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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Germany ʼnot spending enoughʼ on defense, US ambassador says US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell on Sunday criticized Germanyʼs pledge to incrementally raise its defense spending to 1.5 percent until 2024 in an interview with German Sunday newspaper Welt am Son‐ ntag. "Germanyʼs NATO promise to raise defense spending to 1.5 percent is not enough," Grenell said. "Again, it is not US standards that have to be met here but NATO commitments that Berlin has already agreed to. The US is simply reminding its great German ally that now is not the time to undercut or weaken NATO." Defense spending isa contentious subject that has strained relations between Washington and Berlinsince Donald Trump assumed the US presidency in 2016.

Trump hasrepeatedly accused the German governmentof failing to meet its defense spending commitments.

Romania seeks to block former anti-corruption official from top EU post At the same time Romania holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, the countryʼs justice minister, Tudorel Toader, is actively trying discredit anti-corruption officials.

Toader has announced that he will use all possible means to block the appointment of his compatriot Laura Codruta Kovesi as the chief prosecutor of the future European Public Prosecutorʼs Office (EPPO). Kovesi previously led the Romaniaʼs DNA anti-corruption authority before being dismissed under questionable circumstances. An independent commission of twelve experts named her as the preferred candidate for the EUʼs prosecutor job on February 4.

35/2019 • 11 FEBRUARY, 2019

Hundreds of Russian and Chinese spies in Brussels Diplomats have reportedly been told to avoid certain eateries

Lithuania set to ban fake news from Russia Walking outside the Lithuanian parliament, a toddler cries out: "Davai, davai," pulling his mother behind him. Loosely translated as "letʼs go," the Russian phrase is common in colloquial Lithuanian and often heard from sports competitors on TV. The woman responds bluntly: "Thereʼs no such word [in Lithuanian]!" Read more: Germanyʼs ʼBildʼ falls for hoax, unleashes debate on fake news The interlude on the snowy pathway reflects what some describe as childlike attempts to fight Russian disinformation and domestic problems in the Baltic nation. Instead of tackling the problem itself, the ruling majority is only eliminating the issue from public discourse, according to Dainius Radzevicius, director of the Lithuanian Union of Journalists (LZS).

Turkey tells China to close Muslim ʼconcentration campsʼ The EUʼs de facto capital is teeming with Russian and Chinese spies, according to officials cited by a German newspaper. Diplomats have reportedly been told to avoid certain eateries in the European quarter.

The EUʼs foreign service has warned there are hundreds of Russian and Chinese intelligence agents operating in Brussels, according to a report in Germanyʼs Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

The European External Action Service (EEAS) estimates there are "about 250 Chinese and 200 Russian spies in the European capital,"the paper reported, citing EU diplomats. Diplomats and military officials were advised to avoid certain parts of Brusselsʼ European quarter, including a popular steakhouse and a cafe near the European Commissionʼs main building, the report said.

Read more: Spy museum opens in Berlin According to the EEAS, which is headed by chief EU diplomat Federica Mogherini, these intelligence agents are mainly based at their home countriesʼ embassies or trade

missions. Without citing figures, the body added that Russia has historically had a large number of agents stationed in the city.

Spying by foreign countries is an open secret in Brussels, and even expected given the cityʼs importance — it is the EUʼs de facto capital and is also home to NATO. Read more: EU mulls cyber defense against US surveillance A scandal erupted in 2003 after bugging devices were discovered in the European Councilʼs Justis Lipsius building, in offices used by British, French, German and Spanish diplomats. While the culprit was never revealed, suspicion was directed at Israel and the US. Besides operatives from Russia and China, American and Moroccan agents are also believed to be active in Brussels, Welt reported.

Turkeyʼs foreign ministry has called on China toend the mass detention of its Muslim Uighur minorityand shut down a network of "concentration camps" in the countryʼs northwest. "The policy of systematic assimilation against the Uighur Turks carried out by the authorities of China is a great shame for humanity," foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement on Saturday. In a lengthy response posted online, Chinaʼs Embassy in Ankara called the remarks unacceptable and demanded Turkey "withdraw its accusations."

