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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Brazilʼs former President Temer arrested on corruption charges Prosecutors say Brazilʼs exPresidentMichel Temer was arrested on corruption charges on Thursday as part of the countryʼs sprawling Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash) investigation. Temer is thethird consecutive former president of Brazil to face criminal charges, following Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ("Lula") and his protegee Dilma Rousseff. The details so far: Temer is being investigated in 10 different inquiries.His former minister for mining and energy, Moreira Franco, was also arrested. Temerʼs chief of staff, Eliseu Padilha, is also said to be a person of interest. Operation Car Wash has been sweeping in scope. The corruption investigation, which began in May 2014, has ensnared many Brazilian politicians as well as a number of big companies, like construction giant Odebrecht and in particular Brazilʼs partially stateowned oil company Petrobras.

Kazakhstan will continue to ʼtiptoeʼ around China Nazarbayev, 78, ruled Kazakhstan since before it gained independence with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. He steered the country through a major transformation, developing huge energy reserves and boosting its international influence, but was accused of cracking down on dissent and tolerating little opposition. Despite stepping down as president, Nazarbayev will continue to enjoy significant powers thanks to his constitutional status as "Leader of the Nation," his lifetime position as chief of the security council and his position as head of the ruling Nur Otan party. He passed the presidency to the speaker of the Senate, loyalist Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 65, a former prime minister and career diplomat, who was sworn in on Wednesday.

67/2019 • 22 MARCH, 2019

Trump: Time for US to ʼfully recognizeʼ Golan Heights as Israeli The call comes as Secretary of State Pompeo meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu in Jerusalem

US President Donald Trump has sent a foreign policy tweet calling for recognition of the contested area as belonging to Israel.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump tweeted that "after 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israelʼs sovereignty over the Golan Heights," calling the area important to regional stability.

Within minutes, IsraelʼsPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahutweeted his thanks to Trump for "boldly" recognizing "Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights." Netanyahu, speaking of Trump while later delivering remarks alongside US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said, "He did it again." The prime minister was all smiles as he listed Trumpʼs decisions to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement, and finally his recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, which he called "the miracle of Purim." Israeli claims and a UN rebuffIsrael took control over the western two-thirds of theGolan Heights, which was previously part of Syria, during theSixDay Warin 1967. The eastern portion of Golan remained under the control of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The western section of the Golan remained occupied by the Israeli army from 1967 until December 14, 1981,

when the Israeli government passed the Golan Heights Law, essentially annexing the area. Despite the fact that Israeli settlements had been built in the area, the move was roundly condemned in the United Nations Security Council when it passed UN Resolution 497 on December 17, 1981, declaring the annexation "null and void and without international legal effect." The United States is the only country that has signaled a willingness to recognizeIsraelʼs sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Trumpʼs tweet comes as Netanyahu is engaged in a fierce battle for re-election. The Trump administration has put its support forNetanyahu, who is also under investigation on corruption charges, on full display in the runup to the April 9 vote. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for instance, became the highest-ranking US official to ever visit the Western Wall with an Israeli Prime Minister on Thursday, shortly before the Trump tweet was uploaded. Speaking of the visit to yet another site of contested control, Pompeo said, "I think itʼs symbolic that a senior American official go there with a prime minister of Israel."

Crowded ferry sinks in Iraq, dozens drown Over 80 people drowned when an overcrowded ferry capsized and sank in northern Iraqnear the city of Mosul, Iraqi authorities said on Thursday. Rescuers were still working to retrieve survivors from the Tigris River. "Itʼs a disaster, no one expected that," said a young man who managed to swim to the shore. Officials fear that the death toll could rise. Most of the victims were women and children who could not swim. At least 55 people were rescued but many remain missing, according to the Interior Ministry. "The capacity of the boat was 50 people, but it sank because the number of people aboard reached around 200," Iraqi lawmaker Abdel-Rehim al-Shamari said. Other sources later said it was not clear how many people were on board. The vessel carried several families who were celebratingNowruz, the Kurdish New Year, which is traditionally marked by going for a picnic on March 21. They were taking the ferry boat across the river to reach a popular picnic area.

