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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Washington blasts China over retaliatory tariffs on $3 billion worth of US goods

77/2018 • 06 APRIL, 2018

German Foreign Minister sees ʼother sideʼ of refugee plight in Jordan Maas witnessed the suffering of refugees up close on his trip to Jordan

A White House spokeswoman said China was targeting "fairly traded" US goods. Beijingʼs move has bolstered the prospect of an all-out trade war between the worldʼs two largest economies. The United States has lashed out at Beijing afterChinese tariffs on $3 billion (€2.4 billion) worth of US goods entered forceon Monday. "Instead of targeting fairly traded US exports, China needs to stop its unfair trading practices which are harming US national security and distorting global markets," White House deputy spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said. China said on Sunday that it would start taxing 128 mostly agricultural US goods at midnight on Monday, including a 25 percent tariff rate on pork products and a new 15 percent tariff on fruits and nuts.

Dalit caste protests hit India spurred by Supreme Court decision Several people have died in violent clashes between police and protesters led by Dalits. Demonstrators opposed a court ruling to slow down legal proceedings against those accused of crimes against Indiaʼs lowest caste. At least six people were killed on Monday in clashes betweenIndiaʼs lowest caste groupand the police.

The street battles were sparked by a Supreme Court ruling that halted the immediate arrest of people accused of discriminating against the marginalized Dalits. The protests, called "Bharat Bandh," or "India shutdown," took place in multiple states in India. Protesters let by Dalits set police posts on fire, blocked rail tracks and major roads and attacked buses and government buildings. Live fire was also exchanged in some places.

Heʼs vowed to offer more help, but as DWʼs Michaela Küfner reports, Berlin has wider strategic interests to maintain.

Heiko Maas looked uncomfortable as he sat among a group of refugees in Jordan on Thursday. After an excited young boy — no older than 12 — whispered in his ear, cameras began snapping for what seemed like several minutes. Maas was markedly relieved when the scene ended. Interactions staged for the press are not yet the new German foreign ministerʼs thing. Just days after visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories, Maas traveled to Jordan, where roughly half the population is estimated to have Palestinian roots. Shortly before Maas departed for the capital, Amman, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made headlines by stating thatIsrael had the right to existas a sovereign state.

When Maas touched down in Amman on Wednesday, he called the announcement a "positive development," while at the same time pointing to the many conflicts in the region and the various actors involved in them. Germany, he said, would seek to do what it could to help bring an end to the tension. While in

Jordan, Maas said he wanted to "see the other side of the refugee situation," and also support "one of the most important partners in the region." During his visit, he was frequently told that the small country has reached capacity: The government estimates that as many as 1.3 million Syrians maycurrently be residing in Jordan, as well as some 75,000 Iraqis, putting extra strain on education, housing and health services. Many Western countries view Jordan as central to stability in the region. The United States just increased direct foreign aid payments to the country by almost a quarter, bringing them up to more than $1 billion (€815 million) annually — while at the same time cutting them almost everywhere else. Germany is Jordanʼs second most important foreign aid partner, contributing €596 million toward development projects every year. Last August, Germanyʼs air forcemoved to Jordanʼs Muwaffaq Salti Air Basein Azraq to conduct reconnaissance flights as part of its mission combating "Islamic State."

Trump EPA officials to roll back Obama emissions standards for cars Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt has announced a plan to scrap pollution-preventing standards set in 2012. At the same time, a review of Californiaʼs vehicle emissions limits invites a legal battle.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday announced it would ease fuel efficiency rules for cars that had been put in place under Barack Obamaʼs administration. The move was hailed by automobile manufacturers and criticized by environmentalists. "The Obama administrationʼs determination was wrong," said EPA chief Scott Pruitt of the 2012 decision to increase average fuel efficiency across their fleet of car models to 54.5 miles per US gallon (4.32 liters per 100 kilometers) by 2025 from 35.5 miles per US gallon in 2016. The increased standards were intended to reduce fuel consumption and therefore vehicle emissions.

Crystal meth: Huge drugs haul seized in Thailand Police in Thailand have seized a bumper haul of the drug methamphetamine, after a series of raids in the past week. The UN has warned that the "Golden Triangle" region is flooding the region with drugs. Thai police said on Monday said they had confiscated some 700 kilograms of crystal meth as part of a series of raids in which 11 people were arrested. The drugs, which were seized en route to Malaysia, were said to be worth an estimated 700 million Thai baht ($22.42 million, 18.16 million euros), within Thailand.

