DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Singapore deports two South Korean media members Security has been ramped-up on the island nation ahead of Tuesdayʼs historic meeting. Parts of the country are in virtual lockdown as US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim prepare to meet on Tuesday. Two members of South Koreaʼs national broadcaster have been deported from Singapore after they were arrested for trespassing at the residence of North Koreaʼs ambassador, police said on Sunday. About 3,000 journalists have descended on the island country for the highly anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday. "The visit passes of the two South Korean men have been cancelled, and they have been repatriated to the Republic of Korea on 9 June 2018," police said in a statement issued Sunday afternoon, local time, shortly after Kimʼs arrival.
Swiss referenda approve betting regulation Swiss voters have blocked foreign betting sites in a reform of gambling law, and overwhelmingly opposed the #Vollgeld Sovereign Money Initiative. The Canton of Valais also decided against hosting the Olympics. Swiss voters overwhelmingly backed a new online gambling law aimed at preventing addiction, and requiring gaming companies to be certified by the Swiss government in order to operate in the country and online. The Gambling Act, which has already been passed by both houses of parliament, received the support of 73 percent of voters who cast ballots. It is set to take effect next year. The result is a crushing defeat for the people who collected 50,000 signatures to put the measure to a public vote. They claim the new law amounts to censorship of the internet.
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Turkeyʼs Erdogan slams Austriaʼs move to shut down foreign-funded mosques Vienna said the move was part of an effort to tackle political Islam
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned against a war between "cross" and "crescent" after Austria said it would shut down foreign-funded mosques. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to take action against the Austrian governmentʼs decision to shut down seven foreign-funded mosques and potentially expel dozens of Turkish Muslim clerics, a move he dubbed as "anti-Islamic." "These measures taken by the Austrian chancellor are, I fear, leading the world towards a war between the cross and the crescent," Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul on Saturday, referring to Christianity and Islam. "You do this and we sit idle? It means we will take some steps too," he said, adding that the "western world should get their act together." The Austrian government said on Friday that it would potentially expel dozens of imams and close several mosques in a move to tackle political Islam and stem the foreign financing of mosques. Reacting to the announcement, a spokesman for Erdogan said that Viennaʼs move was "a reflection of the anti-Islam, racist and discriminatory populist
wave in the country." Around 360,000 people of Turkish origin, including 117,000 Turkish nationals live in Austria. Ties between Ankara and Vienna have deteriorated in recent months with Kurzʼs anti-immigration speeches and opposition to Turkeyʼs EU membership bid. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced Friday his government was shutting down a hardline Turkish nationalist mosque in the capital, Vienna, and dissolving a group called the Arab Religious Community, which runs an additional six mosques. The chancellor said the initiative followed an investigation into images that emerged in April of young boys wearing Turkish uniforms marching, saluting, playing dead and waving Turkish flags. The pictures were found to have come from the Cologne-based Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (ATIB) organization, a branch of Turkeyʼs Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet).
Spainʼs Basques form 200km human chain calling for independence vote Tens of thousands of people from Spainʼs autonomous Basque Country have joined hands to form a 202kilometer human chain. The gesture comes as locals push for the right to hold an independence referendum. More than 175,000 people inSpainʼs Basque Countryjoined to form a 202 kilometer-long human chain on Sunday, as they called for the right to host a referendum on independence form Madrid. The chain extended from the city ofSan Sebastianall the way to the Basque parliament in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the autonomous region. The protest was organized by the Basque group Gure Esku Dago (In Our Own Hands). The Basque Country enjoys higher levels of selfdetermination than any of Spainʼs other sixteen regions, with its own police force, education system, language and special financial arrangement with Madrid.
Vietnamese protest amid fear of Chinese investment Vietnamese authorities have detained more than a dozen people protesting against the governmentʼs plans to create new urban economic zones. Many fear that Chinese companies and investors will get the lionʼs share. Hundreds of Vietnamese have taken to the streets in different parts of the country to demonstrate against a government proposal to grant companies lengthy land leases.
