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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Medical school in Japan manipulating exam scores to fail women Tokyo Medical University found itself as the center of a scandal on Thursday, being accused by multiple media reports of having systematically skewed entrance exam results to favor male applicants. Separate reports by the Yomiuri newspaper, public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo news all said that the school had been cutting womenʼs scores by up to 10 percent over concerns that female doctors quit working when they start families. Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared it a priority of his to create a society "where women can shine," but that has yet to manifest itself in reality. In Japan, although many women have university degrees, they still face discriminatory hiring practices and lower wages, coupled with long working hours andlittle domestic help from their husbands.

Jerusalem Gay Pride held amid threats from hardline groups Some 30,000 people are expeted to take part inJerusalemʼs annual gay pride paradeon Thursday under heavy police security. At least 2,500 police officials will be deployed to protect the parade participants from hardline religious groups. In 2015,an ultra-Orthodox zealot stabbed to death a gay pride marcherand injured several other people. Organizers say the theme of the march is to honor elderly members and pioneers of Israelʼs LGBT community, but a new government law on surrogacy parenthood rights has overshadowed the event. The bill expanded surrogacy rights to single females, but excluded single men. At least 100,000 people took to the streets to protest the law thateffectively prevented gay couples from having a child through surrogacy. The LGBT community criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who pledged to support surrogacy for gay men only to later vote against it, reportedly under pressure from his ultra-Orthodox Jewish coalition partners.

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Pope Francis makes seismic shift to Catholic Church policy Death penalty:

The Vatican has announced that it will pursue the worldwide abolition of the death penalty. Pope Francis has argued that capital punishment denies the dignity inherent in all humans.

The Vatican on Thursday announced changes to the Catholic Churchʼs stance on thedeath penalty, citingPope Francisʼ belief that capital punishment denies the inherent dignity of all humans. The universal catechism, which brings together church doctrine in a summarized form, was updated to reflect the change in doctrine. "Consequently, the church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person, and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide," the revised catechism says.

Last year, Pope Francis announced his intention to formally change church doctrine on the death penalty, saying capital punishment amounted to the voluntary killing of a human, which "is always sacred in the eyes of the creator." Evolution of doctrine The shift in doctrine stands opposed to many US Catholic believersʼ support for the death penalty. Cardinal Luis Ladaria, who heads the Vaticanʼs doctrine office, said the shift reflects an evolution instead of a contradic-

tion to previous Church belief. "If, in fact the political and social situation of the past made the death penalty an acceptable means for the protection of the common good, today the increasing understanding that the dignity of a person is not lost even after committing the most serious crimes," Ladaria said in a letter accompanying the Vatican announcement. Read more:Pope Francis: The Catholic Churchʼs Superman? Prior to the change, the Catholic Church did not exclude capital punishment "if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor." Ladaria said the shift, which was officially made in May but remained unannounced until Thursday, aimed to "give energy" to the anti-capital punishment movement and "in respectful dialogue with civil authorities, to encourage the creation of conditions that allow for the elimination of the death penalty where it is still in effect." Human rights watchdog Amnesty International described the shift in doctrine an "important step forward."

Zimbabwe election fuels further political crisis On July 30, Zimbabwe held its first presidential election since autocratic ruler Robert Mugabe (pictured casting his vote) was forced to step down following a brief military takeover in November last year. Many hoped the vote would usher in a new, peaceful and democratic era in the African country after years of repression under Mugabe, who ruled the country from 1980 to 2017. The controversial vote, which EU observers criticized for an "un-level playing field and lack of trust" in the run up to the election, saw the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) secure the most seats in the countryʼs parliament. But fraud claims and a delay in issuing official results sparked violent protests in the country.

Church sex scandals shake Indiaʼs Kerala state

Wracked by a rash of sex scandals, the church is facing one of its lowest moments in the southern state of Kerala. Four priests of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church are currently facing charges of raping and blackmailing a woman in a cycle of abuse and threats lasting almost 20 years.

The woman told police that her ordeal began while still a minor in the 1990s when an Orthodox priest at a church forced her into sex.

