DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
German bike helmet ads labeled stupid and sexist German politicians have criticized a Transport Ministry advertising campaign that features scantily clad women and men wearing bike safety helmets. The posters feature the slogan: "Looks like sh*t, but saves lives." The German Transport Ministryʼs provocative marketing campaign to boost the use of helmets while riding bikes has been denounced as sexist by several female politicians. "It is embarrassing, stupid and sexist for the transport minister to be selling his policies using naked skin," said Maria Noichl, the chairperson of the Working Group of Social Democratic Women (ASF), in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. She said the posters "must come down." The campaign, which was unveiled on Friday, features young scantily clad women and men wearing bike helmets, along with the slogan "ʼLooks like sh*t [the helmet], but saves lives."
Norway cruise ship arrives in port after airlift drama The Viking Sky cruise ship that lost power off the coast of Norway arrived at a nearby port on Sunday after three of the vesselʼs four engines were restarted. Rescuers said two tug boats aided the vessel as it navigated toward the town of Molde, more than 24 hours after an evacuation order was issued when the ship lost engine power in stormy weather. The shipʼs owner reported that 479 of the shipʼs 1,373 passengers and crew had been airlifted to shore before the ship departed Hustadvika Bay. The shipʼs crew had sent anSOS message on Saturday after running into trouble in an area off the Norwegian coastline known for its rough, treacherous waters. Footage showed furniture and other fixtures sliding around the vessel, as parts of the ceiling came down.
69/2019 • 25 MARCH, 2019
Could Kazakhstan be a model for a power transfer in Russia? Will Vladimir Putin follow Nursultan Nazarbayevʼs lead? Juri Rescheto reports from Moscow
The resignation of Kazakhstanʼs president has given rise to speculation over the future transfer of power in Russia. "A free fantasy" is how Dmitry Peskov describes speculation about the future transfer of power in Russia. The Kremlin spokesman is quick to brush off media reports on the subject. But sooner or later the transfer of power will come, no matter what the spokesman says. One possible date might be 2024, when Russia holds its next presidential election. Russiaʼs constitution will prohibit Putin, who has served two consecutive terms, from running again. Moscow political science expert Alexei Kurtov tells DW that this is why there is nothing unusual about the Kremlin being permanently consumed with thoughts about maintaining its grip on power: "No matter who Putin is at that point, whether he stays or leaves: The bread and butter of any ruling system is to ensure that it stays in the driverʼs seat." Read more: Russia and Ukraine in 2019: More conflict ahead? A monarch steps down Why not approach the situation like neighboring Kazakhstan has? A few days ago, a leader who many thought would never step down did just that. After three decades at the helm,Nursultan Nazarbayev voluntarily resigned.Nevertheless, he is not really going anywhere. He will remain the
chairman of the countryʼs allpowerful Security Council for life, as well as the head of the ruling party. That would be possible in Russia, too; the country has a Security Council as well as a single ruling party, United Russia, which Putin has also led in the past. Kazakh political scientist Marat Shibutov told DW, however, that planning for the transfer of power in Kazakhstan, which many saw as a surprise, was likely begun back in 2000. He says the presidentʼs resignation was simply the "last formality," a political step designed to clear the path for the countryʼs opening to Western economic investors. Shibutovʼs colleague Aidos Sarym also believes that although the transfer of power is taking place now, Nazarbayevʼs resignation has been in the works for a long time. "But it will present a major challenge for Putin," says the Kazakh political scientist. He does not believe the Kazakh model would work for Putin: "Power is distributed differently in Russia. The power structure is more complicated. There are more clans than in Kazakhstan, where power is concentrated in the hands of one clan. In Russia, there are a lot of people that are willing to slit each othersʼ throats."
ʼIslamic Stateʼ defeated in Syria: US-backed Syrian forces The US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday declared victory against the "Islamic State" (IS), saying they hadflushed the jihadists from their last remaining strongholdin the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz. The announcement marks the end of the terror groupʼs self-proclaimed caliphate, which at its height in 2014 covered large swathes of Syria and Iraq. Read more: ʼIslamic Stateʼ loses significant camp in final holdout territory Baghouz Victory in Baghouz SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali announced the victory on Twitter: "Baghouz has been liberated. The military victory against Daesh has been accomplished," he said, referring to IS by its acronym in Arabic. The SDF declares "total elimination" of the so-called caliphate and "100 percent territorial defeat of ISIS." "On this unique day, we commemorate thousands of martyrs whose efforts made the victory possible."