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77/2018 • 06 April, 2018

Sweden and North Korea end talks ahead of possible Trump-Kim summit The Swedish and North Korean foreign ministers have wrapped up three days of talks on the security situation on the Korean peninsula.

Have they cleared the way for a historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un? Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and her North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho discussed the "opportunities and challenges for continued diplomatic efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict," Swedenʼs Foreign Ministry said Saturday. The ministry did not comment on whether thethree days of talksin Stockholm hadlaid any groundwork for a possible meetingbetween US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "The main focus for the talks was the security situation on the Korean Peninsula," Wallstrom told reporters, adding that UN sanctions, nuclear weapons, and humanitarian concerns in North Korea were also on the agenda. Ri did not address the media during his visit.

Publisher slammed as Hitler appears in ʼgreat leadersʼ book The book "would bring tears of joy to neo-Nazis," a Jewish human rights organization has said. Adolf Hitler carries a certain fascination in some parts of the world that is largely untouched by his atrocities.

Indian publisher Pegasus landed itself in hot water this week when it emerged that itʼs "Great Leaders" book for children included Adolf Hitler. Pictured alongside freedom fighters Mathama Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, the book chose Hitler as one of the "powerful world leaders who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of their countries and the people living in them." Also included in the book are current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, controversial Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former US President Barack Obama. "Dedicated to the betterment of countries and people? Adolf Hitler? This description would bring tears of joy to the Nazis and their racist neo-Nazi heirs," said Abraham Cooper of the Jewish human rights organization the Wiesenthal Center. "Placing Hitler alongside truly great political and humanitarian leaders is an abomination that is made worse as it targets young people with little or no knowledge of world history and ethics," Cooper said.

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El-Sissi: the new Egyptian strongman His swift rise from army chief to second-term president

Despite coming to power on a wave of popular support, President el-Sissi appears to have the same aspirations as his autocratic predecessors.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi was officiallyre-elected to a second term on Monday, after a contest in which many of his would-be challengers were either arrested or intimidated into stepping away from the campaign. Born in 1954, one year after Egypt became completely independent from the United Kingdom, el-Sissi has made much of growing up in a neighborhood in Old Cairo where Jews, Muslims and Christians all resided together. A soldier his entire life, el-Sissi attended a military high school, before graduating from the

Donald Trump signs Taiwan Travel Act, drawing Chinaʼs ire US President Donald Trump has signed a law promoting official exchanges between the US and Taiwan. The move could further strain US-China ties. US President Donald Trump on Friday signed legislation promoting contacts between Washington officials and their Taiwanese counterparts, angering China, which considers Taiwan as part of its territory. The Taiwan Travel Act will allow unrestricted two-way travel for officials from the United States and Taiwan, thus restoring direct official US contacts with the self-ruled is-

Canada to deploy troops, helicopters to Mali Canada will send troops and helicopters to Mali to join a UN peacekeeping mission there, Canadian media have reported. The helicopters are expected to replace a German contingent. Canada will soon take part in its first peacekeeping mission to Africa since Rwanda in 1994, sending peacekeepers, backed by helicopters, to join UN Blue Helmets in Mali before autumn, Canadian media reported late on Friday. The commitment comes amid pressure on Canada from Germany and the Netherlands to send peacekeepers, with the Canadian helicopters expected to replace a German contingent, CBC News said, citing a senior government official.

The deployment would be for a planned 12 months, according to the report.

Egyptian Military Academy in 1977 and receiving his commission and serving under strongmenpresidents Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak. Before receiving extra training at military facilities in the UK and US, el-Sissi was named the youngest member of Egyptʼs Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. During this time, el-Sissi defended the controversial practice of carrying out virginity tests on female detainees, saying it was done "to protect the girls from rape as well as to protect the soldiers from rape accusations." land, which were cut in 1979 when Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

The White House said the bill, which was passed unanimously by Congress, would go into effect on Saturday morning even without the presidentʼs signature.

The United States still does not have formal ties with Taiwan, but is required by lawto help it with selfdefense.