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35/2019 • 11 February, 2019

Protests as far-right AfD wrangles over Europe candidates Five hundred Alternative for Germany (AfD) delegates wrangled via procedural run-offs Saturday over who should fill its tail-end candidacy slots as more than a 1,000 opponents headed for the conference venue, overseen by police. Protesters, organized by local civic groups, had set out from the railway station of the 30,000population Elbe River city of Riesa — once a key metal industry hub in communist former East Germany — bound for the convention center. Read more:EU in 2019, challenges and crisis Placards and banners carried by AfD detractors included the slogan "Racism is no alternative," playing off the partyʼs name. Police said they intervened when a roadside bystander made a Hitler salute.

The anti-migrant, euroskeptic AfD, launched in 2013 and now holding opposition seats in all of Germanyʼs 16 regional assemblies as well as the federal Bundestag, had begun its four-day convention on Friday in Riesa to complete its list of party members who could serve in the European Parliament following this yearʼs European elections.

Syrian girls attacked in Berlin, racism suspected A man spouting racist insults allegedly confronted two Syrian teenagers in northeastern Berlin and punched them in the face, authorities said Saturday.

He hit the girls, aged 15 and 16, "with his fist several times ... before fleeing into a shopping arcade," police alleged in a statement. Both girls were taken to hospital for treatment.

Read more: Racist or Islamist — lone-wolf attackers show similar patterns Hours later, a woman reportedly attacked a 12year-old girl in the southeastern district of Neukölln. Officers alleged the suspect tried to tear off the girlʼs headscarf, pulled her hair and threatened her with pepper spray. The woman also allegedly attempted to stab the child with a syringe filled with what appeared to be blood, police said. Officers from the state security police are investigating the incidents, which took place late Friday. The suspected hate crimes highlight tensions over migration in Germany. Last month, a 50-year-old German man was charged with attempted murder after he deliberately drove his car into foreigners in the western cities of Bottrop and Essen. Eight people were injured in the New Yearʼs Day attack, including a 4-year-old Afghan boy and a 10-year-old Syrian girl.

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UKʼs Prince Philip gives up driving license after accident The official enquiry into the crash is ongoing

After a much-publicized car crash as he was driving out of a stately home in eastern England last month, Prince Philip has decided to give up his driving license.

The 97-year-old spouse of Queen Elizabeth was involved in a car crash when he was driving out of the 20,000-acre (8,093-hectare) Sandringham estate in the east of England in January. "After careful consideration the Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence," a statement from Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday. An investigation into the

China says Interpol chief Meng Hongwei under investigation for bribery Interpol President Meng Hongwei, who had gone missing in late September, is under investigation for bribery and other crimes, the Chinese Security Ministry announced on Monday.

Meng is accused of "accepting bribes and is suspected of violating the law," the ministry said in a statement. It also hinted at a political dimension by stating Meng was being probed because of his own "willfulness and for bringing trouble upon himself."

Meng, a senior security official in China as well as the first Chinese head of Interpol, has beenmissing since September 25 while on a trip to his native country. On Sunday, Chinaʼs anti-graft body had said that "Public Security Ministry Vice Minister Meng Hongwei is currently under

crashhas been passed to the principal public prosecuting agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in the UK: "The investigation file for the collision has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for their consideration," Norfolk police said. The CPS then announced: "We review each file carefully before a decision is made and will take this development into account." investigation by the National Supervisory Commission for suspected violations of law," without specifying its allegations. China has been cracking down on corruption under President Xi Jinping.

Interpol later said Meng had resigned as president of the international police organization with immediate effect. It named South Korean national Kim Jong Yang, who was Senior Vice-President, as acting president.

Attack on Iranian military parade may harden domestic and regional policies A deadly attack on an Iranian military parade may strengthen hardliners in the country and send al-

Egypt President Abdel-Fattah elSissi takes over chair of African Union Egyptʼs President Abdel-Fattah elSissi took up his chairmanship of the 55-member African Union (AU) at its 32nd ordinary session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Sunday. During his tenure, el-Sissi is expected to concentrate on security and financial reform, but with no great plans to strengthen the AUʼs multilateral powers. Instead, the focus is expected to be on combating illegal immigration while Egypt presents itself as a model for hosting refugees. The summit has been titled: "Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons" presented within a security context.