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176/2018 • 03 August, 2018

Amnesty accuses Turkey of ʼturning blind eyeʼ to abuses in Afrin Human rights organization Amnesty International accused Turkey on Thursday of allowing Syrian armed groups to commit a wide range of violations against civilians in Afrin. Turkish forces aided by allied rebelscaptured the northern Syrian townin March from the US-backed Kurdish Peopleʼs Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a terrorist group.According to Amnestyʼs research, scores of displaced residents have since returned to their homes, only to be subjected to rights abuses. Read more:Turkeyʼs military offensive against Kurdish-held Afrin: What you need to know Amnesty interviewed 32 people, both current and former Afrin residents, between May and July 2018, who said: Residents in Afrin are enduring "arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, confiscation of property and looting."Most of the abuses were "at the hands of Syrian groups that have been equipped and armed by Turkey."Some of the rebel groups and Turkish armed forces had "taken over schools, disrupting the education for thousands of children."

Outcry in Uganda over compulsory HIV test 19-year-old Methia Nalukwago, a student at Makerere University in the capital Kampala, is excited by the proposal to have all students undergo compulsory HIV/AIDS testing. Some students, she says, have been living in denial.

"Our friends, we study with them but you look at someone and you are like, ʼare you sure you are not sick or something like that?ʼ Of course you never come out to tell them but you feel it deep down inside you, this person must be sick because of the symptoms that show," Nalukwago told DW. "Compulsory testing for HIV will help us know our HIV status and where we stand."

Studies conducted by the Ugandan AIDS Commission show lack of sufficient information among the youth is contributing to an increase of HIV. Jane Were, the head teacher of Forest Hill College in Mukono district located 21 kilometers (13 miles) east of Kampala, said they are grappling with HIV in schools. She said the situation has been made worse by parents who mislead their children on what they are actually suffering from. "We have situations where parents lie to students about these [anti-retroviral] drugs. There are parents who tell children they have other ailments other than HIV," 2

2017 among hottest years ever US climate report confirms:

Our planet has failed its annual physical — global warming is melting the poles, heating up oceans, making sea levels rise and contributing to extreme weather, an NOAA report has confirmed.

Last year was the third-warmest since record-taking began, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Wednesday. In its 28th annual State of the Climate report, published by the American Meteorological Society, the US agency confirmed findings from ameta-analysis in January of this year that the last three years — 2015, 2016 and 2017 — have been the hottest ever. "The four

Hot weather exposes World War II munitions in German waters World War II munitions have been found in numerous places in the Elbe River in the eastern German states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, according to police. So far 22 grenades, mines or other explosives have been found in the Elbe this year, SaxonyAnhalt police spokeswoman Grit Merker told DW. "We ascribe that to the low water level. Thatʼs pretty clear," she said. Read more: American tourist takes unexploded WWII munition to Vienna Airport July was the hottest month in Germany since temperatures have been recorded, while July 31 was the hottest day, with temperatures reaching 39.5 degrees Celsius (103.1 degrees Fahrenheit) in Bernburg, Saxony-Anhalt. Earlier this

Germanyʼs family reunification policy can leave young adults in limbo It sounds desperate, but Riham abo Staiti says she would rather die than turn 18. The 17-year-old only leaves her darkened accommodations when absolutely necessary. She lives here in a 30-square-meter (323-square-foot) portable housing unit with her father and three siblings in the Nahr alBared Refugee Camp in northern Lebanon. Yet, one important person is missing: "I just want to be with my mother," Riham says. She only speaks with her mother, who lives in a suburb of Karlsruhe, Germany, on her mobile phone. Her fear is constant when the two talk each day: "I am terrified of being left here on my own," says Riham. She has been waiting for the day she can join her mother for more than three years now. She is in a race against time, for she will likely be barred from family reunification as soon as she turns 18.

warmest years on record have occurred since 2014," editors of the NOAA report wrote in an accompanying executive summary. NASA had ranked 2017 as the secondwarmest on record, while the NOAA and the Japan Meteorological Agency put it as third-warmest; this divergence is due to differing methodologies. The year 2017 was the warmest non-El Nino year on record, the NOAA report noted. week the water level was down to 51 centimeters (20 inches) in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt.

