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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

US Republican Congressman Devin Nunes sues Twitter for defamation A US Republican congressman, Devin Nunes, is suing Twitter and a number of its users for $250 million (€220.2 million) in damages, accusing them of defamation and negligence.

Nunesʼ suit alleges that Twitter "shadow bans" conservatives to try and make their messages less visible and that it failed to crack down on parody accounts such as "Devin Nunesʼ Mom" and "Devin Nunesʼ cow" — both of which are anonymous and accused him of obstructing investigations into the president.

Shadow banning, as described by Trump and other conservatives, purportedly involves restricting the visibility of prominent US Republicansʼ messages on the social media site; Twitter disputes the allegations.

Kazakhstanʼs long-serving President Nazarbayev will step down President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled Kazakhstan since the fall of the Soviet Union, announced on Tuesday that he would resign his office. "I have taken the decision to refuse the mandate of the presidency," he said in a televised address. A few weeks ago,Nazarbayev dismissed the countryʼs government as it struggles with low oil prices and domestic discontent. Sanctions against Russia, the countryʼs major trading partner, have also hurt the economy and fomented dissatisfaction with the government.

The president said that KassymJomart Tokayev, speaker of the upper house of parliament and a Nazarbayev loyalist, will take over as the countryʼs acting leader for the remainder of his term, as dictated by the Kazakh Constitution. This term ends in March 2020.

65/2019 • 20 MARCH, 2019

Trump considers supporting NATO benefits for Brazil US President Donald Trump has welcomed his Brazilian counterpart

US President Donald Trump has welcomed his Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro, to the White House. The two leaders exchanged football jerseys, while Trump hinted at US help for Brazil to join the OECD, or even NATO. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was "very strongly" looking at US support for Brazilʼs efforts to gain certain privileges with the North Atlantic Treaty Organizationʼs (NATO). Brazilian officials had said last week that they expected the US to designate Brazil as a major non-NATO ally for the US. But Trump seemed to go a step further and moot some form of NATO affiliation or membership. "I ... intend to designate Brazil as a major nonNATO ally or even possibly, if you start thinking about it, maybe a NATO ally," Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden as he welcomed Bolsonaro. "Iʼll have to talk to a lot of people but maybe a NATO ally, which will greatly advance security and cooperation between our countries." Trump described Washingtonʼs relationship with Brasilia as better than ever. "I think there was a lot of hostility with other presidents, thereʼs zero hostility with me," Trump said. "And weʼre going to look at that very, very strongly in terms of whether itʼs NATO or something having to do with the Alliance."

Last year, Brazilʼs neighbor to the

northwest, Colombia, becamethe first Latin American country to be named a "global partner" of the NATO alliance,which means it will not necessarily have to take part in military action. Brazil is also looking for US help to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to expand trade and grow its economy. The status as an OECD member would likely help the country borrow money at cheaper interest rates on global markets. "I admire President Donald Trump and we will certainly work toward shared interests," Bolsonaro said, adding that just as Trump "wants to have a great America," he wants to have "a great Brazil." Trump said he was "honored" that Bolsonaroʼs election campaign had been compared with his own 2016 victory. In a sign of friendship, the two populist presidents exchanged gifts, with Trump receiving a Brazil shirt with the feted number 10 (worn by Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Neymar and others) and Bolsonaro getting a #19 USMNT jersey. Despite the jovial rhetoric, no huge breakthroughs were expected from the White House meeting.

Germany eligible to deport refugees to EU countries with poor living conditions The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Tuesday cleared the way for Germany to deport asylum-seekers to other EU member states. Judges in the Luxembourg-based court ruled that weak social benefit systems and living conditions in certain countries were not grounds to block transfers.

Shortcomings in the welfare system of a member state should not prevent asylum-seekers from being deported there.Exceptions apply only in extreme cases, where the individual is deprived of the "most basic needs, such as feeding, washing and finding shelter," the judges said.This does not cover "significant poverty" or a wish to have German social standards. The judges pointed out that the EU asylum system was based on mutual trust and that decisions taken by EU states should respect human rights.They also ruled that asylum claims could be rejected in cases where the applicant already enjoys subsidiary protection in another EU country.

