DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Zimbabwe president pledges probe into protest crackdown Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday defended the decision to raise fuel prices as the "right thing to do" to stabililze supply. Acrackdown against the proteststhat followed, however, led to the deaths of at least 12 people. The events were "regrettable," Mnangagwa said on Twitter and added that "violence or misconduct by security forces was unacceptable and a betrayal of the new Zimbabwe ... and will be investigated." At least 78 people were treated for gunshot injuries sustained during the crackdown, according to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, which recorded more than 240 incidents of assault and torture. About 700 people have been arrested.
France summons Italian envoy after deputy PMʼs Africa comments Franceʼs foreign ministry on Monday summoned Italyʼs ambassador after what it called "unacceptable and groundless" comments by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio (pictured) in which he attacked Parisʼ policies in Africa, according to multiple reports. News agencies Reuters and Agence France Presse said that European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau summoned Teresa Castaldo, Italyʼs ambassador to France, on Monday afternoon regarding incendiary remarks by Di Maio on Saturday. Speaking in the Abruzzo region in central Italy, Di Maio, the leader of Italyʼs antiestablishment Five Star Movement, accused France of creating poverty in Africa and fueling mass migration to Europe.
19/2019 • 23 JANUARY, 2019
Merkel and Macron sign Treaty of Aachen to revive EU A follow-up pact to the Elysee Treaty marks the latest gesture of friendship
A follow-up pact to the Elysee Treaty marks the latest gesture of friendship between France and Germany. The new bilateral pact pledges deeper cooperation between the two nations and paves the way for EU reforms. French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday signed a new friendship treatythat is designed to deepen the Franco-German friendship, bring ties to a "new level" and improve the lives of citizens in both countries. The treaty was signed in the German city of Aachen, as France and Germany marked the 56th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty. The idea isnʼt new. Paris, in particular, has regularly suggested renewing the treaty in the decades since it was first signed, despite the fact that amendments have been added over the years. The Treaty of Aachen will be the "foundation of cooperation between our countries," said Merkel before the signing the new friendship pact. "Seventyfour years, a single human lifetime, after the end of World War II, what seems self-evident is being called into question again," she said. "Thatʼs why, first of all, there needs to be a new commitment toward our responsibility within the European Union, a responsibility held
by Germany and France." French President Emmanuel Macron hit out at those "spreading lies" about the treaty and stressed the importance of French-German reconciliation. "Those who forget the value of French-German reconciliation are making themselves accomplices of the crimes of the past. Those who ... spread lies are hurting the same people they are pretending to defend by seeking to repeat our history," Macron said. The initial treaty dates back to the early 1960s, just 18 years after World War II. On January 22, 1963, French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signed the historic Elysee Treaty that sealed reconciliation between the two former archenemies. With their signatures, the governments agreed on mandatory consultations, close political cooperation and a broad-based youth exchange. Since then,more than 8.4 million young German and French citizenshave taken part in exchange programs in both countries.
ʼEuropeʼs youth are more Europe-minded than the public thinksʼ On the contrary: Europeʼs youth are more Europe-minded than the public likes to think. I have worked with high school and university students over the past few years, and I have met a lot of young people who are keen Europeans, passionately planning their future careers on a pro-European level. Their numbers are on the rise.Without a European vision, young people with a nationalist outlook will miss the opportunities the 21st century has to offer. Read more: Survey: European youth give thumbs up to the EU, dissent on immigration Thatʼs why itʼs so important that we reach those young people who canʼt benefit from Europeʼs advantages in their day-to -day life, due to social or financial difficulties. We should not lose sight of the fact that there are deep rifts between young people, living in both Germany and in France, withsome attracted to nationalist tendencies.
Austrian Good Friday law ʼdiscriminatory,ʼ top EU court rules The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Tuesday ruled thatAustrian law discriminated on grounds of religion and belieffor not giving plaintiff Markus Achatzi holiday pay for working on Good Friday, a holy day for several Christian denominations marking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Achatzi sued his company for additional pay for working on Good Friday, considered a public holiday for members of select churches. Austriaʼs Supreme Court asked the ECJ to rule whether the national law was discriminatory in nature.
weather today BUDAPEST
1 / 3 °C Precipitation: 0 mm
19/2019 • 23 January, 2019
European Court of Justice rules Polish arrest warrants can be halted The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against extraditing suspects to Poland on Wednesday if there are "serious and fact-based grounds" to believe the suspect would not receive a fair trial. The ruling concernsa Polish man in Irelandwho claims recent justice reforms in Poland harmed his chances of being treated fairly. The man is suspected of drug trade. In recent years, Polandʼs ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has been working to place courts under a tighter control of the executive branch. Among other steps, the parliament now has power to choose members of the National Council of the Judiciary whose job is to oversee judicial impartiality. More recently, the lawmakers changed retirement age for the Supreme Court judges, which critics believe was aimed at ousting the most experienced judges and stacking the body with government supporters. The Supreme Court and its chief Malgorzata Gersdorf are opposing the move.