The historical low point was 48 centimeters in 1934. Call in the experts In most cases, people contact the police after happening upon the bombs, which mainly stem from World War II, Merker said.

Refugees in Italy get their hands dirty with own farm Every morning Dembo Cisse, a sturdily-built 21-year old from Guinea, waits for the car to pick him up. He and two others, who live in the same apartment that belongs to Italyʼs privatized migrant reception system, get in the vehicle. The old family car then heads from Oleggio, a small

town in the northern Italian region of Piedmont, to an agricultural field nearby. But Dembo and his companions are not off to work in the food supply chain, dominated by largescale distributors who require ever lower prices and therefore cheap labor — which many of their fellow Africans provide for lack of better options. Read more: Italy tells refugees: Donʼt risk the journey The carʼs driver is Raffaele DʼAcunto, known as Lello, the areaʼs first organic farmer, now retired, who decided to set up a small-scale agricultural company to make organic produce and sell it on the local market. Lello, Dembo and four others from Mali, Senegal and Nigeria — the youngest of whom is just 19 — are to become equal partners in the budding business they have aptly named Zappa Ar‐ cobaleno, Italian for Rainbow Hoe. The company is currently caught up in the bureaucratic process awaiting official registration.

176/2018 • 03 August, 2018

Germanyʼs migrant transfer centers: What you need to know The German state of Bavaria has launched the first centers to process migrants at the Austrian border. But what exactly are transfer centers? And are they compatible with German and European law?

An agreement reached between the conservative CDU-CSU and the Social Democrats provides for facilities on the German-Austrian border akin to the transit zones at airports.

The implication is that migrants would be treated as if they had not yet entered Germany. Would such a setup be legal? No, not if theyʼre coming from anywhere party to the Dublin III Regulation, which covers all the EU as well as Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. Transit zones at airports only apply to people coming from outside Dublin III territory. "For 20 years, border controls have no longer been valid for internal borders,"

Roma Holocaust Memorial Day: Auschwitz survivor Mano Höllenreiner recalls Nazi ʼGypsy Campʼ The "Gypsy Camp" at AuschwitzBirkenau wasclosed on the night of August 2, 1944. That night thousands of men, women and children were killed in the campʼs gas chambers and their bodies burnt. Recently, historians at the Auschwitz Museum discovered that before the sun came up on August 3, at least 4,000 people died, far more than the 2,900 previously thought to have been murdered.

Shortly before this took place, Mano had been transferred with his parents and his sister Josefine, nicknamed Lilly, to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. He lost many relatives at Auschwitz: Cousins and their children, aunts and "my poor old grandmother, who I loved dearly — was also gassed." The Höllenreiner family lost 36 members to Nazi persecution.

His mother also had Jewish ancestors; more than 100 members of her family were killed.

Thomas Gross, a law professor and asylum expert at the University of Osnabrück, told German radio. The transit zone between Hungary and Serbia, for example,cannot serve as a model for Germany and Austria because Serbia isnʼt part of the EU. In addition, transfer centers and transit zones donʼt exist outside the broader context of international law. They remain subject to agreements such as the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention. "In law, there is no such thing as no manʼs land," Hendrik Cremer, a legal expert for the German Institute for Human Rights, told foreign journalists in Berlin.

US charges Ukrainian hackers for stealing millions of credit cards

The US Justice Department on Wednesday said three Ukrainians have been arrested for hacking scores of companies in the US andstealing millions of credit and debit card records. One of the three defendants was arrested in Dresden, Germany and transferred to Seattle, US under an extradition request. The three men formed part of a major international cybercrime group called FIN7. "Since

at least 2015, FIN7 members engaged in a highly sophisticated malware campaign targeting more than 100 US companies, predominantly in the restaurant, gaming and hospitality industries," the Justice Department said in a statement. "FIN7 hacked into thousands of computer systems and stole millions of customer credit and debit card numbers, which the group used or sold for profit."

German mathematician Peter Scholze wins ʼNobel of mathematicsʼ The 30-year-old is best known for his discovery of "perfectoid spaces," in the field of arithmetic geometry. Scholze is only the second German to win the prestigious medal, which has been awarded since 1936. Peter Scholze, a mathematician and professor at the University of Bonn in western Germany, was one of four recipients of the Fields Medal on Wednesday at the International Congress of Mathematics in Rio de Janeiro. The award is the most prestigious in the field of mathematics and is often compared to the Nobel Prize.