Court orders Germany to question US drone strikes A court in Münster on Tuesday ruled partly in favor ofthree plaintiffs from Yemenwho alleged that their relatives were killed in a 2012 US drone strike that was relayed via an airbase in Germany. The Münster Higher Administrative Court ruled that the German government must take "appropriate measures" to ascertain whether US operations conducted via the Ramstein Air Base are in line with international law.

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65/2019 • 20 March, 2019

European Court of Justice rules Polish arrest warrants can be halted The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against extraditing suspects to Poland on Wednesday if there are "serious and fact-based grounds" to believe the suspect would not receive a fair trial. The ruling concernsa Polish man in Irelandwho claims recent justice reforms in Poland harmed his chances of being treated fairly.

The man is suspected of drug trade. In recent years, Polandʼs ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has been working to place courts under a tighter control of the executive branch. Among other steps, the parliament now has power to choose members of the National Council of the Judiciary whose job is to oversee judicial impartiality.

More recently, the lawmakers changed retirement age for the Supreme Court judges, which critics believe was aimed at ousting the most experienced judges and stacking the body with government supporters. The Supreme Court and its chief Malgorzata Gersdorf are opposing the move.

Geely the car industryʼs rising ʼprofitability starʼ Ferdinand Dudenhöffer from the CAR Center Automotive Research at Germanyʼs Duisburg-Essen University called Chinese auto manufacturer Geely "the profitability star of the worldʼs car industry." A fresh study by the center points out that on average, a Geely car costs just €9,529 ($10,942), but the companysecures a 14.4 percent profit from revenues before tax and interest.

Dudenhöffer says thatʼs a lot more than, say, the profit margins of foreign rivals BMW, Toyota or PSAOpel. The worldʼs largest carmaker, Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen, logs a profit margin of only 8.2 percent, the survey says. Geely is part of the Zhejiang Geely Holding,which also owns Volvo Cars, London EVTaxi and Lotus.The holding has also acquired a 10 percent stake in Daimler. According to the CAR researchers, Geelyʼs rapid rise is based on its successful compact car platform, which it developed together with Sweden-based Volvo.

"What Ferdinand Piëch managed to implement at VW from 1993 with the help of his platform strategyis in a way being copied now by Geelyʼs main shareholder and founder, Li Shufu," said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, adding that the Chinese were becoming major players in the global auto market.

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Make up your mind over Brexit EU ministers tell UK:

Mexican journalist shot dead at restaurant Sergio Martinez Gonzalez, the editor of a local news outlet in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, was shot dead Wednesday morning, the latest victim in Mexicoʼs wave of journalist murders. Martinez, who owned and ran the publication Enfoque, had just dropped off his daughters at school and was breakfasting with his wife at a local restaurant when two people on a motorcycle stopped in front of the couple and opened fire, local media reported. Martinezʼs wife survived the attack, and was receiving medical attention, Mexican newspaper El Uni‐ versal said. The Chiapas attorney generalʼs office announced on Twitter that it was investigating the murder.

EU politicians are demanding "clear and precise" Brexit proposals from Theresa May ahead of a crucial summit. With the planned exit date days away, itʼs still not clear what Britainʼs exit from the EU will look like.

Germanyʼs EU affairs minister warned on Tuesday that Britainʼs political deadlock and uncertainty over Brexit wastesting the patience of the European Union. Britain is scheduled to leave the bloc on March 29. But without a divorce deal that both British lawmakers and the EU can agree on, British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to ask to postpone the withdrawal date. Mayʼs office said on Tuesday that she would write to European Council President

Confusion over missing Saudi journalist in Turkey who ʼvanishedʼ from consulate Turkish and Saudi officials have given conflicting reports on the whereabouts of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Khashoggi, a regular contributor to The Washington Post, has been a fierce critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and has criticized Saudi Arabiaʼs policies toward Qatar and Canada,the war in Yemen and a

Donald Tusk to request the delay ahead of an EU leadersʼ summit on Thursday. May had beenhoping to win over her opponentsin Parliament and get her deal approved before the summit. But that plan was stymied on Monday when House of Commons speaker John Bercow ruled that shecouldnʼt ask politicians to vote on the same divorce dealthey had already rejected twice, at least not without substantive changes to the proposal. crackdown on dissent, the media and activists. Khashoggiʼs personal website bore a banner saying, "Jamal has been arrested at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul!" without elaborating. A Saudi official denied that Khashoggi had been detained inside the consulate. "Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter," the official said.