Nigerian army targets newspaper for ʼundermining securityʼ Nigeriaʼs military has been accused ofundermining press freedomafter soldiers raided a newspaper for publishing a front-page story about a planned operation against the Boko Haram insurgency. Two reporters at the Daily Trustnewspaper in the northeast city of Maiduguri were arrested on Sunday, including regional editor Uthman Abubakar and reporter Ibrahim Sawab, and dozens of computers were seized. The military claims it was forced to take action because the newspaper had published "classified security information." However, human rights activists and journalists have condemned the militaryʼs actions, describing as a blatant attack on freedom of speech. The newspaper reported that the Nigerian military was assembling thousands of troops and equipment in preparation for a large-scale operation in the northern part of Borno State – the latest attempt to retake Baga and five other towns from extremist group Boko Haram. More than 27,000 people have been killed since the violence broke out in 2009 and approximately 1.8 million are homeless. Army spokesman Brigadier-General Sani Usman alleged the report provided the insurgents with "early warning" and ultimately "sabotaged the planned operations…putting the lives of troops and imminent and clear danger." 2
Corporations ʼfailing to pay proper tax ratesʼ in EU The party has called for more social responsibility
An investigation by the Greens in the European Parliament has shown big companies throughout the bloc are failing to pay their statutory taxes. The only state in the EU where big corporations pay the statutory rate of tax is Bulgaria. In all other states, they pay, on average, less than the official rate. Those are among the key findings in a report is to be presented in Brussels Tuesday by the Green party in the European Parliament in Brussels. The partyʼs finance spokesman Sven Giegold called for more transparency about the tax practices of multinational companies. "The European Commission has presented a good proposal for tax transparency
Confusion over missing Saudi journalist in Turkey who ʼvanishedʼ from consulate Turkish and Saudi officials have given conflicting reports on the whereabouts of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Khashoggi, a regular contributor to The Washington Post, has been a fierce critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and has criticized Saudi Arabiaʼs policies toward Qatar and Canada,the war in Yemen and a
by large corporations," Giegold said. "[German] Finance Minister Olaf Scholz must now give up on his blockade and advocate countryspecific tax transparency." Using the Orbis database with information from 2011 to 2015, the report was compiled by tax expert Petr Jansky of Charles University in Prague for the Greens. The results showed huge differentials between the statutory tax obligations and the actual amounts paid, according to German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on Tuesday. crackdown on dissent, the media and activists. Khashoggiʼs personal website bore a banner saying, "Jamal has been arrested at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul!" without elaborating. A Saudi official denied that Khashoggi had been detained inside the consulate. "Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter," the official said. "He is neither in the consulate nor in Saudi custody."
Afghan leader rejects resignation of spy chief, top ministers President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday
Cambodia celebrates 40th anniversary of Khmer Rouge ouster Cambodiaʼs ruling party on Monday celebrated the 40th anniversary of the countryʼs liberation from the Khmer Rouge regime. Prime Minister Hun Sen hailed January 7 as Cambodiaʼs "second birthday" at a ceremony in Phnom Penhʼs Olympic Stadium. "Today we celebrate this ceremony in order to recall unforgotten memories of the most heinous crimes of Pol Potʼs group," Hun Sen told the crowd, and thanked Vietnam for saving the country. On January 7, 1979, Khmer Rougeʼs 4-year-long reign of terror came to an end when Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge cadre, led Vietnamese forces into the capital to expel the murderous regime. The regime, led by Pol Pot, was an ultracommunist autocracy that sought to transform Cambodia into an agrarian utopia. Their plan failed entirely and resulted in the deaths of at least 1.7 million people, who died of starvation and sickness or were murdered. Phay Siphan, a Cambodian government spokesperson, says the country can never forget the Khmer Rouge rein of terror. "Everyone remembers it. It is important that the ruling party commemorates it every year," Siphan told DW.
urged Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak, Defense Minister Tareq Shah Bahrami, and intelligence chief Masoum Stanekzai to stay in their posts, the Afghan government said. The three officials submitted resignation letters on Saturday, citing policy differences and a spate of deadly attacks. "President Ghani did not approve their resignations... and gave them the necessary instructions to improve the security situation," a statement from the presidential palace said. The offers to step down followed the resignation of Ghaniʼs national security adviser and close ally, Hanif Atmar, on Friday. Atmar, one of the countryʼs most powerful politicians, has been replaced by former ambassador to the US Hamdullah Mohib.