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176/2018 • 03 August, 2018

EU ʼpositiveʼ on Russia-Ukraine gas talks

The EU sounded an optimistic note on Tuesday following talks in Berlin with envoys from Moscow and Kievover a dispute regarding future Russian gas shipments through Ukraine.

According to European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, the three-way talks were "futureoriented" and "positive" although the Russian representative, the countryʼs Energy Minister Alexander Novak said "the issues at stake are very complicated and need serious discussions to move forward." Large amounts of Russian gas are currently pumped to Europe via Ukraine, resulting in lucrative and critically important transit fees for the country.

However, Ukraine holds deep concerns over the proposed Nord Stream 2 project, which will see a Baltic Sea pipeline opened from Russia to Germany, potentially ending the need for the transportation of gas through Ukraine.

Women entrepreneurs paying their dues

It all started in Lund, a Swedish university town near Malmo. About 90,000 people live in the town, almost 50,000 of them are students, among them Julia Beyer. The young woman from Munich is earning her masterʼs degree in entrepreneurship and innovation. She always knew that she wanted to start her own company but even she is stunned that at age 25, her first product is already available throughout Europe.

"I do a lot of sports and spend a lot of time outside.

I like to surf, which means I then have to protect my skin against the sun. But the available sunscreens usually contain very harmful substances."

Read more: Germanyʼs corporate battle of the sexes This realization was the spark that led to the establishment of her company, Suntribe, which she founded with her fellow students, Karl Roos and Hampus Tarras-Wahlberg.

Her goal was to develop a non-toxic sunscreen, thereby protect the environment and sell the lotion throughout the world.

"Chemical UV-filters are allegedly responsible for damaging coral reefs.

That was another reason why we wanted an environmentally friendly alternative," Beyer explains enthusiastically.

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EU reaps healthy yield from US-China soybean spat EU chief Juncker last week grandly promised US President Trump that Europe would buy more US soybeans and gas. In return the US would step back on car tariffs. But is the EU offering anything more than todayʼs reality?

European Commission figures released this week showed that 37 percent of the EUʼs soybean imports in June came from the US, compared with 9 percent in July 2017. It sounds impressive and while the EU has traditionally been the second-biggest buyer of US soyabeans, it remains a distant second to China, which bought $12.3 billion (€10.2 billion) of US soybeans in 2017 compared with $1.6 billion exported to the EU. Furthermore, one month does not a summer make. "Possibly as soon as late next month we expect China to resume purchases of US soybeans although

Toxic politics leaves Dieselgate fuming Actually,the message from the courtsis pretty unequivocal and one would have to be quite deaf to miss it. They ruled that if policy makers at the national, state and local levels do not do something against nitrogen dioxide pollution in several dozen German cities, driving bans will be imposed,following the examples of Hamburg and Stuttgart. And experts agree: The problem can only be solved by upgrading older diesel vehicles, something that is technically complex and expensive and the car manufacturers are loth to pay for.

This is a message that politicians like to avoid, but the moment of truth is coming. Many measures, little effect The "diesel summit" in Berlin last August, at the height of the crisis and in the middle of the Bundestag election campaign, had a long list of policy proposals and brought together politicians, business leaders and experts to see how to implement them.

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Solomon confirmed as new Goldman Sachs CEO Goldman Sachs,the American multinational investment bank, has named David Solomon as its new chief executive, due to replace outgoing boss Lloyd Blankfein in October. Solomon, who replaces Blankfein after a 12-year tenure in the top job, is expected to drive and implement Goldman Sachsʼ plans to expand on its Wall Street roots and move towards the broader consumer market. The investment banking powerhouse intends to target ordinary consumersthrough online banking and other credit ventures. Part of the motivation for diversifying the business model is the tighter regulatory environment institutions such as Goldman Sachshave faced in the wake of the 2007/2008 financial crisis, necessary in order to curtail the kind of risky activity which led to the crisis.