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130/2018 • 11 June, 2018
German girl’s murder by refugee highlights asylum system flaws The murder of a 14-year-old girl by a rejected asylum seeker raises explosive questions about Germanyʼs refugee system. In its details, the crime reveals serious shortcomings in how those seeking asylum are dealt with. There is no more contentious story in Germany right now than the killing of a 14-year-old in Wiesbaden, identified in the media only as Susanna. The main suspect is a rejected asylum seeker from Iraq, Ali B. For the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the murder shows the threat posed by migrants to — in the words of one of its most radical leaders, Björn Höcke — "our wives and daughters." Others say that the populists are shamefully trying to exploit a human tragedy and an exceptional event for its anti-immigration platform.
Neo-Nazi rock concert draws some 2,000, plus counterdemos in German town of Themar Police registered dozens of criminal offenses and infractions at Germanyʼs largest neo-Nazi rock concert. Counter-demonstrators were disappointed that the courts did not stop the event going ahead. Nearly 2,000 neo-Nazis attended Germanyʼs largest right-wing rock festival on Saturday, which drew several hundred counter-protesters. Police said that up to Saturday night 55 criminal offenses and minor infractions had been registered at the event in the town of Themar, located in Thuringia in central Germany. In 33 cases criminal proceedings were opened for the use of anti-constitutional symbols, including the swastika and Hitler salute, which are illegal in Germany. On Friday one photojournalist was attacked. The two-day rock concert, which goes into Sunday night, is the largest rightwing extremist rock festival in Germany. Last year it drew nearly 6,000 people. Around 300 counterdemonstrators gathered near the rock concert grounds. Politicians from the Social Democrats and the Greens were among those joining counterdemonstrations. Counterdemonstrators unfurled banners reading "Nazis out" and "Your ideology kills." They also placed 20 white crosses into the ground near the rock festival site to symbolize the victims of neo-Nazi violence. Since 1990, 193 people have been killed in right-wing violence. 2
Merkel and Macron present competing EU reform proposals German Chancellor Angela Merkel has now presented her ideas for EU reform
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has now presented her ideas for EU reform, after French President Emmanuel Macron already came up with his. DW shows where the two leaders see eye to eye — and where they are at odds. Proposals by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron for reforming the European Union are to be discussed at the upcoming EU summit in late June. There is plenty of agreement between the two — but also some sizeable differences. In light of the recent refugee crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron agree that EU member
Berlinʼs Jewish Campus will further dialog between religions, cultures The largest Jewish building project in Germany since the Holocaust, Berlinʼs Jewish Campus is set to break ground on Sunday. The site will accommodate some 500 children and is designed to instill hope. "Those who build, stay; they look forward to the future." Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal of the Jewish Community of Berlin is a master when it comes to succinct, poignant statements. "Those who build, show trust. We are here to actively shape the long-term and vibrant future of the Jewish community in
states should integrate their data systems and work more closely with refugeesʼ home countries. Crucially, both say efforts should be made to provide young people with better prospects for the future, especially in Africa. There are plans to launch a kind of "Marshal Plan" for the continent. Both leaders also agree that closer cooperation with countries bordering the eurozone, as well as transit countries, is needed. Germany." That, he says, is the message. Teichtal, an Orthodox rabbi, is the chairman of the Jewish Educational Center in Berlin. On Sunday, he will welcome German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Jewish Campus in the Wilmersdorf neighborhood of Berlin. The campus will house a day care center, a school and a gymnasium that can also be used for film screenings and theater productions. It will be the largest Jewish building project in Germany since the end of World War II.
Schools and parks close across Germany after oak tree infestation
As G7 argues, Russiaʼs Vladimir Putin and Chinaʼs Xi Jinping show SCO friendship At a regional Eurasian summit, the presidents of Russia and China have promised to work towards global cooperation. Russiaʼs Putin also signaled a desire for a one-oneone with US President Donald Trump. As the G7 meeting in Canada ended in bitter disagreement, the leaders of Russia, China and other Eurasian nations were all smiles on the second day of the meeting of theShanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)in the Chinese city of Qingdao on Sunday. Alluding to US President Donald Trumpʼsrecent spate of adversarial behavior towards his allies,including the imposition of tariffs and a withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, Chinese President Xi Jinping said "unilateralism, trade protectionism and a backlash against globalization are taking new forms." Xi also spoke of the need for world governments to pursue "cooperation for mutual benefit…. We should reject self-centered, shortsighted and closed-door policies."