New Zealand bans semi-automatic, automatic weapons Military-style semi-automatic and automatic firearms like the ones used in thedeadly attack on two mosques in Christchurchon March 15 will no longer be available in New Zealand, the prime minister announced on Thursday. "Every semi-automatic weapon used in the terrorist attack on Friday will be banned," Jacinda Ardern said.

The ban will apply to all military-style semi-automatics (MSSA) and assault rifles, along with parts used to convert weapons into MSSAs and all high-capacity magazines.

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67/2019 • 22 March, 2019

German court deals ʼDieselgateʼ blow to VW customer A court in the northern German city of Braunschweig on Tuesday rejected a compensation claim against carmaker Volkswagen brought by a plaintiff represented by legal services group MyRight.

The verdict paves the way for MyRight to now appeal the decision at the Federal Court of Justice. VW welcomed the verdict, saying that it meant that buyers of diesel vehicles had no claims against the company. The plaintiff was calling on VW to pay back wholly or in part the sum for which he purchased a diesel vehicle nine years ago. His first attempt to claim compensation at a lower court in Braunschweig also failed. MyRight founder Jan-Eike Andresen was, however, not fazed by the courtʼs decision, saying his company was now in the "finals" with VW, which he called an "outstanding success for our young firm." The case in Braunschweig has been followed with great interest because the consumer rights group MyRight is representing some 35,000 owners of VW diesel vehicles in Germany affected by the "Dieselgate" scandal.

Airbnb cuts listings in Israeli West Bank settlements Home-rental platform Airbnb announced Monday it would no longer offer its service in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, drawing an angry response from Israel. Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War, but most countries consider the Jewish settlements there to be illegal. The company said in a statement the decision would affect about 200 properties "in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians." "Our hope is that someday sooner rather than later, a framework is put in place where the entire global community is aligned so there will be a resolution to this historic conflict and a clear path forward for everybody to follow," it added. Palestinian and human rights groups had long called on Airbnb to remove the settlement listings from its site. Waleed Assraf, head of a Palestinian anti-settlement group welcomed the development, saying if more companies followed it would "contribute to achieving peace." Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin condemned the move as "the most wretched of wretched capitulations to the boycott efforts."

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Boycotts are ʼludicrous,ʼ says ethics professor Michael Jackson sex abuse allegations:

While an exhibition on Michael Jackson is set to open in Germany, a documentary on the pop iconʼs alleged abuse of young boys has renewed debate on how to consider his legacy. An ethics professor reacts.

Ms. Lotter, after broadcasting the documentary "Leaving Neverland" in the US, in which two men report having been sexually abused as children by Michael Jackson, numerous international radio stations have stopped playing his hits. What do you make of this reaction? MariaSibylla Lotter: I find this reaction appalling. Even if it would make sense to consider what an

Council of Europe slams Greece over refugee camp conditions The Council of Europeʼs Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) raised concerns Tuesday over the "inhuman and degrading" conditions in Greeceʼs refugee camps. The committeeʼs report said the situation was particularly alarming at the Fylakio camp near the Turkish border — one of the "hot spots" set up with backing from the EU to speed up refugee processing. There was a lack of doctors, medicines, food and drinking water in several camps along Turkeyʼs land border, in Athens, and on the Aegean islands.In the northeastern town of Fylakio, up to 95 migrants were being housed in a single room.People were detained for extended periods

Envoy says US convinced Germany to ban Iranʼs Mahan Air US Ambassador Richard Grenell is claiming a diplomatic victory after German officials decided to ban the Iranian airline Mahan Air from operating within the country. Grenell, who has ruffled a few feathers since President Donald Trump picked him for the post last May, told The Wall Street Journal that the move had come after "months of pressing" from the United States. "I think itʼs a great step by the German government," Grenell told the DPA news agency. "It shows great leadership." He added: "No country where Mahan Air flies should feel safe." The German Foreign Ministry took a different stance on Monday, when it announced that Mahan Airʼs landing rights had been withdrawn because the carrier had transported equipment and troops into war zones in the Middle East, particularly in Syria.

