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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

German police raid suspected KKK membersʼ homes German police on Wednesday raided 12 apartments in eight different German states belonging to suspected members of an extreme-right group calling itself the National Socialist Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Deutschland. A total of 200 police officers searched properties in BadenWürttemberg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North RhineWestphalia, Rhineland Palatinate, Saxony Anhalt and Thuringia. More than 100 weapons — including air guns, swords, machetes and knives — were seized in the raids, prosecutors and regional police in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg said. Read more: ʼThe KKK is active here in Germanyʼ The raids targeted 17 people between the ages of 17 and 59, but there was no official word of any arrests. Authorities say around 40 people are under investigation.

Record traffic jams slow down German autobahns German roads experienced a record 745,000 traffic jams in 2018, a 3 percent increase over 2017, the ADAC, Germanyʼs largest automobile club, said Thursday.

The ADAC said the traffic jams, which occurred at a rate of about 2,000 per day, caused a back-up of 1.5 million kilometers (932,000 miles) and forced motorists to sit in their cars for an extra 459,000 hours. The automobile club cited an increase in average distance traveled, which Germanyʼs Federal Highway Research Institute pegged at 0.4 percent, for the increase in traffic suggestion.

It also said there were 3 percent more bottlenecks caused by construction sites.

15/2019 • 18 JANUARY, 2019

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wins confidence vote The vote came after a key minister in the Greek government quit last week

The vote came after a key minister in the Greek government quit last week over the Macedonia name dispute. Prime Minister Tsipras said he would put the ratification of the Macedonia name-change agreement on the agenda.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesdaywon a confidence vote in parliament, just days after the countryʼs governing coalition collapsed. Tsipras received the minimum 151 votes he needed from the parliament for his government to survive. Speaking after the vote, Tsipras said winning a vote of confidence was a vote for stability in Greece. "Today the Greek parliament gave a vote of confidence in stability," he said. "We received a vote of confidence with our only concern to continue to address the needs and interests of the Greek people." Panos Kammenos, the defense minister in Tsiprasʼ government who leads the small nationalist Independent Greeks (ANEL) party, was the latest minister to quit the coalition over aproposed namechange agreement with neighboring Macedonia. Greece has been blocking Macedonia from joining NATO and the European Union for a decade over the name row. Under

that agreement, the former Yugoslav republic added the geographic qualifier "North" to its name to differentiate itself from the ancient and modern-day Greek province of the same name, in exchange for Greece to no longer block its path to NATO and EU membership. Kammenos said the deal did not go far enough and argued that no country should be allowed to keep the name "Macedonia" in any form. Tipras had earlier said that if he won the vote, he would swiftly put the ratification of the agreement with Macedonia on the agenda. Even if he had lost the vote, he had said he would continue leading a minority government until the regular election set for October.

Speaking following a meeting with Tsipras on Wednesday in Athens, EU Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said the name-change agreement is supported by all EU member states and is beneficial to Greece, the Ekathimerini news portal reported.

Germany: Arms exports approvals down a quarter The German government approved nearly 23 percent fewer arms exports in 2018 compared to the previous year. That is according to an Economy Ministry response to an inquiry from Green Party lawmaker Omid Nouripour published in local media on Thursday. Total arms exports approvals amounted to €4.82 billion ($5.47 billion) compared to €6.24 billion in 2017. A downward trend has been recorded every year since 2015, when Germany exported a recordbreaking €7.86 billion in arms. The report cited the governmentʼs decision in November tostop all arms exports to Saudi Arabiain response to the assassination of Saudi critic and journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, the government was already considering a ban due toSaudiʼs involvement in the brutal war in Yemen.

Russian lawmakers to vote on Council of Europe boycott Russian lawmakers are expected to vote againstsending a delegation to the Council of Europe (CoE)following a Thursday morning session. "We have reached the conclusion that there is no basis for us to (…) return to the Council of Europe" Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin told journalists after a meeting with representatives of the parliamentary parties on Wednesday. "We also consider it justified not to pay the contributions into the Council of Europe this year, because our delegation does not have the possibility of full representations and of representing the interests of our citizens."

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15/2019 • 18 January, 2019

German teachers fined for treating wasp sting with heated fork Two teachers at a school in the western German state of Hesse were fined for causing bodily harm with their questionable home remedy for a studentʼs wasp sting.