Syria: Al-Qaida and IS increasingly lose territory to Assad With the exception of Idlib, Syriaʼs government has recovered control of most major cities from rebels and ter-

ror organizations. Are the "Islamic State" and al-Qaida being beaten out of Syria? With Syriaʼs civil war now in its eighth year, the "Islamic State" (IS) and al-Qaida — two of the most prominent terror organizations active in the fighting — are on the decline.

DW takes a closer look at their roles in the conflict. IS drew international attention when it swept across Iraq and Syria in 2014, making Raqqa, Syria, its capital and taking control of Iraqʼs second-largest city, Mosul. In Syria, IS now only really controls some area near Iraqʼs border, as well as some parts of the countryside. The organization does not currently have a central headquarters. In October, the US military estimated that the group still had about 6,500 members. AlQaida operates most prominently as Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham, a Salafist group that is concentrated near and in the major Syrian city of Idlib.

77/2018 • 06 April, 2018

Putin visits memorial to victims of shopping mall fire At least 64 people including many children were killed in Sundayʼs blaze in the town of Kemerovo in central Russia. Thousands of people have been separately demonstrating against local authorities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced a nationwide day of morning as he visited a memorial to the 64 victims of a shopping center fire in the Siberian town of Kemerovo. Thousands of people separately protested for senior officials to resign in response to their alleged handling of the fire, according to local media. Putin placed flowers at a spontaneous memorial set up by local residents at the Winter Cherry Mall where the fire took place.According to local media, he said: "People, children came here to relax. We talk about demographics and yet we lose so many

Facebook bans Trump campaign data firm Cambridge Analytica The social media giant has accused the data analysis company of illegally obtaining user data. At the same time, a whistleblower has said that Cambridge Analytica illegally harvested data from 50 million users.

Facebook announced on Saturday that it had suspended the data research firm Cambridge Analytica for holding onto dubiously obtained user data after assuring the social media firm that the information had been deleted. Cambridge Analytica has become well-known in political circles for its work on the election campaign of US President Donald Trump and for the pro-Brexit group Leave.eu. Facebook said it was also suspending the firmʼs parent company, Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL). The incident revolves around an app put on the site in 2015 by Aleksandr Kogan, a professor at the University of Cambridge, that purported to be a personality test and psychological research tool. About 270,000 users downloaded it and shared their information with it, according to Facebook.

people — and why? Due to criminal negligence and sloppiness."Thousands of people separately gathered in front of a regional government building in the city center, where they reportedly called for local officials to resign. Some protesters also disputed the official death toll, accusing the government of hiding the true scale of the incident.The only top regional official who attended the gathering, Deputy Governor Vladimir Chernov, rejected allegations of a cover up and said he would resign if people wanted him to. The crowds shouted "resign, resign!" back at him.

Russia says spy poisoning could be distraction from Brexit problems

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested that the poison attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal could be in the interests of Britain. He also repeated denials of Russian involvement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday suggested that the British government could have ordered a poison attack onformer double agent Sergei Skripalto distract from theproblems posed by the UKʼs impending exitfrom the Eu-

ropean Union. He told a news conference in Moscow that the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter Yulia "could be in the interests of the British government, which found itself in an uncomfortable situation having failed to fulfill promises to its electorateabout the conditions for Brexit." He said the poisoning could have been carried out

by British special forces "known for their abilities to act with a license to kill."

European markets plunge at opening bell as stock market dip deepens Global markets continue to wobble precariously. European markets took a big hit as Tuesdayʼs trading began, following major losses across Asia and particularly in Japan. Wall Street fared no better on Monday. European markets opened on Tuesday awash with red, with the main benchmark indices all down around 3 percent followingWall Streetʼs Monday rout. Minutes after the bell to signal the start of trading, Germanyʼs DAX index dropped 3 percent to 12,308 points. It was a similar story in France and the UK, whose indices opened 3 and 2.5 percent lower respectively.

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77/2018 • 06 April, 2018

Chinese migration brings social change to Italyʼs Alps Home to the largest concentration of Chinese residents in Europe, two mountain villages have become the unlikely setting of an integration experiment. Giulia Saudelli and Matteo Civillini report from northern Italy.

