DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
WWII delayed-fuse bomb ʼneutralizedʼ off Italyʼs Adriatic coast Authorities in the eastern Italian town of Fano ordered some 23,000 people to evacuate after the discovery of a bomb from World War II. Officials said the device was neutralized at sea in a "highly risky operation." Officials in the Adriatic town of Fano gave the all clear on Wednesday after a British-made bomb dating back to the Second World War was safely disposed of at sea. Mayor Massimo Seri announced that the city was "out of danger," as he revoked evacuation orders and allowed local shops, public offices and the hospital to reopen. Schools remained closed, but the local train station, port and airport were back in service. A statement from the town hall said army and navy experts had lifted the bomb and dropped it into the ocean in "a special and highly risky operation."
Russia, China react to Mike Pompeo becoming US top diplomat Nations across the world have mostly shrugged off Donald Trumpʼs decision to put CIA head Mike Pompeo in charge of the US State Department. Moscow said it was "hardly possible" for bilateral ties to fall any lower. Relations between the US and Russia were already so low that it was unlikely that a new US Secretary of State would make them worse, Vladimir Putinʼs spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Peskovʼs comments come a day after Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Mike Pompeo wasslated to replace Rex Tillerson as the US top diplomat. "It is hardly possible to fall any lower than the floor," Peskov said in Moscow. "From this perspective, it is hardly necessary to worry about any further deterioration." At the same time, Peskov said there was always hope that the ties would be treated "soberly and constructively."
62/2018 • 16 MARCH, 2018
Angela Merkel elected to fourth term as German chancellor Germanyʼs parliament has confirmed Angela Merkel as the countryʼs next leader
The conservative Merkel will govern in a grand coalition with the Social Democrats. But the vote margin was very tight - a mere 9 votes. Merkelʼs election by Germanyʼs lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, ends 171 days of waiting after Germanyʼs national popular electionon September 24, 2017. Merkel was elected by deputies from her own conservative CDUCSU and her junior coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party (SPD). In all, 364 members of the Bundestag voted for Merkel, while 315 voted against her. There were nine abstentions, and 21 parliamentarians were either absent or didnʼt cast valid ballots. Thatʼs hardly a ringing endorsement considering that the grand coalition accounts for 399 votes in the Bundestag. After the vote, Merkel headed over to Berlinʼs Bellevue Palace to be sworn in by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Merkelʼs conservatives won Septemberʼs election, taking 33 percent of the vote, ahead of the SPD with 20.5 percent. But both of those figures were down sharply from 2013, due in part to the rise of the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which took 12.6 percent of the vote. Merkelʼs first at-
tempt to form a coalition, with the center-right Free Democrats and the Greens, failed. But she succeeded indoing a deal with the Social Democratsafter weeks of late-night negotiation and over the opposition of many regional SPD leaders and one-third of the party rank and file. The 63-year-old Merkel will now begin her fourth term as German chancellor and her third as the leader of a grand coalition. Merkelʼs fellow conservatives were quick to blame the closeness of the Bundestag vote on Social Democrats still unhappy with the prospect of another four years of a grand coalition. "A real slap in the face would have been if we failed to get a majority," designated Transportation Minister Andreas Scheuer of the Bavarian conservative party CSU told German TV. Designated SPD chairwoman Andrea Nahles called Merkelʼs election "good news" for Germany and Europe, although SPD deputies didnʼt applaud when the result of the vote was announced. Opposition leaders heaped scorn on Merkelʼs showing in the Bundestag vote.
EU proposes visa restrictions on countries refusing to take back illegal migrants Countries who refuse to take back migrants living illegally in the EU could face problems in the future when their citizens apply for visas. New rules proposed by the EC would set stricter conditions. The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday announced plans to penalize citizens from countries that refuse totake back illegal migrantsby restricting visas. Under new rules proposed by the EC, countries that fail to cooperate on illegal migrant returns could face a restrictive visa policy. The restrictions may include longer visa processing times, higher costs, fewer exemptions given to visiting diplomats or greater restrictions on the length of time they can stay in the EU. "The new rules will provide for a regular assessment by the Commission of non-EU countriesʼ cooperation on return," the Commission said.
