DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Syria: Putin, Erdogan, Rouhani hold talks as opposition gathers in Saudi Arabia The Russian, Turkish and Iranian leaders are meeting to chart military and political strategy in Syria. It comes as the divided Syrian opposition meets in Riyadh to bridge differences ahead of UN-backed peace talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with the leaders of Iran and Turkey on Wednesday, as regional powers move to find an elusive diplomatic solution to the conflict in Syria as the war against the "Islamic State" (IS) and rebels winds down. The meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea city of Sochi brings together opposing sides of the conflict ahead of UN-backed peace talks in Geneva later this month. Turkey has been one of the main backers of the Syrian opposition, while Iranian and Russian support for the Syrian President Bashar Assad have turned the tide in the six year civil war in favor of the regime.
Closed borders boost people smuggling across Balkans Refugees continue to cross the Balkan route into Europe that the EU-Turkey deal was meant to cut off. Smugglers show the way. Marianna Karakoulaki and Dimitris Tosidis report from Chios, Thessaloniki, Belgrade and Sid. When Mohammed, 27 — not his real name — arrived in Greece, he knew it would not be too easy for him to reach Europe; yet he was hopeful that once he arrived on the Greek mainland his European dream would come closer. This is what hissmugglers in Turkeyhad promised him. The reality, however, was very different. We met Mohammed in Chios during the summer and kept in contact with him. By September he had finally arrived in Athens. Mohammed — a Bedouin from Kuwait is neither a citizen nor a migrant; he is considered stateless.
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EU offers Eastern Partnership members money, motivation On the agenda: reforms and closer economic ties
The EU has invited representatives from six post-Soviet states to take part in its fifth annual Eastern Partnership summit. Although sheʼs only acting German chancellor, Angela Merkel will be in attendance at Fridayʼs EU summit with the six Eastern Partnership countries. "This is a very important signal," said Johannes Hahn, the EUʼs commissioner for enlargement. "Germany is an important partner. The chancellorʼs participation shows great respect for the partnership with the eastern countries." Merkel skipped the most recent EU summit in Gothenburg, Sweden last week because she was busy with coalition negotiations. This time, 22 of the 28 EU leaders will be in attendance, along with representatives from Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Belarus. "The door to the EU remains open for these countries," said Hahn. "But now, the focus is on implementing what has, until now, mainly existed on paper." By that, Hahn is referring to 20 economic, energy, infrastructure and state administration projects that must be implemented by 2020. The European Union has, for the most part, reacted coolly to demands
made by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to make more concrete efforts toward EU membership. "These states are still a long way from accession," said Rebecca Harms, a German MEP with the European Green Party. In any case, the EU isnʼt in the position to be welcoming new members right now, she added, though the door should be left open. "We cannot only demand reforms, we must also support them," said Harms, who deals with the Eastern Partnership. "Commitment — not just money — is important." After all, Ukraine showed it was able to establish an anticorruption court and even appoint a special public prosecutor "when Europe got involved." In Moldova, on the other hand, the pressure to reform has also had negative effects. The people had the impression that they were worse off on the EU track, rather than better. Severe cases of corruption and misappropriation of funds clouded their view. "This led to the election of a euroskeptic president in Moldova — not a good sign," said Harms.
North Korea defection: Video shows soldier make daring border escape The UN Command has released a video showing the dramatic scenes at the border as a North Korean soldier defected. As they tried to stop him, the soldierʼs colleagues may have violated the terms of the Korean War truce. The North Korean army violated the terms of the 1953 UN Armistice Agreement when it tried to stop one of itssoldiers defecting to the South, the United Nations Command said Wednesday. Soldiers fired about 40 rounds across the military demarcation line that divides the two Koreas, with one soldier even crossing the line, Colonel Chad G. Carroll, a spokesman for the UN Command, told reporters. The UNC has "requested a meeting (with North Korea) to discuss our investigation and measures to prevent future such violations," Carroll said.
Pakistanʼs ʼlast Jewʼ Fishel Benkhald complains of anti-Semitism Fishel Benkhald tells DW he has faced immense social discrimination in Pakistan following his registration of Jewish faith, but he will continue to raise voice for the rights of religious minorities in the country. Dubbed "Pakistanʼs last Jew," Fishel Benkhald, a resident of the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, was originally registered as a Muslim and was named Faisal Khalid. After several months of bureaucratic struggle and paperwork, he was finally recognized by the Islamic countryʼs authorities as a Jew in March this year.
