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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Sri Lankan Catholics mark 1 week since Easter Sunday attacks Sri Lankaʼs Catholic leader has held a private memorial service live on TV to mark one week since militants killed 253 people in a series of suicide attacks. Churches across the island remain closed amid security fears. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, condemned the Easter bombings and called for unity as he celebrated a private Mass in the Sri Lankan capital on Sunday.

The service was broadcast live on television and radio, after fears of further violence prompted churches to cancel all public Masses. The island nation of 21 million remains on edge and under tight security seven days afterextremists unleashed attacks on churches and luxury hotelsthat left more than 250 people dead.

Indonesia: More than 270 election staff died from overwork Dubbed the "worldʼs most complicated election," the April 17 vote involved nearly 6,000,000 election workers and 810,000 polling stations. Hundreds of election workers died from exhaustion, authorities say. Ten days after Indonesia held elections, at least 272 election workers have died from illnesses caused by long hours of polls-related work, an official said on Sunday.

Arief Priyo Susanto, the spokesman for Indonesiaʼs General Elections Commission (KPU), said that as of Saturday night, 272 election officials had died from overwork, while 1,878 others had fallen sick. Susanto said the Finance Ministry is working to provide compensation for families of the deceased, while health facilities will be given to the sick election staff.

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SAS pilot strike leads to more flight cancellations for Monday, Tuesday Mediators say there are no signs of fresh negotiations and differences remains wide

Germanyʼs conservatives issue anti-nationalist, proEurope rallying cry Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), have launched their first joint European election campaign with a call to resist the forces seeking to undermine the European Union.

"Today, Europe is under pressure; it is on the defensive," Manfred Weber of the CSU told a conference of the two parties in the western German city of Münster on Saturday. Europe must "be defendedagainst the nationalistsand the egoists," he said. Weber, currently the leader of the European Peopleʼs Party (EPP), is hoping to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as head of the European Commission after elections to the European Parliament from May 23-26. Among other things, he pledged in his speech at the conference to work toward establishing a European FBI and to strengthen Frontex, the EUʼs border security force.

Thousands in Hong Kong protest against China extradition plan

Scandinavian airline SAS has canceled a further 1,213 flights for Monday and Tuesday after pilots began their strike on Friday.

SAS, the joint flag carrier of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, said a further 110,000 passengers would be affected by the cancellations on Monday and Tuesday after a pilot strike left 170,000 travelers stranded on the weekend. "We deeply regret that our customers are affected,"said the airline. Disrupted are Nordic, European and long-haul flights. Unaffected are about 30 percent of flights operated by SAS subcontractors or partners. Unions representing some 1,500 striking pilots say they want compensation for wage cuts and other concessions made in 2012, when SAS nearly collapsed, as well asmore predictable working hours with less fatigue. The Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprises puts the wage increases demanded by pilots at 13 percent,

labeling it "excessive." Mediators said big differences existed whentalks broke down on Friday.

On Sunday, both SAS, Swedish and Danish unions and Norwayʼs NHO employers association said no renewed contacts had been made.

SAS, part-owned by Sweden and Denmark, warned that agreeing to the pilotsʼ demands would seriously damage the airlineʼs recovery prospects. "SAS must show a real willingness to discuss and meet around the negotiating table," said Rawaz Nermany, president of the Swedish Air Line Pilots Association, which initiated the strike. The Danish lender Sydbank on Friday predicted that the strike was likely to cost SAS 60 to 80 million Danish kronor (€8-11 million, $9-12 million) per day.

In the biggest demonstration since 2014, thousands took to the streets against proposed extradition rules that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial. Protesters fear for the cityʼs core freedoms. Thousands of people walked peacefully for more than three hours through the shopping and business districts of Causeway Bay and Wanchai on Sunday, some with placards addressing the Chinese leader: "President Xi Jinping, no legalized kidnapping of Hong Kong people to China." Police put the number of those attending at 22,000, and organizers said there were 130,000.

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97/2019 • 29 April, 2019

ICC acquits former Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo Judges at The Hague-based court delivered the eagerly awaited decision on Tuesday morning, clearing 73-year-old Gbagbo of all charges of crimes against humanity over post-electoral violence.

Head judge Cuno Tarfusser said the court granted "the defence motions for acquittal for all charges for Mr Laurent Gbagbo," as well as his co-defendant, Charles Ble Goude. Tarfusser said that a majority of the three-judge bench found that "the prosecutor has failed to satisfy the burden of proof" against both men. Lawyers for the pair had asked judges to acquit them both over a lack of evidence at the end of the prosecution case in their trial that began just under three years ago. The 73year-old Gbagbo was the first former head of state to go on trial at the court in The Netherlands.

