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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thailand: Boys soccer team lost in cave found alive A Thai provincial governor said 12 teenage soccer players and their coach whowent missing in a cave more nine days agowere found alive on Monday. Aninternational search effort, including experts from China, Australia, the US and Britain, had been ongoingsince the group went missing inside the Tham Luang Nang Non 10-kilometer (6-mile) underground cave complex. What we know so far Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said "Thai Navy seals have found all 13 with signs of life"Rescue workers have not yet been able to move the team A doctor will be sent in to check on themThe current plan is to drain all the flood water out of the cave before retrieving the teamAnmar Mirza, the US National Cave Rescue Commission coordinator, said many challenges are ahead for rescue diversMirza said the primary decision is whether to try and evacuate the boys

Belgium charges couple for allegedly plotting terror attack against Iranian group Belgian prosecutors suspect a married couple of "having attempted to carry out a bomb attack" at a conference of an Iranian dissident group, officials said on Monday. The 38-year-old man and the 33-year-old woman, both Belgian nationals of Iranian heritage, allegedly intended to target a militant group calledPeopleʼs Mujahedeen of Iran, also known as MEK.The controversial group, listed as a terror organization by the US from 1997 to 2012, held a summit on Saturday in the French town of Villepinte outside of Paris. Belgian police intercepted the couple ahead of the event and found about half a kilogram (one pound) of home-made explosives in their car, alongside a detonator.

149/2018 • 03 JULY, 2018

Emmanuel Macron replaces French ambassador to Hungary after pro-Orban comments He has been replaced although there is some confusion about timeline

The French ambassador to Hungary, Eric Fournier, came under fire after the publication of pro-Orban comments. rench President Emmanuel Macron fired his ambassador to Hungary after the publication of a document praising the harsh migration policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The public dispute came amid a deepening crisis in the European Union on how to shape the future of migration in the bloc, with the liberal policies of France and Germany clashing with conservative policies of countries such as Hungary and Poland. What the document saidAmbassador Eric Fournier wrote a memo to the Elysee that was published by French investigative siteMediapart, saying: Hungary was a "model" for dealing with migrants, which had "anticipated the problems posed by illegal migratory movements"Accusations of populism against the democratically-elected Orban were fabrications of the "Anglo-Saxon and French media"Media outlets were attempting to divert attention from the "real antiSemitism" coming from "Muslims in France and Germany" by accusing Hungary of anti-Semitism. When Macron was alerted to the publication at an EU summit in Brussels last week, he said Fournier would be fired if it emerged that that he had intended the comments to be published."(Orbanʼs) non-cooperative and national-

ist game is not only unworthy of what Europe has done, (...) but it is also deeply inefficient given the reality of these migratory phenomena. It wastes our time given that we will have to live with these challenges over the long term," he was quoted as saying

by French broadcasterBFM TV. An official government gazette later revealed Pascale Andreani would replace Fournier as ambassador. However thegazette, published on June 30, was dated June 28. Mediapart first published the Fournierʼs memo on June 29. Read more: EU leaders seek migration deal in Brussels Public spat: Macron has repeatedly clashed with Orban and other Eastern European leaders, accusing them of not respecting democratic values and refusing to take in migrants. Macron spent time at last weekʼs EU summit with the Visegrad group, which is led by Hungary, trying to bring them back into the EUʼs fold. The public spat would be seen as a victory for Orban.

Whatʼs happening with the migrant dispute? After a tense summit, the EU last week largely committed itself to strengthening its borders and cracking down on internal migrant movements. Details are vague but Germany, spurred on by adomestic political crisis, has led the charge in uniting EU members.

Mexico election: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wins presidential vote Mexican voters overwhelmingly backed Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador inSundayʼs presidential vote, with at least 53 percent of voters casting their ballot for the leftist candidate.

According to the first official projection, Ricardo Anaya of the conservative National Action Party (PAN) won between 22.1 and 22.8 percent, Jose Antonio Meade of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) between 15.7 and 16.3 percent, and independent candidate Jaime Rodriguez between 5.3 and 5.5 percent.

"Peace and tranquility are the fruit of justice," Lopez Obrador said as he pledged "a plan of reconciliation and peace for Mexico."

He is the first presidential candidate to receive more than 50 percent of the vote in more than three decades.