Stop Brexit: Millions sign petition to British government A petition asking the British government to reverse its course on Brexit has received more than 4.5 million signatures in only three days. The official parliamentary petitionlaunched on Wednesday is calling for the government to revoke Article 50, the mechanism that governs Britainʼs departure from the European Union. "The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is ʼthe will of the people.ʼ We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A Peopleʼs Vote may not happen — so vote now," the petition states.
weather today BUDAPEST
8 / 13 °C Precipitation: 0 mm
69/2019 • 25 March, 2019
Hundreds of migrants scale Spanish enclave fence One man died and several were injured as hundreds tried to reach the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco. Despite the Spanish governmentʼs promise to remove barbed wire on top of the fence, it has not yet done so. Some 300 people rushed a border fence between Morocco andSpainʼs North African enclave Melilla, Spanish authorities said on Sunday. Out of those who attempted to scale the two fences topped in barbed wire, 200 sub-Saharan Africans entered Spanish territory, a representative of Spainʼs government in Melilla said in a statement. One man who climbed over the fences died of an apparent heart attack despite efforts to revive him. Nineteen other people were being treated for fractures or cuts sustained while scaling the fences, authorities said. Another six Civil Guards sustained non-serious injuries during the rush at the border fence.
Disaster-prone nations threatened by huge insurance gap New research from Lloydʼs and CEBR has shown that vast assets are underinsured, posing a huge threat to livelihoods particularly in poorer nations. Those most at risk are also those with the lowest insurance levels. Disaster-prone developing nations are exposed to crippling losses when storms, floods or earthquakes strike, because they suffer from a dangerous lack of insurance, industry experts said Monday. Globally, assets worth about $163 billion (€141 billion) are not insured against catastrophes, posing a significant threat to livelihoods and prosperity,Londonbased insurance market Lloydʼs said in a fresh report. The value of underinsured assets had shrunk by only 3 percent since 2012, it noted. Many nations with the lowest levels of insurance were also among those most exposed to risks, including from climate change impacts, and were least able to fund recovery efforts, the study stressed. "If insurance is not available,catastrophes can have a much greater impact on economies and lives, Lloydʼs Chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown said in a statement. Emerging and low-income nations accounted for almost the entire global insurance gap, the report noted. 2
Germany to inject extra €50 billion into Deutsche Bahn rail network The German government is to fund a massive 10-year modernization program
Man arrested over suspicious parcels sent to embassies The 48-year-old suspect was arrested at his home in Shepparton, in the southern state of Victoria, federal and state police said in a joint statement on Thursday. Numerous diplomatic missions in the Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberrareceived suspicious packages this week, with several consulates and embassies temporarily evacuated or put on lock-down on Wednesday. Some consulate workers reported seeing packages labeled "asbestos." Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral commonly used in building materials in Australia and elsewhere until the mid-1980s, but it was banned after it was found that exposure to its fibers could cause deadly illnesses.
The German government is to fund a massive 10-year modernization program, a newspaper has reported. The proposals could offer relief for commuters who have long complained about the tardiness of Deutsche Bahn trains. Germanyʼs ailing rail infrastructure could get a €50 billion ($55.6 billion) boost over the next decade, the Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday without revealing its sources.Bild said the finance ministry wants to introduce a 10-year program of investment, adding more than a €1 billion per year to the rail networkʼs maintenance funds between 2020 and 2025, and a further €2 billion an-
German police want to put cameras in Dortmundʼs ʼNazi hoodʼ Dortmund police are determined to have "German law and order in every corner" of the west German city, local police chief Gregor Lange said on Wednesday, announcing plans to install surveillance cameras in an area that is heavily populated byfar-right extremists. For more than 10 years, an area within the western Dortmund neighborhood of Dorstfeld has been housing "far-right extremists in several households in a concentrated way," Lange added. The area became known as a "Nazi hood." Police
nually between 2025 and 2030. Deutsche Bahnʼs debt harming prospects The newspaper didnʼt say how the remaining funds would be spent, but the national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn (DB), is currently struggling under a €20 billion mountain of debt. The German government currently reviews its rail plan every five years and spends €3.5 billion per year on rail maintenance. have boosted their presence there and formed a specially designated teamto combat far-right incidents, which led to a large drop in such offenses, according to the police chief. However, Lange said this was not enough. "As long as people who have noticeably different views see this stretch of street as something to be feared because of this housing situation and the labeling of buildings with ʼNazi neighborhood,ʼ there is still more to be done," he said.