Myanmar ready to work with UN on Rohingya repatriations Just 374 Rohingya refugees have been cleared by Myanmar authorities to return to their homes from their shelters in Bangladesh. Estimates put the number of the Rohingya who have fled at 700,000. Government officials in Myanmar announced Wednesday that they have begun discussing with UN agencies the possible repatriation of Rohingya Muslim refugees. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmarʼs western state of Rakhine to Bangladesh since last August, following brutal crackdowns carried out by security forces in retaliation for attacks committed by Rohingya insurgent groups.
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62/2018 • 16 March, 2018
US Nuclear Posture Review: A bigger bang for the buck?
The United States has put countering China and Russia, dubbed "revisionist powers," at the center of a new national defense strategy. DW takes a look at what that entails. At the height of the Cold War, the United States and the then-Soviet Union possessed around 70,000 nuclear warheads between them — enough to destroy or poison every square centimeter of inhabited land on Earth several times over. Americas US Nuclear Posture Review: A bigger bang for the buck? The United States has put countering China and Russia, dubbed "revisionist powers," at the center of a new national defense strategy. DW takes a look at what that entails. At the height of the Cold War, the United States and the then-Soviet Union possessed around 70,000 nuclear warheads between them — enough to destroy or poison every square centimeter of inhabited land on Earth several times over. Somewhat ironically, the concept of "mutually assured destruction" (MAD), whereby the full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender, was and is a guarantor of peace. A record 28 French restaurants get Michelin three-star ratings
Twenty-eight French restaurants have been honored with the gastronomic sectorʼs most coveted rating. Thatʼs a record number of threestar ratings for any single country in the Michelin Red Guide. A comeback by La Maison des Bois mastermind Marc Veyrat (pictured) and the emergence of Christophe Bacquieʼs Hotel du Castellet as another culinary force in southern France have given the country a record for most restaurants to hold a vaunted foodie guideʼs coveted three-star maximum. Set for official release on Friday, Michelin France has become the most prestigious of the publicationʼs 31 national editions and the domestic culinary bible. Michelin has faced criticism that its stars reward pomp and presentation rather than the food itself and for the guideʼs putting restaurateurs under unbearable scrutiny. The guide has made many a chefʼs name; others say it has nearly broken their wills. Veyrat — a 67-yearold who quit cooking after a skiing accident nine years ago and faced hardship again when La Maison burned down in 2015 — told The Associated Press that he does not mind the stress. 2
UK to expel 23 Russian diplomats over nerve agent poisoning Moscow has threatened a tit-for-tat response
British Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK is to expel 23 Russian diplomats in connection with the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said the UK would expel 23 Russian diplomats identified as "undeclared intelligence officers" after Russia failed to provide an explanation for a nerve agent attack on an ex-spy. May said the 23 diplomats who had been identified would be expelled under the Vienna Convention and had one week to
Finding ancient cities and improving weather forecasts with LiDAR Researchers discovered an old Mayan city with the help of lightwave technology. Christoph Kiemle from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) explains how the method works and how it could be used in self-driving cars. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. Itʼs similar to radar, or radiowave detection and ranging, but it works with optical radiation rather than radio waves. It works with light, basically. You can use lasers to send out this light to discover properties of the atmosphere or the Earth surface. We typically send a laser beam down to Earth from an airborne platform. That beam travels through the at-
leave the country. May addressed parliament on Wednesday after chairing a national security meeting called in response to British military lab findings that a variant of the Soviet-eranerve agent Novichokwas used against ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia some 10 days ago. The two remain in critical condition. mosphere and can measure particle matter, aerosol in the atmosphere for example. It can detect clouds, it could travel down to the surface when there are no clouds, and it gives us profiles of atmospheric properties. We can detect and derive a lot of information from these measurements that help advance science.
