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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thousands petition to move ʼbulliedʼ ape Bili out of Germany

Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have signed two petitions calling on a German zoo to return Bili, a bonobo ape who was being "bullied" by fellow apes, to the United Kingdom. The petitions, which have gathered more than 400,000 signatures, call on the authorities at the zoo in the western German city of Wuppertal to release Bili to an ape sanctuary in the UK. Bili was born in the UK is 2008 and was brought to the Wuppertal zoo from Frankfurt last November in the hope of finding him a mate. But his integration into his new home has not gone as per plan.

Strike shuts Belgian airspace, paralyzes public transport

All flights in and out of Belgium have been canceled until Wednesday night as public transport workers went on a 24-hour strike. All sectors, from public transport to rubbish collection, postal services, hospitals and commercial centers have been affected. Belgiumʼs air traffic control authority said on Tuesday it was forced to close the countryʼs airspace between Tuesday 10 p.m. CET (2100 UTC) and the same time on Wednesday. The strike in the country that hosts many EU institutions and NATO was called by unions seeking higher wages. The strike comes in response to a collapse in wage negotiations. The trade unions rejected a proposed increase of 0.8 per cent for 2019­2020, arguing that it was too low.

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Brexit Diaries 52: Britainʼs on the highway to Hell Brexit Diaries 52:

Were kicking the can down the road an Olympic sport, Theresa May would have a gold medal. Plus, Captain May aims for the iceberg, Leavers are hurt by Donald Tuskʼs words, and more in this edition of DWʼs Brexit Diaries. "We now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this House requires," Prime Minister Theresa Maytold the House of Commons. She did not say "and by the way we will force the European Union to accept our changes to the Brexit deal," but Parliament knew what she meant. Captain May is attempting to inspire the crew of her Titanic to remain steadfast. The logic seems to be that if everyone on the ship keeps staring at the iceberg, it will decide to move out of the way. This seems to a most reasonable course of action withthe Brexitjust over six weeks away. May, apparently well­trained in the Olympic discipline of kicking the can down the road, appears to be fixated on winning the gold medal. "Itʼs not running down the clock," Andrea Leadsom, the Conservative leader of the House, said, defending her prime minister. In the Tory imagination, even waiting until the last week of March would still give

g MPs ample time to endorse Mayʼs deal. Thatʼs not how they see things in Brussels, alas. "Something has to give," Michel Barnier, the European Unionʼs chief negotiator, said on Monday. But it surely will not be May. May has gotten creative since dramatically losing a vote on the Brexit agreement in January — extremely creative. What May has now presented is an imaginary Brexit deal. Would MPs vote for a divorce agreement with the European Union that did not contain any kind of regulation for the Irish border? In other words: Would they say yes if the word "backstop" were replaced by "alternative arrangements"? The best thing about alternative arrangements, of course, is that everybody can make up their own. Lawmakers sided with May this round, and she pledged to go back to Brusselsand bring back a better deal.

EU members and leaders agree on compromise for Nord Stream 2 The EU parliament and its Council are set to adopt new regulations on gas pipelines connecting the bloc members with non­EU countries, the EU Commission announced early on Wednesday. The upcoming directive is based on a compromise between EU member states and EU officials in Brussels. The bloc leaders agreed to tighten Brusselsʼ oversight of gas delivery and expand its rules to all pipelines plugging into the EUʼs gas distribution network. "The new rules ensure that… everyone interested in selling gas to Europe must respect European energy law," EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said in a statement. Read more:Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline — What is the controversy about? For example, owners of pipelines linking EU and non-EU countries would also be required to allow access for their competitors. Brussels would also have more power regarding transparency and tariff regulations.

Nazisploitation or arthouse cinema? Charlotte Ramplingʼs taboo­breaking roles In a career spanning five decades, Charlotte Rampling has performed in more than 110 film and TV roles, working in English, French and Italian. Younger generations might recognize her from popular TV series such as Dexter, while fans of European cinema know sheʼs won different lifetime achievement awards and acting accolades for her recent film roles including 45 Years (2015) and Hannah (2017).