Ahead of the summit, el-Sissi set out his priorities for the year: Building bridges in support of African cultural events.Cooperating with partners regionally and internationally.Peace and security, with a focus on post-conflict reconstruction.Institutional and financial reform of the AU.Expediting the CFTA free trade agreement and infrastructure projects.Providing employment opportunities, increasing the return of African youth, developing manufacturing, agriculture and fishing.

ready heightened tensions across the Middle East soaring, asTehran points its finger at the United States and its Gulf Arab allies.

The rare attack claimed by Arab separatists killed 12Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)members and 13 others in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province, which is home to Shiite Iranʼs Sunni Arab minority. It was the deadliest attack in the country in nearly a decade. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed "mercenary terrorists" who carried out a crime in "continuation of the conspiracies by the US-backed regimes in the region," while the IRGC under his command vowed "deadly and unforgiving revenge," if need be abroad.

Iran did not name a particular Arab country, but the accusations appeared to be aimed at regional rivals Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

35/2019 • 11 February, 2019

Polandʼs young voters turning to the right Young people in Poland disproportionately vote for right-wing parties.

This shift is not just a temporary trend — the countryʼs increasingly patriotic youth are longing for more conservative values.

It was an unusual sight when Polandcelebrated 100 years of independencein November: Young people were marching through Warsaw, wrapped in red and white flags, singing the national anthem. They were lured into the streets by patriotism. They represent conservative values and vote for right-wing parties. Read more:ʼKaczynski tapesʼ reveal murky business dealings of Polandʼs powerful PiS leader In Poland, the young generationʼs shift to the right is neither a temporary trend nor an expression of protest. It

NATO tries to prevent an arms race Like many meetings before, the NATO-Russia Council took place at the alliance headquarters in Brussels. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg gave a frank account of Fridayʼs meeting of the military allianceʼs NATO-Russia Council.

"There was no real progress in the meeting," he said. "Especially when tensions are high, when we have some real differences, some real difficulties, then it is important to meet." There was little hope among observers that either Russia or NATO would budge from their positions on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) at the meeting. Stoltenberg again stated that Russia, with the installation of SSC-8c cruise missiles in Europe, is in violation of the INF treaty, and that this has been the case for years.

Russia has insisted that the controversial nuclear weapons systems can only fly 480 kilometers (298 miles), meaning that they fall just below the 500-kilometer range limit stipulated by the INF treaty.

represents a new self-image that has grown with the politics of recent years. Young Poles long for postmaterial values such as the church, tradition and security.

Think conservatively, vote rightwing This shift made its mark for the first time in the 2015 parliamentary elections.

Two-thirds of voters between 18 and 29 supported parties to the right of center. The national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which today governs Poland, received 27 percent of their votes.

Serbia: Tenth round of anti-Vucic protests held in Belgrade

The 10th consecutive weekend of "Protest Against Dictatorship" rallies in Serbia saw protests in 40 towns and cities, including the southern city of Nis, northern Novi Sad, and central Kragujevac and Cacak. There were no political party flags asthousands of people gathered to protestwhat they called a climate of "political violence" created by Vucic and his Serbian Pro-

gressive Party. In December, the home of online journalist Milan Jovanovic was torched in Belgrade. A year ago, Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic was murdered. The demonstrators in Belgrade blew whistles and held flags as they walked near parliament, the presidency and national media outlets controlled by Vucic and his party.

Detroit auto show the last of its kind That new car smell. Flashing lights. Car doors that close seamlessly and silently. Models. Brochures. Horsepower.

Crowds. Giveaways.

This is what a car show is supposed to be like. And for decades this has meant shoveling through the January snow in Detroit to make it to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Now as the auto show is about to open, it is once again Detroitʼs turn in the spotlight.

The past year wasnʼt kind to the American car business. Loud trade disputes hurt sales and caused automakers to rethink how and where they operate.

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35/2019 • 11 February, 2019

Aircraft makers are optimistic about Farnborough despite Brexit The Farnborough Airshow is a major trade venue for the aeronautical industry. As manufactures set up their displays their thoughts hover between anticipation of the next big order and fears of Brexit says Andreas Spaeth.

