
Sandro Wagner joins Bayern Munich The Hoffenheim striker returns to his boyhood club for a reported fee of 12 million euros
Wagner, whose form under Julian Nagelsmann has put him in with a shot of a World Cup spot, said: "Iʼm coming back home."
What does Mario Gomezʼs return mean to Stuttgart? Usually there isnʼt a dry season in Stuttgart as the city receives moderate precipitation year-round but when it comes to goals, this December has been the driest of months for the Swabians. Zero goals in their last four games have amounted to zero points, leaving the team just two points away from the relegation zone. Last season the club relied heavily on striker Simon Teroddeʼs nose for goal. The player had four assists and scored 25 goals in 32 games,
becoming the top scorer in Germany’s second division. However, it has been a different story ever since Stuttgart’s promotion. Terodde, a striker with minimal top-flight experience, has only managed one assist and two goals in 15 matches this Bundesliga season. The club have announced Terodde is moving to Cologne, leaving a gap in Stuttgartʼs attack which they have quickly filled by signing their former striker Mario Gomez from Wolfsburg.