Germany prosecutes female ʼIslamic Stateʼ member for the first time For the first time, German authorities are prosecuting a female citizen for overseas involvement with the "Islamic State" group. Authorities have struggled to bring cases against female IS members, but the countryʼs attorney general has vowed to step up legal action against them. Morality police officer

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149/2018 • 03 July, 2018

EU opens legal case against Poland The European Commission launched legal proceedings against the Polish government on Monday, a day before many of the countryʼs Supreme Court judges are being forced into early retirement due toa controversial new law. Brussels and Warsaw have been at odds over the judicial reforms for two and a half years, with the European Union arguing that Poland is undermining "the principle of judiciary independence." "Given the lack of progress and the imminent implementation of the new retirement regime for supreme court judges, the Commission decided today to launch the infringement procedure as a matter of urgency," spokesman Margaritis Schinas said. Poland has argued that the law is a necessary reform to outdated regulations that go back to communist rule, but the EU has consistently maintained that it is an attack on democratic checks and balances.

Too expensive to die in Hong Kong Despite having an area of just 1,100 square kilometers, Hong Kong is home to 7.3 million people. This makes the Asian financial hub one of the worldʼs most densely populated and expensive cities to live in. In fact, Hong Kong retained its title of "worldʼs least affordable city" for the eighth consecutive time this year.

According to Demographia, an American research institute, it will now take an average income household more than 19 years to buy a place to live. That too, if they donʼt pay taxes and have no other expenses. It is not unusual for families to live in cramped "sub-divided" units where one flat is partitioned into several self-contained housing units. Also known as "coffin cubicles," these wooden boxes are no bigger than a twin-sized bed. These poor living conditions have made international headlines, which many find a stark contrast to the cityʼs affluent metropolitan image. Space is so limited in Hong Kong that it is not only unaffordable for the living, but now also for the dead. Hong Kong is facing a shortage of columbarium niches – spaces for storing urns that hold cremated remains of the deceased. Public columbarium niches cost around $330 (€283.72) apiece.

But with roughly 43,000 deaths each year over the past decade, and with the provision of only 500 spaces annually, families have to wait at least four years for an urn niche.

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Can Europe rescue Iran as Trumpʼs sanctions loom?

But the ability of EU partners to make a difference remains questionable

As US sanctions on Iran are set to resume, Iranian President Rouhani is visiting Europe in a bid to keep his country from economic isolation.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is visiting Switzerland and Austria this week as part of an ongoing effort to ensure European support for the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers that was undermined by the USʼ withdrawal from the deal in May. The Iranian delegation is also trying to find ways to limit damage from imminenteconomic sanctions announced by the USand maintain the best possible economic and trade relationship between Iran and international partners. Austria took over the Eu-

Medical exodus leaves Romania, Bulgaria in pain Florina Venera, an 11-year-old girl from the village Bunești, in Brașov county, central Romania, was diagnosed with bone cancer in her leg seven years ago. It was operated on at the time, but Florinaʼs mother, Adriana Rusu, is worried again because her daughter recently started complaining of pain in the leg. Florinaʼs last checkup was in 2014. Rusu says they now have nowhere to go to see if the girl is healthy. The family doctor in Bunești, who could refer Florina to an oncologist, quit last spring and since then there has been no replacement. Florinaʼs family, including her parents, two brothers and a baby sister, live in a single-room house in a part of Bunești where the streets are unpaved and thereʼs no gas supply. They live off so-

ropean Unionʼs rotating six-month presidency on Sunday and the nuclear deal was signed in the Austrian capital, Vienna, in 2015.

Switzerland represents US interests in Iran in the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. Time is of the essence, as the US is putting pressure on Iranʼs previous economic partners. Starting on August 6, Iran is to be barred from conducting transactions using US dollars and on November 4, it will be cut off from international payment systems. cial benefits and work odd jobs. To them, private healthcare is out of their reach. To see a doctor now, Rusuʼs family from Bunești would have to travel to Sighișoara, 30 kilometers (18 miles) away. Thereʼs no public transport from that part of Bunești though, so the only other option would be to hire a car at an average fare of €20 ($23) — a fortune for many of the locals.