artist does in private as a kind of judgment of his art, a boycott makes no sense, because raising public accusations against people cannot be equated with a judicial verdict. If public accusations only take into consideration an artistʼs good reputation, it can lead to the obliteration of oneʼs artistic existence — at least for people who are not already as established as Michael Jackson. of time in inadequate and "dirty" conditions at border patrol stations such as Isaacio and Tychero.Many migrants were suffering from scabies because of the poor state of washing facilities, clogged toilets and dirty mattresses and blankets.Refugees at several camps, including Moria on the island of Lesbos, reported suffering abuse and beatings at the hands of police.Hundreds of unaccompanied minors were being housed with single men and at risk of sexual violence.

Children in Germany worry about poverty and want to be heard Having enough quality time with parents and being able to participate in

school decisions are key concerns of children, initial results of a German study published Tuesday have found.

The study "Childrenʼs Worlds+" comes as recent student movements around the world haveraised debate about the political participation and impact of childrenand young adults, and also as Germany worries about rising child poverty. Key survey takeaways 99 percent of all participants were existentially secure, meaning they had enough to eat.More than half of all children worried occasionally, frequently or constantly about their familiesʼ financial situations.German children were overall well provided for materially, and the more material possessions a child had, the less they worried about their familiesʼ finances. More young children felt that their teachers took care of them and helped them with problems, while that was less the case with older children.

67/2019 • 22 March, 2019

German Wikipedia goes offline in protest over EU copyright law German Wikipedia took to the "drastic measure" in the hopes that the EU will amend its reform of copyright law. The proposed law has sparked anger from activists who worry the changes will hamper free speech.

Users looking for information on the German-language version of Wikipedia were met with black screens on Thursday. The online encyclopedia went offline for the day to protestthe planned changes to the European Unionʼs copyright laws. A statement on the German Wikipedia site said that the legal changes "could lead to a considerable restriction of the free internet" and that they could

Auschwitz Museum asks visitors not to balance on train tracks The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museumimplored visitors to respect the memories of the 1.1 million people who were killed at the concentration camp — and not to balance on the train tracks that brought Holocaust victims to the site. "There are better places to learn how to walk on a balance beam than the site which symbolizes deportation of hundreds of thousands to their deaths," the museum wrote on Twitter. They also posted several pictures visitors had taken of themselves walking on the tracks. In recent years, numerous visitors to concentration camp museumsand other Holocaust memorialshave beencriticized for taking selfiesand other seemingly jovial pictures at the sites that remember the victims of Nazi genocide.

Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest Nazi death camp, where 1.1 million victims, including some 1 million Jewish prisoners, were killed. Last year,the Auschwitz Museum saw a record number of visitors, with 2.1 million people coming to visit the site.

"considerably impair freedom of expression, artistic freedom and freedom of the press." John Weitzmann, the legal head at the Wikimedia association, defended the decision to temporarily shut down the site, saying that he hopes it will spur change. "Itʼs the most drastic means we have available in order to draw attention to something," Weitzmann told German radio station Bayern 2.

Turkeyʼs Erdogan shows Christchurch mosque shooting video again despite protest from New Zealand

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday again showed a video from the Christchurch mosque massacre at a campaign rally despitesharp criticism from New Zealand. Speaking to a crowd in Kutahya ahead of the March 31 local election, Erdogan showed footage of the shooting and told his conservative supporters that the killings were part of an attack on Turkey and Islam. Erdogan used the video to

criticize the main opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has warned against "Islamist terrorism."

Police in New Zealand have charged a 28-year-old Australian citizen with murder for killing at least 50 people at two mosques during Friday prayers.

The suspected white supremacist livestreamed the attacks on social media. The gunmanʼs "manifesto" mentions Turkey and Erdogan as threats.