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277/2017 • 27, November 2017
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
Ratko Mladic found guilty at Bosnian war crimes trial Mladic was removed from the courtroom after an angry outburst
UN war crimes judges have found former Bosnian Serbian general Ratko Mladic guilty of crimes against humanity and genocide during Bosniaʼs 1992-1995 war. Former Bosnian Serbian commander Ratko Mladic, was found guilty of charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide for his rolein the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica, ruled the United Nationsʼ Yugoslav war crimes tribunal on Wednesday. Mladic was sentenced to life in prison by the three judge panel on the United Nationsʼ International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). "For having committed these crimes, the chamber sentences Ratko Mladic to
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
life imprisonment," judge Alphons Orie told the court after convicting Mladic on ten out of 11 charges. The reading of the verdict was temporarily adjourned after an angry outburst by 75-year-old Mladic, who was removed from the courtroom. His defense team had tried to delay the hearing on the grounds of Mladic’s increased blood pressure, saying that he was in ill health after suffering three strokes. Mladicʼs lawyer said that they plan on appealing the ruling. 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.
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Saad Hariri postpones resignation as Lebanese prime minister Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said he will postpone his resignation at the request of President Michel Aoun. Hariri said he hoped that the country could restart a national dialogue. Lebanonʼs Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Wednesday he would postpone his resignation at the request of President Michel Aoun. "I presented today my resignation to President Aoun, and he urged me to wait before offering it, and to hold onto it for more dialogue about its
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 (€8.9 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."
reasons and political background, and I showed responsiveness," Hariri said in a televised statement. Hariri arrived in Lebanon on Wednesdayto attend independence day celebrations after a nearly three week absence following his surprise November 4 announcement from Saudi Arabia that he wouldresign due to alleged Iranian interferenceand Hezbollah taking control of the country. He also cited unspecified threats to his life.
Zimbabwe swears in Emmerson Mnangagwa as president
Former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been inaugurated as Zimbabwe’s new leader, taking over from his toppled predecessor Robert Mugabe. Tens of thousands of people gathered at Zimbabweʼs National Sports Stadium, to see formerVice President Emmerson Mnangagwa swear his oath on Friday. Mnangagwa, who was sacked from his role as Mugabeʼs deputy earlier this month, is only the second president in Zimbabweʼs 37year existence as an independent nation. "I will be faithful to Zimbabwe and obey, uphold and defend the constitution and all other laws of Zimbabwe," said Mnangagwa, as he took the oath of office before the countryʼs chief justice. Mnangagwa then received his chain and sash of office, before taking salutes and pledges of allegiance from military chiefs. In his inaugural speech, Mnangagwa: — praised Mugabe, declaring him "the only surviving, founding fathers of our nation." — said that Zimbabwean domestic politics has become "poi-
soned and polarized." — vowed to compensate farmers whose land was confiscated under Mugabeʼs bitterly contested land redistribution program. — pledged to fight corruption. "Acts of corruption must stop forthwith. Where these occur, swift justice must be served," said Mnangawa. Mugabe, who ruled for the entire period since independence from white-minority rule in 1980, did not attend. Zimbabweʼs Herald newspaper on Friday said that, while speaking to Mugabe, Mnangagwa had agreed his former boss need not be present at the inauguration "given the hectic events of the past week-and-a-half." Mugabe, who had been the worldʼs oldest head of state,resigned on Tuesdayafter the ruling ZANU-PF party sacked him as its leader and threatened to begin impeachment proceedings. South African President Jacob Zuma, who would have represented southern Africaʼs dominant regional player, was not due to attend because he was hosting a visit by Angolaʼs new head of state.
Austrian full-face veil ban comes into effect Austriaʼs 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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277/2017 • 27, November 2017 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
Brexit divorce bill: Britain prepares to pay more to EU as negotiations falter British Prime Minister Theresa May could bulk up the amount that Britain pays as it leaves the EU, in a bid to move talks on to trade. But senior leave campaigners have attached a condition to the money. Britainʼs Brexit bill offer to the EU is set to swell, national media reports, as senior lawmakers attempt to kick-start stalled negotiations with the European Union. No new figure has been confirmed on the size of the so-called divorce bill, which in recent weeks has become a major source of contention in Brexit talks, but there is a growing acceptance among Conservative Party members to increase it. Online newspapers iNews reported on Tuesday that "May will offer 40 billion pounds to get Brexit moving." The pro-Brexit Daily
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.
Published by: Mega Media Kft. 1075 Budapest, Madách I. út 13-14. +36 1 398 0344 www.hotelujsag.hu
Telegraph newspaper ran a front-page splash on Tuesday that read "Johnson and Gove back a bigger Brexit divorce bill offer." Cabinet ministers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are two of the most senior faces of Brexit. They command a large following within their deeply-divided party. Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly signaled her willingness to pay more to the EU than initially suggested. But she has avoided publicly discussing figures out of fear that hardline elements within the party will not tolerate a large payout.