China unveils plans to launch man-made moon into space China is set to launch into orbit a huge
space mirror,which has been specifically designed to reflect sunlight back to Earth, the state-owned China Daily online portal reported. In Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, the "illumination satellites" are being rigously tested. If all goes to plan, the construction will shine simultaneously with the real moon, but will be almost eight times brighter, the online portal wrote. The mirrors will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province before the end of the year. "By then, the three huge mirrors will divide the 360-degree orbital plane, continuously illuminating an area for 24 hours," Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society and the company responsible for the project, told newspaper in an interview. Three more moons will launch in 2022 if the initial test goes off without a hitch, he added.
69/2019 • 25 March, 2019
Russian busted smuggling drugged orangutan in Indonesia A Russian tourist with a drugged orangutan in his suitcase has been arrested at Baliʼs international airport. If convicted, the man faces jail time and fines. Only 100,000 of the protected species remain worldwide. Baliʼs conservation agency said a 27year-old Russian man, who was departing Denpasar airport on a flight to Russia, was stopped when staff using an X-ray machine spotted the 2-yearold male ape inside his suitcase. Police also found two live geckos and five lizards, alongside baby formula, blankets, and the orangutan asleep inside a rattan basket. "We believe the orangutan was fed allergy pills which
caused him to sleep. We found the pills inside the suitcase," agency official Ketut Catur Marbawa said. Police were checking to see if international smuggling syndicates were involved, he added. Read more: New orangutan species found in Indonesian forest The accused, identified by authorities as Andrei Zhestkov, appeared wellprepared, said Marbawa. "[It] was like he was transporting a baby."
Chinese investments in EU in a downward spin
Brexit: Theresa May fights for deal and premiership
Chinese investments in the European Union fell sharply for the second consecutive year in 2018, a report by the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) and US consulting firm Rhodium Group showed. Chinese companies completed FDI deals worth €17.3 billion ($19.6 billion) last year, down 40 percent from 2017 levels and way below the record €37.2 billion investment seen in 2016. The decline is part of a trend that has seen Chinese investments fall in most regions of the world over the past two years as Beijing continues to maintain a tight grip on outward investment by its residents amid slowing economic growth and atrade war with the United States. Chinese investors have also been forced to back away by "growing political and regulatory backlash against Chinese capital around the globe,"the authors of the report,Thilo Hanemann, Agatha Kratz and Mikko Huotari, wrote. "This shift in attitudes has been remarkably rapid in Europe," they said.
Theresa May was battling to convince lawmakers within her Conservative Party to back her Brexit withdrawal deal on Sunday amid reports that senior ministers in her Cabinet were planning to force her resignation. May met with senior party officials and pro-Brexit lawmakers who oppose her deal at her Chequers country retreat after inviting them to discuss a way
forward. Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Ian Duncan Smith were reportedly present at the meeting. The crisis talks started amid reports in The Sunday Times, The Telegraph and The Daily Mail about an imminent Cabinet coup. The Times reported that 11 senior ministers had "confirmed that they wanted the Prime Minister to make way for someone else."
Italy launches €7 billion ʼcitizensʼ incomeʼ plan to combat poverty Italians on Wednesday started to apply for new government welfare subsidies designed to jump-start the countryʼs stagnant economy. The "citizensʼ income" programwas a key campaign promisefrom the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, whichentered into a governing coalitionwith the anti-immigrant League party last year. The program, essentially a new system of welfare and unemployment benefits, provides those eligible with €780 ($882) credited to monthly, prepaid debit cards to pay for groceries, pharmaceuticals, utility bills, rent and other essentials. In exchange, able-bodied participants enroll in a job-finding and job-training program.