Recession fears grip emerging markets amid currency crises Turkey, South Africa and Argentina are among the emerging economies most at risk of recession, chief economist for business information provider IHS Markit, Nariman Behravesh, told DW. The countries, which have seen their currencies battered this year, have "twin deficits" and large amounts of dollar and euro-denominated debt.

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67/2019 • 22 March, 2019 Germany attempts ʼface-savingʼ resolution to Saudi drugs boycott

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

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

Germanyʼs FlixBus in talks to buy intercity competitor Eurolines FlixBus, which offers low-cost intercity bus travel across Europe, is negotiating to buy its smaller competitor Eurolines. French transport group Transdev, which owns Eurolines, and the Munich-based Flixbus confirmed on Monday that exclusive talks were underway, without disclosing the financial details. Eurolines, whose network spans 25 countries, operates French domestic routes under the Isilines brand, which would be part of the possible deal. "With this merger, FlixBus would have an even more comprehensive and more diverse offer to attract even more passengers. We want to be the first choice for travelers across Europe," Flixbus managing director Jochen Engert said.

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Levi Strauss returns to stock market The company makes a comeback on the public markets with a valuation of $6.5 billion. DW traces the history of the maker of the famous blue jeans and its German connection.

German roots The inventor of the quintessential American garment was German-born Levi Strauss, who moved to New York following the death of his father. Strauss later traveled to San Francisco on the US West Coast to capitalize on the gold rush.

Here he made a fortune not by panning gold, but by inventing the blue jeans. Leviʼs museum Levi Strauss was born in Buttenheim in the southern German state of Bavaria. His birth house, which is more than 300 years

Can Russian discounter Mere beat Aldi and Lidl at their own game?

Cardboard boxes sitting on wooden pallets are the first thing you notice when you enter Mere. The newly opened Russian discount grocer on the outskirts of Leipzig looks more like a warehouse than a supermarket. Inside the boxes is fruit juice from the Czech Republic; and in the fridges, sausages from Hungary. The groceries and non-food items sold at Mere are some 20 percent cheaper than Aldi and Lidl.

Yet while its German competitors have several thousand shops across the country, Mere, so far, has just one.Read more: German retailer Aldi set to build 2,000 homes above its Berlin stores ʼLike Aldi used to beʼ Itʼs Friday morning. Around thirty customers are strolling around the shop, peeking inside the boxes.

Ramona and Madlen, who live nearby, are here for the first time. "Before it was so full we couldnʼt even get inside," they tell DW. "The lines would stretch until the entrance; people were even queuing outside."

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

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

Chemicals giant Bayer stuck in Monsanto trap A second US court ruling on weed killer glyphosateʼs potential to cause cancer has dealt a severe blow to German chemicals company Bayer. DWʼs Henrik Böhme says itʼs obvious that the takeover of Monsanto was a mistake.

Shareholders and analysts are united in their conviction that investors are better off without Bayer shares in their portfolios. The Leverkusen-based chemical giantʼs shares plunged by over 12 percent Wednesday, thus shedding some €8 billion ($9.1 billion) in stock market value. Owners of Bayer shares are used to trouble, though. Ever since Bayerʼs spectacular takeover of US company Monsanto, which had also meant inheriting weed killer glyphosateʼs poor image, investors have had no reason to rejoice. The share price has dropped to €60 euros, down from over €100 last summer. It seems that more and more people canʼt figure out what benefits the Monsanto takeover was meant to offer. Last year, Bayer acquired the pariah of the chemicals industry for a whopping $63 billion.

Bayer CEO Werner Baumann believed it was a sensational feat to crown his career, but now damage control is the order of the day.

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

old, has been converted into a museum dedicated to the timeless piece of fashion. Birth of blue jeans It was one of Levi Straussʼ customers, tailor Jacob Davis, who actually first put metal rivets in menʼs work pants to increase their durability. Davis shared his idea with Strauss and the two together obtained a US patent on the riveted pants in 1873. The blue denim jeans — then called waist overalls — became an instant hit among the gold miners.