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less than in previous years," Michael Magdovitz, an oilseeds analyst at Rabobank International, told DW. He added that even if the EU bought soybeans only from the US, it would add about 10 million tons of demand and offset only about 35 percent of the 27 million tons of demand lost from China if Beijing put a total stop to American purchases. The EU heralded the rise as "the first concrete follow-up to the EU-US joint statement agreed in Washington between European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and US President Donald Trump."

Google reportedly working on censored search engine for China

Don’t be evil, says Google. The corporate motto may suggest a desire to be seen as virtuous but that desire will look hollow if reports that the search giant is willing to bow to Chinese censorship demands are true.

Multiple media sources are reporting that Google is working on a search service for the Chinese market,specifically modified to meet the censorship demands of the countryʼs governing Communist Party. Chinese state media has denied the claims, with the state-owned publication China Securi‐ ties Daily, run by the countryʼs state securities regulator, saying the reports are "not true". However, news website The Intercept and later The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the California-based search giant is working on a mobile search app and search software that would leave out websites and search terms blacklisted by the Chinese government. The New York Times said its report was based on information provided to it by two people — who spoke on condition of anonymity — with knowledge of Googleʼs plans.

176/2018 • 03 August, 2018

King penguin die-off: ʼTheyʼre more or less stuck thereʼ Thatʼs nearly half a million. A penguin biologist explains why

Roughly 90 percent of king penguins on an island between South Africa and Antarctica are estimated to have died over the past few decades.

Klemens Pütz: I was actually a bit surprised by this development because elsewhere king penguins are doing fine. That said, we have anticipated that, due to climate change, the king penguins on Crozet [islands] would not do very well in the future.

Why those ones specifically? Because theyʼre used to getting their food at the Antarctic polar front, which is an area south of Crozet. And due to global warming, they will have to

Fabled Nazi gold train: Is the hunt over?

The two amateur historians had boundless faith that they would one day find the legendary "treasure train" believed to be hidden by Nazi troops in an underground mountain tunnel as the Germans fled the area between Wroclaw and Walbrzych in southwestern Poland at the end of WW II. Two years after grabbing the attention of the international media with their spectacularly ambitious hunt, Andreas Richter ended the joint search with Piotr Koper. ʼ95 percent sure it existsʼ Itʼs over, Richter told the DPA press agency, arguing that while he hadnʼt lost belief in the trainʼs existence – "I am 95 percent sure it exists" –, he was frustrated by "inaccuracies" in the excavation procedure. The initial excavation didnʼt go deep enough, he said, adding that a second attempt never materialized because his partner kept on postponing. At some point, Richter was fed up.

Generali Night Run Budapest Várkert Bazaar

travel farther and farther south as this border moves south.Iʼve seen other

people wondering whether disease or even cats could have played a part in this die-off. Is that possible? I would be sur-

prised if itʼs cats and mice, because they coexist with king penguins elsewhere quite happily. But, of course, individuals, or populations [of cats], can learn to attack king penguins — and particularly their chicks. So we will have to find out by going there.

Wacken heavy metal open air festival takes off Metal fans have been looking forward to this event for the past 360 days – Wacken Open Air, a Mecca for metal heads out to enjoy a week of music, partying and beer. Construction of the gigantic stages and everything else needed for a mega festival started last week in preparation for 75,000 metal heads ready to celebrate their favorite bands. Starting on Thursday, bands are rocking the infield area from huge stages named "Faster", "Harder" and "Louder." Campers started arriving on Tuesday, and a few live bands played

the smaller stages on Wednesday.

Headliners include Danzig, Judas Priest, Hatebreed, In Flames, Running Wild, Arch Enemy, In Extremo and Eskimo Callboy. Wacken veteran Doro Pesch will be performing several times, and as a special gimmick for Germans, 70-year-old comedian Otto Waalkes will be onstage to fulfil his lifelong dream of playing the worldʼs biggest metal festival. He and his Friesenjungs (Friesian Boys) band aim to show the nation that he can do more than strum the guitar and crack jokes.

Discover one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals on a summer evening – the course goes up to Buda Castle and along the Danube offering participants a great opportunity to do a little sightseeing: city lights, beautiful bridges, the Buda Castle Funicular, Várkert Bazár and Parliament. You can choose between a 7km and a 14 km race, or attempt a half marathon on August 4th.