His case was seen as a milestone in efforts to bring high-ranking leaders accused of atrocities to justice.

US and Turkish presidents discuss safe zone in northern Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, took to the telephone to discuss the situation in northern Syria on Monday.

"The president expressed the desire to work together to address Turkeyʼs security concerns in northeast Syria while stressing the importance to the United States that Turkey does not mistreat the Kurds and other Syrian Democratic Forces with whom we have fought to defeat ISIS," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement, referring to the "Islamic State" (IS) extremist group. The Turkish presidency said the two men discussed the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria cleared of militia groups.

It did not provide any other details.

Thedisagreement between the NATO alliesis the latest consequence of Trumpʼs December 19 decision to withdraw US military personnel from Syria.

This could leave the Kurdish militia under threat should Turkey start a new offensive. Over the weekend, Trump had taken to Twitter to threaten he would"devastate" the Turkish economyif Ankara sent its forces to attack the Kurds in northern Syria.

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Ukraineʼs president-elect offers citizenship to Russians However, he coupled the offer with a dig at the situation in the neighboring country

Ukraineʼs soon-to-be leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy has responded to a similar move by Russia and offered Russians Ukrainian citizenship.

President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday offered his countryʼs passports to Russians, but he combined the proposal with criticism of the Kremlin. "We will provide Ukrainian citizenship to representatives of all peoples who suffer from authoritarian and corrupt regimes. In the first place — the Russians, who today suffer probably the most," Zelenskiy wrote on Facebook. Zelenskiyʼs offer came in response to a Kremlin decree last week thatwould fast-track Russian passports for residents of eastern Ukraine,with Russian President Vladimir Putin even saying on Sat-

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

urday he was considering giving all Ukrainians easier access to Russian citizenship if they wanted. Zelenskiy said Putin should not expect many Ukrainians to take up the offer, saying they had "freedom of speech in our country, free media and internet," in contrast with Russia. Moscowʼs move has angered many politicians in Kyiv, which has been at war with Russian-backed separatists in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine since 2014. The conflict, which began after the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, has so far killed 13,000 people. 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

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 one-stop holding centers for migrants, so-called "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 face-saving 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.

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 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."

97/2019 • 29 April, 2019

Berlin schoolgirl fakes kidnapping to extort money from dad German police launched a massive search in Berlin after the reported abduction of a 13-year-old girl. Authorities now allege the teen concocted the kidnapping plan with a friend to get ransom money from her father.

Police in Berlin launched a massive search operation on Saturday after a 13-year-old schoolgirl was reported kidnapped; however, police now allege the girl faked the whole affair.

Officers said they found the missing girl and her alleged accomplice in a southwestern district of Berlin just after midnight.

Police allege the 13-year-old teamed up with an 18-year-old man, said to

German traindelay scarf sells for thousands at auction A scarf knitted by a German woman to represent how long she was delayed on trains run by German rail company Deutsche Bahn sold for €7,550 ($8,660) on eBay on Monday. There were 134 bids from 45 bidders for the 1.5-meter (5 foot) scarf, which was knitted over the course of 2018 and features stripes in different colors, to represent different-length delays.

Read more: Deutsche Bahn flaws prompt calls for basic railway reform Journalist Sara Weber, the scarf makerʼs daughter, said her mother was a commuter in the Munich area and had knitted two rows per day: Gray for under five minutes, pink for 5-30 minutes, and red for delays of more than 30 minutes or when both of her trains were running late. Weber posted a photo of the scarf on Twitter and the response was so enthusiastic that she and her mother decided to auction it and give the proceeds to the charity Bahnhofsmission, which assists people in need at railway stations across Germany. On Monday, Weber tweeted that the scarf had been sold for €7,550.

be a friend of hers, to stage her own abduction and demand money from her father. The girlʼs father reported his daughterʼs disappearance to authorities after receiving a ransom threat, sparking a large-scale police search.

Around 280 police officers and sniffer dogs spent 24 hours scouring the German capital before eventually locating the pair in Schöneberg.

