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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Trump pulls United States out of UN migration pact The United States has announced it is withdrawing from the Global Compact on Migration. The non-binding UN migration pact was meant to boost international cooperation on migration issues. US President Donald Trumpʼs administration has withdrawn the United States from a United Nations pact to coordinate and improve international migration and refugee issues, the US mission to the global body said. "Today, the US Mission to the United Nations informed the UN Secretary-General that the United States is ending its participation in the Global Compact on Migration," the US mission to the UN said.

In September 2016, all 193 UN member states of the General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. The nonbinding declaration includes a set of pledges to protect migrants, foster migrant integration, develop guidelines on the treatment of vulnerable migrants and strengthen global governance of migration, among other issues.

Yemen: Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh seeks dialogue amid escalating violence Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said he is ready for a "new page" in ties with the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, in a bid to end nearly three years of war. His call was welcomed by the Saudi coalition. Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemenʼs former president, said Saturday he was willing to talk with Saudi leaders as his coalition with Iran-backed rebels appeared to be crumbling. Salehʼs overture came as his fighters battled Houthi rebels for a fourth day in the capital, Sanaa. "I call on our brothers in neighboring countries ... to stop their aggression and lift the blockade ... and we will turn the page," Saleh said in a televised speech.

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Pope Francis defends Rohingya silence after Asia trip Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have been forced from their homes, accused of being interlopers

The pope has insisted any public criticism of the plight of the Rohingya during his Myanmar trip would have backfired.

Pope Francis has told reporters he believes he got his message across to Myanmarʼs leaders despite not using the term "Rohingya" during a four-day trip to the fledgling democratic Asian state. Speaking on his return to the Vatican on Saturday, the pontiff insisted he had been firm with the countryʼs military and civilian leaders in private meetings, despite being advised by local Catholic authorities not to speak publicly about the plight of Rohingya Muslims, for fear it could spark a backlash. Francis said he chose instead to speak in general terms about human rights in public, and called on Myanmarʼs Buddhist leaders to overcome "prejudice and hatred." That way, he said, he could speak more frankly in private, adding he was "very, very satisfied" with his meetings withMyanmarʼs de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyiand Myanmarʼs powerfulmilitary chief, General Min Aung Hlaing. "For me, the most important thing is that the message gets

through, to try to say things one step at a time and listen to the responses," Francis said. "I knew that if in the official speeches I would have used that word, they would have closed the door in our faces.

But [in public] I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, [the right to] citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings."

Speaking aboard the plane returning to Rome from his Asia trip, the pope revealed he had cried when he met a group of Rohingya refugees in neighboring Bangladesh on Friday, who had fled their homes in Myanmarʼs Rakhine state. Francis addressed the Rohingya issue head-on in Bangladesh, telling those refugees he met: "In the name of all those who have persecuted you, who have harmed you, in the face of the worldʼs indifference, I ask for your forgiveness." He told the crowd that Godʼs presence was within them and they should be respected.

Honduras opposition demands rerun in disputed election Delayed election results and allegations of fraud have plunged Honduras into uncertainty. The opposition is now demanding a new election, and has called for a major demonstration against "dictatorship and fraud." The main opposition candidate in Hondurasʼ contested presidential election on Saturday called for a new vote as security forces sought to control deadly street protests and impose a curfew. Opposition alliance leader Salvador Nasralla told local media that the counting of ballots from last Sundayʼs election and government declaration of a state of emergency on Friday night amounted to a "coup." Incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez leads with 42.92 percent of the votes compared with Nasrallaʼs 41.42 percent, according to the last results posted by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) on Friday, with 94.35 percent of polling stations processed. Both Hernandez and Nasralla have claimed victory.

Prague bridge collapse leaves 4 injured A pedestrian bridge linked to an island in the Czech capital has failed in a spectacular fashion. Four people have been injured, two of them seriously. The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear. A pedestrian bridge collapse in Prague in the Czech Republic left four people injured on Saturday, rescuers said. The 250-meter (820-foot) bridge spanned the Vltava River, in the north of the Czech Republicʼs capital, before it collapsed almost entirely.

