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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Violence against refugees in Germany drops dramatically Refugees and refugee homes are still attacked nearly every day in Germany — but the figures dropped significantly last year. Left-wing politicians blame both the AfD and Angela Merkelʼs party for stirring up hatred.

The German government counted 2,219 attacks on refugees and refugee homes in 2017, new Interior Ministry figures revealed on Wednesday have shown. This is a third fewer than in the previous year, when the authorities counted more than 3,500 attacks, but still translates to more than five a day. According to an Interior Ministry answer to an official parliamentary information request, the attacks broke down into 1,906 attacks on refugees and 313 on homes, with more than 300 people injured as a result. The crimes listed in the statistics included bodily harm, property damage, defamation, hate speech, trespassing, arson, and causing an explosion.

Stealthy sleuths: Lithuania calls for ʼcyber Schengenʼ zone Coming soon to a cyber attack near you: an EU rapid-response team led by Lithuania, able to leap national borders in a single bound.

Criminals do it, so why not the good guys? Teri Schultz reports.

As NATO and the European Union team up to cut red tape for troops to move more quickly through Europe to counter a potential crisis, Lithuania is leading an effort to do the same for cyber defenders. Lithuanian President Dahlia Grybauskaite has called on fellow EU leaders to support the creation of a "cyber Schengen," modeled on the area of free movement of people within the European Union, to better battle online crime and aggression which operate border-free.

50/2018 • 01, MARCH 2018

Syrian forces gain ground in Eastern Ghouta despite truce Russia blames rebel groups for the outbreaks of violence during the daily humanitarian pause

A temporary ceasefire offered up by Russia appears to have been wholly ineffective as violence continues.

Syrian government forces made gains against rebels in Eastern Ghouta on Wednesday despite a supposed truce in the area, a monitoring group reported. Russia and the US have increasingly clashed over Moscowʼs failure to implement the ceasefire as well as the use of chemical weapons. Russia blamed Washington and its allies for sparing terrorists on the ground. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that air strikes and artillery fire in Eastern Ghouta stopped just before the pause took hold, but that clashes continued around Hosh al-Zawahira and Shaifuniyeh.Government forces advanced against Jaish al-Islam rebels in the eastern outskirts area of Hawsh al-Dawahira, the Observatory said.The Syrian military claimed the humanitarian corridor had been opened, but according to state TV no civilians left the heavily bombarded area on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the

United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday: "Russia together with the Syrian government have already announced the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Eastern Ghouta." "Now, it is the turn for the militants and their sponsors to act, militants entrenched there who still continue shelling Damascus, blocking aid deliveries and the evacuation of those wishing to leave." The European Unionʼs foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, demanded that Russia, Iran and Turkey take responsibility for ending fighting in Syria and that they respect a genuine 30-day ceasefire. In a letter to the three foreign ministries she urged them "to take all the necessary steps to ensure that the fighting stops, that the Syrian people are protected" and to allow free movement of aid groups and civilians. France meanwhile called on Russia and Iran to exert "maximum pressure" on the Syrian government to implement the ceasefire.

Uproar in Pakistan over ʼtorture and sexual abuseʼ of Christian youths Rights groups have condemned the alleged torture and sexual abuse of two Christian youths by investigating officials. The latest blasphemy controversy highlights the plight and vulnerability of Pakistani Christians.

On Friday, Sajid Masih, a 24-yearold blasphemy suspect, leapt from the fourth floor of the Federal Investigation Agencyʼs (FIA) Punjab headquarters in Lahore and severely injured himself. In a video statement, Sajid alleged that he jumped because the FIA officials tortured him and ordered him to "sexually assault" Patras Masih, his cousin and the main accused in an online blasphemy case. "They asked me to abuse myself, but I refused to do so. Later, they asked me to sexually assault my cousin, but I remained silent and jumped from the building," he said.