Australia ends direct aid to Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said there was concern the PA was financing activities Australia "would never support." Australia will instead send its aid to the UN Humanitarian Fund for the Palestinian Territories. Australia on Monday announced it had ended direct

EU says US risks $294 billion hit over auto tariffs The European Union warned on Monday that up to $294 billion (€252 billion) worth of US exports could become the target of countermeasures if President Donald Trump remained serious about his threat to impose a 20percent tariff on cars imported from the EU. In a letter to US authorities, the European Commission, which handles trade policy for the blocʼs 28 members, said "up to $294 billion of US exports ... could be subject to countermeasures across sectors of the US economy." This was the equivalent to 19 percent of US total exports in 2017, it added. The EU executive underlined that European car companies were important contributors to the US economy and "well established" there. "In 2017, US-based EU companies produced close to 2.9 million automobiles, which accounted for 26 percent of total US production," it said. Also read:Canada hits US with retaliatory tariffs on metals, whiskey, maple syrup Pointing to sites in South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee — southern US states known for their unwavering support for Trump — the EU said its companies supported 120,000 direct and indirect US jobs in plants across the country.

aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) government over concerns the funds could be used to assist Palestinians convicted of political violence. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia would no longer be giving its yearly funding of A$10 million (€6.9 million, $7.5 million) to the World Bankʼs trust fund for Palestinian recovery and development. Read more: What would Donald Trump ending US aid mean for Palestinians? "I wrote to the Palestinian Authority on May 29, to seek clear assurance that Australian funding is not being used to assist Palestinians convicted of politically motivated violence," Bishop said in a statement. "I am confident that previous Australian funding to the PA through the World Bank has been used as intended," Bishop said. "However, I am concerned that in providing funds for this aspect of the PAʼs operations there is an opportunity for it to use its own budget to activities that Australia would never support," she continued.

149/2018 • 03 July, 2018

German government in Horst Seehofer limbo German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has threatened to resign over his CSU partyʼs rift over asylum policy with Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs fellow conservatives, the CDU. DW has the news as it happens.

The main points: Interior Minister Horst Seehofer offered his resignation as minister and as CSU leader on Sunday evening after accusing Chancellor Angela Merkel of failing to push through the CSUʼs demands on border control at a recent EU summitThe cornerstone of Seehoferʼs socalled "master plan" insists on refusing entry to migrants who have already been registered in another EU country The measure is seen by many as a breach of EU law and the Geneva Convention of Refugeesʼ RightsMigration policy and border control has

Belgium charges couple for allegedly plotting terror attack against Iranian group Belgian prosecutors suspect a married couple of "having attempted to carry out a bomb attack" at a conference of an Iranian dissident group, officials said on Monday. The 38-year-old man and the 33-year-old woman, both Belgian nationals of Iranian heritage, allegedly intended to target a militant group calledPeopleʼs Mujahedeen of Iran, also known as MEK.The controversial group, listed as a terror organization by the US from 1997 to 2012, held a summit on Saturday in the French town of Villepinte outside of Paris. Belgian police intercepted the couple ahead of the event and found about half a kilogram (one pound) of home-made explosives in their car, alongside a detonator. "We can say we arrested them just in time," Belgian federal magistrate Van der Sijpt told the AP news agency.

caused a deep rift between the governing conservative party, Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSUMerkel and Seehofer have met in the office of Bundestag president Wolfgang Schäuble, with Schäuble trying to mediate in the dispute All times in Central Euro‐ pean Summer Time (UTC+2) 19:51 German newspaper Westfälische Nach‐ richten comments on Seehoferʼs threat to resign, saying that the 68-year-old politician has placed himself "very close to making him a permanent object of ridicule."

Mali: French soldiers killed in attack

The upsurge in violence underscores the fragile security situation in the West African nationas it prepares to go to the polls on July 29. Sundayʼs attack occurred as an African Union summit opened in neighboring Mauritania, with security crises on the continent, including unrest in the vast Sahel region, high on the agenda. "We need to avoid a disaster like the one we experienced in Rwanda, and my personal opinion is that vigilance must remain in

place to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible not only for the good of Mali but also, for the good of the whole region," Ibrahima Thiaw, special advisor to the secretary-general of the United Nations told DW. "The borders are porous and the same people circulate through them. Therefore it is important that the situation is stabilized for the good of Mali, from the West African region and finally from all over the world," he further said.

Germany set to deport alleged bin Laden bodyguard German officials said on Monday that they had detained a 42-year-old Tunisian man alleged to have served as a bodyguard to the former head of terror group al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden, and were planning to deport him back to his homeland. His case had caused a public outcry in Germany in recent months when it was reported that the man, identified as Sami A.,could not be deported despite being seen as a security threat because a court had ruled that he could face torture in Tunisia.