At midday, the fog is so thick one can barely see the mountainside. From the vast space that opens out below, all one can hear are the Chinese workers busily hitting large slabs of stone with their chisels. The quarryʼs owner paces around them, making sure the precious material is handled with care. A few meters away a truck is ready to load the rough-cut stones, which, after a journey down a steep mountain road, will be delivered to the workshops in the tiny villages of Bagnolo Piemonte and Barge. This is the daily routine in the Infernotto Valley, in northern Italy, home to the largest Chinese community in terms of concentration in Europe. Since the early 1990s more than 1,300 of them have settled in this remote area, making up around 10 percent of the total population. The Chinese presence is so strong that Hu has now become the most common surname in Barge. Their arrival initiated what can be described as a 20-yearlong migration experiment, unintentionally providing a testing ground for integration policies in Italy and beyond. What brought them to this unlikely place is the Luserna stone. A pillar of the local economy, the ʼgrey goldʼ — as it is known locally — is a foliated rock featuring sheet-like layers of varying shades of color.

German metalworkers finally secure wage agreement Following weeks of bitter fighting, a wage agreement for the German metal and electrical industries has finally been struck. Employees were able to secure higher wages and more flexible working hours.

A wage agreement was reached in the early hours on Tuesday in Germanyʼs metal and electrical industries. The powerful IG Metall union announced the deal initially covering workers in the southern German state of BadenWürttemberg, but expected to be eventually implemented for a total of 3.9 million workers in the sector nationwide. According to the deal, employeesare to receive a pay hike of 4.3 percent from April this year. Additionally, monthly one-off payments of €100 ($124) were agreed for January through March. Employers and trade union representatives also agreed on the possibility of workers reducing their hours from 35 to 28 hours per week for two years, should they need to look after children or care for older relatives.

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Spotify: Market unicorn prepares to go public The Swedish music-streaming platform Spotify goes public on Tuesday, following in the footsteps of fellow "unicorns" Dropbox and Zscaler.

The stock market is healthy and the timing seems good, but what are the risks?

Drew Houston and Arash Ferdosi stood in New Yorkʼs Times Square, surrounded by their associates who cheered and threw confetti in celebration. The two Dropbox founders high-fived, onlookers clapped, and the cameras flashed. On March 23, theNasdaq stock market welcomed Dropboxwith open arms. Only a few minutes into trading and stock prices had risen over 50 percent. "A very exciting day for us," said billionaire Houston. "A milestone,"

United Kingdom waits to see how the post-Brexit winds will blow The UK is the current world leader in offshore wind capacity. But with the country heading for the EU exit door, can the renewable energy boom last? Lying unpainted on its side, the greenish curve of a 75meter (246 feet) long wind turbine blade bears a passing resemblance to a whale. Itʼs twice the length of a blue whale but at 25 tons, is much lighter than the earthʼs largest creature. For employees at the state-ofthe-art Siemens Gamesa factory in the port city of Hull in northern England, another comparison is more apt. "Four bull elephants, thatʼs how we equate it," said Alison Maxwell, the head of communications at the facility. Siemensʼ £160 million ($223 million/182 million euros) plant has manufactured these great fiberglass beasts for wind farms in Britain since it opened at the end of 2016 in the economically deprived city. And itʼs a good time to be in business.

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

T.: +36 1 235 4000 reservation@hpz.hu www.hotel-palazzo-zichy.hu/

Nissan, Dongfeng to invest heavily in e-cars in China Together with its joint venture on the ground, Japanese automaker Nissan is to make a multi-billiondollar investment in the production of e-cars in China. Beijingʼs e-car quota system goes into effect next year. Japanese carmaker Nissan and its Chinese joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor Company announced Monday they would invest $9.5 billion (€7.6 billion) in China to increase annual sales by 1 million vehicles andboost the production of electric cars. The move came as China was rolling out new regulations to limit gas vehicles in a bid to reduce air pollution across the Asian nation. Authorities in Beijing will implement a complex quota system as of 2019, requiring carmakers to produce a minimum number of electric vehicles. They are also looking at plans to completely ban fossil fuel cars at a date that has yet to be decided.

Published by: Mega Media Kft. 1075 Budapest, Madách I. út 13-14. +36 1 398 0344 www.hotelujsag.hu

said Matt Kennedy of Renaissance Capital, an IPO-focused analyst firm. In the wake of the Dropbox IPO, investors are turning their attention to another major startup about to go public. Spotify,the beloved music-streaming platform based out of Stockholm, opens for public trading on Tuesday. The media is hyping Spotify, the third unicorn to go public this year following Dropbox and the cybersecurity provider Zscaler.