The incident occurred during a school trip to a youth hostel in the neighboring state of RhinelandPalatinate in May 2017, when a 14-year-old student was stung by a wasp. In response, a 39-year-old male teacher heated the handle of a fork with a lighter and pressed it on the boyʼs hand where heʼd been stung. After a blister formed, another 40-year-old female teacher cut it open and treated the wound with cream. The studentʼs lawyer said that as a result of the sting, the boy had to wear a protective glove for a considerable period of time. The German daily Bild newspaper reported that the boyʼs hand became infected and that he wasnʼt able to attend an internship as a result. A district court in Cochem fined the male teacher €2,700 ($3,160) for causing bodily harm.

The female teacher was also fined €2,500 ($2,900) for both assisting and causing bodily harm to the student.

Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege accept Nobel Peace Prize In theirNobel Peace Prize acceptance speeches on Monday,Denis MukwegeandNadia Murad called on the world to protect victims of wartime sexual violence. They also slammed global indifference to the plight of women and children in conflict. In her speech Murad implored the global community to help free hundreds of women and girls still held by jihadists. She also said that the world must protect her people and other vulnerable communities. Speaking at Osloʼs City Hall and seemingly overcome with emotion, Murad said: "It is my view that all victims deserve a safe haven until justice is done for them." Murad survived the horrors of captivity under the "Islamic State" (IS) group in Iraq and Syria where they targeted her Kurdish-speaking community.Older women and men faced summary execution during the IS assault, which the United Nations has described as a possible genocide. Murad was captured in 2014 and suffered beatings and gang-rape before she was able to escape.

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Vladimir Putin to meet with troubled Serb counterpart For over a month, thousands have turned out for weekly protests against Serbiaʼs president

Ecstatic crowds are expected to greet Vladimir Putin as he enters the Church of St. Sava in Belgrade alongside Aleksandar Vucic.

The tabloids report that 70,000 people will turn out in Belgrade on Thursday to warmly welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin. That could be the case: Putin is popular in Serbia. The greeting has been organized by small political associations founded by politicians from nationalist splinter groups that have close ties to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). On the internet, there are offers for day packages that include lunch and bus transportation to the festivities for

Syria blames Israel for ʼattack on Damascus airportʼ Israel launched missiles at a target near the Syrian capital of Damascus, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Sunday. "Our air defenses responded to an Israeli missile attack on Damascus international airport and shot down a number of hostile missiles," said a military source cited by Syriaʼs SANA news agency. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an independent war monitor that relies on a network of on-the-ground sources, said the missiles had targeted an arms depot near the airport,likely used by Iranian forces or the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

History of attacks An Israeli Defense

about €13 ($15). Street vendors are even selling T-shirts bearing Putinʼs face and Russian flags. ʼA pictureperfect visitʼ Posing with Putin against the backdrop of a cheering crowd will have benefits for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Since the beginning of December,tens of thousands of peoplehave turned out to demonstrate against Vucic weeklyin Belgrade and other cities, calling for an end topolitical violenceand demanding unbiased reporting by public television.

Forces (IDF) spokeswoman said Israel does not comment on reports by foreign media. However,it would not be the first time Israel has targeted assets on Syrian soil. Earlier this month, an Israeli official said the IDF has hit more than 200 Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria.

World Bank offers financial assistance to disaster-hit Indonesia The World Bank announced Sunday it would provide up to $1 billion (€860 million) in loans to the Indonesian government to help relief and reconstruction efforts in areas hit

Germany ready to ʼhelp Iraq back on its feetʼ German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Iraq on Saturday to discuss her countryʼs intention to develop its military assistance program in the country. Von der Leyen said that followingthe "Islamic State" militant groupʼs military defeat in Iraq, it is time to move forward with other endeavors, includingstabilization and reconstruction. "Now it is important to shape and protect the reconstruction of the country under a new mandate," said von der Leyen.

"Germany is ready to continue helping Iraq get back on its feet. That is why I am here." ʼOther forms of engagementʼ In February, von der Leyen saidthe role of the Bundeswehr — Germanyʼs armed forces — needed to evolveto meet the "needs of Iraq." At the time, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Baghdad wanted a "commitment from Germany" for "other forms of engagement," including training and logistics. Since 2014, Germany has provided Iraq withmore than €1 billion ($1.16 billion) in humanitarian and development aid, making the Middle Eastern country one of the largest recipients of German foreign assistance.

by recent earthquakes and a tsunami.