19/2019 • 23 January, 2019
Russiaʼs Putin and Japanʼs Abe try to end World War II The row over the Kuril islands has stopped Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty to end World War II. Now, a high-level meeting between Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe could finally help break the impasse. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are meeting in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss adecades-long dispute over a group of islandsseized by the Soviets at the end of World War II. The disagreement over the Kuril Islands, which Japan calls its Northern Territories, has prevented the countries from ever signing apeace treaty to formally end the war. Russian police detained 11 protesters outside the Japanese embassy
German intelligence foiled 2016 Islamic State terror attack Three teams of "Islamic State" (IS) terrorists were to have traveled to Germany in 2016 to prepare for and carry out a devastating attack — with the target possibly a music festival. A man, Oguz G., and woman, Marcia M., who traveled to Syria in autumn 2015 to join IS were to have played a central role in the attack. From ISʼ then-de facto capital of Raqqa, Marcia M. — who was herself a convert to Islam — tried to recruit women in northern Germany to marry IS members so that they could be granted permission to enter Germany. However, one of the women who was contacted was an informant for Germanyʼsdomestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), who alerted authorities. Details of the case emerged after an investigation by the German broadcasters ARD and WDR, as well as the Süd‐ deutsche Zeitung and Zeit newspapers. The case was confirmed by the German Federal Prosecutorʼs Office.
in Moscow on Tuesday as they rallied against the idea of giving control of the islands to Japan, Russian protest monitor OVD-Info said. The disputed islands of Iturup (Etorofu in Japanese), Kunashir (Kunashiri), Shikotan and Habomai lie at their closest point just a few kilometers off the north coast of Hokkaido in Japan. In 1956, the two countries issued a joint declaration that the then-Soviet Union was willing to give up Shikotan and Haboma.
WhatsApp limits message forwarding to combat fake news spreading
WhatsApp announced on Monday that it was restricting worldwide how many times any given message can be forwarded from 20 to five. "Starting today, all users on the latest versions of WhatsApp can now forward to only five chats at once, which will help keep WhatsApp focused on pri-
vate messaging with close contacts," the Facebook-owned messaging service said in a statement. WhatsApp will roll out an update, first to Googleʼs Android system and then to Appleʼs iOS, to activate the new forwarding limit, according to Reuters news agency.
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.
3
19/2019 • 23 January, 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.
eBay sues Amazon for allegedly poaching its sellers Online retailer eBay filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against its competitor Amazon, accusing the Seattle-based giant of using eBayʼs own messaging system to steal sellers. eBay described Amazonʼs scheme as an "orchestrated, coordinated, worldwide campaign" to "illegally lure eBay sellers." While both eBay and Amazonʼs revenue is boosted by independent sellers, the group has become a greater part of Amazonʼs recent growth. In 2017, more than half the items sold on Amazon came from third-party sellers. In eBayʼs lawsuit, Amazon representatives are accused of creating eBay accounts and then messaging sellers to persuade them to take their goods to Amazon.com instead. eBay argues that the move violated its user agreement. 4
Cristiano Ronaldo accepts plea deal in tax fraud case Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo faces a multimillion dollar fine and a suspended jail term after pleading guilty to tax fraud in Spain. However, the Juventus forward is not expected to spend any time in prison.
French gas stations left dry by ʼyellow vestʼ blockades French gas giant Total on Monday said "yellow vest" protesters continue to block 11 major fuel depots, resulting in 75 gas stations running out of fuel. A company spokesman said that if the blockade werenʼt lifted soon, more petrol stations could run out of fuel. In the region of Brittany, local officials have considered imposing restrictions on how much gas motorists can buy to prevent more stations from going dry. France has been gripped by antigovernment protests since French President Emmanuel Macron introduced sweeping measures to combat climate change, including a fuel tax hike. On Saturday, riots broke out in Paris, leaving scores injured and costly devastation in its wake. Protesters believe Macron needs to withdraw the reforms, citing high living costs in the country. But the government has refused to back down. Instead, Macron said last week that the protests show "that we shouldnʼt change course because it is the right one."