The global aviation industry will come together on Monday at the Farnborough airfield southwest of London for its biennial industry fair — the second largest in the world after the Paris Air Show. The UK has traditionally been one of the worldʼs leading aviation countries and the Farnborough trade fairʼs roots date all the way back to 1920. It moved to its current location in 1948. Read more: Air India sale grounded after privatization flops However, this year is likely to be full of uncertainty as to the future role of the British aviation industry is called into question due to the UKʼs impending departure from the EU in 2019. Airlines and manufacturers have both recently denounced the prevailing uncertainties and demanded clear post-Brexit rules.Read more: Air India sale grounded after privatization flops However, this year is likely to be full of uncertainty as to the future role of the British aviation industry is called into question due to the UKʼs impending departure from the EU in 2019. Airlines and manufacturers have both recently denounced the prevailing uncertainties and demanded clear post-Brexit rules.

Surge in German arms sales to Saudi Arabia and Turkey Germanyʼs Economic Affairs Ministry disclosed Thursday that German firms sent €160 million ($184 million) worth of arms to Saudi Arabia between January and October last year. That was up €50 million on the whole of 2017.

Berlin only decided on afull stop in November, prompted by the Saudi murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, amid restrictions already applying over Riyadhʼs role in wartorn Yemen. Read more:Amnesty slams Western arms sales to Saudi Arabia Riyadh leads a nine-country coalition backing a Yemeni government opposed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who last month reached a fragile ceasefire arrangementunder UN mediation. German weapons exports to Turkey — mostly naval items — more than tripled to €202 million in the same timeframe, up on €62 million in 2017, the ministry said in its reply to parliament. Erdogan isunder international scrutinyover his intention to dislodge Kurdish rebel groups in neighboring war-torn Syria.

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EU slashes 2019 growth forecast The European Commission has slashed its 2019 growth forecast by almost a third to 1.3 percent. It has cited "global uncertainties" and "trade tensions" for its decision.

"Subdued" economic momentum has prompted the European Commission (EC) to revise its growth forecasts for 2019, trimming almost one-third of the formerly predicted growth.

The announcement comes off the back of a slowdown in its largest economy, Germany, and amid deadlock and a ticking clock on negotiations for the UK to leave the EU. The Commission has said it now forecasts euro area GDP to grow 1.3 percent this year, down from its

Nissan files complaint against ex-boss Carlos Ghosn for ʼmisuse of fundsʼ Japanese automaker Nissan on Friday said it filed its own criminal complaint against its former chairman Carlos Ghosn for the "misuse of a significant amount of the companyʼs funds." Ghosn has beenarrested and charged by Japanese prosecutors with financial misconduct. On Friday, Tokyo prosecutors added a new indictment to the growing list of charges brought against the once-lauded executive.

Until the recent charges against him,Ghosn served as a top executive for Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi.

He was considered a key figure in establishing and then maintaining the alliance. Prosecutors filed two new charges against Ghosn: one for aggravated breach of trust for temporarily transferring personal investment losses to Nissan in 2008 and the other for understating compensation for three years through to 2018.Nissan called for "strict penalties" when filing its complaint, which was "based on the same violation" of aggravated breach of trust.

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China: Multiple deaths in chemical plant blast Authorities in southwestern Sichuan province have opened an investigation into a blast at an industrial complex that left 19 people dead, state news agency Xinhua reported Friday.

The explosion ripped through the Yibin Hengda Technology complex in the city of Yibin at 6:30 p.m.

(1030 UTC) Thursday, sparking a fire that burned late into the night, Xinhua said. County officials said that 12 people wounded in the blast had been taken to hospital and were in a stable condition.Read more: China convicts dozens for last yearʼs giant explosions in Tianjin Reports in the Sichuan Dailysaid the force of the explosion reduced three buildings to their steel frames and shattered the windows of nearby properties.

China, the worldʼs largest producer of chemicals, has sought to improve industrial safety standards following aseries of highprofile accidentsin recent years.

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

autumn estimate of 1.9 percent. Predicted growth across the broader EU area was also cut from 1.9 to 1.5 percent.