Kristalina Georgieva, the bankʼs CEO, unveiled the funds in Bali during its annual meeting. "Disasters will continue to hit, and with climate change there will be more," said Georgieva, who earlier visited Palu City, which was hit by a 7.5magnitude quake and a resulting tsunami last month. "The best memorial we can build for the victims of disaster is to build better, so next time when a disaster hits, fewer people are affected, fewer lives are lost, and there is less damage," she added. Indonesia sits on one of the most tectonically active parts of the world, and is prone to earthquakes as well as occasional tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. On Saturday, torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra, killing 27 people, including a dozen school children.

15/2019 • 18 January, 2019

China slams Huawei ʼhysteriaʼ The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday described US legislation targeting technology giant Huawei and other Chinese telecommunications companies as "hysteria."

From the US to Poland, the embattled Chinese company and some of its employees have been targeted by authorities as Western countries seek to limit its scope of operations domestically due to security fears and allegations of intellectual property theft. US lawmakers put forward a bipartisan bill on Wednesday to block the sale of US chips to Chinese telecommunications companies. Huawei and ZTE were cited in the draft law, with one US lawmaker describing Huawei as "an intelligence-gathering arms of the

Luxembourg election presents tough challenge to PM Xavier Bettel The future of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel hangs in the balance as some 256,000 voters head to the polls in the European land-locked Grand Duchy on Sunday.

Any party or alliance needs to obtain 31 seats to form a government.

Opinion polls suggest Bettel could lose the vote due to his unpopular economic policies and declining support within his Democratic Party and coalition partners. A high growth rate under the coalition has put pressure on housing and infrastructure. According to polls, a quarter of voters were undecided in who to vote for. Claude Wiseler, a former literature teacher and the prime minister candidate of the Christian Social Peopleʼs Party (CSV), is expected to pick up seats.

Bettel became the countryʼs prime minister in 2013 after a spying scandal toppled the CSV government of Jean-Claude Juncker, who is now president of the European Commission.

Chinese Communist Party."Several top Huawei officials have been arrested across the globe. Poland detained Huawei executive Wang Weijing last Friday on espionage-related charges. In Canada, CFO Meng Wanzhou is on house arrest pending a US extradition request.The German government has actively sought ways to prevent Huawei from building the countryʼs 5G network, according to business newspaper Handelsblatt.

Other countries, including the US, have already enacted bans.

Pass the beans, hold the beef to save yourself and the planet

Food production and consumption must change drastically to avoid millions of deaths and "catastrophic" damage to the planet, according to a study published Wednesdayin the scientific journal The Lancet. The key to both goals is a significant shift in the global diet and would mean eating about half as much sugar and red meat and twice as many vegetables,

legumes, fruits and nuts, the study found. Read more: How much meat is healthy? Researchers from the EATLancet Commission said that if people followed the "Planetary Health" diet, more than 11 million premature deaths could be prevented each year, greenhouse gas emissions would be cut and more land, water and biodiversity would be preserved.

Europe-wide Rhine River cleanup draws thousands of volunteers Anke Mielke digs through her orange garbage bag, sifting through numerous plastic bags and other scraps of trash before pulling out the strangest thing sheʼs found so far on the banks of the Rhine River — a pungent pair of jeans. Mielke tells DW that she hopes that by cleaning up the riverbank, others will be reminded to take their rubbish with them next time. "I grew up along the Rhine and I want it to remain beautiful so that others can enjoy it," she says.

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15/2019 • 18 January, 2019

Older German diesels face reckoning German government ministers met at Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs offices on Friday to discuss the vexatious diesel question. After years of wrangling, a solution is dearly sought, but what are the realistic options? Is Germanyʼs seemingly never-ending diesel debate edging towards its endgame? On Friday, German government ministers for transport, finance, the economy and the environment met at the offices of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to try and reach an agreement on the thorny subject of how to reduce pollution from diesel cars as quickly as possible.