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38/2019 • 14 February, 2019

US and Asian nations launch ʼCobra Goldʼ military exercises The opening ceremony for the annual Cobra Gold maneuvers launched the biggest exercise of its kind in the AsiaPacific region, with 29 nations taking part as participants or observers over ten days until next Thursday. In addition to Thailand and the US, seven other nations are actively participating: Singapore, Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea. About 4,500 US personnel, on land and sea, are taking part. The exercises continue until February 22 and are made up of three major components: military field training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training. Read more: Can China rival the US Navy in the Pacific? The goals include "enhancing maritime security, preventing and mitigating emerging disease threats, and responding to large­scale natural disasters," a US statement said. Acting head of the US diplomatic mission in Thailand, Peter Haymond, said on Tuesday at the ceremony in the northern Thai province of Phitsanulok that the aim of the exercises, first held in 1982, was to strengthen cooperation and inter-operability. The maneuvers come as US President Donald Trump suggested that South Korea had agreed to pay $500 million (€440 million) to share the costs of keeping about 28,500 American troops on South Korean soil. "They were paying about $500 million for $5 billion worth of pro­ tection," Trump said at a cabinet meeting in Washington on Tuesday. "And we have to do better than that. So theyʼve agreed to pay $500 million more." Australia to reopen Christmas Island refugee detention camp

Australiaʼs Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Wednesday the reopening of the Christmas Island immigration detention center. The center, located on the Indian Ocean, held thousands of migrants and had closed down in 2018. It was the scene of vio­ lent protests, with detainees denouncing harsh conditions. Morrison made the decision to reopen Christmas Island just prior to the passing ofnew legislation in Parliamentto give sick asylum seekers easier access to mainland hospitals. The prime minister based his decision on the assessment of the countryʼs security agencies, which had warned in December that like the one approved on Wednesday would result in an increase in asylum seekers heading to Australia. 2

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez expected to call for snap election

The ruling socialist party currently leads, with 30 percent approval from voters

Facing impending defeat on a budget vote, Spainʼs government will likely announce fresh elections, to take place in April. Spainʼs Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the leader of the countryʼs minority Socialist government is set to announce on Wednesday whether or not he will call for an early general election. The decision follows tough negotiations for a new budget, which will be up for a vote in the Spanish parliament on Wednesday. In a tweet, Sanchez had said he expected both right­wing and pro-independence lawmakers to vote against his budget. "They both want

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 left­leaning 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

2018: 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 one­stop holding centers for migrants, so­called "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 face­saving 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.

g g y the same: A divided Catalonia and a divided Spain," he said. Sanchezʼs government has so far refused to ne­ gotiate Catalan self-determination and as a result, the regionʼs two small pro­independence parties have rejected his budget legislation. Addressing the impasse with Catalan parties, Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero told parliament that the Spanish government would "not give in to blackmail" over the budget.

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 3.6-million­strong 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

y more influential on the global stage. Belgium and Germany are to scheduled to take up their seats on January 1. Belgium will use its two­year 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."

38/2019 • 14 February, 2019

North Macedonia name change enters force The process of changing the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedoniaʼs name has come to an end. Athens and Skopje first agreed on the name change in a landmark deal in June 2018. TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has formally renamed itself the Republic of North Macedonia, the government in Skopje said on Tuesday. The amendment that changed the countryʼs name became law with its publication in the official gazette, a month after the parliament approved the move. North Macedonia also formally notified the United Nations about the name change, the government said. The move ends a long-running dispute between North Macedonia and its southern neighbor, Greece,

Sweden to end months without a government Sweden looked set to finally resolve four months of political deadlock on Wednesday and allow Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to take a second term in office. The Left party said it would abstain in a crucial vote on Friday, clearing the way for Lofven and his patchwork coalition. Lofven, leader of the Social Democrats, has been leading a caretaker government sinceelections on September 9 yielded inconclusive results. Although the Social Democrats won the most votes, their 31.1% support left them grappling to form a coalition in a country with eight mainstream parties and proportional representation. These problems were compounded by the fact that most other parties wanted to govern without the support of the Left andthe farright Sweden Democrats, who are rooted in Norwegian white supremacist circles. But the Social Democrats have managed to pull together an unusual union of the left and right wing by gaining the support of the Greens, Liberals, and the Center party. In doing so, however, Lofven has had to promise to take his traditional center­left party to the right.

g and has opened a path for Skopje to join the NATO military alliance and the European Union. Athens had blocked its northern neighbor from joining either bloc because it claimed "Macedonia" and the nameʼs historical associations for one of its northern provinces. Greece only allowed Skopje to join the UN in 1995 as the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," a reference to the countryʼs former membership of Yugoslavia.