China targets US meat, fruit in retaliation against tariffs on Chinese goods

"We donʼt want a trade war, but we are absolutely not afraid of it," a senior Chinese spokesman said as US tariffs entered force in late March.

Beijingʼs retaliatory measures appear to make good on that promise.

China said it will start taxing $3 billion (€2.4 billion) worth of imports of US meat, fruit and other goods beginning Monday, in response to US tariffs on Chinese goods. The announcementfollows weeks of Chinese threatsto introduce the measures amid a deepening trade dispute between Beijing and Washington. Chinaʼs Customs Tariff Commission will target a total of 128 US goods.It will increase the tariff rate on eight US imports, including pork, by 25 percent.A new 15 percent tariff will be placed on 120 other US goods, including fruits.In a statement announcing the measures, China said that the US had "seriously violated" World Trade Organization principles and damaged Chinaʼs interests. Beijingʼs move is the latest escalation in its trade dispute with Washington.

77/2018 • 06 April, 2018

Whatʼs really hidden in the Easter nest?

Too sweet and too fatty:

No experiments on animals or humans can take place in Germany without a go from an authorized ethics committee. Dr. Thomas Kraus from Aachen University Hospital says this was the case in the most recent NO2 scandal.

The European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) "did not impinge in any way on the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) research it commissioned Aachen University Hospital to do," Professor Thomas Kraus from the hospital told the German press agency DPA on Monday. The EUGT is a now defunct organization that was funded by German carmakers Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW plus partsmaker Bosch, thus raising questions of possible conflicts of interest. In 2013, 25 healthy volunteers were exposed to NO2 pollution for three hours, Kraus said.

On Easter Sunday, it starts again, the hunt for the Easter eggs. But even if it makes childrenʼs eyes shine, we should be aware that a chocolate bunny has two sides and only one of them is sweet.

This Sunday is that magical day, once again. Children press their noses to the windows, looking out into the garden hoping to see him as he strolls through the grass and hides small, colorful eggs. He hides them well, so they wonʼt see them right away but hopefully not so well that they wonʼt be discovered until next year. Heʼs nice that way. Surely, just like every year, none of these children will see him because he is quick and nimble,

German university hospital defends auto firmsʼ nitrogen dioxide test ethics

Budapest Spring Fair

he zig-zags. He knows how to hide in the thick grass. You may wonder if he doesnʼt want to be seen. Perhaps he is shy? Or he just really likes to play hide and seek? In the end, it wonʼt make a difference to the kids with their flattened noses and big eyes because they will surely discover their little nests and in them, aside from other sweets, there will at least be the easter bunnyʼs little brother, the chocolate easter bunny.

Russian accused of running spam network extradited to US Suspected Russian hacker Pyotr Levashov pleaded not guilty before a US judge after being extradited from Spain. Prosecutors claim he ran a massive computer network that sent out spam and installed malicious software.

Spanish authorities have extradited to the US a Russian man suspected of carrying out cybercrimes using bulk spam emails and malicious software, US officials announced Friday. Pyotr Levashov, a 37-year-old from St. Petersburg, pleaded not guilty to the charges of wire and email fraud, hacking, identity theft and conspiracy after appearing before a federal judge in the US state of Connecticut. He re-

mains in detention. Levashov was arrested in Aprilwhile vacationing with his family in Barcelona. In October, Spainʼs National Court granted the US extradition request, rejecting a counter-extradition request from Russia. US prosecutors say Levashov ran the sprawling Kelihos botnet — a network involving up to 100,000 infected computers that sent spam emails, harvested usersʼ logins and installed malicious software that intercepted bank account passwords. According to the indictment, the network generated and distributed more than 2,500 spam emails a day and allegedly victimized thousands of people in the US.

Between March 23rd and April 22nd, Budapest’s central Vörösmarty Square fills with stands and stalls crammed with hundreds of handcrafted Hungarian products for the Budapest Spring Fair. Besides the traditional and modern folk-art displays, visitors can sample local flavors prepared on-site, while cultural and artisanal events, workshops, folk music and folkdance shows entertain children and adults alike.