Thermal Hotel Visegrád****superior 2025 Visegrád Lepence-völgy, hrsz.: 1213 Phone: +36 26 801 900 Fax: +36 26 801 918 info@thv.hu www.thv.hu
Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday accepted a deal with Spanish prosecutors ina tax fraud case which will see him receive a suspended 23-month jail term and a fine of €18.8 million ($21.4 million). Ronaldo is one of several sports stars to come under scrutiny fortax evasion in Europe. Details of the case:Ronaldo was accused of four counts of tax fraud, worth a total of €14.7 million.Prosecutors say the footballer used shell companies in low-tax countries such as the British Virgin Islands and Ireland to hide income generated from his image rights.The plea deal has allowed Ronaldo to avoid a long trial
and avoid damaging his brand.He received a suspended sentence, meaning no prison time. When questioned at the start of the probe in mid-2017, Ronaldo denied hiding anything. "I have never hidden anything, nor have I had the intention of evading taxes,” he told the court at the time. The case relates to his time at Real Madrid, though the footballer has sincemoved to Italian club Juventus. The deal, struck with Spanish prosecutors and tax authorities last year, consists of the fine and a suspended sentence. In Spain, judges can suspend sentences of up to two years for first time offenders.
The small, but surprising secret to Germanyʼs economic success
Global debt levels surging, but keep your calm
Itʼs a dreaded dinner party question that leaves many of us scrambling to make our mundane jobs sound more interesting than they are. Itʼs also the first thing I ask Steffen Lange, the branch manager of a company called "Berliner Schrauben" (Berlin screws), when we meet at his workplace on a cold autumn morning. "Itʼs all in the name," he tells me. "Where weʼre from: Berlin. And what we focus on — screws." But the name doesnʼt quite reveal the full story. Screws account for 60 percent of turnover. Berliner Schrauben also supplies pipe fixtures, dowels, wood connectors and a range of associated tools. It might not dazzle your dinner party guests. But itʼs pretty likely to pay for the wine. Berliner Schrauben exemplifies Germanyʼs "mittelstand." The term refers to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 500 employees and an annual turnover of no more than €50 million ($57 million).
Published by: Mega Media Kft. 1075 Budapest, Madách I. út 13-14. +36 1 398 0344 www.hotelujsag.hu
In most countries, the global financial crisis has led to a ballooning of sovereign debt levels. Large-scale economic stimulus programs and bank bailouts have been a costly affair, a fresh study bears out. Some 10 years ago, at the height of the global financial crisis, many economists warned against forthcoming state bankruptcies, hyperinflation and the need for crisis-mode currency reforms. And who would have argued with them that the dangers of that happening were very real? "We now know that these doomsday prophecies did not come true — there was no need for currency reforms,"says a study by Berenberg and the Hamburg Institute of International Economics HWWI). "Even the euro, which suffered a severe loss of trust in the interim, did not implode, and there has still not been any significant consumer price inflation in the major industrial countries — and with the exception of Greece, there were no state bankruptcies."
19/2019 • 23 January, 2019
Super blood wolf moon wows stargazers Total lunar eclipse:
Sky watchers have been making the most of a chance to see a total lunar eclipse with a difference. The phenomenon could be seen in North and South America, and across the Atlantic in western and northern Europe. In 2018 "Mondfinsternis," orlunar eclipse,was the top term among Google searches in Germanspeaking countries. According to Google trends, the Earth satellite was also at the top of the list. The question most people asked was: "Where is the moon?" The reason for this enormous interest was the "Super Blood Moon", which thou-
sands could marvel at on a warm July 2018 evening in the southeastern sky. Half a year later, on January 21, there was a chance to see the natural spectacle again. The best views were to be seen from Europe, North and South America and West Africa. Central and East Africa as well as Asia experienced only a partial lunar eclipse.
Looted colonial art: Is there the political will to return pilfered artifacts? While African nations have long demanded the restitution of poached cultural artifacts, in former colonial powers like France and Germany the debate has recently reached fever pitch as cultural and political figures make the case for repatriation. In November, a 108-page breakout report by French academics Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr on the "Restitution of African Cultural Heritage" proposed the return of thousands of colonial art objects to create a more balanced representation in African museums. Following the re-
port, French president Emmanuel Macron made the commitment toreturn such goods, most especially to Benin. But so far, Germany has been wavering. 2019 marks a century since Germany lost its colonial possessions following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The Humboldt Forum in the newly rebuilt Berlin Palace will open on September 14 with a permanent exhibition including a number of cultural artifacts appropriated during Germanyʼs sometimes genocidal colonial forays in Africa.