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Russia vetoes last-ditch bid to save probe into gas attacks in Syria Russia used its veto twice in 24 hours to deny a new mandate to the UN team looking into chemical weapon attacks in Syria. Moscow said it would not extend the mandate of the probe without fixing its "fundamental flaws." Tensions were running high in the UN Security Council on Friday after Russia vetoed a last-ditch motion

by Japan to continue the UN-led investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria. The move comes only a day after Russiavetoed a separate US draft resolutionto extend the probe, and its own draft was in turn rejected by the US, UK, and France. Moscow has repeatedly criticized the findings of the UN-backed investigative body, dubbed Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) as biased and inaccurate. Last week, JIM released a report blaming the Syrian regime for the chemical attack which killed around 100 people in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April. Russia rejected it as "invented" and insisted that the body needed to reform.

Ousted Venezuelan opposition leader escapes house arrest, flees to Spain Ousted Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma has likened his escape to a film. He plans to take the fight against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro abroad.

The ousted opposition mayor of Caracas arrived in Spain on Saturday after orchestrating a daring escape from house arrest in Venezuela. Antonio Ledezma landed in Madrid from Bogota, Colombia, where he arrived a day earlier after slipping across the border. He was greeted by his wife and two daughters who live in Spain.

Ledezma said he planned to organize resistance from abroad to President Nicolas Maduro, under whose rule millions of Venezuelans have suffered from shortages of food and other basic supplies. "I am going to travel the world to spread the hope of all Venezuelans to escape this regime, this dictatorship," Ledezma said. The 62-year-old opposition figure was removed as mayor of Caracas and arrested in 2015 on allegations he sought to topple Maduro. He was later put under house arrest due to health issues. Ledezma was one of the opposition leaders who led protests against the government in 2014, which also resulted in the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

He remains under house arrest.

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Pope Francis wraps up diplomatically charged Asia trip with upbeat speech It followed the pontiffʼs anticipated encounter with the Rohingya Muslim refugees

Pope Francis has rounded off his trip to Asia by visiting a Bangladeshi orphanage and home for the disabled run by Mother Teresaʼs order.

Pope Francis delivered a humorfilled speech before a congress of Bangladeshi priests and nuns in Dhaka on Saturday, capping off what was otherwise adiplomatically fraught Asian tour. Speaking to the congregation at the Chittagongʼs Holy Rosary Church, Francis said he was ditching the eight-page speech he had prepared and would

Argentina navy loses contact with submarine with 44 crew on board No one has heard from an Argentinian submarine for at least two days. While authorities initially insisted it wasnʼt missing, Argentinaʼs navy has stepped up its search efforts. Argentinaʼs navy lost contact with one of its submarines and its 44 crew members, it announced on Friday. Although the German-built ARA San Juan has been out of contact for two days, the navy initially did not consider it lost. "Itʼs not that itʼs lost, because to be lost, you have to look for it and not find it," the navy told a local broadcaster. However, after an initial search operation in the submarineʼs last known position, around 430 kilometers (267miles) off the southeastern

speak to them from the heart instead. "I donʼt know if it will be better or worse, but I promise it will be less boring," the pope quipped. The focus of the speech saw the pontiff urge Bangladeshʼs religious leaders to resist the "terrorism of gossip" that threatens to tear their communities apart.

Valdez peninsula, bore no results, Argentina said it was stepping up its search efforts and calling on allies for help. "We have not been able to find, or have visual or radar communication with the submarine," navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters at a news conference. "I donʼt want to dramatize the issue. Weʼre lacking communication and donʼt know what happened."

The incident has formally been upgraded to a "search and rescue" operation, Balbi added.

Cambodia charges 2 journalists with espionage The arrests are the latest in a widening crackdown on media and the opposition in Cambodia ahead of elections next year. The move further

Australia shutters Papua New Guinea detention center Around 600 asylum seekers have refused to leave the facility, citing fears of attacks from locals. Australian lawmakers have warned of a "humanitarian emergency" when authorities in Papua New Guinea shut off the water.

Private security staff at a controversial Australian detention center in Papua New Guinea left the facility for the first time in years on Tuesday ahead of its expected closure.

The facility formed an integral part ofAustraliaʼs expensive offshore detention programknown as "Sovereign Borders." However, Papua New Guineaʼs Supreme Court ruled that the facility is unconstitutional and needed to be closed. Some 600 asylum seekers residing at the facility have refused to leave, saying the alternatives provided are less secure.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the campʼs closure would proceed, and that the asylum seekers have access to temporary residences nearby. "All have been informed for a considerable period of time that there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," Dutton told Reuters news agency in an emailed statement.

strains ties between the United States and Cambodia. Two Cambodian journalists who worked for a US-funded radio station were charged with espionage on Saturday, the latest move in a widening crackdown on critics of authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Uon Chhin and Yeang Socheameta, former journalists of the Washington-based Radio Free Asia, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly providing information to a foreign power. The offense carries up to 15-years in prison. Radio Free Asiaʼs Phnom Penh bureau closed its office in September, citing "intimidation" and threats that it was violating tax and registration regulations. The Cambodia Daily newspaper reported the two journalists were accused of setting up broadcasting equipment in the capital and sending news reports to Radio Free Asiaʼs Washington bureau.