"He is neither in the consulate nor in Saudi custody."

Afghan leader rejects resignation of spy chief, top ministers President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday

urged Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak, Defense Minister Tareq Shah Bahrami, and intelligence chief Masoum Stanekzai to stay in their posts, the Afghan government said.

The three officials submitted resignation letters on Saturday, citing policy differences and a spate of deadly attacks. "President Ghani did not approve their resignations... and gave them the necessary instructions to improve the security situation," a statement from the presidential palace said. The offers to step down followed the resignation of Ghaniʼs national security adviser and close ally, Hanif Atmar, on Friday. Atmar, one of the countryʼs most powerful politicians, has been replaced by former ambassador to the US Hamdullah Mohib.

65/2019 • 20 March, 2019

Pope rejects resignation of cardinal convicted of sex abuse cover-up Pope Francis has rejected the resignation of a French cardinal found guilty of covering up the abuse of minors. Philippe Barbarin is one of the highest-ranking officials embroiled in a sexual abuse cover-up.

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, one of Franceʼs most senior Catholic clergymen, said on Tuesday that the pope rejected his resignation following his conviction in a sex abuserelated case. Barbarin wassentenced earlier this month to a six-month suspended jail termfor covering up the sexual abuse of minors by his subordinates. He denied any wrongdoing and is appealing the conviction. Pope Francis cited the presumption of inno-

Worried about Brexit, Brits stockpile food, supplies

Nick Thomas, a 25-year-old hazardous waste operator from Cornwall, is insistent that Brexit will be fine. Probably. "If ʼno dealʼ goes badly, thereʼll be rioting on the streets and looting, national uproar.

If people canʼt eat, theyʼll rise up and fight. But I canʼt see it happening — thatʼs a very worst case scenario," he said. Thomas, who voted to leave the EU because of the adverse effects of the common fisheries policy on his local area, is not ruling out the possibility of things going awry. He has stocked up with a substantial amount of dried goods – rice and pasta, primarily — as well as tinned beans and vegetables.

"The main thing is the food supply chain," he said. "A couple of friends of mine have done the same as me and bought some big bags of rice and pasta, some long-life tins of food. But weʼre all of the same opinion that thereʼs nothing really to worry about."

cence for rejecting Barbarinʼs resignation, according to a statement by the cardinalʼs diocese in the French city of Lyon. "Monday morning, I handed over my mission to the Holy Father. He spoke of the presumption of innocence and did not accept this resignation," Barbarin said in a statement. Barbarinʼs deputy, the Rev. Yves Baumgarten, would assume leadership of the archdiocese on a temporary basis.

German environment minister Schulze takes aim at wolves

With the wolf population rising and on the prowl in Germany, Environment Minister Svenja Schulze is pushing for a new law to curb the damage they cause to farmers. Schulzeʼs proposed "Lex Wolf" would make it easier to shoot the protected animals. "If wolves are repeatedly getting over fences or getting too close to humans, people need to be allowed to shoot them," Schulze told the mass-circulation Bild

am Sonntag. Wolves killed at least 472

farm animals in 2017, according to German officials. However, current laws place the predators under strict environmental protection, which makes shooting them possible only rarely and with official permission, orin a serious emergency. People who ignore these restrictions and harm or kill healthy wolves face hefty fines or even jail time.

Italy blocks NGO ship carrying rescued migrants from docking Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has refused to allow an Italian-flagged ship carrying 49 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya to dock in Italy. Salvini told Italian radio that migrants aboard the Mare Jonio "can be treated, dressed and fed.

We can give them every manner of comfort, but they will not set foot in Italy." The group, including 12 minors, were rescued by humanitarian group Mediterranea Saving Humans and sailed to "the closest safe port" of Lampedusa in Italyʼs south, flanked by Italian coast guard boats. "Those on board had been at sea for almost two days … and are exhausted and dehydrated," the NGO said in a statement.