Maldives declares state of emergency, former president arrested The president of the Maldives has ordered his predecessor arrested and called a state of emergency. Soldiers charged into the Supreme Court and arrested two judges after they ordered imprisoned politicians released. Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen called a state of emergency on Monday and ordered soldiers to arrest
Indonesia debates bill criminalizing gay sex and any sex outside of marriage Indonesiaʼs parliament speaker has called for reforms to the criminal code that would outlaw any sex outside of marriage, including gay sex. Critics say the bill would also weaken checks and balances on democracy. Indonesian lawmakers began debating controversial changes to the countryʼs criminal code on Tuesday, which critics warn would violate human rights and undermine the countryʼs democracy. Indonesiaʼs parliament speaker Bambang Soesatyo opened proceedings by urging lawmakers to consider the legislation that would curb "homosexual excesses." Writing in the Indonesian daily Koran Sindo, Soesatyo also said Tuesday that gay lifestyles in the country had spawned "horrifying" excesses, such as murder, HIV/AIDS and pedophilia. "If these people actively promote their lifestyles, it will be very worrying," he said. "We urge the state to take firm action." While homosexuality is not illegal in the worldʼs largest Muslim majority country, it has long been viewed as a bugbear to both Indonesiaʼs Islamic and secular political parties.
his 80-year-old predecessor, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, his estranged half brother, who supported the main political opposition. Yameen is in an escalating legal battle with the South Asian island nationʼs Supreme Court after judges ordered the release of all imprisoned opposition leaders in a surprise ruling last week. He ordered Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another of the Supreme Courtʼs four judges arrested early Tuesday. Yameen called a 15-day state of emergency, deepening a political crisis.The emergency decree grants wide powers for the security forces and police to make arrests, search and seize property and restricts freedom of assembly, officials said.Soldiers forced their way into the Supreme Court building and arrested two of the tribunalʼs four justices.Police used pepper spray to disperse hundreds of protesters who had gathered outside the court.Former President Gayoom was charged with bribery and attempting to overthrow the government, according to his lawyer.
62/2018 • 16 March, 2018
EU states agree on transparency rules to curb tax avoidance European Union countries have agreed on new rules to crack down on cross-border schemes that help companies evade taxes. Tax professionals who fail to inform authorities about these ploys will be hit with penalties. European Union finance ministers on Tuesday backed transparency measures requiring financial advisors, accountants, lawyers and banks to report "potentially aggressive tax planning arrangements" used by their clients. The rules, which are due to come into force on July 1, 2020, are part of an effort by the bloc to shut down corporate ploys to shift profits to low-tax countries. Information about the schemes
Germany to compensate Algerian Jewish Holocaust survivors Jews who lived in Algeria during the Vichy regime will receive compensation, said the Claims Conference. Algerian Jews were "one of the last" groups to be recognized by Germany, the organizationʼs vice president told DW. The Claims Conference Hardship Fund on Monday announced that a new group ofJewish Holocaust survivorswill be eligible forcompensation from the Germany government. The group consists of Jews who lived in Algeria between July 1940 and November 1942. Those eligible for compensation will receive a one-time payment of €2,556 ($3,180), which the German government will begin paying out in July. "Even at this late stage, itʼs very important both for the individuals, because it acknowledges what they went through, and in general, because it creates a historical record which will stand the test of time," Eric Schneider, who serves as executive vice president of the Claims Conference, told DW. "The further we get away from the events, I think thereʼs the greater possibility of Holocaust revisionism … When the German government takes responsibility and acknowledges the event, then it makes it a lot harder to refute it.
will be compiled in a centralized database and shared among the 28 EU member countries. "If the authorities receive information about aggressive tax planning schemes before they are implemented, they will be able to close down loopholes before revenue is lost," said Bulgarian Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
Rex Tillerson ends Africa trip with focus on security
After meetings with the AU in Ethiopia and diplomatic meetings in Kenya, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ended his Africa trip in Chad and Nigeria where counter terrorism topped the agenda. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is ending his Africa trip with a short visit to Chad and Nigeria. During his visit to Chad, Tillerson hinted at the possibility of lifting the travel ban on Chad, which he said was an ally in the fight against terrorism. He said that his
team was preparing a progress report on Chad which would be reviewed by President Trump at a later point. Chadʼs President Idriss Deby voiced his incomprehension of the travel ban. Tillerson had cut his week-long Africatrip a day short citing that he had urgent matters to attend to in the US. He had also cancelled some of his appointments over the weekend in Kenya, saying that he felt unwell. DW spoke to Chatham House expert Mathew Page about the trip.
European markets plunge at opening bell as stock market dip deepens Global markets continue to wobble precariously. European markets took a big hit as Tuesdayʼs trading began, following major losses across Asia and particularly in Japan. Wall Street fared no better on Monday. European markets opened on Tuesday awash with red, with the main benchmark indices all down around 3 percent followingWall Streetʼs Monday rout. Minutes after the bell to signal the start of trading, Germanyʼs DAX index dropped 3 percent to 12,308 points. It was a similar story in France and the UK, whose indices opened 3 and 2.5 percent lower respectively.