ʼTime running out for Nicolas Maduro,ʼ Venezuelaʼs Juan Guaido tells

Juan Guaido,the self­declared interim president of Venezuela, says he wants to "put an end to usurpation, form a transitional government and make free elections possible." It is his job, Guaido told DWʼs Oscar Schlenker, to keep on pushing for this process. Asked whether he sees himself as Venezuelaʼs next president, he responded: "We will see who will run inthe free elections." There is still a long way to go before free elections, however.The power strugglebetween the 35-yearold Guaido and President Nicolas Maduro may have reached a crucial

y stage. Many people fear the opposition will run out of steam, that it will not be able to keep up the pressure on the streets or that the international community will soon turn to another trouble spot if it sees no development in Venezuela. Nevertheless, Guaido is confident his side will prevail in the end. "Time is running out for Nicolas Maduro, a government that has no future, no ideas and no support in the population," Guaido said, adding that Maduro faces "a movement that is growing, and we will not retreat and postpone a process that is inevitable."

Fatal train accident closes Denmarkʼs Great Belt Bridge Six people were killed and 16 others injured on Wednesday morning after a train accident on a bridge linking the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen. A initial investigation by Denmarkʼs Accident Investigation Board showed an empty lorry trailer had blown off a cargo train wagon onto the oncoming tracks. The trailer probably overturned or was blown off the freight train, said accident investigator Bo Haaning. It rammed an oncoming passenger train either frontally or laterally, causing it to brake suddenly, he said. 3

38/2019 • 14 February, 2019

Germanyʼs minimum wage is barely above the poverty line At about €1,500 ($1,700) per month gross for full­time workers, Germany has one of the highest minimum wages in the European Union. And itʼs rising: As of January 1, employers are required to pay their workers at least €9.19 per hour, a 35­cent raise. Compared with their counterparts in other EU nations, Germanyʼs minimum wage workers seem to do fairly well in sheer numbers. Luxembourgʼs minimum wage, for instance, may be higher, but Germanyʼs is far closer to the top of the list than it is to the bottom. DW has analyzed the income that full­time minimum wage workers take home each month in the 22 EU countries that have minimum wage policies in place, using numbers from 2017. Though the data are complicated, the research question was simple: In which countries are workers vulnerable to poverty even though they have full­time jobs? With the previous minimum wage of €8.84 per hour, a single adult without children in Germany could expect to take home €1,110.50 a month after taxes and social contributions, according to DWʼs calculations — or about €14.50 above Germanyʼs official poverty threshold. Adults are typically considered vulnerable to poverty by the European Union if they have an income of less than 60 percent of their countriesʼ median income. The median income is the income level that is exceeded by half of the population and not reached by the other half.

German online shoppers are serial returners German shoppers return roughly 12 percent of online purchases, a new poll by digital industry association Bitkom shows. Two years ago, the figure was 10 percent. One­third of shoppers said they send back every tenth item, 14 percent admitted to returning a quarter of all purchases. "The share of returns is extremely high and rising steadily, especially in certain sectors, like the fashion industry," says Julia Miosga, who heads Bitkomʼs trade and logistics department. The 14 to 29-year-olds are the worst offenders, with a hefty 18 percent of purchases being returned. Overall, women return 15 percent of items bought online, men only make up 9 percent of the total figure. Retailers are increasingly looking for ways to make it easier to buy the right product and size online by giving more detailed information – specifically about clothes – via chats, product descriptions, 360 degree pictures and videos. Some also reward honest feedback with vouchers and discounts. 4

3 examples of German­Indian environmental cooperation The German-Indian environment forum opens in New Delhi on Wednesday to tackle environmental issues together. DW looks at several areas where the two countries have already begun working together. India is changing quickly. Its economy is growing, its industry continues to develop and its need for electricity is increasing, with more and more people wanting to move to cities. This development poses challenges not only to the countryʼs infrastructure, but also to its environmental protection. Indiaʼs environmental to­do list includes battlingair pollution, securing clean water supplies, protecting its soil and fighting noise pollution. And the country is taking these issues seriously by – among other measures – teaming up with international partners like Germany, as well as international organizations in order to find ways to reach its environ-

Miamiʼs affluent ʼclimate refugeesʼ seek higher ground Climate refugees arenʼt usually spotted driving a Bentley through a low­income neighborhood, searching for a new place to call home. But in Miami, one of the most energetic real estate markets in the United States, property prices on the oceanfront are no longer the cityʼs main draw. Instead, the area attracting the most attention is on the ridge where the cityʼs original settlers built the railroad — the most elevated land in Miami. A recent Harvard University study tracked the property values of more than 100,000 singlefamily homes across Miami going back to the early 1970s. It showed that values of homes along Miamiʼs coastline have been dropping, while those at higher elevations are increasing. Flooding is becoming more and more frequent in Miami, with so­called king tides — a nonscientific term used to describe unusually high tides — affecting some of the cityʼs most desirable locations. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 13­34 inches (3386 centimeters) over the next 40 years.