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149/2018 • 03 July, 2018

Interpol seeks arrest of Indian diamond merchant Nirav Modi Interpol said on Monday that it had issued a red notice for the arrest of Indian billionaire Nirav Modi. The jeweler, believed to be connected to a major bank scam, is thought to have fled last month to the UK, where he reportedly claimed asylum. A red notice is a "request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition," according to Interpol, though countries must volunteer to do so and are not legally obliged to follow it. The state-backed Punjab National Bank (PUB) in India claims that Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi defrauded them of about $1.8 billion (€1.54 billion). Modi, 47, is known for his personal brand of diamond jewelry, which caters to such celebrity clients as Naomi Watts and Kate Winslet. His Nirav Modi Global Diamond Jewellery House has several retail locations around the world and his personal wealth is valued at around $1.73 billion, making him the 85th richest Indian according to Forbes magazine. His sudden disappearance last month sparked a national outcry. Although he is not related toIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, some have accused the leader of helping the jeweler flee. Nirav Modi has been charged with money laundering, something his lawyer has said he vehemently denies.

The never-ending story of Germanyʼs ghost money Nostalgia can be a powerful temptation. But the dozens who line up each morning at Germanyʼs central bank, the Bundesbank, are perhaps among the less sentimental. A smorgasbord of the elderly, young mothers with children in tow and students, they have one thing in common and more often than not itʼs hidden inside a heavy bag. Nearly 28 years after the complete demise of the East German mark and 16 years after the introduction of the euro, these people are patiently waiting to hand in some of the billions of old deutschmarks still in circulation. Read more: German banker takes 6 months to count 1.2 million inheritance pennies by hand Today German marks are travel souvenirs, bits of history forgotten at the back of a drawer or still stashed in safety deposit boxes. Most assuredly, marks are not an old-fashioned alternative to cryptocurrencies.

Yet with so much of the cash still out there, many more Germans are holding onto the old currency than will probably ever own bitcoin, the most famous digital asset.

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Thyssenkrupp agrees to Tata merger to become Europeʼs second-biggest steelmaker One of Germanyʼs oldest industrial giants has agreed to a merger deal with one of Indiaʼs biggest steelmakers. Thyssenkrupp sought the deal as a way to overcome challenges caused by cheap Chinese steel.

Trumpʼs China trade dispute: Is it a war for tech supremacy?

US President Donald Trump is set to step up his trade war with Beijing bybanning Chinese companies from investing in US technology firms, and by blocking tech exports to China. The Wall Street Journal on Monday cited unnamed White House officials as saying the plan will be announced later this week, to head off Chinaʼs ambitious plans to close the technology gap with the West in 10 key sectors. Despite US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin later saying the plans were "not specific to China, but to all countries that are trying to steal our technology," the move was widely seen as aimed at Beijing. The Made in China 2025 initiative, which was first unveiled in 2015, seeks to turn the country from the worldʼs factory into a global technology leader, including in biotech, robotics, aerospace and clean-energy cars.

Hotel Moments Budapest H-1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 8.

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Thyssenkruppʼs supervisory board signed off on Friday on a planned merger of the companyʼs steelmaking business with Indiaʼs Tata to create the second-largest steelmaker in Europe.

"Itʼs good news for steel and trailblazing for our future," Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe boss Andreas Goss was quoted as saying by the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung and Welt am Sonntag newspapers. Read more: Thyssenkrupp steelworkers back merger with Tata Steel The two firms will each have a 50

percent share in the new company called Thyssenkrupp Tata Steel, which will be headquartered in the Netherlands and employ 48,000 people at 34 sites worldwide. "With this merger weʼre in a better position ― through better access to customers and regions," Goss said. Executives hope the move, conceived to help both companies weather a global steel glut caused by massive Chinese production, will create up to €500 million in savings ($585 million).

Dip in Chinaʼs CO2 emissions sparks cautious optimism

Tesla finally hits Model 3 production target

China is the worldʼs top CO2emitting nation: its carbon dioxide emissions have grown enormously over recent previous decades, and now make up nearly one-third of the global total. Now, a study finds that the country may already have passed peak emissions:carbon emissions are decreasing. Chinaʼs CO2 emissions have gone down every year from 2014 onward, according to a research team from China, the United Kingdom and the United States. That amounts to a drop of 4.2 percent from 2014 to 2016, they reported Monday in Nature Geoscience.

This emissions drop is coming much sooner than other scientists had predicted: British researchers, for example, had expected peak emissions not to occur before 2025.