Swiss avalanche kills four German skiers

Four alpinists from Germany have been killed in Switzerland after being engulfed by an avalanche while they were trying to cross a mountain pass on Friday, police in the canton of Valais said Sunday. The bodies were found on Saturday afternoon by emergency services that had been alerted by a mountain-lodge keeper when the four did not arrive at their planned destination on time. The group had been on the Grünhorn-

lücke pass in the Bernese Alps when the accident occurred at an altitude of 3,110 meters (10,200 feet). The four skiers were found using a special search device that can detect bodies under snow, according to the Swiss SNA news agency. A search flight on Friday evening indicated that several avalanches had recently occurred in the area. Police say they are still trying to identify the victims.

Huaweiʼs plans in Lithuania under threat after spying allegations Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite made a working visit to China last November, and things started very well for her. She went to Chinaʼs first International Import Expo and said that her countryʼs companies could do more business in and with China. Grybauskaiteʼs Chinese hosts, which included President Xi Jinping, agreed. Chinese trade representatives in Vilnius were instructed by Beijing to start boosting ties with Lithuanian businesses interested in the Chinese market — among them companies producing laser technology, furniture, fish and dairy products.

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97/2019 • 29 April, 2019

Slovakia at an economic crossroads Slovakia reported the worst economic freedom results in Central Europe in 2018, falling to 65th in the latest Economic Freedom Index, published by the Heritage Foundation. "We have been below average for a long time," said Jan Oravec, president of the Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia (ZPS). As US tariffs threaten its car exports, slower growth undercuts budget revenues and organized crime revelations expose murky links to public officials, the so-called Tatra Tiger is asking itself some hard questions. The country has seen strong growth since it joined the EU in 2004, its economy closely linked — mainly via exports of manufacturing goods — with the German economy, where 23 percent of its exports end up. And while exports will be bolstered by production inNitra-based carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, as well as Bratislava-based Volkswagen, the economy passed its cyclical peak in 2018, when it grew at 4.3 percent, as the global downturn hit the exportoriented economy, as the Institute for Financial Policy (IFP) reported recently. The Finance Ministry last week revised its growth forecast for 2019 downwards. Compared with last September, it lowered its prediction by 0.5 points to 4 percent. "Weʼre making this revision based on the situation outside Slovakia, and not in Slovakia," said Finance Minister Peter Kazimír.

US sanctions Venezuela state oil firm PDVSA The US said on Monday that it would impose sanctions on Venezuelaʼs state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), as it ramps up pressure on the countryʼs president, Nicolas Maduro. The move followsWashingtonʼs public backing of National Assembly leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president last week. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions were meant to prevent Maduro from diverting more resources from the crisis-hit country, until control in Caracas could be transferred toGuaidoʼs interim governmentora new democratically elected government. Mnuchin specified that PDVSAʼs US-based subsidiary Citgo could continue operations, so long as its earnings are deposited into a blocked account in the US. Maduro accused the US of attempting to steal Citgo, saying the state oil firm will seek legal action against the US. Washington was "holding accountable those responsible for Venezuelaʼs tragic decline," Mnuchin told reporters.

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Germanyʼs Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank end merger talks Germanyʼs two largest lenders have called off any further discussions about a merger. Berlin had promoted the idea of creating a banking "champion" capable of supporting Germanyʼs export-orientated economy.

The German banking market’s two major lenders, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, announced on Thursday that they had ended merger talks. In a joint statement, both banks said that their management boards had come to the conclusion that a merger would "not provide sufficient added value." The government, which has a 15% stake in Commerzbank, had encouraged the discussions in the hope that a merger could create a national banking

2019: The year after peak global growth After boom comes bust — few economists would disagree that this eternal rule of free market-based or capitalist economies is as true today as it was, say, 150 years ago. A similar consensus seems to be emerging in the profession about the current business cycle, which many say is nearing its end — in 2019, or 2020 at the latest.

At the time of writing though, the post financial crisis economic boom still seems well set on becoming the longest expansion in many countries. If the American economy, for example, makes it past June 2019 without a recession, the recovery will exceed 120 months and become the longest expansion since US economic records were first taken in 1857. Yet, global data trackers, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), are less optimistic about ongoing growth in the rest of the world.The IMF, for example, thinks global growth plateauedat 3.7 percent in 2018.

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Japanʼs Nikkei plunges after US economic turmoil Japanʼs Nikkei index closed on Tuesday after tumbling by an unusually large 5.1 percent. Stocks in Shanghai and Taiwan also tumbled following heavy losses on Wall Street over PresidentDonald Trumpʼs attack on the US central bank. Tokyoʼs benchmark stock index hit a 20-month low as worries mounted over the US economy during a government funding crisis. On Monday evening, Trump shocked investor confidence by hitting out at the Federal Reserve, tweeting: "The only problem our economy has is the Fed. They donʼt have a feel for the Market, they donʼt understand necessary Trade Wars or Strong Dollars or even Democrat Shutdowns over Borders." Although the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, was nominated by Trump, the Fed is not under the control of the White House, much to Trumpʼs consternation. The US economy has also been suffering from trade disputes Trump has started with China.