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62/2018 • 16 March, 2018
Chinese migration brings social change to Italyʼs Alps Home to the largest concentration of Chinese residents in Europe, two mountain villages have become the unlikely setting of an integration experiment. Giulia Saudelli and Matteo Civillini report from northern Italy. At midday, the fog is so thick one can barely see the mountainside. From the vast space that opens out below, all one can hear are the Chinese workers busily hitting large slabs of stone with their chisels. The quarryʼs owner paces around them, making sure the precious material is handled with care. A few meters away a truck is ready to load the rough-cut stones, which, after a journey down a steep mountain road, will be delivered to the workshops in the tiny villages of Bagnolo Piemonte and Barge. This is the daily routine in the Infernotto Valley, in northern Italy, home to the largest Chinese community in terms of concentration in Europe. Since the early 1990s more than 1,300 of them have settled in this remote area, making up around 10 percent of the total population. The Chinese presence is so strong that Hu has now become the most common surname in Barge. Their arrival initiated what can be described as a 20-yearlong migration experiment, unintentionally providing a testing ground for integration policies in Italy and beyond. What brought them to this unlikely place is the Luserna stone. A pillar of the local economy, the ʼgrey goldʼ — as it is known locally — is a foliated rock featuring sheet-like layers of varying shades of color.
German metalworkers finally secure wage agreement Following weeks of bitter fighting, a wage agreement for the German metal and electrical industries has finally been struck. Employees were able to secure higher wages and more flexible working hours. A wage agreement was reached in the early hours on Tuesday in Germanyʼs metal and electrical industries. The powerful IG Metall union announced the deal initially covering workers in the southern German state of BadenWürttemberg, but expected to be eventually implemented for a total of 3.9 million workers in the sector nationwide. According to the deal, employeesare to receive a pay hike of 4.3 percent from April this year. Additionally, monthly one-off payments of €100 ($124) were agreed for January through March. Employers and trade union representatives also agreed on the possibility of workers reducing their hours from 35 to 28 hours per week for two years, should they need to look after children or care for older relatives. 4
Japanese consumers increasingly getting a taste for German food Asia Japanese consumers increasingly getting a taste for German food Stereotypical images of German bread, beer and sausages begin to fade in Japan as imports of fine wines, quality meat and high-end chocolate and cocoa products rise. To the average Japanese person,German cuisinerevolves almost exclusively around bread, sausages and beer. The common refrain is that it is a "heavy" diet that does not always sit well with the Japanese palate. Dozens of German companies that recently took part in Japanʼs largest food and drinks trade show, however, are convinced that they can win over sufficient consumers here to make it an important export market for their products. But they admit that there are some uniquely Japanese hurdles that they need to overcome if their products are to be a suc-
United Kingdom waits to see how the post-Brexit winds will blow The UK is the current world leader in offshore wind capacity. But with the country heading for the EU exit door, can the renewable energy boom last? Lying unpainted on its side, the greenish curve of a 75meter (246 feet) long wind turbine blade bears a passing resemblance to a whale. Itʼs twice the length of a blue whale but at 25 tons, is much lighter than the earthʼs largest creature. For employees at the state-ofthe-art Siemens Gamesa factory in the port city of Hull in northern England, another comparison is more apt. "Four bull elephants, thatʼs how we equate it," said Alison Maxwell, the head of communications at the facility. Siemensʼ £160 million ($223 million/182 million euros) plant has manufactured these great fiberglass beasts for wind farms in Britain since it opened at the end of 2016 in the economically deprived city. And itʼs a good time to be in business.
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Nissan, Dongfeng to invest heavily in e-cars in China Together with its joint venture on the ground, Japanese automaker Nissan is to make a multi-billiondollar investment in the production of e-cars in China. Beijingʼs e-car quota system goes into effect next year. Japanese carmaker Nissan and its Chinese joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor Company announced Monday they would invest $9.5 billion (€7.6 billion) in China to increase annual sales by 1 million vehicles andboost the production of electric cars. The move came as China was rolling out new regulations to limit gas vehicles in a bid to reduce air pollution across the Asian nation. Authorities in Beijing will implement a complex quota system as of 2019, requiring carmakers to produce a minimum number of electric vehicles. They are also looking at plans to completely ban fossil fuel cars at a date that has yet to be decided.