3
69/2019 • 25 March, 2019
Aircraft makers are optimistic about Farnborough despite Brexit The Farnborough Airshow is a major trade venue for the aeronautical industry. As manufactures set up their displays their thoughts hover between anticipation of the next big order and fears of Brexit says Andreas Spaeth. The global aviation industry will come together on Monday at the Farnborough airfield southwest of London for its biennial industry fair — the second largest in the world after the Paris Air Show. The UK has traditionally been one of the worldʼs leading aviation countries and the Farnborough trade fairʼs roots date all the way back to 1920. It moved to its current location in 1948. Read more: Air India sale grounded after privatization flops However, this year is likely to be full of uncertainty as to the future role of the British aviation industry is called into question due to the UKʼs impending departure from the EU in 2019. Airlines and manufacturers have both recently denounced the prevailing uncertainties and demanded clear post-Brexit rules.Read more: Air India sale grounded after privatization flops However, this year is likely to be full of uncertainty as to the future role of the British aviation industry is called into question due to the UKʼs impending departure from the EU in 2019. Airlines and manufacturers have both recently denounced the prevailing uncertainties and demanded clear post-Brexit rules.
ITB Berlin tourism partner Malaysia claims it has ʼno gaysʼ Malaysia faces a potential backlash from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights groups after claiming that the Muslimmajority country doesnʼt have gays. On Tuesday, Tourism Minister Datuk Mohammaddin bin Ketapi was asked by reporters ahead of the opening of the ITB Berlin tourism fair whether the country was safe for gay and Jewish visitors. After initially sidestepping the question, the minister was asked again whether gays were welcome and he replied: "I donʼt think we have anything like that in our country." Denial could hurt bookings Despite efforts by Malaysian officials to downplay the incident, Ketapiʼs comments could derail attempts to entice more tourists to visit Malaysia. The remarks came after he spoke for several minutes about the countryʼs natural beauty and welcoming culture. The country has set itself a target of receiving 30 million visitors in 2019. 4
Coca-Cola, wine harvest cause bottleneck in Germany Coca-Cola and a good wine harvest are no doubt two completely different things. But in Germany, they merge when it comes to explaining an unparalleled shortage of glass for wine bottles.
Foreign investment in the United States of America down sharply Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States plunged by a staggering 32 percent in 2017 year on year, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis reported. Investment totaled $259.6 billion (€221.2 billion),with the figure representing the second year of declineafter a peak in 2015 when foreign investorsʼ expenditure in the US hit $439.5 billion. Last year, most foreign investments in the United States came from neighboring Canada which contributed $66.2 billion. European Union member states accounted for 40 percent of the 2017 FDI total. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the drop in foreign investment in the United States is part of a global trend. Not just a US problem OECD researchers noted that FDI levels were down 18 percent worldwide in 2017.
Hotel Parlament H-Budapest 1054, Kálmán Imre utca 19. T.: +36 1 374 6000 reservation@parlament-hotel.hu www.parlament-hotel.hu
Oliver Schell owns a family winery in Germanyʼs Ahr region. He was ready to fill his first bottles with 2018 vintage wine as early as last week. Sadly, he found out that schlegelflaschen — the elegant long bottles made of white glass that he normally uses for his wine — are not available anymore. He had to settle for alternative, shorter bottles. But there isnʼt an alternative for everything. Bottling at the Schell Winery has to be postponed. "We have the wine ready in the cellar, but we canʼt get it to our clients," says Schell. In the
10 years that he has been in the wine business, heʼs never faced that problem before. For many winemakers in Germany, now is the time to finally put the wine in bottles. But the glassmakers cannot produce enough bottles, says Andreas Köhl, spokesman of the Farmers and Winegrowersʼ Association in Rhineland-Palatinate. "Especially the green 1-liter bottles are in short supply as well as bottles for white wine and rose." In Rhineland-Palatinate alone there are 4,900 wineries that bottle wine.
China: Multiple deaths in chemical plant blast
Kaliningrad gets Moscow energy
Authorities in southwestern Sichuan province have opened an investigation into a blast at an industrial complex that left 19 people dead, state news agency Xinhua reported Friday. The explosion ripped through the Yibin Hengda Technology complex in the city of Yibin at 6:30 p.m. (1030 UTC) Thursday, sparking a fire that burned late into the night, Xinhua said. County officials said that 12 people wounded in the blast had been taken to hospital and were in a stable condition.Read more: China convicts dozens for last yearʼs giant explosions in Tianjin Reports in the Sichuan Dailysaid the force of the explosion reduced three buildings to their steel frames and shattered the windows of nearby properties. China, the worldʼs largest producer of chemicals, has sought to improve industrial safety standards following aseries of highprofile accidentsin recent years.