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Bitcoin hits $10,000 In January, one Bitcoin cost about $700 (€589). Now itʼs reached $10,000. We look at what Bitcoin is, why itʼs inflating, and whether itʼs likely to become a common way for people to pay for stuff.

The old saying applies: If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, itʼs probably a duck. Charting Bitcoinʼs price trajectory over the past year, it looks, walks, and quacks like a speculative bubble. Before getting caught up in the frenzy, itʼs worth looking at what exactly Bitcoins are. Are Bitcoins useful for anything beyond financial speculation? Its promoters call Bitcoin an electronic currency — but are Bitcoins really suitable for everyday market transactions, like grocery shopping? Are they a

US and Poland strike $10.5 billion missile defense deal The US has approved the $10.5 billion sale of a Patriot anti-missile system to NATO ally Poland. Eastern European NATO states have been ramping up their military capabilities in the face of perceived Russian aggression.

In a move likely to irk Russia, the US and Poland agreed on Friday a major arms deal that could see the eastern European NATO member soon begin conducting air and missile defense operations. As part of the $10.5 billion (€8.9 billion) sale, Poland is expected to receive 208 Patriot Advanced Capabilty-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 16 M903 launching stations, four AN/MPQ-65 radars, four control stations, spares, software and associated equipment. Made by US defense contractor Raytheon, the missiles are reportedly designed to detect, track and engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles and shortrange or tactical ballistic missiles. In a statement issued following the sale, the State Department said that: "A secure Europe capable of deterring air and missile threats and other forms of aggression promotes peace and stability within NATO and on the European continent."

good long-term store of value, a sensible choice of financial instrument for people who want to save for retirement, for example?

Nicholas Perrin is a strategist and systems designer on the leadership team atHolochain, a group of software experts designing a rival to the ʼBlockchainʼ technology underlying Bitcoin. According to Perrin, the answer to these questions is: "No." Because of the way it was designed, he told DW, the Bitcoin system isnʼt particularly useful for anything other than financial speculation.

Donald Trump insists no collusion shown in Flynn case

The US president has remained confident that testimony from his former national security adviser did not implicate him. But his new timeline on Michael Flynn raises further questions.

US President Donald Trump insisted there was "absolutely no collusion" between his election campaign and Russia, in comments to media on Saturday.

"What has been shown is no collusion, no collusion," Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for fundraising events in New York.

"There’s been absolutely no collusion, so weʼre very happy." His comments came after his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty in court on Friday to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the US before Trump took power. Investigators also revealed that Flynn was now cooperating with authorities and that he was prepared to testify that he was directed by a "very senior" transition official to make contact with Russia.

Austrian full-face veil ban comes into effect Austriaʼs prohibition of full-face coverings has officially come into force. The government said the ban helps uphold Austrian values and promotes integration despite criticism from Muslim and refugee groups. People in Austria are now banned from covering their faces in public.

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284/2017 • 5, December 2017 Can the ad industry become sustainable?

A look at an entrepreneur who wants to revolutionize the ad industry. Andrea Henao is a former advertising executive who left the corporate world to found her own business — a boutique ad agency that vets its clients. ndrea Henao wants to change the ad industry. Two years ago, the Berlin-based French entrepreneur founded an ad agency that only works with sustainable brands. I met Henao in her offices, not too far from the Berlin’s notorious Alexanderplatz. The premises are decorated with second-hand furniture that she bought online, and art pieces collected and made with friends and colleagues. While showing me around, she shared the stories about the furniture and art. Henao understands the importance of stories. And she knows just how brands come up with stories that appeal to customers with certain values.

With rising consumer awareness about environmental issues and labor practices, brands increasingly emphasize ecological footprint and employee working conditions. Unfortunately, ad campaigns do not always tell the truth — they exaggerate, embellish and lie.