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Culture

The 25th Titanic Film Festival begins in Budapest Hungary’s most popular international film festival, the Titanic, is taking place for the 25th time in Budapest, between April 4th and 13th. Titanic specializes in films from all around the world that are not, or not yet, distributed in Hungary, balancing arthouse with mainstream.

Altogether 47 features from 34 countries will be screened, with original audio and in the most cases English subtitles, at arthouse film theaters and eminent event venues citywide. Opening the festival will be Wes Andersons’s “Isle of Dogs”, a stopmotion animated comedy which won the Best Director Silver Bear at the Berlinale. Altogether nine films are competing for the prestigious main prize at the Titanic, the “Breaking Waves Award”. Seven venues – the Uránia National Film Theater, the Toldi Cinema, the Pop-Up Cinema at the Ódry Színpad, the Kino Cinema, the French Institute, the Art+ Cinema and the Magvető Café – screen films during the festival between April 4th and 13th. The selection is truly colourful this year; with the festival placing special focus on Iceland, film lovers can enjoy several features from the land of ice and fire.

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77/2018 • 06 April, 2018

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge lashes out at St Pauli over 50+1

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has criticized second division club FC St Pauli, labeling last weekʼs DFL vote an "emotional, populist spectacle." He also spoke about the future of striker Robert Lewandowski. Bayern Munich chief executive officer KarlHeinz Rummenigge has hit out at the German Football League (DFL) followingThursdayʼs vote to retain the Bundesligaʼs so-called 50+1 rule.

"Mentally, Iʼve already distanced myself from the DFL," Rummenigge told football magazine Kicker in its Monday edition. "I find the developments at the DFL quite dubious at the moment."

Rummeniggeʼs frustration stems from last weekʼs DFL membersʼ meeting at which 18 out of 34 clubs present from Germanyʼs top two divisions voted in favor of a motion tabled by second division club FC St Pauli to retain the 50+1 rule.

Bundesliga: Mario Gomez at

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.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic signs for LA Galaxy The news comes after he came to an agreement to sever ties with Manchester United

Former Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic has confirmed that he is moving to the United States to finish his career.

A full-page ad published in Fridayʼs edition of the Los Angeles Times read simply: "Dear Los Angeles, Youʼre welcome," and was signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic. "After being in Europe, winning 33 trophies, playing in the best teams in the world, playing with the best players in the world, I wanted to come to the U.S. and play my game there," Ibrahimovic said in an interview in the same newspaper. "I wanted people to enjoy my game there and to win.

And I chose the Galaxy to do that."

There was no official confirmation of the signing from the Major League Soccer team, however Dan Beckerman, the president of entertainment giant AEG, which operates the Galaxy, told the paper that he expected a lot of the former Swedish international. "Heʼs made it clear heʼs coming here to win championships. Itʼs not about the money," Beckerman said. "L.A. is a place for stars, and heʼs going to be one of the brightest stars thatʼs ever played in this market. In any sport."

the double as Stuttgart go seven unbeaten

A return to the international fold was celebrated in style as Stuttgart grabbed another three points on the road. The win lifts them to eighth in the table and an outside shot at European qualification. Never mind a return to the national squad, on this evidence, Gomez will have given Germany coach Jogi Löw plenty to chew as he considers his starting XI to face Spain next Friday night.

The veteran striker staked his claim with a brace that gave Stuttgart a sixth win in their last seven league games, lifting the club into European contention. It also showed why he remains one of the best around when it comes to giving himself that crucial yard of space in the penalty area.

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Roger Federer to skip French Open after losing No.1 ranking Roger Federer will be replaced as world number one by Rafael Nadal after a shock loss at the Miami Open. The 20-time Grand Slam winner confirmed that he will skip the clay court season again, including the French Open.

Roger Federer will be replaced as world number one by Rafael Nadal after a shock 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 defeat by Australian outsider Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Miami Open. It was the second loss in six days for the Swiss champion, who was beaten by Juan Martin del Potro in the

Indian Wells final. Kokkinakis, ranked 175th in the world, used a vicious topspin forehand to wear down the defending champion and claim an upset victory in front of a stunned near-capacity crowd. He only got into the Miami qualifiers on a wildcard, but he displayed the talent that has long had him earmarked as one to watch. Federer, who became the oldest ever world number one when hetopped the rankings in February at the age of 36, will skip the French Open, which starts on May 27, for the second straight season.