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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Nigeria: Muhammadu Buhari wins presidential election Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has secured a second term as the leader of Africaʼs most populous country, the electoral commission said Wednesday, after a delayed electionand opposition claims the vote was rigged. The former military dictator won by more than 4 million votes, beating his main rival Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president. Buhari secured 15.1 million votes, while Abubakar of the Peopleʼs Democratic Party (PDP) received 11.2 million. Voter turnout was a meagre 35.6 percent. To win, a candidate needed a simple majority of votes nationwide and at least 25 percent support in two-thirds of Nigeriaʼs 36 states and the capital territory. Supporters of Buhariʼs All Progressives Congress (APC) celebrated the victory in the capital, Abuja.

Pakistan military shoots down two Indian aircraft Pakistan on Wednesday said its military had carried out airstrikes in Indian-controlled Kashmir, shooting down two Indian jets in its own airspace and capturing one of the pilots. "Today, Pakistan Air Force undertook strikes across Line of Control from within Pakistani airspace," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said. Read more: Kashmiris face uncertain future as violence escalates Pakistanʼs airstrikes come after India launched an airstrike on what it said was a militant training base. Major General Asif Ghafoor wrote on Twitter that Pakistani troops on the ground had captured an Indian pilot and that one of the planes crashed in Pakistanʼs part of Kashmir and the other went down in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

50/2019 • 28 FEBRUARY, 2019

Are Benjamin Netanyahuʼs days numbered as Israeli PM? Levy, a staunch Netanyahu supporter, sees no reason to vote for anyone else

Australian court revokes Cardinal George Pellʼs bail Australian Cardinal George Pell will spend his first night in prison after a judge revoked his bail on Wednesday. Victorian state County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd revoked Pellʼs bail at the end of a sentencing hearing before corrections officers took him into custody. Kidd said he would deliver Pellʼs sentence on March 13. Read more: Sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church In December, a juryunanimously found Pell guiltyof molesting two 13-year-olds in a rear room of St. Patrickʼs Cathedral in 1996, just weeks after he became archbishop of Australiaʼs second-largest city Melbourne. He is the most senior Catholic cleric to ever be convicted of child sexual abuse and faces a potential 50-year prison sentence for five convictions of sexual penetration and indecent acts involving the two boys.

US House votes to block Donald Israeli politics, and Benjamin Netanyahuʼs tenure in particular, could be heading for a sea change at the upcoming election. Menachem Begin, who became the first Israeli prime minister for the Likud party in 1977, looks down from a black and white portrait of him hung at the back of the small fruit shop. For over 40 years, Abraham Levy has tended to his customers in one of the busy alleys of Jerusalemʼs Mahane Yehuda Market. He is a proud, long-time supporter of Likud. "There is a saying: ʼWhy change a horse for a donkey?ʼ Benjamin Netanyahu is very good, our economy is excellent, our security is good, and all the moderate Arab countries now want to deal with us, so why change him? He is an excellent prime minister." If it were up to him, Netanyahu could stay another "20 years" as long as he serves the country well. Others, however, are not so sure. "I voted once for Netanyahu, I think heʼs run his course as prime minister, he has nothing new to say but that they will attack us from here and there," said 32-year-old shopper Reut Schneider. "All the criminal investigations[on allegations of fraud and bribery — the ed.] against the prime minister leave too many question marks." In

December, Netanyahu made acalculated call for early elections.At the time, polls suggested that most Israelis still support him, giving him a comfortable lead. But Netanyahuʼs premiership has been overshadowed by corruption allegations since last year and now it faces new and serious competition in the run up to the elections on April 9.Strong competition by new political alliance Last week two of Netanyahuʼs strongest challengers announced they wouldrun together on a new platform named "Blue and White." In what Israeli media described as a "bombshell," ex-army chief Benny Gantz (Hosen LʼIsrael) and Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) said they would aim to "unify the country" and rotate as prime ministers for two years each. While Benjamin "Benny" Gantz, who tops the new list, might be a newcomer in politics, he has no need to impress the public. During his campaign, the former Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff boasted of his military achievements like thebombing of Gazaduring the war in 2014 and personally attacked Netanyahu on his military credentials.

Trumpʼs border emergency The US House of Representatives has approved a resolution blocking President Donald Trump from obtaining funding to build a border wall with Mexico by declaring a national emergency. The Democrat-controlled House voted 245-182 in favor of the legislation, in a move designed to prevent Trump from diverting several billion dollars in federal funds to build a wall along the southern border. Read more: Trumpʼs national emergency at the border: What you need to know Thirteen Republicans backed the resolution introduced by Democrats last week. The bill will now go the Republican-controlled Senate, where its prospects of passing are uncertain.