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"champion" to provide financing for Germanyʼs exportorientated economy. The banksʼ joint statement cited perceived risks, restructuring costs and capital requirements as reasons to shelve the proposals. "After thorough analysis, we have concluded that this transaction would not have created sufficient benefits" to justify the risks and costs, Deutsche Bank chief executive Christian Sewing and Commerzbank chief Martin Zielke said.

Germany and Austria stop issuing €500 bank notes

The last of Europeʼs central banks have stopped issuing the largedenomination bank note. Germany and Austria were given longer than their European neighbors as the bill was used comparatively often.

The German Bundesbank and Austriaʼs National Bank stopped issuing the €500 ($557) bank note on Friday, three months after it had ceased to be handed outin the rest of the eurozone. The delay reflects a preference among consumers in both countries to continue to use banknotes for everyday purposes such as shopping, and for savings. Existing €500 notes in circulation will continue to be legal currency.

One of the worldʼs highest-value banknotes, the €500 noteʼs withdrawal leaves Switzerlandʼs 1,000franc bill (€878) and Bruneiʼs 10,000-dollar note (€6,628) at the top of the league of high-value paper currency.

97/2019 • 29 April, 2019

Space mice — NASAʼs rodent astronauts This most recent experiment is far from the rodent space mission

NASA has sent mice to the ISS to learn more about the effects of microgravity and how humans would fare on long space trips like voyages to Mars.

The International Space Station (ISS) has seen many interesting experiments. Fromgrowing lettuce in spacetostudying twins (one in space and one on Earth) to compare the different developments their bodies went through. One study carried out

by NASA doesnʼt involve human subjects, but animal ones: the researchers sent mice up to the ISS to see how organisms react to microgravity. "Since the environment of space alters multiple, interacting biological systems — including bones, muscles, the heart, blood flow, and

the immune system – sometimes it is better to study everything at once in the entire organism," NASA states on their "rodent research" site. "This can be achieved by working with research model organisms, such as mice and other rodents." While it might not seem like it at first glance, humans and mice actually have quite a lot in common, which makes the little rodents perfect guinea pigs, so to speak. Another plus is miceʼs faster development, so effects of microgravity can be studied on a shorter timescale.

Ukraineʼs Eurovision contestant Maruv clouded by political scandal The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is supposed to be a purely musical competition that transcends politics — a claim that has been spectacularly disproved in Ukraine this year. On Monday, the result of the Ukrainian national final was canceled, and Ukraineʼs participation in the ESC finale in Tel Aviv in May is now uncertain. Itʼs possible the eastern European country may have to cancel its appearance at the song contest for the second time since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukrainian winner dropped The bombshell came late on

Monday afternoon. State broadcaster UA Suspilne Movlennya announced that it would drop Maruv, the winner of the national final, after it was unable to reach an agreement with her.

The statement said there was "evidence of politicization" of the competition. It was initially unclear what would happen next. Maruv, 27, won the national final on February 23. Her raunchy performance of "Siren Song” garnered the most votes, both from the jury and from the viewers of the channel broadcasting the event, state broadcaster UA Pershiy.

Man leaves €10,000 Picasso jug on German train German police are trying to help a man find a ceramic jug made by Pablo Picasso, after he accidentally left it on a train earlier this month.

The elderly man was traveling from Kassel to Dusseldorf on February 15 when he switched trains at the city of Hamm and forgot to bring his precious cargo with him. Read more: How German was Picasso? The 26centimeter-tall (10-inch-tall) ceramic piece dates to 1953 and was an original crafted by Picasso at his Madoura workshop in Vallauris in the south of France, police said. It is part of Picassoʼs "Owl series" and is estimated to be worth at least €10,000 ($8,800).

Police said the man reported the disappearance immediately after exiting the train but the bag with the jug inside it was already gone. Read more: Picasso and windows The shopping bag was made of solid cardboard with blue lettering that read "Neumeister — Alte Kunst — Moderne." Munster Federal Police, which is investigating the case, asked witnesses who might have seen the man "forgetting" the bag to report the sighting to them.