India bids farewell to Bollywood legend Sridevi Kapoor The Indian film starʼs accidental death on the weekend has unleashed an outpouring of public grief. Fans have lined Mumbaiʼs streets to pay their last respects. Thousands of fans have taken to the streets of Mumbai to farewell Bollywood star, Sridevi Kapoor, whodied over the weekend after drowning in her bath tub. Some mourners carried photos of the screen star, while others held flowers as they waited to pay their last respects at a condolence service.

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50/2018 • 01, March 2018

US Nuclear Posture Review: A bigger bang for the buck?

The United States has put countering China and Russia, dubbed "revisionist powers," at the center of a new national defense strategy. DW takes a look at what that entails.

At the height of the Cold War, the United States and the then-Soviet Union possessed around 70,000 nuclear warheads between them — enough to destroy or poison every square centimeter of inhabited land on Earth several times over.

Americas US Nuclear Posture Review: A bigger bang for the buck?

The United States has put countering China and Russia, dubbed "revisionist powers," at the center of a new national defense strategy.

DW takes a look at what that entails. At the height of the Cold War, the United States and the then-Soviet Union possessed around 70,000 nuclear warheads between them — enough to destroy or poison every square centimeter of inhabited land on Earth several times over. Somewhat ironically, the concept of "mutually assured destruction" (MAD), whereby the full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender, was and is a guarantor of peace.

A record 28 French restaurants get Michelin three-star ratings Twenty-eight French restaurants have been honored with the gastronomic sectorʼs most coveted rating.

Thatʼs a record number of threestar ratings for any single country in the Michelin Red Guide.

A comeback by La Maison des Bois mastermind Marc Veyrat (pictured) and the emergence of Christophe Bacquieʼs Hotel du Castellet as another culinary force in southern France have given the country a record for most restaurants to hold a vaunted foodie guideʼs coveted three-star maximum. Set for official release on Friday, Michelin France has become the most prestigious of the publicationʼs 31 national editions and the domestic culinary bible. Michelin has faced criticism that its stars reward pomp and presentation rather than the food itself and for the guideʼs putting restaurateurs under unbearable scrutiny. The guide has made many a chefʼs name; others say it has nearly broken their wills. Veyrat — a 67-yearold who quit cooking after a skiing accident nine years ago and faced hardship again when La Maison burned down in 2015 — told The Associated Press that he does not mind the stress.

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Slain Slovak journalist was targeted by Italian mafia Says colleague

Jan Kuciak was killed just before publishing a report about ties between politicians and organized crime, a fellow reporter said. Kuciak is the second anti-corruption journalist murdered in the EU in the past six months.

A colleague ofSlovak journalist Jan Kuciaksaid on Tuesday that he believed the slain reporter was the target of organized crime. Tom Nicholson said that before his death Kuciak had been about to publish an explosive report about ties between the Italian mafia and high-level politicians. According to Nicholson, who worked closely with Kuciak, the 27-year-old was working on a story about "the fraudulent payment of European Union transfer funds to

Finding ancient cities and improving weather forecasts with LiDAR Researchers discovered an old Mayan city with the help of lightwave technology. Christoph Kiemle from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) explains how the method works and how it could be used in self-driving cars. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. Itʼs similar to radar, or radiowave detection and ranging, but it works with optical radiation rather than radio waves. It works with light, basically.

You can use lasers to send out this light to discover properties of the atmosphere or the Earth surface. We typically send a laser beam down to Earth from an airborne platform.

That beam travels through the at-

Italian nationals resident in Slovakia with alleged ties to the ʼNdrangheta organized crime group from Italyʼs Calabria region." "The (Slovak) secret service already has the gangstersʼ names; both Jan and I were operating from leaked intelligence documents," Nicholson wrote in Politico. "Slovak organised crime has never killed reporters, even in the bad old days. Whereas Italyʼs mafia gangs have shown no such compunctions." mosphere and can measure particle matter, aerosol in the atmosphere for example. It can detect clouds, it could travel down to the surface when there are no clouds, and it gives us profiles of atmospheric properties. We can detect and derive a lot of information from these measurements that help advance science.