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cess here. "This is the second year that I have been at Foodex Japan and it is an important part of our three-year plan to get a firm foothold here," said Sascha Magsamen, founder of the Weingut Meine Freiheit vineyard in the Rheingau, a wine-growing region in Germany. "For me, it is a question of sustainability in this market and because German wines do not have much of a reputation in this market — Japanese consumers almost always think of France and Italy when it comes to wines — we have to work hard to build a good image for German wines," he told.
The end of competition in the energy market
German energy giants RWE and E.ON want to reposition themselves and are planning a radical change. Itʼs a necessary development but will come at the expense of both workers and consumers, says DWʼs Andreas Becker. German energy giants RWE and E.ON want to reposition themselves and are planning a radical change. Itʼs a necessary development but will come at the expense of both workers and consumers, says DWʼs Andreas Becker. In the past, the German energy industry was all about the future.Long-term planning was paramount. Now decisions are being made under more pressure and with greater urgency, a reflection of the sectorʼs current nervous mood. A couple of years ago, the major energy providers E.ON and RWE started carving up their companies. Eon channeled its coal, gas and water concerns into a new company called Uniper and floated it on the stock market. It was a similar story at RWE, except it was their green and renewable interests which were floated as a new company called Innogy. In the process,RWE became a sort of "bad bank"that had a legacy of producing fossil fuels.
62/2018 • 16 March, 2018
Toyota stops selling diesel cars in Europe The announcement was made at the Geneva Motor Show
Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota has said it will soon stop selling diesel vehicles in Europe, reacting to dieselʼs fall from grace on the Continent. Japanese car giant Toyota told reporters at the Geneva Motor Showit would stop selling diesel cars in Europe, beginning the phaseout later this year. "Diesel will be phased out in our passenger cars in 2018," Toyota Motor Europe President Johan van Zyl said in Geneva where Europeʼs first major car show of the year opens to the general public later this week. "We will not develop new diesel technology for
passenger cars, weʼll continue to focus on hybrid vehicles." An emissions-cheating scandal, which blew up at Volkswagen in 2015,has heaped discredit on diesel technology, criticized for harmful nitrogen oxide and particulates. It has been a major blow for many carmakers which had essentially relied on diesel as they struggled to cut CO2 emissions with the support of public authorities.
Russian accused of running spam network extradited to US Suspected Russian hacker Pyotr Levashov pleaded not guilty before a US judge after being extradited from Spain. Prosecutors claim he ran a massive computer network that sent out spam and installed malicious software. Spanish authorities have extradited to the US a Russian man suspected of carrying out cybercrimes using bulk spam emails and malicious software, US officials announced Friday. Pyotr Levashov, a 37-year-old from St. Petersburg, pleaded not guilty to the charges of wire and email fraud, hacking, identity theft and conspiracy after appearing before a federal judge in the US state of Connecticut. He re-
mains in detention. Levashov was arrested in Aprilwhile vacationing with his family in Barcelona. In October, Spainʼs National Court granted the US extradition request, rejecting a counter-extradition request from Russia. US prosecutors say Levashov ran the sprawling Kelihos botnet — a network involving up to 100,000 infected computers that sent spam emails, harvested usersʼ logins and installed malicious software that intercepted bank account passwords. According to the indictment, the network generated and distributed more than 2,500 spam emails a day and allegedly victimized thousands of people in the US.
German university hospital defends auto firmsʼ nitrogen dioxide test ethics No experiments on animals or humans can take place in Germany without a go from an authorized ethics committee. Dr. Thomas Kraus from Aachen University Hospital says this was the case in the most recent NO2 scandal. The European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) "did not impinge in any way on the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) research it commissioned Aachen University Hospital to do," Professor Thomas Kraus from the hospital told the German press agency DPA on Monday. The EUGT is a now defunct organization that was funded by German carmakers Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW plus partsmaker Bosch, thus raising questions of possible conflicts of interest. In 2013, 25 healthy volunteers were exposed to NO2 pollution for three hours, Kraus said.