Kenya: Solar motorcycles take on Nairobi smog Kenya has a motorcycle problem. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, more than 190,000 new motorcycles and three-wheeled vehicles were registered in 2017, compared to approximately 66,000 cars. This trend has continued into 2018, with 108,000 motorcycles and threewheelers registered since January against just 38,000 cars. Whatʼs worrying is the fact that these motorcycles — which are increasing in demand thanks toa growing young populationin search of employment — produce more carbon emissions than cars. A baseline survey on electric mobility in Kenya conducted by the University of Nairobi reveals a steep rise in cumulative emissions from two and three-wheeled vehicles between 2005 and 2017. Clean energy technology for motorcycles is simplynot developing at the same rate as cars. "Cars are getting more efficient because of vehicle emission technologies, while motorcycles are not," David Rubia, an air quality and mobility program officer at the United Nations Environment Program (UN Environment), told DW. "One motorcycle can have up to 300 times more hydrocarbon emissions, and 10 to 50 times more for particulate matter [compared to] an average petrol car."
Sting to return to Budapest for summer 2019
Sting is head over heels for Budapest. After a successful free show with Shaggy a month ago on Heroes’ Square, the former Police frontman has just announced another Budapest concert for next summer. On 2 July, the Grammywinning singer brings his My Songs tour to the Papp László Aréna, where he will be taking the stage with his own band. From “Englishman In New York” to “Every Breath You Take”, the set should include Sting’s biggest hits. Tickets are on sale now.
Weather
Thu
1/5
Fri
Sat
0/5
-1 / 6
Hungary Budapest: Debrecen: Eger: Hévíz:
0/3 2/3 1/1 2/3
Athens: Berlin: Bratislava: Bucharest: London: Madrid:
3/6 5/9 1/2 1/6 0/3 2/7
Kecskemét: Keszthely: Siófok:
1/3 0/2 0/5
Europe Moscow: Paris: Prague: Rome: Varsaw: Vienna:
-4/6 1/4 1/4 1/3 0/8 1/4
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 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.
5
19/2019 • 23 January, 2019
Andy Murrayʼs expectations ʼtemperedʼ before Australian Open
A year on from hip surgery, and with just eight wins to show for his trouble, Andy Murray has definitely not lost his sense of humour. On New Yearʼs Eve, he posted a picture of himself drinking from an (empty?) bottle of champagne. Six other unopened bottles of booze were in front of the teetotaller as he "celebrated" the end of a miserable 2018. And then again on Instagram a week later, Murray could be seen perched next to the Australian Open trophy with the selfdeprecating admission that, as a fivetime runner-up, it is the closest he is ever likely to get.
Paul Gascoigne denies sex assault on Durham train
Ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne, who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a train, told a court he has "done nothing wrong". The former England midfielder, 51, is accused of kissing the woman without her consent on board the service from York to Durham. During a 10-minute hearing at Teesside Crown Court, he elected to be tried by a jury and will stand trial in October. He repeated his not guilty plea to a charge of sexual assault by touching. During the hearing he was warned by the judge to be quiet, after calling out: "Sir, Your Honour", when told his trial would take place from 14 October. He then said he was "worried to bits", and "scared". When asked for his nationality in court, Mr Gascoigne replied: "England, Protestant." 6
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.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Danielle Collins, Petra Kvitova through to semifinals Australian Open:
Two players who have pulled off a couple of the biggest upsets of this Australian Open have reached the semifinals. Petra Kvitova is through to her first Grand Slam semifinal since being injured in a 2016 attack. At 20 years and 168 days, Greeceʼs Stefanos Tsitsipas became the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since 2007 after beating Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Tuesday. He is also the youngest man to do so in Australia since Andy Roddick reached the 2003 semis. The No. 14 seed, who had eliminateddefending menʼs champion Roger Federerin the round
of 16 now moves on to face either 17-time major winner Rafael Nadal or first-time quarterfinalist Frances Tiafoe – and he is hungry for more "Thatʼs the first step. Thatʼs where you start from, then you move on," Tsitsipas told reporters afterwards. "Iʼm happy that I reached my goal. But thatʼs the starting point to go deeper. Thatʼs the minimum, I would call it."
Kevin-Prince Boateng in shock Barcelona loan deal The former Frankfurt forward has moved on loan until the end of the season. Meanwhile, Florian Kainz has joined Cologne from Bremen, Stuttgart have broken their club transfer record and BVB have brought in a defender. Kevin-Prince Boateng (31) has made a shock loan move to Spanish giants Barcelona until the end of the season. The Berlin-born Ghanaian international has been under contract at Italian side Sassuolo since leaving German Cup winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer but the La Liga club
have signed the forward on loan until the end of the season - an agreement which includes an €8 million($9 million) option to buy. Journeyman Boateng has played in all of Europeʼs top four leagues, including spells at Hertha Berlin, Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan, Schalke and Las Palmas. January 18 Florian Kainz has left Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for second division Cologne. The Austria midfielder has caught the eye at times in his three years at the Weserstadion but at 26, he has moved to secure first team football.