Maldives declares state of emergency, former president arrested The president of the Maldives has ordered his predecessor arrested and called a state of emergency. Soldiers charged into the Supreme Court and arrested two judges after they ordered imprisoned politicians released. Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen called a state of emergency on Monday and ordered soldiers to arrest

Indonesia debates bill criminalizing gay sex and any sex outside of marriage Indonesiaʼs parliament speaker has called for reforms to the criminal code that would outlaw any sex outside of marriage, including gay sex.

Critics say the bill would also weaken checks and balances on democracy.

Indonesian lawmakers began debating controversial changes to the countryʼs criminal code on Tuesday, which critics warn would violate human rights and undermine the countryʼs democracy. Indonesiaʼs parliament speaker Bambang Soesatyo opened proceedings by urging lawmakers to consider the legislation that would curb "homosexual excesses." Writing in the Indonesian daily Koran Sindo, Soesatyo also said Tuesday that gay lifestyles in the country had spawned "horrifying" excesses, such as murder, HIV/AIDS and pedophilia. "If these people actively promote their lifestyles, it will be very worrying," he said. "We urge the state to take firm action." While homosexuality is not illegal in the worldʼs largest Muslim majority country, it has long been viewed as a bugbear to both Indonesiaʼs Islamic and secular political parties.

his 80-year-old predecessor, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, his estranged half brother, who supported the main political opposition. Yameen is in an escalating legal battle with the South Asian island nationʼs Supreme Court after judges ordered the release of all imprisoned opposition leaders in a surprise ruling last week. He ordered Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another of the Supreme Courtʼs four judges arrested early Tuesday. Yameen called a 15-day state of emergency, deepening a political crisis.The emergency decree grants wide powers for the security forces and police to make arrests, search and seize property and restricts freedom of assembly, officials said.Soldiers forced their way into the Supreme Court building and arrested two of the tribunalʼs four justices.Police used pepper spray to disperse hundreds of protesters who had gathered outside the court.Former President Gayoom was charged with bribery and attempting to overthrow the government, according to his lawyer.

50/2018 • 01, March 2018

Turkey considers chemical castration for pedophile child abusers Turkeyʼs justice minister has said authorities want to "reduce or eliminate" the sex drives of convicted child abusers. The idea was immediately rounded upon by rights groups as draconian.

The Turkish government said on Tuesday that a new law would be submitted to parliament that would permit judges to order the chemical castration of child abusers. Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said the measure is being considered "to reduce or eliminate" the sex drives of people convicted of sexually assaulting minors, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. He said the draft law would be presented to lawmakers "within a few days." Turkeyʼs legal system dealt with a more than fourfold increase in child sexual

abuse cases in 2016 compared to a decade earlier, according to justice ministry data cited by rights groups.

Courts ruled on 21,189 cases compared to 3,778 in 2006, and more than 60 percent of suspects were convicted. Chemical castration, which involves using anaphrodisiac drugs to reduce libido and sexual performance, does not prevent a person from experiencing sexual urges indefinitely. The drug is administered either by mouth or injection, with a frequency between once a month and once every three months.

Germany to compensate Algerian Jewish Holocaust survivors

Disneyland Paris to add Star Wars, Marvel and Frozen zones in €2 billion upgrade

Jews who lived in Algeria during the Vichy regime will receive compensation, said the Claims Conference. Algerian Jews were "one of the last" groups to be recognized by Germany, the organizationʼs vice president told DW. The Claims Conference Hardship Fund on Monday announced that a new group ofJewish Holocaust survivorswill be eligible forcompensation from the Germany government. The group consists of Jews who lived in Algeria between July 1940 and November 1942. Those eligible for compensation will receive a one-time payment of €2,556 ($3,180), which the German government will begin paying out in July. "Even at this late stage, itʼs very important both for the individuals, because it acknowledges what they went through, and in general, because it creates a historical record which will stand the test of time," Eric Schneider, who serves as executive vice president of the Claims Conference, told DW. "The further we get away from the events, I think thereʼs the greater possibility of Holocaust revisionism … When the German government takes responsibility and acknowledges the event, then it makes it a lot harder to refute it.