Skype disappears from China app stores
Skype has apparently joined the lengthening list of internet communication tools on Chinaʼs blacklist, with Apple saying it was ordered to clear its download store of apps that violate national laws. Responding to media reports about the absence of the Microsoft-owned messaging app on the China Apple Store or Android sites, Apple said on Wednesday it had removed several internet phone call apps from its storeafter the countryʼs government said they violated local laws. Skype Business, a separate app tailored more for corporate use, was still available for download. "We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol [VOIP] apps do not comply with local law, therefore these apps have been removed from the App Store in China," an Apple spokeswoman told the news agency Reuters. "These apps remain available in all other markets where they do business," she added. Skype’s disappearance from the App Store came to light on Tuesday as Apple told two US senators that it had removed 674 VPN apps so far this year, at the request of the Chinese government. Apple said it had "questioned the legal basis of the request" but was told that the affected VPN operators were in violation of Chinese cyber security law.
277/2017 • 27, November 2017
Climate changeʼs evil twin
Germany must allow third gender
Ocean acidification:
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.
A recent report shows rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere are about to make the worldʼs oceans uninhabitable for many sea creatures, threatening entire ocean ecosystems. What can be done? Life on Earth began at sea. Over the billions of years since, the oceans have sustained a myriad of species, from worldʼs biggest mammals to the psychedelic profusion of life that makes up a coral reef. But since the industrial revolution, the waters that cover more than two-thirds of our planetʼs surface have become increasingly hostile to their inhabitants. Overfishing, plastic pollution and warming waters all make it harder for ma-
rine life to survive. But now, perhaps the biggest threat is also one of the most insidious effects of the carbon we pump into the atmosphere –ocean acidification. Ulf Riebesell at the GEOMAR center for ocean research in Kiel explains that oceans absorb up to quarter of carbon emissions. "The CO2 reacts with the seawater to form carbonic acid. The more CO2 the ocean takes up, the more acidified it gets," he says.
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."
in registry of births, court rules
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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277/2017 • 27, November 2017
Oscar Pistoriusʼ prison sentence more than doubled
South Africaʼs Supreme Court of Appeal has increased the Paralympianʼs jail term for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp to more than 13 years. Prosecutors had argued that the original sentence was "far too lenient." South Africaʼs Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein increased the prison sentence of formerParalympic champion Oscar Pistoriusto 13 years and five months on Friday. The athlete had previously been sentenced to six years for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius shot Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentineʼs Day 2013, and has since maintained that he mistook her for an intruder.
Michael Schumacherʼs Ferrari sells at auction for $7.5 million
Once the face of Formula One, Michael Schumacher drove the F2001 to victory in the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix. At auction, his iconic racing car has set a new record. Michael Schumacherʼs Monaco Grand Prixwinning racing car has sold in New York for $7.5 million (€6.35 million), auction house Sothebyʼs said, setting the world record for a modern-era Formula One car. The Ferrari F2001 racing car went under the hammer on Thursday evening, sparking a bidding war between eight competitors that was over in six minutes. The racing car is still fully functional. 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.
Boris Becker has just turned 50 Going up, going down
Is he a star? We Germans love it when things go well for our heroes. However, when things donʼt go so well, thatʼs no longer the case. I only ever met Boris Becker once. I ran into him on the set of a television broadcast many years ago. A polite, tall man in a pinstripe suit was waiting backstage to be called before the cameras. Becker will have long since forgotten about it, having met so many journalists over the years. No, this isnʼt true, I tell myself. I imagine that I know Boris Becker inside out. As a tennis fan, I followed every single one of his important matches. Like many others,
I too spent July 7, 1985 in front of the television. Becker won Wimbledon at the age of 17, and he remains the youngest-ever menʼs champion. From there he went on to a successful career in professional tennis, winning five more Grand Slams. He is one of the greatest athletes this country has ever produced. He has had so many iconic moments, from his lunging volley to the clenched fist, and heʼs been the subject of so many tabloid headlines too.
Tennis star Maria Sharapova investigated for criminal conspiracy in India Maria Sharapova has been named as part of a broader Indian police investigation into alleged cheating and criminal conspiracy. The tennis star endorsed a luxury apartment project that was never built. "Ballet by Maria Sharapova" is the name of a project of luxury apartments endorsed by the former world number one, and run by the Indian real estate firm Homestead Infrastructure Development. In a wider case against the firm, police have filed charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy
against the Russian tennis player. The complex of luxury apartments, located in Gurgaon a satellite city of New Delhi, was supposed to be ready in 2016, but construction was abandoned after builders took millions from homebuyersʼ pockets before the project folded. "Any celebrity who endorses any product technically becomes an agent for the company. No one would have invested in the project if Sharapovaʼs name was not there," Piyush Singh, a lawyer representing one of the buyers, told AFP.