Read more: The small, but surprising secret to Germanyʼs economic success "The slowdown is set to be more pronounced than expected last autumn, especially in the euro area," Economy Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said. "Growth should rebound gradually in the second half of this year and in 2020."

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accuses National Enquirer newspaper of blackmail

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has accused the National Enquirer of blackmail, saying the tabloid threatened to publish intimate photos of him. The paperʼs publisher has said it will "thoroughly investigate" the claims.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Thursday accused the owner of the US newspaper National Enquirer of blackmailing him with threats to publish "intimate photos." In a blog post, Bezos claimed that "top people" at the Enquirer had approached him with a deal, asking him to stop investigating how it had obtained his personal text messages, which were published in a story several weeks ago. The Amazon chief said he was also asked to make a public statement announcing that the Enquirerʼs reporting on him was not politically motivated. In return, he said the tabloid promised not to publish "intimate photos" he had sent to his mistress. The National Enquirerʼs parent company and publisher, American Media Inc (AMI), has said it would "thoroughly investigate" Bezosʼ claims of blackmail and take any necessary action. It also defended its reporting, saying "it believes fervently that it acted lawfully in the reporting of the story of Mr. Bezos."

35/2019 • 11 February, 2019

Sharks use Israelʼs coast as a Jacuzzi They are attracted by an unnatural phenomenon

2019 Grammy Awards boost chances for women and black artists

The debate raging ahead of the Grammy Award event is similar to the one that preceded the Oscars: There are too few African-Americans and women among the nominees, and among the winners (in 2018, for instance, only one female solo performer was awarded during the live ceremony). But the debate that led to the #OscarsSOWhite protests has generated change at the 61st Grammy Awards. To give African-American and female artists a better chance in main categories which, unlike theOscars, donʼt gift separate awards for men and women, there are eight nominations instead of the usual five.

Budapestʼs historic Lotz Hall café reopened as Café Párisi Since the end of November, an unusually large number of sharks have been sighted off the coast of Israel.

In the colder winter months, sometimes 50 to 100 sharks cavort in the shallow water off the coastal town of Chadera, some 50 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. Such a large population ofsandbar sharks anddusky sharksis rare to see, saysmarine researcher Ejal Bigal, who has been studying for four years what the animals are doing in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. In the last

100 years, 95 percent of Mediterranean sharks have been exterminated, Bigal said. Since they prefer shallow water near the coast, they are caught faster by fishermen. In addition, sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) reproduce late - often after 20 years. It is all the more astonishing to see so many specimens of this endangered species in one place.

Francois Ozonʼs film puts Franceʼs major Church abuse trial in the spotlight So many films have explored the topic of sexual abuse by clergy members that one wonders what another might add. Yet veteran filmmaker Francois Ozon felt compelled to tackle Franceʼs most important church child abuse trial to date, creating an authentic work that also reflects his directorial finesse. Ozonʼs By the Grace of God premiered on Thursday at the Berlinale just a few weeks before an important court decision related to the case is handed

down. The fictionalized film is inevitably becoming caught up in the abuse scandal. The accusations involve church members who covered up the wrongdoings of a priest accused of abusing at least 80 children.

The archbishop of Lyon, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, a lay voluntary worker for the Lyon diocese, as well as five other members of the Catholic hierarchy, have been charged with non-disclosure of sexual abuse of minors and failure to provide assistance.

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Culture

Renovated Museum of Fine Arts to Open on 31 October AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BUDAPEST WILL OPEN ON 31 OCTOBER. NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC

After two years of undesired silence a new café has opened its gates in Budapest’s neorenaissance styled jewellery box, the former Paris Deparment Store (Párisi Nagy Áruház). Situated in the heart of the city on Andrássy avenue, Café Párisi is the perfect location for those who wish to enjoy the luxury of early 20th century Budapest. The newly reopened location is already one of Budapest’s hidden gems: set in the Paris Department Store’s mezzanine level just below the iconic frescos created by renowned Hungarian painter Károly Lotz. Párisi Café has everything you could ask for from traditional Hungarian cakes like the Eszterházy or the Gerbaud slide to alternative milkbased cafés. Open everyday from 9:00 - 21:00