Read more: New analysis reveals deadly scale of diesel emissions Last weekend, German government figures and car manufacturers were in talks over potential hardware retrofits for older diesels, but no deal was reached. With diesel bans allowed in Germany since rulings earlier this year, the debate has entered a decisive phase.Hamburg began a partial ban in May, while Stuttgart,Frankfurtand Düsseldorf are among the other cities expected to follow. Car manufacturers are vehemently opposed to such bans, as they have added to uncertainty over dieselʼs future and hit sales. The debate in the Chancellery once more centered on a few key questions around whether older diesels should be banned outright, retrofitted with new hardware or gradually phased out through incentivized buyback schemes. On top of that is the fundamental issue of who pays to make things better.

Sri Lanka seeks investment, but China questions linger You donʼt need to be an expert on international trade routes to look at a map and understandthat Sri Lankaʼs location is one of potentially serious economic advantage. The island nation — population 22 million — sits at the southern tip of India, almost as close to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa as it is to South East Asia. The value of this location has not been lost on its northern neighbor China.Under Xi Jinpingʼs so-called ʼBelt and Road Initiative,ʼ the Chinese government has pumped billions into Sri Lanka in the form of both foreign investment and loans in recent years. This reliance on Chinese money is part of a longstanding Sri Lankan problem. With a major trade deficit, as well as crippling levels of debt, the country needs foreign money. China has rushed to fill the gap more enthusiastically than anyone else. The current Sri Lankan government came to power in 2015, when it replaced former President Mahinda Rajapaksaʼs administration.

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Theresa May calls for ʼway forwardʼ on Brexit after winning no confidence vote The British prime minister called on politicians to "put self-interest aside" ahead of further Brexit negotiations. Mayʼs government survived a vote of no confidence a day after her draft Brexit deal was voted down.

Can the European Union control Chinaʼs connectivity in Europe?

Last week, the EU announced a proposal for a "new and comprehensive strategy to better connect Europe and Asia." As European countries and industry expand infrastructure and network connections with Asia, and China in particular, the EU is seeking to level the playing field and ensure that joint projects develop with Brussels setting the standard. DW spoke with Mathieu Duchâtel, senior policy fellow and deputy director of the Asia and China Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about the EUʼs strategy on connecting Europe and Asia. Mathieu Duchâtel: This proposal is the EUʼs response mainly to Chinaʼs Belt and Road initiative, with the aim of making European values on connectivity clear. I think itʼs the result of a feeling in the EU that it wasnʼt in the driverʼs seat on the connectivity discussion in Eurasia. This, of course, includes infrastructure because thereʼs no connectivity without infrastructure.

Hotel Parlament H-Budapest 1054, Kálmán Imre utca 19.

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UK Prime Minister Theresa May won a confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday and then appealed to lawmakers to reach a consensus on Brexit.

"This evening the government has won the confidence of Parliament. This now gives us the opportunity to focus on finding a way forward on Brexit," May said outside 10 Downing Street in London. "Now MPs have made clear what they donʼt want, we must all work constructively together to set out what parliament does want," she added.

Lawmakers voted 325 to 306 that they had confidence in Mayʼs government just a day after voting down herwithdrawal agreementwith the European Union. May now has until Monday to present her plan on how the government should move forward. Read more: Brexit: What happens next? May said she believed Parliament had a duty "put self-interest aside" and deliver on the2016 Brexit referendumresult, in which UK citizens voted to withdraw from the EU.

KnorrBremse set to become German IPO of the year

Why Italy needs an ethical tomato sauce

Knorr-Bremse said on Friday that strong investor demand for its 35 million shares to be publicly listed on October 12 could value the stake at up to €4.21 billion ($4.77 billion).

The German braking and technology group now hopes to sell its newly-floated shares at a price of between €72 and €87. Earnings from the 30-percent stake in the company could make the flotation the biggest in Germany this year, overtaking that of Siemens Healthineers — the worldʼs largest maker of medical imaging equipment — which sold for €4.2 billion. The companyʼs chief executive Klaus Deller, said Knorr-Bremse would welcome new investors as it was heading toward further growth. "We have received very positive feedback from investors and other stakeholders...confirming our strong belief that this IPO is the next logical step for us," he said in a statement.