Published by: Mega Media Kft. 1075 Budapest, Madách I. út 13-14. +36 1 398 0344 www.hotelujsag.hu
boost as Baltic states pull plug
Russia has launched a power plant to make its Kaliningrad exclave selfreliant when its EU neighbors unplug the power grid. Home to Russiaʼs Baltic Fleet, old East Prussia is still a prime piece of real estate. The Russian state energy holding InterRAO recently announced the launch of the Pregolsky gas-powered station with a capacity of 455.2 megawatts (MW), the largest of four stations Moscow hopes will make Kaliningradʼs energy self-sufficient. The stations will have a combined capacity of about 1 gigawatt. In itself it is nothing terribly special. But, in the growing war of words between Russia and NATO, Kaliningrad is becoming a strategic and symbolic hot spot. Once the capital of Prussia and home to philosopherImmanuel Kant, the area is still of great strategic importance to Moscow, home to the Russian Baltic Fleet at the port of Baltiysk, the countryʼs only ice-free European port. Russia recently deployed another regimental set of the S-400 Triumph air defense missiles in the exclave. The Mayakovskaya and Talakhovskaya plants, which are also gas-powered, have a combined capacity of 312 megawatts (MW).
69/2019 • 25 March, 2019
Bringing Britainʼs endangered wildlife back from the brink To fight for their survival the UKʼs biggest conservation organisations are joining forces
Tintin and Snowy turn 90 — havenʼt aged a day He has fought organized crime, solved mysteries and even helped to bring down despotic regimes. The famous Belgian cub-reporter Tintin, with his trademark shock of strawberry-blonde hair, blue sweater and plus-four trousers, has taken his fans with him on world adventures that have been translated into more than 100 languages and dialects. Tintin made his first appearance 90 years ago, in the Catholic conservative Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècleʼs youth supplement, Le Petit Vingtième. Tintin and Snowy headed deep into Soviet territory, with Stalinʼs secret police watching them from around every corner. The story first appeared on January 10, 1929, running as a serial until May 1930; it was essentially anti-communist propaganda, neatly packaged for children. In 1930, the series was published in book form as Tintin in the Land of the So‐ viets.
The natterjack toad, petalworts and the sand lizard are some of Britainʼs most endangered species. Discussing the weather is a national pastime for the Brits, and the talk among a group of volunteers gathered at Sefton Dunes to save the natterjack toad is no exception. Itʼs a glorious winter day, and sunshine sparkles off the dunes, a short way from Liverpool on Englandʼs northwest coast — not a part of the world known for fine weather. Read more: Will Brexit be bad for biodiversity in Britain? The team is digging out ponds to create suitable habitat for the rare toads. This time last year, the job would have meant shoveling
through snow. Today, temperatures nudge north of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), on what has since been declared the UKʼs hottest winter day on record. There are even reports of wildfires on moorlands in nearby Lancashire, and while humans might be basking in the unseasonal sunshine, itʼs not great for the toads. "It couldnʼt be much worse really, it has been such a dry winter," says Andrew Hampson of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), who is coordinating the 20-odd volunteers.
IX. Food Truck Show Kincsem Park
A little peace: ʼRussian Seasonsʼ festival kicks off in Berlin Alexandra Dovgan is just 11 years old and very sweet to watch. On January 7, Russiaʼs Christmas Day, the upand-coming pianist floated onto the stage of the Berlin Philharmonic. Like a Christmas angel all in white, she heralded in the "Russian Seasons" in Germany with Bachʼs heavenly sounds. Dovgan herself is a beneficiary of Russiaʼs still excellent early education for the musically gifted. Then followed Iolanta — Pyotr Tchaikovskyʼs final opera, performed by the predominantly young soloists
of the orchestra of St. Petersburgʼs famous Mariinsky Theater under the baton of Valery Gergiev. In the enchanting fairy tale, the blind princess Iolanta is given the gift of sight through love... One could consider the eveningʼs program to be a symbolic attempt to banish the evil spirits of politics through the unifying and reconciling power of culture — music to forget about the annexation of Crimea, the war in Donbass or the propaganda trial against Russian theater director Kirill Serebrennikov.
rom 3 to 5 May, food trucks roll into the area adjacent to Kincsem Park racecourse. Offering many culinary treats and drinks, this event is ideal for the whole family. While munching on your pulledpork sandwiches, you can also bet on horses and cheer from the grandstands.