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65/2019 • 20 March, 2019 Germany attempts ʼface-savingʼ resolution to Saudi drugs boycott

The human rightsrow between Saudi Arabia and Canada made international headlinesin recent weeks, when the Riyadh government suddenly suspended new trade and investment to the Great White North. The punitive measures were in response to a simple tweet by Canadaʼs foreign minster, calling for the release of two jailed Saudi activists. Receiving less attention has been the diplomatic spat between Europeʼs No. 1 economy and the oil-rich kingdom — also sparked by a ministerʼs comments; this time Sigmar Gabriel, Germanyʼs thenforeign minister. During the political crisis in Lebanon last November that saw Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resign and later rescind his decision, Riyadh was widely accused of forcing his departure, which Gabriel alluded to as "adventurism." ʼShamefulʼ remarks hurt tiesRiyadh immediately recalled its ambassador to Berlin, telling the German government the comments were "shameful."

In May, it went further and froze all new business with Germany. Over the subsequent months, several German pharmaceutical and medical technology firms, including Siemens Healthineers, Bayer and Boerhringer Ingelheim, have been excluded from public healthcare tenders in the kingdom. A pharmaceutical industry source told DW, on condition of anonymity, that Saudi authorities had not given any written explanation about the exclusion, and that there was no clear path for Germany to resolve the issue. Efforts by German diplomats to mediate with Saudi authorities were delayed, initially, by the Holy Month of Ramadan, and the summer break, as Gulf countries stop work in July and August due to the extreme heat.

Global property markets on the turn Boom times in many global real estate markets are turning to bust. Australia, several Asian countries and North America are starting to see large price corrections that are leaving speculators racing for cover.

Australiaʼs housing market is witnessing its steepest annual fall in 15 years. In Sydney, prices are down 10 percent in a year. House prices in Sydney doubled in a decade on the back of Australiaʼs booming economy, with the median price still being an eyewatering 1,062,619 Australian dollars (€668,391, $762,391). But tighter lending criteria for mortgages have helped fuel the drop. Bangkokʼs condo market cools Bangkok condominiums have been popular with Chinese investors over the past five years, with prices rising at 5-10 percent per annum.

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Paris joins Hong Kong and Singapore as worldʼs most expensive city The French capital shares the title of the worldʼs most expensive place to live with Hong Kong and Singapore. Economic woes have made Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Istanbul much cheaper.

Singapore is one of the worldʼs three most expensive cities for the sixth year running, according to The Economist Intelligence Unitʼs 2019 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, released on Tuesday. The southeast Asian citystate shares the tag of the most costly place to live with Hong Kong and Paris. When the prices of more than 150 items were compared in 133 cities around the world, the French capital moved up one place in the rankings compared to last year. Parisʼ ad-

No breakthrough in China-US trade talks Chinaʼs Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that it had held "constructive meetings" with US officialsafter talks resumed between the countries over their ongoing trade spat. Nonetheless, with no major breakthrough yet in sight, the resumption of talks did not prevent an additional $16 billion (€13.83 billion) of tariffs being levied by the US and China on each otherʼs goods, starting from Thursday.

Read more: US-China trade spat: Clash of the titans, part 2 Talks took place on Wednesday and Thursday aimed at defusing the escalating conflict, which has now seen both countries slap $50 billion in tariffs on the otherʼs products, with more expected to follow.

The Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that the officials on both sides have vowed to "keep in contact" in the future. High-tech will suffer, says China Meanwhile, a prominent Chinese state planner said on Friday that US tariffs onhigh-tech Chinese technology would have an impact on the tech sectors in both countries.

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Kalashnikov unveils new electric car

Kalashnikov,a company moreknown for its AK-47 machine gunsthan its electric vehicles, unveiled its new electric car on Thursday.

The powder-blue prototype, dubbed the CV-1, was unveiled by the Russian arms maker at a defense expo outside of Moscow. Kalashnikov Concern told Russian media that the technology within its "electric supercar" will rival that of Elon Muskʼs Tesla. "This technology will allow us to stand in line with the worldʼs electric car manufacturers, like Tesla, and compete with them," a spokesperson told Sputnik. According to the company, the vehicle can travel 350 kilometers (217 miles) on a single charge. The carʼs retro look was inspired by a Soviet hatchback model developed in the 1970s, the "Izh-Kombi," Kalashnikov said in a statement on its website. The CV-1ʼs light blue color, large grill, retro door handles and boxy frame have received mixed reviews from Russians. On social media, some described the car as "cyberpunk" while others referred to it as the "Izh-Zombie."