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Cameroonian Yvan Sagnet is looking to tackle labor exploitation in agriculture with an ethical label thatʼs meant to challenge the local gangmaster system. Ylenia Gostoli reports from Apulia, Italy.

The sight of the vast slums of the Apulia region of southern Italy, where agricultural workers live in corrugated iron and wood shacks, didnʼt fail to strike a young Yvan Sagnet when he first set foot there. That was back in 2011, when he was a 26-year-old student at the Polytechnic University of Turin, looking to make some money to pay his fees. "I went to Apulia following some hints from friends," Sagnet said. "They didnʼt tell me that behind it allthere was extreme exploitation. Realities on the ground "I arrived and found that surreal context of slums and migrants camps — people were there because they had no choice, but for me, coming from a different background, that was unacceptable." It wasnʼt long before Sagnet and hundreds of other workers in Nardo began a strike against working conditions after laborers had been asked to do more work for the same, already meager pay — €3.50 ($4) for collecting a 300-kilogram crate of tomatoes.

15/2019 • 18 January, 2019

Few more days to go!

78th Vienna Philharmonic Ball Visit Vienna at Ball season! Only 2,5 hours with train/bus/car from Budapest!

Novel based on Jew ʼcatcherʼ Stella Kübler stirs controversy "We have a new literature debate," wrote Hannah Lühmann of the Die Welt newspaper when reflecting on the bombshell publication of Stella, a novel by journalist, author and war correspondent Takis Würger. Published by the prestigious Hanser Verlag on January 11, Stella fictionalizes the true story of Jewess Stella Kübler (née Goldschlag), who as a so-called "catcher" betrayed other Jews gone underground to the Gestapo. Würgerʼs second novel was inspired by the award-winning journalistʼs fascination for the subject. But while itʼs too early to judge the success of this study of a character who is already a book subject — for example, Peter Wydenʼs Stella: One Womanʼs True Tale of Evil, Betrayal, and Survival in Hitlerʼs Germany — the vehement response to

the novel by German critics has been striking.

Date: Thu, 24. January 22:00 Location: Vienna, Austria Musikverein, Golden Hall . Please find out more information under: https://www.wienerphilharmoniker.at/ball Ticket sales begin on January 14, 2019, at the Vienna Philharmonic Ticket Office, Kärntner Ring 12, 1010 Vienna, Mon. - Fri., 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM. Before this date, tickets can only be purchased in conjunction with a table reservation. Some tickets will also be available online beginning on Jan-

uary 14, 2019. Program : Johann Strauss Jr. Ouvertüre zur Operette "Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron)" , Richard Strauss Wiener Philharmoniker Fanfare, o.op. 109 , Gottfried Freiberg Ausseer Fanfare. CONDUCTOR Zubin Mehta ORCHESTRAWiener Philharmoniker

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Germany launches its Bauhaus centenary The Bauhaus is "one of the most important and worldwide most effective cultural achievements of our country," said Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday, at the event kicking off the nationwide celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus school of design. From 1919 to 1933, a group of "inspired minds created great things in architecture, art, dance, design, typography, as well as photography and film," Steinmeier said, pointing out that the freedom of the Weimar Republic not only allowed the Bauhaus to flourish, but to become a leading form of ex-

pression in the era. Most of the Bauhaus artists were democrats, and they realized that the Weimar era was one that offered political freedom, as well as the freedom of artistic creation, noted the president. Held until January 24, the festival "100 Years Bauhaus" features over 25 productions by more than 100 international artists. It is the first ofaround 700 events programmed throughout the year, particularly in Berlin, Dessau and Weimar, where Bauhaus institutions were located. The overarching theme of the Bauhaus centenary is "100 Years of Rethinking the World."

Address: 1111 Budapest Bartok Béla út 8 (only 100 metres from Hotel Gellért) Brand new place - just opened end of November! With amazing coffee, breakfast, soups, sandwiches, tortillas, pancake, cookies, etc. even lunch menu! Come and see us for a coffee or more before or after your Gellért Bath visit! :)

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Culture

Renovated Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest to Open on 31 October AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BUDAPEST WILL OPEN ON 31 OCT NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC Thanks to the largest-scale and most comprehensive reconstruction project in the museum’s history, the museum building has been renewed, and, returning to the collection’s first concept, the museum’s permanent exhibitions will also be rearranged. Besides the new permanent exhibitions, the revamped museum will welcome visitors with a chamber exhibition titled Leonardo & the Budapest Horse and Rider. The museum reconstruction, implemented within the framework of the Liget Budapest Project, included the restoration of the Romanesque Hall, which sustained severe damage in World War II and since then had been only partially renovated and used as a storage area, along with the modernisation of the building’s obsolete heating system, the installation of air conditioning in some of the exhibition halls, the renewal of a large part of the roof structure, as well as the addition of new exhibition spaces, visitor areas and modern storage facilities.