US Federal Reserve holds rates steady, cuts economic growth forecast

After a series of rises, the US central bankʼs policy meeting decided to hold interest rates in their current range. It also predicted a gloomier outlook for growth than that coming from Trumpʼs White House.

The Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday it is to keep its benchmark rate in a range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent. The rate influences financial products and services such as mortgages, credit cards and home equity lines of credit. After raising rates for five consecutive quarters, the Fed indicated it saw no further need to raise them again in the near future. At their December meeting, the policymakers had predicted there would be two interest rate hikes in 2019, but now they project one rate hike in 2020 and none in 2021. The Fed also revised down expectations for headline inflation, which includes oil and food, to 1.8 percent for the year, down from the 1.9 percent predicted at their December meeting. Trumpʼs displeasure President Donald Trump had called the December rate riseby the supposedly independent Federal Reserve wrongheaded, with suggestions he was contemplating trying to fire Chairman Jerome Powell, who had been his choice to lead the central bank.

67/2019 • 22 March, 2019

Japan prepares to party under the cherry blossoms This tradition of welcoming the spring that dates back to the 12th century is still going strong

It is arguably also the best time to meet and mingle with Japanese people as they let their hair down.

For a small and delicate flower, the cherry blossom is very big in Japan.

After a long grey winter, the blooming of these pale pink flowers that herald the arrival of spring is eagerly anticipated across the nation.

In the weeks before the blossomʼs bloom, companiesʼ portable karaoke machines are dusted off and new recruits are instructed on the importance of reserving the best spot for the companyʼs annual "hanami" revelries — a ritual that can trace its roots back to the samurai of the 12th century Kamakura period. Back then, the elite imperial

Where persecuted writers find refuge Rabab Haidar is one of the countless people looking for a secure life in Germany. A writer, translator and journalist, she fled Damascus in October 2018. The Syrian civil war, which has been going on for eight years, expelled her from her homeland. Haidar found refuge in Langenbroich in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia.

For the past three decades, authors who can not freely write in their homelands have been given the opportunity to stay in the former home of German writer Heinrich Böll. As one of these authors, Haidar received a one-year scholarship that has allowed her to live in peace and work on her second novel. Her first novel Land of the Pomegranate was published in 2012 and she also translated a volume of poetry by the Bahraini poet Iman Aseeri, The Book of the Female, into English.

Múzeum+ February at Museum of Fine Arts

courtiers paused to appreciate the delicate pink cherry blossoms known as sakura before indulging in picnics and poetry sessions beneath the blooms. A millennium later and the flowers that inspired a thousand haiku are no less revered in modernday Japan. Hanami literally translates as "looking as flowers," and refers to flower appreciation picnics under the blooms. University friends, school groups, neighborhood associations and families all prepare picnics, drinks and the ubiquitous blue tarpaulin to lay out beneath the elegant pink flowers.

ence, which, at its best, can unite people from different cultures and backgrounds. Souleymaneʼs prowess as a striker helped launch the small-town team into the first division. Yet, once they arrived, he was met with a nasty surprise: An East German statute barred foreigners from playing in the first division. In 1962, he returned to Guinea, where his football career blossomed. He played for Guinea in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and was African Footballer of the Year in 1972.

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Culture

Right here, right now!

Fatboy Slim comes to Budapest Akvárium Club BRIGHTON BEATMASTER FATBOY SLIM IS COMING TO BUDAPEST FOR HIS LOCAL CLUB DEBUT AT THE FOCAL AKVÁRIUM ON 25 MAY.

The Guinean exchange student who became a football star in a small East German town In the film Pelé aus Neubrandenburg, the name Pelé doesnʼt refer to the Brazilian football star, but to Chérif Souleymane (also known as Souleymane Chérif), a Guinean athlete who started a successful football career in the East German town of Neubrandenburg while doing a two-year socialist student exchange in the 1960s. The film

by Benjamin Unger and Matthias Hufmann is part of the 11mm International Football Film Festival, opening in Berlin this Thursday. Itʼs an ode to football as a transformative experi-

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The February edition of monthly event series Múzeum+ is being held on the 14th at the Museum of Fine Arts. For each of these events, besides interactive workshops and concerts, an Englishlanguage guided tour also features.