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vance perhapsbolsters the central case of Franceʼs yellow vest protesters, who have blockaded major roads and cities during the past four months over the rising cost of living. The Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva were ranked fourth and joint fifth respectively, followed by Japanʼs Osaka and Seoul in South Korea. Israelʼs secondmost populous city, Tel Aviv, entered the Top 10 for the first time — the only Middle Eastern high-ranked representative in the survey.

Germanyʼs Wolfgang Schäuble calls for EU reform

The man who became synonymous with Germanyʼs insistence on austerity during the eurozone debt crisis wants the bloc to have a common budget and finance minister.

He also thinks decision-making should be streamlined.

Former German Finance MinisterWolfgang Schäuble has called for giving the European Union more clout to set finance policy and ending the unanimity requirement in blocwide decision-making. The call by Schäuble, who was the face of Germanyʼs push for indebted EU countriesto pass stringent austerity measures, comes amid a debate between Germany and France about how far EU finance reforms should go. Schäubleʼs key points: Speaking to regional public broadcaster rbb, Schäuble said: The European Union needs a common budget; it needs to bundle revenues and more finance policy competencies before member states agree to create the post of EU finance minister.

65/2019 • 20 March, 2019

Germany named drug use capital following Europewide sewage study Sewage in over 70 cities was analyzed to explore the drug-taking habits of residents

Germany has topped a Europe-wide study for crystal meth and amphetamine use following close examination of the countryʼs wastewater.

Scientists examining the common effluentin 20 European countries discovered residents and visitors to the German city of Erfurt used an inordinate amount of the illicit drug methamphetamine, the most for any of the 73 European towns and cities taking part in Europeʼs largest wastewater drug analysis. Samples from an estimated 46 million people across the bloc were analyzed for traces of four illicit drugs — amphetamine, cocaine, MDMA (or ec-

stasy) and methamphetamine — in an attempt to better understand drug-taking habits. Read more: EU Drug Markets Report: Europeans spend 31 billion euros on illicit drugs every year Through daily wastewater analysis, scientists were able to estimate the amount of drugs taken within the community over a one-week period by looking at metabolites, a substance produced when the body breaks down drugs, which is then excreted in urine.

Erwin Blumenfeld: Fashion photographyʼs surrealist innovator An imaginative visionary who claimed to have "smuggled art" into his body of work, photographer Erwin Blumenfeld often embraced mischief when he produced his images. His friendship with Dadaists impacted how he experimented with photography and his life experiences, which took the GermanJewish photographer from his Berlin birthplace to a failed business in Amsterdam to internment camps in France and eventually to the United States, also fed into the dark visual subtitles of his images. While in Europe, Blumenfeld shot in black and white, but itʼs his kaleidoscopic photography that forms the subject of a new exhibition at Foam in Amsterdam: "Erwin Blumenfeld in Color — His New York Years."

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ʼBorn in Evinʼ: Processing the trauma of the Iranian Revolution One day, the story just slips out of her auntʼs mouth: Maryam Zaree did not come into this world in a normal hospital; instead, she was born in captivity in 1983. The aunt said she was horrified when she realized that the girl wasnʼt aware of that. She thought Zareeʼs parents had long explained to the 12-year-old that she was born in Evin, one of Iranʼs most notorious prisons for political prisoners. But this was not the case. And even after the revelation, there were no further conversations to discuss

and process this part of the family history. Baby behind bars The story begins when Zareeʼs parents meet in Iran. They listen to John Lennon, read Karl Marx and are against the ruling shah and Iranʼs monarchy. But with the Iranian Revolution of 1979, one strong man is replaced by another and they are declared enemies of the new religious regime under Ayatollah Khomeini. In 1983, Zareeʼs parents are arrested and Maryam Zaree along with them — as a baby in her motherʼs belly.