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50/2019 • 28 February, 2019

French retailer Decathlon cancels plan to sell sports hijab French sporting goods chain Decathlon has canceled plans to sell a runnerʼs hijab in France following a public outcry and opposition from some politicians who called for a boycott. Decathlon official Xavier Rivoire told the RTL broadcaster on Tuesday that the Muslim headscarf designed for runners would not be sold at its stores in France for the time being. Read more: Muslim fashion for women: Modesty meets trendy style Decathlon had initially said it would sell the sports hijab to meet "a requirement of certain runners, and we are therefore responding to this sporting requirement." Several French politicians criticized Decathlon for its plans to sell the product in France, including Health Minister Agnes Buzyn. Such a product is "not forbidden by law," she said on RTL, but "it is a vision of women that I do not share. I would have preferred that a French brand not promote the veil."

Facebook, Instagram ban British far-right figure Tommy Robinson Facebook has taken harsh measures against British far-right personality Tommy Robinson, banning him from its platforms and closing his Facebook page and Instagram profile. Robinson is said to have violated Facebookʼs "community standards" by promoting "organized hate" and other prohibited behavior. Specifically, the company noted in a statement that Robinsonʼs pages had repeatedly broken its standards by "posting material that uses dehumanizing language and calls for violence targeted at Muslims." "This is not a decision we take lightly, but individuals and organizations that attack others on the basis of who they are have no place on Facebook or Instagram," the social media giant said. Antifascist and anti-racist organization Hope Not Hate welcomed the decision, referring to Robinson as "a farright thug who uses his platform to bully, abuse and stir up division." "This is not a decision we take lightly, but individuals and organizations that attack others on the basis of who they are have no place on Facebook or Instagram," the social media giant said. Anti-fascist and anti-racist organization Hope Not Hate welcomed the decision, referring to Robinson as "a farright thug who uses his platform to bully, abuse and stir up division." 2

Brexit: Theresa May offers MPs a choice between a deal, ʼno dealʼ or delay Another key motion is also on the agenda this week

The British prime minister has outlined a plan for parliamentary votes on her Brexit deal with the EU, a "no deal" or an extension to the date for leaving the EU. British Prime Minister Theresa Mayannounced a series of parliamentary votes on Tuesday that will let lawmakers decide on whether or not to leave the European Union on March 29 as planned — or to postpone the date. The move comes after weeks of mounting political pressure on May, whose initial withdrawal agreement with the EU was overwhelmingly rejected by Parliament in January. What will be voted on? The first vote in the House of Commons will take place no later than March 12 when lawmakers will decide whether or not to

Berlin AG wants to get rid of fines for fare evaders

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

accept Mayʼs divorce agreement with the EU. The deal would include any amendments that she has been able to agree with Brussels since January.Should lawmakers reject the deal again, another vote will take place on March 13. This time, MPs will vote on whether or not to leave the EU without a deal.If MPs reject a "no-deal" Brexit, a third vote will be held on March 14 on asking the EU to temporarily extend Article 50. If EU leaders approve, Brexit will be delayed and both sides will have extra time to negotiate a final deal. offenses where criminality is highly questionable," Attorney General Margarete Koppers told Berliner Morgen‐ post. Koppers is one of the most senior judiciary officials in Berlin, a 3.6million-strong city which is also considered one of Germanyʼs 16 federal states. Talking to the local daily, Koppers said downgrading the offense would pose "no relief for the judiciary."

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

Friend of Berlin truck attacker in France during Nice attack According to a German criminal police document seen by the dpa news agency, Bilal Ben Ammar met with Anis Amri the night before he killed 12 people in a truck attack at Berlinʼs Breitscheidplatz on December 19, 2016. Read more: ʼTerrorist accompliceʼ in Anis Amri Berlin attack deported, according to report Media outlets ARD, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) and the Berliner Mor‐ genpostreported that Ammar may have also been in Nice around the time of the July 14, 2016 truck ramming attack that killed 86 people. RBB presented a screenshot obtained from German police documents that showed Ammar had a boarding pass on his phone for a flight from Berlin to Nice dated July 6, 2016 — eight days before the Nice attack. The name on the boarding pass was an alias. Ammar applied for asylum in Germany under different names and separately claimed to be from Morocco, Egypt and Libya. Investigators found the boarding pass on Ammarʼs confiscated phone after he had already been deported to Tunisia, Amriʼs home country. Other photos on the phone showed Ammar in Paris with friends in the days before and after the Nice attack.

more influential on the global stage. Belgium and Germany are to scheduled to take up their seats on January 1. Belgium will use its two-year seat on the United Nations Security Council to bolster the European Unionʼs influence within the global body, Belgiumʼs foreign minister has said. Didier Reynders told Germanyʼs Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung news outlet that Belgium aims to help harmonize each EU member stateʼs diplomacy so that they "send the same message with different voices." Belgium will take up its temporary seat on the Security Council,the UNʼs highest decision-making 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."