And this is something Henau wants to change. "We really believe that we are responsible for the ad that we promote, hence we promote exclusively sustainable brands," she tells me. The ad industry has yet to play a significant role in ensuring brands tell the truth.The onus to reveal false claims has generally fallen on activists, consumer groups and the media. But Henao believes advertisers can play a bigger role.

China sales behind German carmakersʼ rosy third quarter Strong vehicle sales in the wordʼs most important car market have been essential in enabling German carmakers to end their third quarters on a positive note. Their dependence on China is expected to increase further.

Germanyʼs top carmakers would not have been able to present positive third-quarter results without a booming auto market in China, a study by consultancy EY showed Tuesday.

It said China had long become the most important market for Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler, with one in three of their cars sold in the third quarter having gone to the Asian nation. To be more precise, the Chinese market accounted for 34 percent of Germanyʼs overall car sales between July and September, the highest ever rate logged so far.

Back in 2010, only 23 percent of Germanyʼs quarterly car sales ended up in China.

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Uber hits legal roadblock in Israel The bad news continues for Uber. Less than a week after the revelations about a massive data leak the firm tried to cover up, Israel has become the latest country to block some of the firm’s services.

An Israeli court has banned Uberʼs ride-sharing services from operating in the country,following legal challenges from a taxi driversʼ union and a rival ride-sharing app. The beleaguered ride-hailing service has been trying to develop its operations in the Israeli market in recent times, both through its traditional app-based taxi booking model and also through two ride-sharing pilot schemes, UberNIGHT and UberDAY. Mondayʼs injunction targets those ride-

Germany bans sale of childsnooping smartwatches A German regulator has banned the sale of childrenʼs smartwatches that have one-way monitoring functions.

Officials said parents had been using the watches to listen in on teachers while their children were in class.

Certain smartwatches for children can no longer be sold in Germany as some of these models are equipped with a "wiretapping" function, a regulator said on Friday Germanyʼs Federal Network Agency, orBundesnetzagentur, announced the ban saying that these watches can be classed as "unauthorized transmitters." "According to our investigations, parents were using the watches, for example, to listen in on teachers during class," said Bundesnetzagentur President Homann.

Germany Germany bans sale of child-snooping smartwatches A German regulator has banned the sale of childrenʼs smartwatches that have one-way monitoring functions. Officials said parents had been using the watches to listen in on teachers while their children were in class.

Hotel Palazzo Zichy H-1088 Budapest, Lőrinc pap tér 2.

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Norwegian wealth fund plans to divest of oil and gas Norwayʼs trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund is proposing to drop oil and gas companies from its holdings, saying it already has enough exposure to the industry and wants to protect against fluctuating oil prices. Oslo is set to decide in the fall of 2018 on backing a proposal from the countryʼs sovereign wealth fund —the worldʼs biggest— to cut oil and gas companies from its benchmark index. In a letter to the government, the Norwegian central bank, which manages the fund, said on Thursday that the move would make Norway "less vulnerable to a lasting decline in oil prices." "This advice is based exclusively on financial arguments and analyses of the governmentʼs total oil and gas exposure," the bankʼs deputy governor Egil Matsen said in a statement. "It does not reflect any particular view of future movements in oil and gas prices or the profitability or sustainability of the oil and gas sector," he added.

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sharing pilots, which Uber confirmed would no longer operate following the ruling. Uber says its standard app service will continue to operate in the country. "While we are ending our UberNIGHT and UberDAY pilots, we will continue to offer UberTAXI in Israel," a spokeswoman said. "We are committed to working with the Israeli authorities to explore how technology can improve our cities with safe and affordable transportation alternatives."

Paris tightens regulations for Airbnb

As of Friday, only officially registered apartments can be rented out to tourists for overnight stays in Paris. The French capitalʼs measures aim Airbnb and similar short-term rental sites.

Hosts in the French capital have to apply for an official registration number from now on in order to rent out their private accommodations via Airbnb or other internet platforms such as Homelidays or Abritel. In addition, they are limited to renting out their places to a maximum of 120 days per year. Deputy Mayor Ian Brossat considers the transformation of private housing into accommodations for tourists or business travelers in the city as increasingly worrying. Over the past five years, this has led to an estimated 20,000 apartments being withdrawn from the already strained Parisian rental market.

"We want to stop this bloodletting," Brossats said. Paris is one of the main markets for the US rental platform Airbnb worldwide. A total of about 65,000 accommodations are offered here. German cities such as Berlin and Munich are also fighting the misappropriation of housing properties. Anyone renting out their apartment illegally to tourists in Munich must expect fines up to 500,000 euros.