Disney will inject billions of euros to transform its Paris theme park. Plans include three new areas based on various popular Disney franchises. The Walt Disney Company plans to invest €2 billion ($2.5 billion) into the Paris branch of Disneyland from 2021, it announced on Tuesday. Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company Robert A. Iger was received by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Tuesday. in Paris as the multi-year plans for Dis-

neyland Paris were announced.

Macron said the plans reflected renewed investor belief in France: "Your confidence shows that France is back."

The French tourist industry was hit following aseries of terror attacks. In 2016 visitor numbers to Disneyland Paris fell 10 percent to 13.4 million but2017 was Parisʼ best year for tourismin a decade. "This investment...is the direct result of the growing confidence that we have in the economy of Europe and in France in particular," Iger said.

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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50/2018 • 01, March 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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German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer pays ʼflyingʼ visit to Mobile World Congress Deutsche Telekom has ʼflownʼ in a special guest to showcase its broadband capabilities at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The German telecom giant focused on its activities to advance 5G mobile networking.

Deutsche Telekomʼs Head of Innovation Claudia Nemat was just wrapping up her description of the European Aviation Network, a project that allows passengers to use broadband thousands of meters up in the air, when she casually invited CEO Timotheus Höttges up on stage, claiming she had a surprise for him. Next thing,legendary German goalkeeper Manuel Neuerappeared on the screen behind them. He was sitting in a plane, live-streaming the Deutsche Telekom press conference. "Howʼs it

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.

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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.

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going?" Höttges asked breezily. Neuer grinned and pointed his smartphone out the window at the clouds. The gimmick concluded a press event that was dedicated to showcasing Deutsche Telekomʼs advances in 5G, its new voice assistant Magenta (meant, Nemat stressed, as an alternative, not as a replacement to counterparts like Alexa) and a pair of smart glasses that could one day display a checklist for doctors to consult before performing surgery.

Gmail German case to be decided by ECJ

For close to a decade, the German telecommunications regulator has argued that Google’s email service should come under its legal remit.

Google disagrees. Now, Europe’s highest court will ultimately decide.

The long-running legal dispute between the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) and Google over the search giantʼs email service Gmail took another twist on Monday. The German Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Münster ruled on Monday that the case be referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the EUʼs highest court. It means the dispute, which has rumbled on for close to a decade, may have several years left to run. The issue at hand is the fact that the German Federal Network Agency believes Googleʼs popular Gmail service — which has over 1 billion users— qualifies as a telecommunications service, and ought to be regulated accordingly by German and European telecommunications law. Google disputes this designation, which a German Administrative Court in Cologne upheld in November 2015. Google appealed that verdict to the Münster court, which has now sent the case to the EUʼs highest court on the basis that the relevant sections in the German Telecommunications Act are based on identical provisions in EU law. Google welcomed the courtʼs decision.

50/2018 • 01, March 2018

The short, complicated life of a fig wasp Fruit Lover:

When Mother Nature conceived of the fig, she seems to have asked herself: ʼWhy go for the easy option?ʼ The plant relies on an extremely complex — and somewhat macabre — pollination process to bear fruit.

When Mother Nature conceived of the fig, she seems to have asked herself: ʼWhy go for the easy option?ʼ The plant relies on an extremely complex — and somewhat macabre — pollination process to bear fruit. The life of a fig wasp is fixed to a strictly defined track. Its final destination is the center of a fruit. Letʼs start at the exact moment a female fig wasp climbs into a fig. She doesnʼt have to burrow; nature has left a small hole

for her. But short spines on her head ease her passage through the unripe fruit. Still, space is scant. On the way, the insect, which is just 2 to 3 millimeters in size, will lose her wings, and large segments of her antennae and legs. Thereby, her fate is sealed: the wasp will never re-emerge. She doesnʼt need to. Sheʼs carrying the pollen from the fig in which she was born in order to pollinate the fig in which she will die.