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2018: The worst year for stocks since financial crisis Major US stock indices had their worst annual performance in 2018 since the beginning of the financial crisis, despite making small gains on Monday — the last trading day of the year. The main benchmark S&P 500 index finished the year down 6 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 5.6 percent, and the Nasdaq composite slid nearly 4 percent. The anemic report card, however, came just four months after Wall Street marked the longest­ever bull market, following a decade of ultra-loose monetary policy. Major indices in Europe also ended 2018 in the red, includingGermanyʼs DAX which entered bear market territory, down 22 percent from its high in January and 18 percent from the start of the year. The CAC 40 of France finished the year down 11 percent, while Britainʼs FTSE 100 lost 12.5 percent.

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y mental goals. India and Germany have been working together for a long time. Economically speaking, Germany is Indiaʼs number one trading partner within the EU and its sixth most important trading partner worldwide. Now, Germany and India are betting on political dialogue when it comes to tackling climate challenges. As part of the new German­Indian environment forum, the two countries have brought to life a range of working groups that are holding meetings about climate protection, sustainable city planning, as well as water and waste management.

How to resolve the Venezuelan debt conundrum

With the US and other countries throwing their weight behind Juan Guaido as Venezuelaʼs legitimate leader, time seems up for the Maduro government. But keeping the debt­ridden country afloat will prove a massive task. National Assembly leaderJuan Guaido,who declared himself Venezuelaʼs interim president, told the countryʼs creditors in January that he would seek renegotiation of the nationʼs mounting foreign debt if he were recognized as Venezuelaʼs rightful head of state. Immediately after his announcement, Venezuelaʼs sovereign bonds gained amid speculation that the Latin American nationʼs myriad of creditors would finally get their money back. Boasting what is believed to be the worldʼs biggest oil reserves as well as underground reserves of gold, iron ore and other resources, Venezuela could easily obtain financing and cut a deal with its creditors, the 35-yearold Guaido said. "With a new government, the debt will not only be repaid, but we could refinance with the trust of a government that can pay," Guaido announced.

38/2019 • 14 February, 2019

Cologne plans gay and lesbian traffic lights for Pride festival One of Europeʼs largest Pride parades will mark 50 years since the Stonewall riots this summer

Officials in Cologne say the city will introduce traffic lights featuring same­sex couples along the parade route. Cologne in western Germany plans to temporarily change 20 traffic lights for pedestrians to show images of same­sex couples, city officials told German media. "Symbols of same­sex couples are currently being prepared for the period surrounding Christopher Street Day," spokesman Jürgen Müllenberg told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. The Cologne Pride parade is one of Europeʼs largest Pride festivals and will this year observe 50 years since the Stonewall riots in New Yorkʼs Christopher Street. The riots saw

p lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people resist police during a raid on June 28, 1969. The city plans to change traffic lights located along the parade route, a spokesman told the DPA news agency. The city did not say when they would revert the same­sex traffic lights to standard ones. Several German cities have unique traffic lights. Berlinʼs lights feature the iconic Ampelmännchen, Bonnʼs feature Beethoven, who was born in the former capital, and Trierʼs feature hometown philosopher Karl Marx.

Plovdiv 2019: Historic moment for a historic city The ancient city of Plovdiv put on a party on Saturday nightcomplete with fireworks, light shows, concerts and speeches from dignitaries as it took up its mantle as European Capital of Culture. Having been an architectural hot spot during Roman rule, Bulgariaʼs second city has again taken center stage in the region. "This is a unique and historic moment for our city," said Plovdiv Mayor Ivan Totev before the opening ceremony. The artist collective Phase7 staged an impressive light show in front of tens of thousands of visitors as performances by local musicians and dancers gave a foretaste of the European Capital of Culture 2019 motto: "Together." As Plovdiv residents combine to showcase their distinctive city, a number of headline events are planned throughout the year, including the Ayliak Art Parade in May on Europeʼs longest boulevard. The focus will be on slow, sustainable and harmonious living via green, creative products and innovations.