The decline might not seem too much: 9.2 gigatons of CO2 in 2016, compared to 9.53 gigatons in 2013.

But this is a hopeful sign regardless, the researchers write.

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US carmaker Tesla produced 5,000 Model 3 electric sedans in the last week of its second quarter, with the final car rolling off the assembly line on Sunday only a couple of hours after a deadline set by CEO Elon Musk. The chief executive confirmed in an email to workersthat the firm hit its manufacturing target of 5,000 Model 3s per week. "It was pretty hectic", said one worker who described the scene as "all hands on deck." Another employer said the Fremont, California-based factory was in a state of "mass celebration" after the 5,000th car was made.

All production issues fixed? "I think we just became a real car company," CEO Elon Musk said in his email seen

by Reuters. The firm hit the Model 3 markwhile also achieving its production goals of 7,000 Model S and Model X vehicles in a week. After repeatedly pushing back internal targets, Tesla vowed in January to build 5,000 units of Model 3s per week before the close of the second quarter to demonstrate it could mass-produce the battery-powered sedan.

149/2018 • 03 July, 2018

Depictions of disasters in art Nature gone wild:

Hamburgʼs Kunsthalle new exhibition, Nature Unleashed: The Image of Catastrophe since 1600, is dedicated to artwork that has visually grappled with the topic of catastrophes ever since the early 17th century. Contemporary works are also part of the show.

But why has man always taken pleasure from pictures that show misfortune, tragedy and suffering? Why is it that natural disasters so entirely captivate an onlooker? "Representations of catastrophes emotionally involve the viewer, making him or her become emotional and stirring feelings of compassion," explains Markus Bertsch, curator of the exhibition in Hamburg. A disasterʼs

On an early summerʼs evening in Berlin, a growing crowd of crows (a "murder", if you will) are gathering, somewhat ominously, around two large trees in a small park. There are possibly 100 or more of them, but they donʼt seem happy. They are cawing and squawking loudly as they fly around, circling each other, a growing urgency in their cries. After the lengthy conference, they fly off together into the distance, the mystery of the crow cacophony no clearer.

What could explain such behavior?Despite the "bird-brained" misnomer, crows — and other members of the Corvidae family, such as ravens, rooks, jays and magpies — are intelligent creatures. Various studies have shown their ability to develop and shape their own tools for gathering food, recognize individual human faces and even learn modes of human speech.

Purple paradise: check out this lavender field just outside Budapest

magnetic pull "Each person maintains a certain basic interest in catastrophes. They have a sort of magnetic effect. But after a specific point, the moral principles come into play," Bertsch says. The curator adds that thatʼs the reason why most people first look atnews, photos or videos of catastrophes, even if they actually donʼt want to, before they decide to turn away from the topic.

A unique nature insurance policy aims to preserve Mexicoʼs Great Mayan Reef "Welcome to my office," shouts guide Herlan to his crew of tourists before diving into the crystal clear waters off Mexicoʼs Caribbean coast. This 35mile (60-kilometer) stretch of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is among the attractionsdrawing millions to the booming Riviera Maya tourism hub in Mexicoʼs Yucatán Peninsula, generating around $10 billion (€8 billion) annually and contributing nearly 8 percent of Mexicoʼs GDP. Mass tourism to towns Cancún and Playa del Carmen in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, though making money, has also degraded the regionʼs

The killing of a sacred crow

reef. The 600-mile Mesoamerican Reef stretches down to Honduras, and is the second-largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef off Australia.

The United Nations World Heritage Committee recently removed the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System from the list of world heritage sites in danger, after determining that Mexicoʼs southern neighbor had effectively safeguarded its section of the reef by checking oil extraction and unsustainable development.And despite the impacts of tourism on the Mexican portion of the Great Mayan Reef, this is not the only threat.

Forget Provence. A sweeping perfumed purple lavender field awaits just outside of Budapest. Hues of indigo and mauve mingle in the rolling rows, where an afternoon stroll is a special experience. This splendid place is by the foot of Nagy-Kevély Hill at Pilisborosjenő, half-an-hour from the capital. While Hungary’s number one lavender destination is Tihany by Lake Balaton, this fragrant field is a close second best to treat your senses to this year’s epic bloom. And if you take a few examples home, you’re only helping out a friendly family. But if you can’t be here, enjoy our lovely photo gallery.