Whether youʼre sightseeing, shopping, exploring or relaxing on the beach, this "Belly" bag can attach around your waist practically or be worn across your shoulder. www.hoegl.com

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Culture

Renovated Museum of Fine Arts to Open on 31 October AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BUDAPEST WILL OPEN ON 31 OCTOBER. 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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65/2019 • 20 March, 2019

Leroy Sané primed for leadership role a year on from World Cup heartache

What a difference a year makes.

Not 12 months after being axed from Germany’s squad on the eve of a World Cup, Leroy Sané has developed intoa leading figure in the team.

"Leroy showed us in the Nations Legaue games that he’s made a big step up," claimed Germany coach Joachim Löw ahead of Tuesday’s friendly clash with Serbia in Mainz.

"He’s scored his first goalsfor us and done a good job. He can become an extremely important figure in the national team."

Van Persie has scored 14 goals this season

Aleksandar Kolarovʼs free kick stunner secures Serbia win over Costa Rica A brilliant second half free kick from captain Aleksandar Kolarov led Serbia to a deserved win over Costa Rica. Serbia were wasteful in front of goal but did enough to secure three vital points in Group E. Another World Cup day, another sublime freekick. If Cristiano Ronaldo’s ice-cold effort tosnatch a point against arch-rivals Spain on day two was the current goal of the tournament front-runner, the Portuguese may have just met his match. Aleksandar Kolarov, take a bow. A combination of poor finishing and sublime goalkeeping had kept the scores level until Serbia’s no.11 produced his moment of magic. Kolarov’s powerful left foot is no secret, but few inside the stadium would have expected such a thunderous strike when the Roma defender stood over a free kick midway through the second half. His shot was unstoppable; a side-footed missile which screamed into the top corner of the Costa Rica net.

Kaylor Navas, who kept his team in the game with several crucial saves either side of half time, was nowhere near it.

Novak Djokovic through in Australian Open after beating Daniil Medvedev Novak Djokovic is bidding to win the Australian Open for a seventh time

World number one Novak Djokovic reached the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time since 2016 with a hard-fought win over Daniil Medvedev.

The 31-year-old Serb earned a 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3 victory over the 15th seed in Melbourne. Djokovic was not at his fluent best, but outlasted Medvedev to win in three hours and 15 minutes. Russiaʼs Medvedev, 22, grew frustrated as he paid the price for only taking two of nine break points. Medvedevʼs resistance continued until the end, saving two match points before Djokovic took the third with a wonderful cross-court winner. Six-time

champion Djokovic will play Kei Nishikori in the last eight after theJapanese eighth seed beat Spainʼs Pablo Carreno Bustain controversial circumstances in a five-hour match decided by a super tie-break. Another triumph for the top seed at Melbourne Park will see him move ahead of Australian great Roy Emerson and Roger Federer, who was knocked out by Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday, in terms of all-time victories.

Dirk Nowitzki: The 6th best NBA scorer of all time Former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick and moved past 200 career league goals in Feyenoordʼs Eredivisie thrashing of Emmen. Van Persie, 35, who will retire at the end of the season, took his tally to 14 goals this term.

Netherlands international winger Steven Berghuis added a fourth for Giovanni van Bronckhorstʼs side. Feyenoord stay third, 15 points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven.

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In 1999, Dirk Nowitzki played his first NBA game. Two decades later, Germanyʼs biggest star ranks sixth in career points, ahead of NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille OʼNeal. DW looks back on his career so far.

The German wunderkind The Milwaukee Bucks made Dirk Nowitzki the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft. Milwaukee then immediately traded Nowitzki to the Dallas Mavericks, meaning he never actually wore a Bucks jersey. His NBA debut was delayed by the 1998-99 NBA lockout, but

it finally came on February 5, 1999 against the Seattle Supersonics and fellow German Detlef Schrempf. Discovered in Germanyʼs second division Nowitzki, whose mother played basketball for Germany and whose father was a second-division handball player, was born in Würzburg on June 19, 1978. He didnʼt pick up a basketball until he was 13, but it was clear from the start that he had talent. It was while he was playing for Würzburg in Germanyʼs second division, that the then 19-year-old first drew the attention of several NBA scouts.