Weather
Tue
6 / 12
Wed
Thu
6 / 12
6 / 13
Hungary Budapest: Debrecen: Eger: Hévíz:
6/13 5/14 4/16 5/15
Athens: Berlin: Bratislava: Bucharest: London: Madrid:
4/8 0/13 5/7 6/8 3/17 10/13
Kecskemét: Keszthely: Siófok:
5/15 4/16 6/13
Europe Moscow: Paris: Prague: Rome: Varsaw: Vienna:
0/2 5/10 5/8 10/13 5/8 5/15
Culture
New tourist info point pops up in central Budapest nearVárosháza park The main tourist information office Budapest Info Point in the city centre has temporarily relocated to a new site at nearby Városháza Park. Housed in a neat kiosk of wood and glass, the new outlet will be serving tourists while the Sütő utca office is being renovated. This pop-up shop is conveniently located, a few steps from the terminus of airport bus 100E. Until the end of February, visitors to Hungary’s capital can pick up maps, browse Budapest guides and book city tours at a new tourist info site, set up near the Deák tér transport hub. Overseen by the Budapest Festival and Tourism Center, this temporary setting is stationed here while the main Budapest Info Pointon nearby Sütő utca is being revamped. The pop-up store serves as a sales outlet for the Budapest Card, offering free and discounted services for 24, 48 and 72 hours, as well as for four or five days. This new office also stocks copies of our free We Love Buda‐ pest pocket guides, seasonal booklets covering attractions aroundBudapest,Balaton andHungary in English and Hungarian.
5
69/2019 • 25 March, 2019
Paris SaintGermain fined €100,000 for racial profiling
French champions Paris SaintGermain (PSG) have been fined €100,000 ($113,557 million) by the French Football League (LFP) after scouts were found to have racially profiled potential young recruits between 2013 and 2018. According to research by the French investigative website Mediapart, part of the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) network processing documents from the so-called "Football Leaks" revelations, the clubʼs scouting department used forms which included a drop-down menu featuring the options: French, North African, black African and West Indian.
Fed Cup: Johanna Konta & Katie Boulter give Great Britain win over Slovenia
Aleksandar Kolarovʼs free kick stunner secures Serbia win over Costa Rica
Renato Sanches should leave Bayern Munich, for everybody’s sake
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.
The Portuguese youngster wants more game time
The Portuguese youngster wants more game time and has suggested it may be time to leave Bayern Munich. With the club planning a huge summer spending spree, it’s clear he needs to leave if he’s to realize his potential. Some playersʼ careers are defined by a single moment. No matter what Mario Götze does for the rest of his life, for example, it will allcome back to one volley poked home on the turn in Rio. Some players will be remembered for a single game,just ask Loris Karius. And some will be forever associated with a tournament; a golden summer when everything came together. The
news this week that Renato Sanches is considering leaving Bayern Munich in order to get his career back on track is good news for just about everyone. The Portugese youngster will forever be associated with displays at a single tournament, Euro 2016, where his pint-sized impression of a world class midfield enforcer drove Portugal to their first ever international silverware.
Toni Kroos still central to Joachim Löw plans despite revamped team
Johanna Konta held her nerve to secure victory for Great Britain over Slovenia in their first home Fed Cup tie for 26 years. Britainʼs world number 39 saved three set points in a tense first-set tie-break, before eventually beating Dalila Jakupovic 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 in Bath. Katie Boulter had given GB a winning start by overcoming Kaja Juvan 6-4 6-2. It meant GB had an unassailable lead before Harriet Dart and Katie Swan won the doubles rubber for a 3-0 victory. 6
The promotion of youth at the expense of experience has dominated the conversation around the German national team. But Toni Kroos has survived, and remains "indispensable" to Joachim Löw as Germany face the Netherlands. Germanyʼs 23-man squad for Sundayʼs Euro 2020 qualifying openeragainst traditional rivals the Netherlandscontains just three of the names submitted to FIFA ahead of their triumphant World Cup 2014 campaign. Such a situation would have been close to unthinkable as recently as a year ago. But Joachim Löwʼs decision
to publicly axe Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Müller and cast aside several more of his previously faithful footsoliders has given his side a pacier and more vibrant look, without quite producing the results a footballing nation like Germany expects. In his press conference on Saturday, Löw announced that two of those three World Cup winners would begin in Amsterdam, with only Matthias Ginterʼs participation uncertain: "I can confirm that Manuel Neuer and Toni Kross will both start the game," said the long-serving national team coach.