284/2017 • 5, December 2017

Plants share information using natureʼs fungal internet Shine bright like a mushroom

Fungi have given us beer, penicillin and soy sauce to name but a few items. But did you know these fascinating organisms also allow plants to send each other nutrients and warnings through a kind of ʼsocial network?ʼ From microbes to millipedes to moles, the soil beneath our feet is teeming with largely unseen life. One more hidden treasure is the vast underground fungal network that allows plants to share nutrients and information. These threadlike systems of mycelium branch out under the forest floor, connecting the roots of distant trees in what scientists have dubbed the "wood wide web" and"Earthʼs natural internet."(Fungus expert Paul

Stamets is behind the latter term. He is allegedly the inspiration for the "Star Trek: Discovery" space fungus expert of the same name, as well as some of the science in the show.)

These fungi live in a symbiotic relationship with plants — the roots of which they colonize. The plants feed the fungi with carbohydrates and these underground helpers channel water and, nutrients such as nitrogen, up to their leafy hosts.

Teachers for AI — can robots create more jobs than they retire?

While headway in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry has many worried about potential jobs losses, others see this as a perfect opportunity to nurture an economy that is completely human-based.

Workers can spend anywhere from 5 minutes to 40 hours a week going through simple tasks on a smartphone, making AI all over the world more intelligent and efficient. By building platforms and crowd sourcing a large supply of workers, the companies that train AI were smart to realize the data needed could be processed by anyone with steady access to the internet. From this developed companies like Clickwork, Neurala,

and Alegion Inc., which utilize "human taggers" to push AI education.

With over a million "clickworkers" signed up, thereʼs an estimated 100,000 people logged on at this very moment, sifting through droves of information and lending a human touch to robot training. "Staring at security cameras or an airport scanner, remote-controlling a robot, driving trucks up and down a mine did not exist as jobs until recently," says Massimiliano Versace, CEO of Neurala, "and will probably not exist as jobs occupying a full-time human as they are today. Humans were created to do much more complicated and elevated tasks than watching videos 24/7."

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Germany must allow third gender in registry of births, court rules An intersex person has won a court case to allow them to enter a third gender into the registry of births.

The case was appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court after failing at lower levels.

Germanyʼs Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday called for a third gender option in the registry of births.

Intersex people, who are neither male nor female, should be able to register their sexual identity as such, the Karlsruhe court ruled. The court found that the general right to the protection of personality in Germanyʼs Basic Law meant the register had to be altered to allow a third gender. The court ruled seven to one that lawmakers must create new legislation by the end of 2018 to allow for a third sex, providing the examples of "intersex," "diverse" or another "positive designation of sex." Another possibility raised was to scrap gender entries altogether. "Assignment to a gender is of paramount importance for individual identity; it typically plays a key role both in the self-image of a person and in the way in which the person concerned is perceived by others. The gender identity of those persons who are neither male nor female is protected,"the court ruled.

Advent Feast at the Basilica November 24 - January 1

One of the ‘Best European Christmas Markets’ is a must-see event in the heart of Budapest Discover Hungary’s most acclaimed Christmas market: The Advent Feast at the Basilica is blending Central European traditions and modern attractions, turning the iconic St. Stephenʼs square into 3D cinema. For more details and information about the Advent Feast’s event schedule, check out thewww.adventiunnep.hu/enwebsite. Budapest 1051, Szent István tér Opening hours: MondayFriday: 11 am – 10 pm, SaturdaySunday: 10 am – 10 pm, and 10 am – 2 pm on December 24. Skating class hours: Friday from 2-8 pm, Saturday from 10 am – 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am -6 pm.

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Culture

New Hungarian film Aurora Borealis now screens in Budapest Becoming a mother is a miraculous time in a woman’s life. However, there are certain scenarios when the arrival of a newcomer is not entirely wonderful news. The new motion picture by eminent Hungarian director Márta Mészáros, Aurora Borealis, tells a touching tale, taking viewers back in time in Hungary and leaving them reaching for the Kleenex.

The story has two timelines. One transports viewers back to a western Hungarian village in 1953, where a descendant of an aristocratic family, Ákos, falls for a village girl, Mari. They try to escape to Austria together, but unfortunately with no success, and after being harassed by soldiers, Mari has to start a new life alone and pregnant in occupied Vienna. The other storyline is in the present, unfolding the events through the recollections of old Mari, now a pensioner living in her old village.