50/2019 • 28 February, 2019

Halal meat cannot be labeled ʼorganic,ʼ ECJ rules Meat from animals which are not stunned before slaughter cannot be labeled organic, the EUʼs top court has ruled. The organic standard places a high emphasis on animal welfare. The meat from animals slaughtered under ritualistic practices cannot be labeled as organic, the European Unionʼs top court ruled on Tuesday. The EU organic standard places a high emphasis on animal welfare and ritualistic slaughter does not reach its threshold, the European Court of Justice found. Ritualistic slaughter, in which animals are not stunned before being killed, is allowed under freedom of religion laws, but the lack of anesthesia means the animal suffers too much for the or-

Germany: Torchwielding neoNazis march in Nuremberg German prosecutors were considering filing criminal charges after a video emerged that showed members ofthe extreme-right NPD partyand Wodans Erben Germanien group marching through the northern Bavarian city of Nuremberg. The prosecutors were deciding if there was "evidence of incitement of the masses" at the event, which was held without permission, Nurembergʼs left-leaning mayor Ulrich Maly said on Tuesday. Police representatives reported that 18 rightwing extremists marched past a refugee center last Saturday, with police showing up to identify and record them. The participants declared themselves members of the NPD and Wodans Erben Germanien. Police ordered them to disperse and then left the scene. After the police withdrew, the demonstrators gathered again and marched with lit torches to the area used by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and his associates for annual rallies from 1923 to 1938.Torches were often used as a propby the supporters of the original Nazi party and its allies.

ganic standard, the court found. Animals killed in such a fashion have their throat slit in one movement, generally losing consciousness shortly afterward. Oeuvre dʼAssistance aux Betes dʼAbattoirs (OAB), which ensures animal welfare in slaughterhouses, brought the initial case in France, arguing against the advertising and labeling of minced meat certified as "halal" as organic meat. The ECJ ruling targeted ritualistic slaughter generally, under which halal slaughter falls.

Angela Merkel urges radical shift on EU industrial policy

EU politicians and business leaders need to "cooperate very closely" in creating a strategy for the blocʼs industrial sector, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the meeting of the AsiaPacific Committee of German Business (APA) on Tuesday. "We are all able to feel that tectonic shifts that are currently taking place," Merkel said, referring to the growing impact of China and

other developing economies. "We cannot just keep going with the [policies] we developed 10, 20 years ago." Many countries in Asia pursue long-term economic strategies. China, for example, uses state subventions in specific sectors of its industry with the intent to close the technological gap with Western companiesand position itself as the market leader.

German rescuers hailed as heroes after freeing fat rat from manhole The story of one townʼs efforts to save a rat has warmed the hearts of animal lovers across Germany. A male sewer rat described as having too much "Winterspeck" — which literally translates to "winter bacon" or "winter fat" — found himself in a tricky situation over the weekend. The rat attempted to crawl out of a manhole cover in the German town of Bensheim on Sunday, but got lodged in one of the holes. "The rat had quite a lot of winter fat and got stuck on its hips — nothing was going forward and nothing back," animal rescuer Michael Sehr told news agency DPA on Monday.

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50/2019 • 28 February, 2019

Germanyʼs minimum wage is barely above the poverty line At about €1,500 ($1,700) per month gross for full-time 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 35-cent 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 full-time 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 full-time 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. One-third 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

Turkey: The big business of academic ghostwriting n Turkey, many students are using ghostwriting services to write final papers and dissertations. DW takes a look at what has become a booming business.

Miamiʼs affluent ʼclimate refugeesʼ seek higher ground Climate refugees arenʼt usually spotted driving a Bentley through a low-income 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 so-called 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 13-34 inches (33-86 centimeters) over the next 40 years.

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Turkish universities are facing a new, not very academic challenge: ghostwriting. From bachelorʼs and masterʼs theses to doctorʼs dissertations — almost any form of written academic paper can now be ordered, for a price, from specialized companies. Particularly at private universities, there is a veritable boom in such ghostwriting. Turkey has 63 private universities, most of them established within the past five years. A short search on online academic forums found that some 50 companies are

operating on this ghostwriter market. They ask for the equivalent of between €500 and €3,000 ($567 and $3,400) per paper. That tots up to revenue of more than €25 million per year. Private universities to blame? According to Gorkem Dogan, the chairman of Egitim Sen, a union for those working in education and academia, this significant rise in the number of ghostwritten dissertations has been caused solely by the uncontrolled increase in the number of private universities.