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.

German university hospital defends auto firmsʼ nitrogen dioxide test ethics 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.

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Culture

Budapest’s Széchenyi Baths extend opening hours When the weather is so moody, it is so nice to plunge into a hot pool filled with mineral-rich thermal waters and soak away in the soothing atmosphere.

While the outdoor pools at Budapest’s splendid Széchenyi Baths are always open until 10pm, from March 1st, the indoor thermal area will also stay open until the same time, welcoming those who would rather enjoy the sight of snow from inside, savouring spa delights after dark.

Housed in a stunning NeoBaroque building, the Széchenyi is probably the most popular spa in Budapest, and certainly the largest of its kind in Europe.

While the open-air plunging area is most popular, the Széchenyi altogether holds 11 pools within, each filled with mineral-rich healing waters, as well as steam cabins, saunas and showers.

From March 1st, bathers can enjoy these convivial facilities until as late as 10pm, while the outdoor area stays open until the same time as usual.

Three pools inside are only available to guests with a medical referral, but this still leaves enough room for tranquil relaxation for everyone.

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50/2018 • 01, March 2018

Usain Bolt to play charity football match amid pro contract hint

After his retirement from the track, Usain Bolt is making strides towards a new career. The Jamaican sprint great will captain a star-studded side in charity football match and has hinted at a professional contract. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Usain Bolt is set to make a return to the sporting world in a charity football match which has previously attracted such luminaries as Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, actor Will Ferrell and pop star Robbie Williams. The eight-time Olympic gold medallist announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he will be joining the Soccer Aid World XI - a motley crew put together to help raise funds for the United Nations Childrenʼs Fund, Unicef. Since retiring from athletics heʼs also flirted with playing cricket and been pictured at the US Grand Prix.

Neymar injury an opportunity for Julian Draxler at PSG

From rising star to Germany regular, Julian Draxlerʼs career has long been trending upward, but heʼs struggled for playing time since joining Paris Saint-Germain. Will Neymarʼs injury offer him a pre-World Cup boost? Six months ago, things were looking pretty good for Julian Draxler. After securing the move away from Wolfsburg that heʼd long been angling for, heʼd become a regular in Paris SaintGermainʼs version of the Galacticos, captained Germany to a Confederations Cup win and had the inside track toward a starting spot in Germanyʼs World Cup defense in Russia.

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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.

Michy Batshuayi slams Europa League racist abuse Borussia Dortmund:

Borussia Dortmund striker Michy Batshuayi has accused Atalanta fans of racial abuse during a Europa League tie in Italy. The Belgian star complained on Twitter that he was subjected to constant "monkey noises."

Michy Batshuayi and two other Borussia Dortmund players complained they received racial abuse during their sideʼs Europa League match in Italy on Thursday. After Dortmund progressed to the last-16 with a 4-3 aggregate win over Atalanta, Batshuayi tweeted: "2018 and still racists monkey noises in the stands ... really ?! Hope you have fun watching the rest of Europa League on TV while we are

through." The on-loan striker accused the Atalanta fans of making monkey noises for the duration of the match. His teammates Dan-Axel Zagadou and Alexander Isak were also reportedly the target of abuse.

Dortmund captain Marcel Schmelzer said he was not aware of the noises during the match but that he condemned it "in the strongest possible terms," adding that "this doesnʼt belong anywhere."

Russia back in Olympic competition after IOC lifts suspension Just three days after the 2018 Winter Olympics ended, the IOC has confirmed that Russia has been welcomed back into the Olympic fold.

This came after remaining tests from the Olympic Athletes from Russia tested negative. Despite two failed doping tests from its athletes

at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Russian Olympic Committee has had itʼs suspension lifted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, after no further Russians tested positive for banned substances.