This time the theme is German Renaissance Art, starting at 7pm.

For the complete schedule, check the museum website.

Brighton beatmaster Fatboy Slim is coming to Budapest for his local club debut at the focal Akvárium on 25 May. The veteran of many a festival – Glasto, Exit, Coachella – has played Hungary before but never in the intimate surroundings of a sweaty club.

The booking represents a major coup for the Akvárium, whose line-up for 2019 also includes John Digweed and Kruder & Dorfmeister. Tickets have not yet gone on sale for Fatboy Slim in the Main Hall of the Akvárium – but keep an eye on theclub’s websiteas they’re bound to sell out in no time. Slim, who successfully shifted from indie to electronica in the 1990s, reignited his career with the hit Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat, in 2013. The DJ star is currently playing a series of huge arenas in the UK, from London to Glasgow. Akvárium Klub District V. Erzsébet tér 12

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67/2019 • 22 March, 2019

F1 2019 — the runners and riders

Itʼs all change in the Formula 1 paddock ahead of the 2019 campaign.

Three familiar teams are likely to fight it out at the front, but two of them have fresh faces behind the wheel. Mercedes seeking sixth season in charge Defending champions Mercedes are one of just two teams with an unchanged driver roster this season. Five-time champ Lewis Hamilton and his Finnish wingman Valtteri Bottas will try to maintain the teamʼs perfect record in the turbo-hybrid engine era. Ever since the major engine overhaul of 2014, Mercedes have won everything in sight. Is it time for a change?

Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus forward fined by Uefa over goal celebration

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been fined 20,000 euros (£17,700) by Uefa for a goal celebration in the win over Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League. The 34-year-old appeared to mimic Atletico boss Diego Simeone, who turned to fans and grabbed his crotch during his sideʼs 2-0 first-leg victory. Ronaldo made the gesture when completing his hat-trick in the return leg as Juventus won 3-0. Simeone was fined £17,000 for the act. Juventus have been drawn to play Dutch side Ajax in the quarter-finals.

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

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

Joachim Löw axes Hummels, Boateng and Müller from national team The decision is the latest in a string of recent changes to the national squad

Germany coach Joachim Löw is planning for a future that does not involve World Cup winners Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller.

Ahead of the first international break of the year, Joachim Löw has announced that his future plans do not involve the Bayern Munich trio.

"2019 is the year for a new beginning in the German national team," said Löw in response to reports from German tabloid Bild that he had met with the Bayern trio in Munich to make them aware of his decision and the reasons behind it. "It was important to me personally, to take time to explain my thoughts and plans to both the players and those in charge at FC Bayern."

Boateng, Hummels and Müller-

played key roles in Germanyʼs World Cup win in Brazil back in 2014, but they were also culpable in the team that fell short as Die Mannschaft gotknocked out in the group stages last summer in Russia.

"I thank Mats, Jerome and Thomas for the many successful, extraordinary and unique years together," Löw continued before switching his focus the the next generation of German talents. "The young national players need to get the necessary space to fully develop. Now they have to take on the responsibility."

New England Patriots make Super Bowl history with sixth win The New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 to win the Super Bowl on Sunday. New England has now tied the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most titles in history, each with six wins.

For the Patriots, all six have come since 2001. The Steelers took 35 seasons to reach this milestone. Quarterback Tom Brady has now beaten former Dallas Cowboy and San Francisco 49er Charles Haley for the most Super Bowl

wins for a player. Coach Bill Belichick is now tied for the most NFL championships by a head coach. Both are the oldest to win in their respective positions. "It was an unbelievable year," Brady told US broadcaster CBS after the game, held at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta. "Itʼs unbelievable to win this game…Weʼve been this far and lost, which is really tough. I wish we had played a little better on offense, but we won and itʼs unbelievable.