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Culture

German music life personified: Witiko Adler on his 90th birthday For September 20, conductor Daniel Barenboim and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter have been booked in a benefit concert in the Berlin Philharmonie. The occasion is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Konzertdirektion Adler. Turning 90 on July 30, the concert agencyʼs director, Witiko Adler, is probably the worldʼs oldest active concert agent. Released as a prisoner of war after World War II in September 1945, Adler joined the family business two years later and became its director after the death of his father, Hans Adler, in 1948. In the postwar years, Witiko Adler made a strong contribution to rebuilding music life in Germany.

One of his first priorities was to attract foreign artists to the country, including Jewish artists.

Many refused. Others, such as the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, were eager to perform in the service of reconciling wartime enemies. Witiko Adler was strongly impressed by the character of that artist, so active on behalf of humanitarian causes. "For him, only one thing mattered: ʼWhat is the right thing to do? What is necessary?ʼ And: ʼOne must help.ʼ He was utterly simple and sincere in his personal dealings," said Adler in an interview with DW.

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176/2018 • 03 August, 2018

Max Meyer gets his big money move to the Premier League.

But at what cost?

It would be interesting to ask Roger Wittman precisely where he believes Crystal Palace rank among Europe’s “top clubs”. Max Meyer’s agent wassupposedly adamanthis client would be "first-choice" at a Champions League contender this season. Having never played a single game in elite European competition since forming back in 1905, it’s fair to assume the south London club wasn’t what he had in mind. Meyer is expected to sign a lucrative deal for Crystal Palace this week, finally putting an end to one of the summer’s more curious transfer sagas.

Neymar omitted from FIFA Best shortlist

Brazilʼsearly exit from the World Cupand a somewhat injury-hit debut season at Paris Saint-Germain, where he nevertheless racked up 28 goals and 16 assists in 30 games, are likely to have contributed to Neymarʼs absence. The rest of the list is largely familiar, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the first two editions of the award in 2016 and 2017, among the 10 names. Croatia skipper Luka Modric and French tyroKylian Mbappe, who both picked up individual awards at the World Cup, will be hoping to break the La Liga duopoly on major global indvidiual awards. As well as the FIFA Best Player, Messi and Ronaldo have shared the more prestigious Balon dʼOr since 2008, winning five apiece .

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

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

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

Germany is forgetting how to have a rational debate German footballer Mesut Özil has resigned from the national squad, citing racism

German footballer Mesut Özil has resigned from the national squad, citing racism. Now, the country is amid a heated debate that dangerously disregards the rules of civility, writes DWʼs editor-inchief, Ines Pohl.

Initially, Turkish-German footballer Mesut Özilʼsphoto with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoganmerely caused some slight irritation.

Indeed, it was an issue that, quite honestly, paled in comparison with other problems besetting the world. Özilʼs picture, which made the rounds on the internet, could have sparked an interesting debate on what kind of role an athlete who represents his or her country at a major sports competition plays in society.

Or on how loyal such an athlete

should be to that country. Or on the boundaries between a public role and the private sphere. Or, of course, on why politicians are allowed to pose with despots without fearing rebuke, while national athletes are not. All of these are very interesting questions, which were discussed rather productively prior to the start of the football World Cup tournament. But then, when the German football team crashed out of the tournament in the group phase, the country revealed its dark side.

Berlin, Glasgow set to host first European Championships The first edition of the new multisport event is to be split between Glasgow and the German capital, with Berlin to host the athletics.

The event brings together a combination of various continental sports competitions.

The idea is to make it just like amini Olympics. An array of sporting competitions are joining forces this summer as part of a multi-sport television package in partnership with the European Broadcasting Union. The European Championships open with track cy-

cling, artistic gymnastics and rowing in Glasgow, Scotland on Thursday. The athletics events in Berlin are to begin next Monday. An opening party was held in Glasgowʼs George Square on Wednesday evening. The idea for the Championships is simple: instead of athletics, aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, golf, rowing and triathlon competitions taking place across the continent and on different time schedules - they are to be pooled together and broadcast to a global audience under a single banner: The European Championships.