Processionary caterpillars, whose hairs can cause rashes and breathing problems, have spread across Germany, residing in oak trees. Some have suggested the infestation is linked to climate change. re-schools, swimming lakes and public pools have closed across Germany in recent weeks as city workers try to contain an infestation of caterpillars in oak trees. Around 70 percent of some 250 oak trees in Cologne house these caterpillars, the larval form of the oak processionary moth, according to the Rheinische Post newspaper. Other cities in North Rhine-Westphalia and western Bavaria have fenced off trees and shut down parts of parks and school grounds to protect citizens from these creepy crawlers. "It is as bad ever," Wolfgang Auler of a pest control company based in the town of Velbert told the Rheinische Post.
130/2018 • 11 June, 2018
ʼBucharest Prideʼ 2018: A victory for tolerance Thousands danced in the streets of the Romanian capital as a mass demonstration organized by the governing Social Democratic Party was held just a stoneʼs throw away. In the end, it was a joyful celebration of diversity. On Sunday, some 10,000 people took part in the 14th annual gay and lesbian "Bucharest Pride" parade – a record for the Romanian event. And there was special reason to celebrate this year: Earlier this week, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) handed down a precedent-setting decision for same-sex couples: The EUʼs highest court declared that a gay USRomanian couple had the same resi-
Italian Finance Minister Giovanni Tria commits to euro, aims to cut debt Italy’s new Finance Minister Giovanni Tria has said the government aims to stick with the euro and also cut debts levels. His words should help assuage fears of an Italian spending splurge and exit from the EU currency. In his first interview since taking office, the Italian finance and economy minister Giovanni Tria sought to reassurejittery financial markets. Tria, a little-known professor of economics who has no party affiliation, said the coalition was committed to staying in the European single currency. He also told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the government would not allow debt levels to go out of control. Italy is grappling with a €2.3 trillion ($2.7 trillion) debt, which is 132 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) — the second highest ratio in the eurozone after Greece. "The position of the government is clear and unanimous. There is no question of leaving the euro," Tria said, adding that the government would work actively to prevent the likelihood of such an event.
dency rights within the EU as any other married couple. The wheels of justice in Romania have been grinding slowly for the last six years as Romanian Adrian Coman and his US husband Claibourn Robert Hamilton have fought for the right to legally reside in the country as a same-sex couple. Coman and Hamilton married in Belgium in 2010 and now they have finally won their battle.
Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in Singapore for historic summit
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump have both arrived in Singapore ahead of a historic summit. The meeting is aimed at finding a path toward denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean leader shook hands with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan shortly after ar-
riving at Singaporeʼs Chagi airport. US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in the city-state later on Sunday. Singaporean media reported that he had arrived at 2.38 p.m. local time (0738 UTC) on Sunday. Kim and his delegation arrived aboard an Air China 747, according to Singaporeʼs Straits Times.
France condemns ʼfits of angerʼ after Donald Trump’s G7 turnaround The French president’s office has said there is no place for anger and insults in international cooperation. The Elysee Palace issued its statement after US President Donald Trump torpedoed a G7 summit agreement.
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China trade surplus with US widens again Fresh trade figures from China have shown that heavily criticized trade imbalances between the worldʼs two leading economies have grown. The White House will not be amused by Beijingʼs renewed export drive. The trade deficit between the United States and China grew again in May, a report from Beijingʼs General Administration of Customs revealed Friday. The Chinese surplus with the worldʼs leading economy stood at $24.6 billion (€20.8 billion),about $2.4 billion larger than in April, and also higher compared with the same period a year earlier. Chinaʼs trade imbalance with the US has continued to grow since the beginning of the year, with the deficit reaching $105 billion between January and May, roughly $11.6 billion more than in the first five months of 2017. Washington announced last week it would impose tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, with a list of products affected to be issued by June 15. During last weekendʼs trade negotiations between the two nations, Chinese officials offered to buy more US agricultural and energy products,but warned that the deal would not go into effect if the US enacted more tariffs. Irrespective of the outcome of the US-China trade spat, experts have said Chinaʼs export drive is likely to stall. "Even if a trade war is avoided, Chinese trade growth is still likely to edge down over the coming year as the global economy loses momentum and headwinds to domestic demand from slower credit growth intensify," said the Capital Economics senior economist, Julian Evans-Pritchard.