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Culture
Budapest’s Széchenyi Baths extend opening hours When the weather is so moody, it is so nice to plunge into a hot pool filled with mineral-rich thermal waters and soak away in the soothing atmosphere. While the outdoor pools at Budapest’s splendid Széchenyi Baths are always open until 10pm, from March 1st, the indoor thermal area will also stay open until the same time, welcoming those who would rather enjoy the sight of snow from inside, savouring spa delights after dark. Housed in a stunning NeoBaroque building, the Széchenyi is probably the most popular spa in Budapest, and certainly the largest of its kind in Europe. While the open-air plunging area is most popular, the Széchenyi altogether holds 11 pools within, each filled with mineral-rich healing waters, as well as steam cabins, saunas and showers. From March 1st, bathers can enjoy these convivial facilities until as late as 10pm, while the outdoor area stays open until the same time as usual. Three pools inside are only available to guests with a medical referral, but this still leaves enough room for tranquil relaxation for everyone.
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62/2018 • 16 March, 2018
British parliamentary doping report slams Wiggins, Sky
A British parliamentary report has sharply criticized Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins for using permitted medication to enhance his performance at the 2012 Tour de France. Sky and Wiggins have rejected the criticism. The report published on Monday by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, said Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins, had crossed an "ethical line" by using corticosteroids to treat a medical condition during the 2012 Tour.
Soccer captain Davide Astori of Fiorentina dies, aged 31
Italian football has reacted with shock to the death of Fiorentina captain and defender Davide Astori. He was found dead early on Sunday in his hotel room in Udine, where the team was due to play a Serie A match. Fiorentina captain and defender Davide Astori died of a sudden illness on Sunday morning at the age of 31, the Serie A club said, leaving Italian football in a state of shock. Italian media reported that Astori was found by his team-mates in the early hours in his hotel room in Udine, where the team was staying ahead of an Italian league match. 6
Athletics doping: IOC confident over Russia doping reform plans
Roger Federer, Serena Williams claim 2018 Laureus sports awards
International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach believes Russia will resolve its doping issues and field athletes at next yearʼs Rio Games. Russia was provisionally suspendedfrom world athletics after an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report alleged "state-sponsored doping". Bach met with his Russian Olympic Committee counterpart Alexander Zhukov to discuss the report. He said he was "confident" in the measures put forward by the ROC. Council members of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Friday voted 22-1 in favour of Russia being banned. As it stands, Russian athletes may not enter international competitions, including the World Athletic Series and Rio Olympics, which begin on 5 August next year. Russia will also not be entitled to host the 2016 World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary and the 2016 World Junior Championships in Kazan. "We are confident that the initiatives being proposed by the ROC, with the responsible international organisations - Wada and the IAAF - will ensure compliance as soon as possible in order to provide participation of the clean Russian athletes at the Olympic Games," said IOC president Bach.
The Mercedes F1 team also claimed a prize
Tennis dominated the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards. Roger Federer won sportsman of the year and comeback of the year, while Serena Williams was named sportswoman of the year. Roger Federer was named the Laureus Sportsman of the Year for the fifth time at the Monaco award ceremony on Tuesday. The Swiss veteran was also honored as enjoying the comeback of the year, having become the oldest world number 1 in tennisʼ history, reclaiming the top spot in the menʼs game 14 years after he first occupied it. "This means the world to me, thank you so, so much," Federer said in his acceptance speech, also praising the Lau-
reus Sport for Good Foundation for helping to inspire his own philanthropic work. Serena Williams, meanwhile, was named Sportswoman of the Year, having claimed her 23rd Grand Slam singles title and surpassed German ace Steffi Graf just in time to give birth to her first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr, later in 2017. Williams has not been able to return to the court quite as quickly as she had hoped since giving birth.
Per Mertesacker reaps praise, criticism for speaking of pressure felt during career Arsenal center back Per Mertesacker has raised more than a few eyebrows with comments about how much pressure he has felt throughout his career. He also said that he was glad that his playing days were coming to an end. The comments published in Saturdayʼs edition of Der Spiegel news magazine painted a picture of a man who has hated
his job ever since he became a professional footballer 15 years ago. Per Mertesacker, who is to hang up his boots at Arsenal at the end of the season to take up a jobcoaching at the Premier League clubʼs academy, said he has been so nervous before every game that he feels like vomiting and struggles with diarrhea.