Macklemore, 6lack and Michael Kiwanuka are the final acts confirmed for Sziget 2019

International superstars Macklemore, 6lack and Michael Kiwanuka have just been announced as the final additions to Sziget’s incredible genrespanning line-up for 2019, joining headliners Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Foo Fighters, The 1975, Post Malone, Twenty One Pilots, Martin Garrix and The National.

Also appearing this August will be James Blake, Richard Ashcroft, Mura Masa, Years & Years, IDLES, Jungle, Johnny Marr, Tove Lo, IAMDDB, Son Lux, Masego – and, of course, many more.

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Hungary Budapest: Debrecen: Eger: Hévíz:

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Athens: Berlin: Bratislava: Bucharest: London: Madrid:

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Europe Moscow: Paris: Prague: Rome: Varsaw: Vienna:

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Culture

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by Scolar Publishing Company) look for it in bookstores It is a unique feature of the Carpathian basin that its relatively small area hosts an unparalleled variety of ethnic groups, religions and civilizations. This cohabitation gave birth to a common culture, while a truly multilayered nation was also formed.

For centuries the descendants of the founding Hungarian tribes lived alongside ancient peoples who preceded them and the people migrating here from neighbouring nations. Hungarians, Slovaks, Romanians, Serbs and Germans shared a common land here, just like the members of the different faiths – Catholics, Calvinists, Lutherans and Jews – did. Our book is a special project, as it tries to convey the colourful nature of Hungary and its people.

This unique “guidebook” covers everything from history to cultural heritage, from the achievements of the arts and sciences to the extraordinary music scene.

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97/2019 • 29 April, 2019

Virus-hit Alexander Zverev knocked out of Indian Wells

A virus going around the Indian Wells tournament in California has claimed its latest victim, with Alexander Zverev well below his best as crashed out of the tournament in the third round. Zverev fell to compatriot JanLennard Struff 6-3, 6-1, who will now face Canadian 13th seed Milos Raonic. The match last barely an hour as Struff saved all four break points he faced to seal his first win over Zverev in five attempts. "I have been sick for a week. That hasnʼt changed unfortunately," Zverev, the world number three, said. "I think I just got unlucky, got a virus somewhere and thatʼs how it is."

The Open: Royal Liverpool to host major for 13th time in 2022

Royal Liverpool Golf Club will host the Open Championship in 2022. It will be the 13th time the Hoylake venue has hosted the championship, with Rory McIlroy winning on the last occasion it staged the event in 2014. Governing body the R&A said the 151st edition of the major will take place from 10-17 July. "We know that there will be tremendous excitement among golf fans at its return to Royal Liverpool," said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A. "Its famous links has a cherished history and has produced a revered group of champion golfers, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy most recently." Royal Liverpool returned to the Open rota after a 39-year gap in 2006.

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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.

How much testostorone is too much?

Caster Semenya vs. the IAAF:

Olympic 800-meter champion Caster Semenya is awaiting the verdict after the South African sued the IAAF over its controversial new regulation on testosterone levels for female athletes. DW answers the key questions.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to rule on alegal challenge submitted by two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya sometime in the next few days.The 28-year-old is seeking to overturn aregulation restricting testosterone levels in female runners, that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is planning to introduce. At the start of the CAS hearings back in February, Semenya, who specializes in the 800-meters, argued

that she and other athletes affected by the rule should "be permitted to compete … without discrimination." According to the South Africanʼs lawyers, the new provisions would "not empower anyone" but rather "represent another flawed and hurtful attempt to police the sex of female athletes." British former marathon runner Paula Radcliffe, who holds the world record, has warned that if Semenya wins her case, it could spell the "death of womenʼs sport."

Valtteri Bottas leads Mercedes one-two in Baku Valtteri Bottas led a fourth consecutive Mercedes one-two in Baku, finishing ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Ferrariʼs Sebastian Vettel started and finished in third while Charles Leclerc ended a dramatic day in fifth.

Valtteri Bottas finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes continued their domination of Formula One this season with another one-two in an unspectacular Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Finn started in pole position and led almost throughout as he banished memories of last season when a puncture on the final lap robbed him of vic-

tory. Hamiltonʼs second place finish made it a fourth consecutive one-two for Mercedes. Ferrariʼs Sebastian Vettel had no chance against the two Mercedes and lost further points in the championship race with a third-placed finish. "Anything can happen here," Vettel had said ahead of the race, but very little actually happened on the narrow, winding streets of Baku. Vettelʼs Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished fifth after the most eventful ride of all, starting in eighth, dropping to ninth and even temporarily leading before dropping behind fourth-placed Max Verstappen.