German economy cooling as exports, output drop More economic indicators are pointing to a slowdown of the German economy. Fresh industrial output and exports data showed that Europeʼs powerhouse started the second quarter of 2018 on a weak footing. Data from the German Economy Ministry showed industrial output in Europeʼs largest economy fell by 1 percent in April. A separate report from the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) said German exports dropped by 0.3 percent in April. Fridayʼs news camejust a day after companies signaled an unexpected 2.5-percent fall in industrial orders. "The German economy will only make timid headway in the second quarter," VP Bank Chief Economist Thomas Gitzel wrote in a note to clients. "Weak orders, weak exports and disappointing production are a bitter setback." 4
Argentina agrees to $50 billion IMF loan nflation has hit 25 percent, the Argentine peso has lost about 20 percent of its value against the US dollar, and the federal budget is in deficit. The government hopes the IMF loan will get the country back on track. Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday agreed on a $50 billion (€42 billion) stand-by loan in a bid to bolster the countryʼs public finances and aid its struggling economy. South Americaʼs thirdlargest economy intends to use the loan, which still requires the IMF executive boardʼs approval, to try to balance the budget by 2020 and reduce inflation to single-digits by 2021. Argentine President Mauricio Macri said in May that he would seek the loan, warn-
Global foreign investment slows as returns decline
Global foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by almost a quarter last year, as returns for investors declined, slowing also growth in production, a United Nations report says. Prospects for a pick-up look muted at best. Globally active investors spent 23 percent less in 2017, causing the total sum of money earmarked for FDI to declinefrom $1.87 trillion (€1.58 trillion) in 2016to $1.43 trillion last year, according the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In its World Investment Report 2018 released on Wednesday, the organization noted that last year again global investment had remained below its 10-year average and would likely continue to do so in 2018. UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said in the report that the decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) and a slowdown in global value chains should be a major concern for policymakers, especially in the developing world.
Hotel Parlament H-Budapest 1054, Kálmán Imre utca 19. T.: +36 1 374 6000 reservation@parlament-hotel.hu www.parlament-hotel.hu
Farmersʼ protests spotlight worsening agrarian crisis in India Thousands of desperate farmers across India have taken to the streets to demand loan waivers and higher prices for their produce. The season of agrarian discontent continues. Murali Krishnan reports from New Delhi. Manish Bhanej, 36, a small-scale farmer from Balaguda village in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, dumped his entire stock of 1,000 crates of tomatoes last week on the main road in a fit of fury. "A 25-kilogram crate of tomatoes is selling for about 60 rupees (€0.76, $0.89) in the wholesale market. Prices have hit rock bottom and we are struggling with these low prices," Bhanej told DW. Thousands of farmers across eight Indian states, mostly ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modiʼs Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), began their 10-day protest last Friday to press demands such as farm loan waivers and higher prices for produce sugar.
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ing of a recession if the government were not able to get the IMFʼs help. The economy has been languishing amid rapidly rising consumer prices — annual inflation has hit an estimated 25 percent — and after the national currency, the peso,lost around 20 percent of its value against the US dollar. IMF Director Christine Lagarde welcomed the deal and said both sides would work together to make sure the loan and the associated economic reforms "benefit of all Argentines."
Spainʼs new government lifts financial controls on Catalonia
Spainʼs new government has promised to lift Madrid’s financial controls on Catalonia in what it said it was a "gesture of normalization." An independence referendum for the region remains out of the question. Banks will be instructed to allow the government of Catalonia to make payments without the supervision of Spainʼs finance ministry, education minister and government spokeswoman, Isabel Celaa, said on Friday. The Catalan government will still have to provide a monthly spending report to the central government, Celaa told reporters after the first Cabinet meeting since Socialist Party (PSOE)Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez came to power last week. Madrid had been supervising Catalan finances since 2015 to ensure no public money was funding illegal pro-independence activities, but controls were tightened by the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy in September 2017. Rajoy said this was to stop the separatist regional government of Catalonia from financing a banned independence referendum on October 1. The referendum was boycotted by the opposition and declared illegal by Spanish courts.