Thanks to the largest-scale and most comprehensive reconstruction project in the museum’s history, the museum building has been renewed, and, returning to the collection’s first concept, the museum’s permanent exhibitions will also be rearranged. Besides the new permanent exhibitions, the revamped museum will welcome visitors with a chamber exhibition titled Leonardo & the Budapest Horse and Rider. The museum reconstruction, implemented within the framework of the Liget Budapest Project, included the restoration of the Romanesque Hall, which sustained severe damage in World War II and since then had been only partially renovated and used as a storage area, along with the modernisation of the building’s obsolete heating system, the installation of air conditioning in some of the exhibition halls, the renewal of a large part of the roof structure, as well as the addition of new exhibition spaces, visitor areas and modern storage facilities.

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35/2019 • 11 February, 2019

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beats Pierre-Hugues Herbert to win first title since 2017

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won his first ATP title since 2017, beating fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4 6-2 to win the Open Sud de France in Montpellier. Herbert, the seventh seed, was aiming for his first ATP singles title, but Tsonga only dropped four points on his serve. The 33-year-old was only in Montpellier courtesy of a wildcard. His last victory was in Antwerp in October 2017.

Elsewhere, Britainʼs Cameron Norrie lost to Brazilian Rogerio Dutra da Silva in the final qualifying round for the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.

Scott Sinclairʼs first two goals were set up

by Oliver Burke

Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick and Scott Brown netted his first goal in two years as holders Celtic eased past St Johnstone and into the quarterfinals of the Scottish Cup. In the third meeting of the Premiership sides in 12 days, Brendan Rodgersʼ men were two up inside nine minutes thanks to Sinclair and Brownʼs stunner. James Forrest, then Sinclair, scored within two minutes of each other just after the break. And Sinclair completed his hat-trick when he latched on to a deflection in the St Johnstone box.

Celtic have now won 24 consecutive domestic cup games under Rodgers as they aim for an unprecedented ʼtreble-trebleʼ. This season, in six cup ties, they have scored 16 and conceded just once.

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Aleksandar Kolarovʼs free kick stunner secures Serbia win over Costa Rica

Lindsey Vonn caps off career with world championship medal

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.

Strong finish to a record-breaking career

Vonn came back from a crash in the world championship super giant slalom to win a final medal in the downhill discipline. One of the most successful skiers in history, she had announced that this race would be her last.

Lindsey Vonn,the most successful female skier in history, ended an incredible career on Sunday with an unlikely medal win at the Alpine skiing world championships in Are, Sweden. At 34, she is now the oldest person to have ever won a medal at the annual competition with her bronze in the downhill event. "It was so fun, I was literally the most nervous Iʼve ever been in my entire life," Vonn told broadcaster Eurosport. "I wanted to come down

and be in the lead for one last time and to hear the crowd roar and to not crash." Vonn, who has been suffering from a series of knee injuries throughout her career, had crashed during the super giant slalom (Super-G) five days ago. As she left the finish line, she embraced Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark, the only skier more decorated than Vonn.

She has won 82 World Cup races, while Stenmark, 62, captured 86 throughout his career.

Mesut Ozilʼs Arsenal omission defended by manager Arsenal manager Unai Emery has defended his decision to leave Mesut Ozil out of the Gunnersʼ squad for Saturdayʼs 1-0 Premier League defeat at West Ham. The German midfielder has not started Arsenalʼs last four games, albeit two while recovering from a knee injury. When pushed over why he left Ozil out, Emery said: "I decided the players I think are the best for this match. "We win with him, we lose with him. I think it is not one player (which means) we canʼt win or lose."

Ozilʼs last full game was the 3-1 win over Burnley on 12 December but he

has been left out of the starting XI on nine occasions in the league this season. Emery said the German midfielder was "left out for tactical reasons" at Bournemouth in November but has explained injuries are behind his other absences. "The players who were here are the players who deserved to be in this match," added Emery after watching an Arsenal defeat that sees them remain fifth in the Premier League. "We couldʼve won or lost. We continue working with every player because they are all important, but the decision was to come with these players."