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ʼAnti­deportation industryʼ named Germanyʼs Non­Word of the Year 2018 Nina Janich, a linguistics professor and spokesperson for the independent jury that selects the Unwort des Jahres ("Non-Word of the Year"), has announced the selection of this yearʼs term, "Anti-Abschiebe-Industrie" ("anti-deportation industry"). The term was used by right-wing politicians and commentators in 2018 to refer to "those who legally support rejected asylum seekers and seek judicial review, and those who intend to protect refugees who have become criminals" — essential-

ly, accusing them of making money out of support for deportees, said Janich in Darmstadt on Tuesday. She added that the jury found the descriptor defamatory and discrediting. The term was first used in May 2018 by Alexander Dobrindt, parliamentary group leader of the conservative Christian Social Union — sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs Christian Democratic Union — who also said in April that "Islam shouldnʼt culturally shape Germany."

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Culture

Renovated Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest to Open on 31 October AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BUDAPEST WILL OPEN ON 31 OCT NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC Thanks to the largest­scale and most comprehensive reconstruction project in the museum’s his­ tory, the museum building has been renewed, and, returning to the collection’s first concept, the museum’s permanent exhibitions will also be rearranged. Besides the new permanent exhibitions, the revamped museum will welcome visitors with a chamber exhibition titled Leonardo & the Budapest Horse and Rider. The museum reconstruction, implemented within the framework of the Liget Budapest Project, included the restoration of the Romanesque Hall, which sustained severe damage in World War II and since then had been only partially renovated and used as a storage area, along with the modernisation of the building’s obsolete heating system, the installation of air conditioning in some of the exhibition halls, the renewal of a large part of the roof structure, as well as the addition of new exhibition spaces, visitor areas and modern storage facilities.

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38/2019 • 14 February, 2019

World Cup 1966 English goalkeeper Gordon Banks dies aged 81

Englandʼs goalkeeper in their successful 1966 World Cup final against West Germany has died aged 81. Gordon Banks is best known for a save against Brazilʼs Pele in the 1970 World Cup. Gordon Banks played in every game of the 1966 World Cup in England which finished with the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the Wembley final. "It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight," his family said on Tuesday.

Club announces £15.2m net profit for first half of season

Celtic have announced a net profit of £15.2m for the first half of the season, despite a 30% fall in revenue. The decrease was chiefly due to the clubʼs failure to qualify for the Champions League group stage. But the£19.7m sale of Moussa Dembeleto Lyon on the final day of August ensured a surplus of £17.6m in the transfer market. Profit from trading fell from £23.7m to £6.2m compared with the same six­ month period in 2017. Hibs defender Johnson banned for Izaguirre challengeHas Celticʼs in­form Sinclair silenced his doubters?Holders Celtic face trip to Hibs in Scottish Cup last eight However, French striker Dembeleʼs departure resulted in only a £2m deficit in total profits.

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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.

Liverpool fans thank Rafael Benitez for Man Cityʼs defeat Once a red, always a red?

Liverpoolʼs Champions League win, which Rafael Benitez oversaw, is regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in football history When Rafael Benitez left Liverpool in 2010, he was already a legend in the eyes of many Reds fans. The current Newcastle boss guided Liverpool to a historic Champions League victory over AC Milan in 2005 and departed as an Anfield favourite five years later. And he may have given his old club a huge boost in the Premier League title race after his current club - Newcastle ­ defied the odds to upset Manchester City with a

p y 2­1 win at St Jamesʼ Park on Tuesday night. Liverpool have a four-point lead at the top of the table but could extend the gap over City to seven points with victory against Leicester on Wednesday evening (20:00 GMT kick-off). Following the surprise result, Liverpool fans were ­ perhaps understandably ­ in celebratory mood on social media. And their former boss was the subject of their affection.

Ronnie OʼSullivan and Mark Selby through to second round g Five­time world champion Ronnie OʼSullivan booked his place in the second round of the Welsh Open with victory over Sanderson Lam. After going 2­1 down, breaks of 95 and 116 helped OʼSullivan to a 4-2 win to set up a tie with Chinaʼs Yuan Sijun. Three­time world champion Mark Selby beat Anthony McGill 4­2, with Adam Duffy his next opponent. Former world champion Neil Robertson made a maximum 147 break during his 4­1 win

against Jordan Brown. There were also first­round wins for Barry Hawkins and Stuart Bingham, Hawkins beat Sunny Akani 4-0, Bingham was a 4­0 winner over Ali Carter, while Nigel Bond won a deciding frame to beat Alan McManus 4­3. Duane Jones gave the home crowd something to cheer when he produced an upset to beat Xiao Guodong 4­3. Jonesʼ compatriot Jackson Page is out, having lost 4-1 to Zhao Xintong.