130/2018 • 11 June, 2018
What Causes Morning Breath? Most of us get up in the morning with bad breath. Why?
Germanyʼs waste problem: Recycling isnʼt enough The EU wants to outlaw single-use plastic items. But Germanyʼs Environmental Minister Svenja Schulze thinks recycling efforts need improving. So what will actually help keep the environment clean? On Monday, the European Commission presented its proposal toban disposable plastic items like single-use straws, plates and coffee cups. The plan, drawn up by European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Günther Oettinger, is an ambitious one. Oettinger told Funke Mediengruppe newspaper and magazine publisher: "We suggest that member states pay a certain fine into the EU budget for every kilogram of plastic that is not recycled." Currently, the plan is to charge €0.80 ($1.00) per kilogram of plastic waste. At the same time, the Commission wants to compel countries to recycle up to 90 percent of plastic bottles. EU member states are expected to individually implement the ban on single-use items. Although Germanyʼs Environmental Minister Svenja Schulze told German national broadcaster ARD she would prefer a single Europewide regulation. Provided the "onus is on recycling plastic" – something that is already is one of Germanyʼs main environmental policies.
Most of us get up in the morning with bad breath. Why? Most people wake up with some form of oral odor, and there’s nothing medically worrying about it. At night the salivary glands produce less saliva and the mouth can become dry. Certain bacteria proliferate under these conditions.
It is their sulfur-containing waste products that are responsible for the bad smell. Scraping the tongue and brushing thoroughly at bedtime can help to reduce the severity and duration of morning breath.
Your perfect Neapolitan pizza is ready in a minute
Families hit by climate change sue the EU A group of families have filed a lawsuit against the European Union for failing to protect citizens against the impacts of climate change. Itʼs the first climate lawsuit at EU level. A total of ten families from five EU countries, Kenya and Fiji, as well as a Swedish youth organization, are taking the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to court. They say the EU is violating their fundamental rights of life, health, livelihood and property by failing to combat global warming. ThePeopleʼs Climate Case, as the lawsuit has been dubbed, was filed with the European General Court on
May 24. It argues that the EUʼs 2030 climate target of reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent compared to 1990 levels, is inadequate. Instead, they are demanding a reduction of at least 50 to 60 percent by 2030. The plaintiffs argue that three EU emission regulation legal acts, issued as part of the 2030 climate target, still allow for high levels of greenhouse gases to be emitted. They are asking the EU to raise the target in defense of the fundamental rights of citizens — not just of those living in Europe, but also beyond its borders, who suffer from climate change as a result of EU emissions.
Thin dough, crispy crust and a generous amount of tasty toppings; Neapolitan pizza is quite something. And at Budapest’s new Manu+, it bakes to perfection in just one minute. You pick a pizza from the menu, place your order and then just have time to settle in at one of the tables before your dish is delivered. Hiding in an atmospheric courtyard at Múzeum körút 7, Manu+ is the new outlet of Pizza Manufaktúra, an immensely popular eatery in Budapest, its name a guarantee of high quality.
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Culture
Events Horizon: what’s happening in Budapest – June 2018 There are so many major things going on in June that you shouldn’t miss. In this events round-up, we bring together all of the important happenings taking place in and around Hungary’s capital in the upcoming weeks, so you can plan the month ahead. Get out there and enjoy everything that Budapest has to offer! Brain Bar Generali Childrenʼs Island Lenny Kravitz Downtown Beer Festival Danube Carnival A38 concerts Etyek Summer Picnic Budapest Summer Festival Kolorádó Festival Billy Elliot – The Musical Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Night of the Museums Red Bull Air Race The Red Bull Air Race fills Budapest’s skies with extreme aerobatic stunts performed by some of the world’s most daring pilots right above the river, using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes. This air show generally exceeds any expectations, because in addition to flying between floating checkpoints, the planes pass beneath the Chain Bridge, amazing the crowd of spectators lining the length of the riverside. A combination of high speed and extreme manoeuvres make this race an unparalleled visual spectacle that everyone can enjoy between June 23rd and 24th, over the Danube in the city centre.