One day she gets a letter from Russia and falls into a coma. Her daughter Olga, a lawyer living alone in Vienna, comes back to care for her. Suspecting something about her mother’s past isn’t quite right, she starts investigating. This is only a fraction of the story, as anything else would be a major spoiler. However, even the trailer foretells that Olga’s dad might not be who she thinks after all.

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284/2017 • 5, December 2017

Bird flu scare latest to rattle South Koreaʼs Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympic Games have been dogged by avian influenza, as well as the concern over the unpredictable regime in North Korea, poor ticket sales, a shortage of accommodation and rising prices. Local governments in South Korea have called on operators of farms close to venues that are to be used in Februaryʼs Winter Olympic Games to slaughter around 6,000 ducks and chickensafter avian influenza was discoveredon a duck farm in North Jeolla Province.

The H5 strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus - commonly known as "bird flu" - is common in bird populations but has also made the jump to humans. In July 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had confirmed 630 cases in humans in the previous decade, resulting in 375 deaths.

Borussia Dortmund’s problem is HansJoachim Watzke, not Peter Bosz

Dortmundʼs AGM on Sunday saw CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, throw his support behind beleaguered coach Peter Bosz. Peter Boszʼs honeymoon period at Signal Iduna Park is well and truly over, with their seven-game unbeaten run at the start of the Bundesliga season all but a distant memory. But while Bosz has struggled to implement his methods on the field in recent weeks, the man ultimately responsible for the clubʼs performance — HansJoachim Watzke — has remained oddly immune to criticism. Watzke may have backed the man he appointed in the summer, but he doesnʼt have another choice right now.

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Athletics doping: IOC confident over Russia doping reform plans International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach believes Russia will resolve its doping issues and field athletes at next yearʼs Rio Games.

Russia was provisionally suspendedfrom world athletics after an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report alleged "state-sponsored doping". Bach met with his Russian Olympic Committee counterpart Alexander Zhukov to discuss the report. He said he was "confident" in the measures put forward by the ROC. Council members of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Friday voted 22-1 in favour of Russia being banned. As it stands, Russian athletes may not enter international competitions, including the World Athletic Series and Rio Olympics, which begin on 5 August next year.

Russia will also not be entitled to host the 2016 World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary and the 2016 World Junior Championships in Kazan. "We are confident that the initiatives being proposed by the ROC, with the responsible international organisations - Wada and the IAAF - will ensure compliance as soon as possible in order to provide participation of the clean Russian athletes at the Olympic Games," said IOC president Bach.

Tiger Woods shows no ill effects in return to competitive golf He carded a three-under-par 69 and was extremely happy with his display

Tiger Woods has made his comeback from 10 months out at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Golf great Tiger Woods played his first round of competitive golf since February on Thursday and it was like he had never been away. The 14-times major champion, who also missed the whole 2015-16 season because of injury, had back surgery in April and then suffered a recurrence of much publicized personal problems. The 41-year-old pleaded guilty toreckless drivinghaving being found asleep in his car by the side of the road in May. He had five drugs in his system and has since had treatment to help him deal with his medications. He looked to be

very muchon the way to recovery as he hit five birdies as part of his three-under-par opening round in the invitational Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. He is just three shots off the leader. "I thought I did great," Woods said. "I hadnʼt played in a while after some difficulities, so to come out here and score like I did was nice. It was fun to be out there and be part of a scorecard again." Woods has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and his career has gone downhill since amid injury and tales of marital infidelity.

Beckenbauer made a false statement to prosecutors German prosecutors are reported to have found that Franz Beckenbauer made a false statement regarding the scandal related to the 2006 World Cup. There was no immediate comment from the footballing legend.

According to a report to be published in Saturdayʼs edition of Spiegel news magazine, prosecutors in Frankfurt, where the German football association (DFB) has its headquarters, have found that some of the answers Franz Beckenbauer gave to their questions

were verifiably untrue. The report says that the prosecutors have uncovered proof that Beckenbauer knew about a dubious payment of €6.7 million ($7.89 million at todayʼs rate) made in 2002, which is at the heart of a scandal over the awarding to Germany of the right to host the2006 World Cup. It says that records from an Austrian bank account controlled by Beckenbauer show that he signed off on a transfer of funds that ended up with banned former Qatari football and FIFA official Mohamed bin Hammam.