2018: The worst year for stocks since financial crisis

Trial of German gunmaker Sig Sauer ʼillegal weapons shipmentsʼ begins

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 longest-ever 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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German gunmaker Sig Sauer has been accused of illegally exporting 36,000 pistols to Colombia in violation of export regulations. Prosecutors have demanded the weapons manufacturer pays a €12-million ($14.8 million) fine. The trial of German arms producer Sig Sauer began at the Kiel District Court in northern Germany on Tuesday. Three former executives are accused of being involved with the delivery of guns worth €270 million ($306 million) to Colombia without the necessary authorizations. The accused face up to five years in prison if convicted and the prosecution is also demanding the company pay a €12million fine. Prosecutors said Sig Sauer manufactured at least 38,000 pistols in the companyʼs facility in the town of Eckernforde between 2009 and 2011. It then shipped the weapons to its US company in New Hampshire, which then completed the transaction with Colombia. The pistols ended up in the hands of Colombian police, a spokesman for the Kiel prosecutor said, after the men were charged in April.


50/2019 • 28 February, 2019

Warning: Smoking kills you — and the planet Health warnings for smokers have never been clearer

Health warnings for smokers have never been clearer. But what about the health of the planet? Cigarette butts are the most common item of single-use plastic waste in the world — and thatʼs only one piece of the puzzle. We all know that smoking is bad for us. But how many of us know how bad it is for the planet? From the moment its seeds go into the ground to the moment its dried and shredded leaves are set alight by the worldʼs 1.1 billion smokers, tobacco leaves a trail of untold destruction. Researchersfrom Imperial College Londonfound that the industryʼs annual carbon footprint is almost twice that of Wales. "If we continue to grow tobacco crops to meet the de-

mand, weʼll have huge environmental degradation,"Vinayak Prasad,head of the World Health Organization tobacco control program in Geneva told DW. Growing tobacco and drying the leaves — the so-called curing — accounts for more than 75 percent of tobaccoʼs carbon footprint. It requires plenty of land, water and energy, as well as pesticides and fertilizers, which pollute nearby rivers and groundwater, and degrade the soil.

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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ʼAnti-deportation industryʼ named Germanyʼs Non-Word 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-AbschiebeIndustrie" ("anti-deportation industry"). The term was used by rightwing 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" — es-

sentially, 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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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 largest-scale and most comprehensive reconstruction project in the museum’s history, 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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50/2019 • 28 February, 2019

Mexican Open: Johanna Konta, Cameron Norrie & Rafael Nadal win

Britainʼs Cameron Norrie and Johanna Konta both won to reach the second round of the Mexican Open. Norrie, 23, beat Japanʼs Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2 2-6 6-2, while Konta, 27, overcame Germanyʼs Laura Siegemund 6-3 6-2 in Acapulco. Spainʼs Rafael Nadal beat Germanyʼs Mischa Zverev 6-3 6-2 in his first match since losing the Australian Open final in January. Nadal has reached the Mexico Open final in his three previous appearances. "Iʼm happy for the victory. Itʼs never easy against Mischa, especially without competing for a while," said 32-yearold Nadal, who will next face Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Pep Guardiola: Manchester City manager wants to ʼsmellʼ playersʼ desire

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.

Mario Götze, Jadon Sancho strike as Dortmund edge Leverkusen Bundesliga:

A stunning Jadon Sancho volley and Mario Götzeʼs strike were enough to help Borussia Dortmund to their first win in a month. The 3-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen means BVB have re-opened the three point gap to Bayern. They made hard work of it but Borussia Dortmund are back to winning ways. After a difficult few weeks where theyʼve exited the German Cup, seen their lead cut in the Bundesliga and left theirChampions League hopes hanging by a thread, a win, however narrow, will soothe frayed nerves. All the pre-match talk was about the return of Peter Bosz, who had a six month spell as BVB boss last season. The Dutch coachʼs new side duly dominated the early proceedings, with Julian Brandt, Kai

Havertz and Leon Bailey to the fore. But Leverkusen failed to make their dominance count and were hit with a sucker punch when Dan-Axel Zagadou volleyed home Jadon Sanchoʼs corner from close range. Kevin Volland soon gave the Werkself an equalizer his sideʼs play deserved after a pair of one-twos with Havertz ended with a powerful low drive in to the bottom corner. The away fans had barely stopped celebrating before they were once again holding heads in hands.

Ronnie OʼSullivan and Mark Selby through to second round Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he wants to "smell" his playersʼ desire to leapfrog leaders Liverpool in the title race. The Premier League champions remain on course for the quadruple after lifting the Carabao Cup on Sunday. City played for 120 minutes before beating Chelsea on penalties at Wembley, but Guardiola says he will not tolerate "excuses about tiredness". "In the last two months the mentality makes the difference," he said. 6

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

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


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