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130/2018 • 11 June, 2018
Alexander Zverev cruises to firstround victory
Germanyʼs rising young star of menʼs tennis, Alexander Zverev, has had little trouble advancing past the first round of the French Open. However, last yearʼs surprise winner on the womenʼs side is already out. Alexander Zverevneeded just 69 minutes to cruise past Lithuaniaʼs Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in the first round atRoland Garroson Sunday. The world No. 3 didnʼt face a single break point in the match, and broke his 92nd-ranked opponentʼs serve seven times. "Itʼs always good to win in straight sets in the first round, that gives me confidence for the upcoming rounds" Zverev said in the oncourt interview.
Britainʼs Chris Froome wins first Giro dʼItalia
Gündogan affair casts a long shadow over the DFB The influence of the Turkish president was seen on the football field of a German national team game on Friday. The shadow he casts should prompt the German Football Association (DFB) to act. When the TV presenterʼs postmatch questions to Joachim Löw turned to the inevitable Erdogan question, the mood of the national coach changed. ARDʼs Alexander Bommes asked Löw for his thoughts on the whistles that greeted Ilkay Gündogan when he came off the bench during the second half of Germanyʼs final game before the World Cup. Löw sighed, trying to stay calm after heʼd cut a mean glance towards the whistling fans. "Weʼve talked a lot about it," Löw said, referring to the photo of Gündogan and fellow Germany player Mesut Özil with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The coach stressed that the issue has been dealt with internally and that there is nothing else to discuss. "Now we must look forward. Only then will the topic be over, OK? "An understandable, but unrealistic, wish. This is an affair that wonʼt disappear quietly.
Dominic Thiem awaits as Rafael Nadal eyes 11th title in Paris French Open:
Dominic Thiem ended Marco Cecchinatoʼs run to the semifinals of the French Open on Friday. The Austrian will meet Rafael Nadal in his first Grand Slam final on Sunday, as Nadal chases an 11th title at Roland Garros. The fairytale had to end some time. Marco Cecchinato, ranked 72nd in the world, defied the odds three times to reach the semifinals, but a fourth straight upset wasnʼt to be. It was Dominic Thiem who eventually spoiled the party, breezing into Sundayʼs final with a straight sets victory, 7-5, 7-6 (10), 6-1, that sent a clear message to his rivals. The Austrian reached the semifinal stage at this competition last year but is confident of going one better this time. Cecchinato knocked out seeds Pablo Car-
reno Busta and David Goffin before an incredible victory against 2016 champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Despite his glorious run coming to an end, the Italian was upbeat following defeat. "Today, all day, on the Philippe Chatrier court, the fans said ʼForza, Marcoʼ, so I think this is the best moment for me," said Cecchinato after the match. Thiem, meanwhile, becomes the first Austrian to reach a Grand Slam final since Thomas Muster triumphed at Roland Garros in 1995.
Simona Halep ends long wait for Grand Slam glory Chris Froome has become just the third rider in history to hold all three grand tour titles simultaneously by winning his first Giro dʼItalia. The final stage was cut short due to the poor condition of Romeʼs streets. Irish rider Sam Bennett of the Borahansgrohe team won Sundayʼs 21st and final stage of the Giro dʼItalia, but Britainʼs Chris Froome claimed the overall victory. The final stage was a low-key affair for Froome, in stark contrast to his surprisingsolo attack up the Colle delle Finestrethat had launched him into the overall lead on Friday. 6
Simona Halep defeated American Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the womenʼs final at the French Open on Saturday to claim her maiden major honor. Halep becomes the first Romanian Grand Slam winner in 40 years. Simona Halep described her French Open final victory as a "dream come true." She finally won a Grand Slam title after losing her three previous finals. "Itʼs very emotional. Iʼve been waiting for this moment since I was 14," she told the crowd after lifting the trophy up in the air, then kissing it. "I wish to play another final here because
this court is my favorite one." The 26year-old had to wait for her 32nd appearance at a Grand Slam event to win one at last. She had played two finals in Paris before, losing to Maria Sharapova in 2014 and then to teenager Jelena Ostapenko in heartbreaking fashion last year. By claiming the prize, Halep becomes the first Romanian to win a major since Virginia Ruzici, who also won in Paris, in 1978. "I see guys up there with the Romanian flag," she said. "Thank you to my family and friends, my brother of course, the Romanian people and the French people too for their fantastic support."