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15/2019 • 18 January, 2019

Russia misses WADA doping lab deadline

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday that Russia had not met the December 31 deadline to hand over data from its Moscow antidoping laboratory. This was one of two conditions WADA set out when it lifted the suspension it had imposed on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in 2015 as a result ofevidence of state-sponsored doping contained in the McLaren Report. "I am bitterly disappointed that data extraction from the former Moscow Laboratory has not been completed by the date agreed," WADA President Craig Reedie said in the statement, which was posted on the agencyʼs website.

Australian Open: Alexander Zverev scrapes through in five-set thriller

London Broncos have long-term ambition to win Super League title Promoted London Broncos must have the ambition to win Super League in the future, says head coach Danny Ward. The Broncos will be back in the top flight in 2019 afterbeating Toronto Wolfpack 4-2 in the Million Pound Gameon Sunday. "We need to make it work, have a five-year plan of where we want to be," Ward told BBC Radio London.

"Next year is going to be tough but we want a long-term vision to make London the best club in the country." He added: "We donʼt just want to compete in Super League, but win it. We are not there just to survive." Ward, who took charge following the departure of Andrew Henderson at the end of last season, described their victory over the Wolfpack in Canada as "one of the proudest moments" of his career. "What a performance, what a day and what an achievement - I am still on a massive high," he said on their return to England. "To lead the club into the Million Pound Game and win promotion is one of my biggest ever achievements."

Why Germany striker Timo Werner should stay in Leipzig Germanyʼs striker would do well to stay at his current club and continue his development

Timo Werner, 22, has yet to agree a new contract with RB Leipzig and is attracting interest from a number of top European clubs.

Wading through media speculation and agent whispers and ignoring bigmoney offers is not an easy task for young, ambitious footballers. Football careers are short and a transfer to a big club can fly by as quickly as itʼs presented. But for Timo Werner the best course of action would be to stay put at RB Leipzig and sign a new contract. His current deal is due to expire on June 30, 2020 and a number of top clubs are circlingthe talented, pacy, young forward. Leipzig,

are fully aware they risk losing Werner for nothing, something which the club are not about to let happen.

Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff duly handed down an ultimatum to the young forward this week – sign a new deal or leave in the summer. "Of course we have to know by the end of the season, at the latest. Because a club like us cannot afford to keep Timo Werner in the final year of his contract,” CEO Oliver Mintzlaff told German football magazine Kicker.

As horror year continues, what now for Mesut Özil?

Drama is becoming a habit for Alexander Zverev, as Germanyʼs great male hope made hard work of booking a third-round clash with young Australian wildcard Alex Bolt. "What an amazing match," Zverev said. "Jeremy fought so hard.

Heʼs an unbelievable player. Heʼs caused so much damage to all the top guys in the world, and he showed it again today; heʼs a great fighter, great tennis player, great person, as well."

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After the furore surrounding his decision to quit the national team, Mesut Özil sought solace at his club, Arsenal. But right now, he canʼt even get a game. With critics piling on, whatʼs next for the divisive playmaker?

Though it was emphatically not the reason hestepped away from the Germany setup, the boost in freshness and fitness Mesut Özil would get from missing international breaks would surely be a happy sentence to close a sad chapter.

So when Unai Emery benched Özil for the fixture against Bournemouth on

November 25 that followed an international break, eyebrows were raised.

Emery explained his decision by suggesting Özil wasnʼt suited to a "very demanding match with physicality and intensity." It was a familiar charge from an unfamiliar source. The 30-year-old has fair claim to be the most polarizing footballer in the world. Is he the floating, unselfish and incisive menace whose best qualities are those most underappreciated? Or the talented waster prone to hiding at key moments, shirking responsibility and allowing opponents to drift past him.