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Culture

From capers to yuzu – Budapest’s best gin and tonics A G&T is always a good idea. It’s a drink with a long and interesting history: alcohol flavoured with spices and juniper berries was first created in the Low Countries and conquered today’s Holland and Belgium. In the 1700s, the English took a shine to it and there were times when gin consumption in London was out of control. Prohibited in the past, gin is an indispensable part of modern bar culture today. Gin is best mingled with tonic, but more spices and a sprinkle of magic make it it the perfect summer drink. See where to find the best G&Ts in Budapest.

Barside BeefBar Budapest Bestia GoodSpirit Whisky & Cocktail Bar Impostor & Baotiful St. Andrea Wine & Skybar St. Andrea goes hand in hand with premium wines and top-notch gastronomy, but here we focus on its bar culture. In the repertoire of the Wine & Skybar on Vörösmarty tér, the cocktails, premium drinks and the best wines and champagnes share equally importance. You might be offered a mixed drink first blessed with a touch of Kaiken malbec wine before it is poured into a big glass, augmented with ice then drowned in BCN gin and Peter Spanton lemongrass tonic.

The whole concoction is made complete with some rosemary in the end. The colour is pretty pink and the flavour divine.

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149/2018 • 03 July, 2018

Robert Lewandowski in Niko Kovac’s Bayern Munich plans

When it came to his own personal ambitions, Kovac claimed his previous experience would give him a "slight advantage”. "Iʼm hoping to repay the faith Bayern have shown in me,” said the 46-year-old, who won the league and cup double in his final season in Munich. "I know how they think and I know what it takes to be successful here. My aim is to get the very best out of every single player.

Weʼll have to see what comes out of that. At the end of the day, weʼre here to win titles.” Bayern will kick off their pre-season preparations later this month. Kovac will, however, be without his World Cup stars who wonʼt start training until 25 July. As a result, they will all miss out on Bayernʼs tour of the USA at the end of the month.

Roger Federer returns from hiatus in search of 21st major title

Roger Federerʼs strategy ofskipping the clay court seasonin order to focus on the grass, his strongest surface, has helped extend the career of the gameʼs most decorated man. He skipped Roland Garros last year and it paid off, returning to win his eighth Wimbledon title. The Swiss is hoping he can pull off the same trick again this time around. But, this year, the defending champion heads to south west London after a surprise defeat in three sets to 21-year-old Croatian Borna Coric in the final of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle last week.

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Is eSports about to be recognized as a sport in Germany?

Politicians in Germany are mulling recognizing eSports as a sport. Their decision would have wide-ranging repercussions in the gaming industry in the country and further legitimize the digital sport phenomenon. eSportsʼ continued growth has pushed competitive gaming ever-more into the public eye. This has sparked a debate about gaming’s role within German society, and whether eSports should be officially classified as a sport. And it is looking increasingly like it will. Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs grand coalition of her Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) agreed to recognize eSports as a sport as part of the coalition agreement they reached earlier this year.

However, the legislation necessary to do so has not yet been passed. "eSports were long considered a niche topic, generally only discussed by experts. It has now reached a tipping point where it has become a meaningful topic to all of society and cannot be ignored," Konstantin von Notz, deputy chair of the opposition Green Party in the lower house Bundestag said.

Tour de France champion Chris Froome cleared in doping row Froome hopes to win the prestigious French tour for a recordequaling fifth time in July

The British cyclist has been cleared following an investigation into the alleged misuse of an asthma drug.

Four-time Tour de Francechampion Chris Froomehas been cleared of a potential anti-doping violation by the ruling body UCI and could now be able to compete in the prestigious French race, which starts in less than a week. The Team Sky cyclist has been under a cloud since he was found to have twice the permissible

amount of asthma drug Salbutamol in his system during Septemberʼs Vuelta a Espana,which he won.

"The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) confirms that the anti-doping proceedings involving Mr Christopher Froome have now been closed," cyclingʼs ruling body announced.

LeBron James to sign with LA Lakers, leaves Cleveland Cavaliers One of the NBAʼs greatest players will leave his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time in eight years. James has appeared in eight consecutive finals and won three.

StarNBA basketball player LeBron Jamesis set to sign a four-year $154 million (€132 million) contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, his representatives announced in a Tweet on Sunday night. "LeBron James, four time

NBA MVP, three time NBA finals MVP, fourteen time NBA All Star, and two time Olympic gold medalist has agreed to a four year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers," the Tweet by Klutch Sports Group read. James can ink the contract as early as Friday. He will again be departing the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown team, to join one of the NBAʼs most storied franchises.