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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect pleads not guilty Robert Bowers, the man charged withopening fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue and killing 11 worshiperspleaded not guilty on Thursday in federal court to all 44 counts against him. The counts include hate crimes as well as firearms offenses. Bowers, an avowed anti-Semite, appeared defiant in court. He spoke little, and only said that he understood the charges against him, and that some of them could result in the death penalty. He followed by entering a plea of "not guilty." The grand jury voted to indict Bowers on 44 counts, according to a filing in federal court in Pittsburgh. They include 11 counts of "obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death" (a federal charge akin to murder that can carry the death penalty), and various charges related to his use of a gun in an act of anti-religious violence.

249/2018 • 2 NOVEMBER, 2018

Franceʼs Emmanuel Macron warns Europe of a return to 1920s populism His party is looking ahead to European elections

VW car owners to vent their anger in German class-action suit

As he prepares for a series of events to mark the centenary of the end of World War I, President Emmanuel Macron has warned against a surge in populism in Europe.

New German legislation taking effect on November 1 is enabling duped VW car owners to fight for compensation in the countryʼs first-ever class-action suit. But angry consumers will have to hurry up. German carmaker Volkswagen on Thursday got a taste of the anger felt by German diesel drivers as consumer groups filed the countryʼs first class-action suit over VWʼs large-scale emissions cheating scandal. Their legal action had been made possible by new legislation that was hurried throughto beat a year-end statute of limitations for claims against the auto manufacturer. "Volkswagen will remember the day as the moment the kid gloves of the politicians were replaced by the boxing gloves of consumer advocates", said Klaus Müller of Germanyʼs VZBV consumer federation. Justice Minister Katarina Barley said an estimated 2 million VW car owners might benefit from the new law, although the suit starts on a much smaller scale.

Marking one centenary and with an eye to next yearʼs European parliamentary elections, French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against a rise in populism. He encouraged Europe to resist the same political tendencies that surged in the 1920s after the end of World War I. In an interview with the Ouest Francenewspaper, Macron said, "In a Europe divided by fears, nationalist assertions and the consequences of the economic crisis, we see in an almost methodical manner the rearticulation of everything that dominated life in Europe from post-World War I to the 1929 crisis." US President Donald Trump is among the guestsinvited to the November 11 Armistice Day celebrations in Paris. They mark the day in October 1918 when a ceasefire was agreed between German and Allied forces. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been invited to participate in events in London the same day. Initially invited to attend a memorial service in Westminster Abbey, Prime Minister Theresa Mayʼs top military adviser

has asked for Steinmeier to become the first German ever to lay flowers during the ceremony at the Whitehall Cenotaph. In his interview, Macron did not mince his words as he described the threat to Europe from both inside and outside the bloc, which Britain is leaving next year, "Europe is facing a risk: that of dismemberment through nationalist leprosy and being pushed over by external powers, and, therefore, to lose its sovereignty," he told Ouest France. That loss of European sovereignty could come from a number of factors, Macron said, including: "having security dependent on American choices and changes, Chinaʼs growing presence within essential infrastructures, a Russian state sometimes tempted to manipulate, and to major financial interests and markets." Macronʼs En Marche party presents candidates for the European elections for the first time next year. Opinion polls are showing En Marche could take about 20 percent of Franceʼs 79 seats in the 705member assembly.

Google employees stage global walkout for womensʼ rights At least 1,000 Google workers walked out of offices across the world on Thursday in protest of how the company handles sexual harassment. Employees in the Tokyo, Singapore, Berlin, London, Dublin and New York offices have already taken part, with California expected to follow suit.

News Google employees stage global walkout for womensʼ rights More than 1,000 workers around the world walked away from their desks to protest the companyʼs handling of sexual misconduct and equality issues.

They also called for equal pay and an end to forced arbitration. At least 1,000 Google workers walked out of offices across the world on Thursday in protest of how the company handles sexual harassment. Employees in the Tokyo, Singapore, Berlin, London, Dublin and New York offices have already taken part, with California expected to follow suit.

Indonesian divers locate crashed Lion Air black box Teams of divers in Indonesia found one of two flight recordersfrom Lion Air flight JT610, which went down with 189 people on board earlier this week, an official confirmed on Thursday. Authorities said the flight data recorder was recovered and that teams are still searching for the cockpit voice recorder. Both could contain key information that will help determine why the nearly brand-new plane crashed into the Java Sea just 13 minutes after takeoff.

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249/2018 • 2 November, 2018

China offers Africa billions, ʼno strings attachedʼ Chinese President Xi Jinping (above, with Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed) pledged $60 billion (roughly €52 billion) in aid to African leaders duringa major summit in Beijingon Monday as part of Chinaʼs push to boost its influence abroad. Xi promised at the Forum on China-African Cooperation (FOCAC) that "Chinaʼs investment in Africa comes with no political strings attached."

"Chinaʼs cooperation with Africa is clearly targeted at the major bottlenecks to development. Resources for our cooperation are not to be spent on any vanity projects, but in places where they count the most," Xi said. Beijing has poured billions in its Belt and Road initiative, a development and investment scheme focused on promoting trade connectivity that places China at the center. Xi, however, stressed, that Belt and Road "is not a scheme to form an exclusive club or bloc against others."

Whatʼs behind Chinaʼs ʼnoninterferenceʼ in Africa?

President Xi Jinping told African leaders on Monday that Chinaʼs investments on the continent have "no political strings attached," pledging $60 billion (€51.6 billion) in new development financing, even as Beijing is increasingly criticized over its debt-heavy projects abroad. Xi offered the funding at the start of a two-day China-Africa summit that focused on his cherished Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The money — to be spent over the next three years — comes on top of $60 billion Beijing offered in 2015. Read more: Second-hand clothes, smuggling and the US-China trade war in Africa The massive BRI scheme is aimed at improving Chinese access to foreign markets and resources, and boosting Beijingʼs influence abroad.

China has poured billions in loans for roads, railways, ports and other major infrastructure projects in Asia and Africa. But critics warn that the Chinese leaderʼs pet project is burying some countries under massive debt. In a DW interview, Professor Helmut Asche says Chinaʼs development cooperation is overshadowing Western cooperation in terms of the speed of delivery, coverage and scope of infrastructure funding.

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Russian accused of smuggling 12 million cigarettes into Germany The 43-year-old truck driver is accused of evading 1.6 million euros of taxes

The 43-year-old truck driver is accused of evading 1.6 million euros of taxes. Cigarette smuggling is a profitable criminal enterprise in the EU, where prices for cigarettes are high and can vary widely.

Police in the northern German city of Kiel said on Wednesday that they had detained a 43-year-old Russian man who is suspected of smuggling millions of black market cigarettes into the country. "The officers caught a ʼbig fishʼ in their net," said the police in a statement. Kiel, which lies on the Baltic sea, is home to Germanyʼs navy as well as a major shipbuilding center and a key European sea transport hub. The

Turkish central bank to act on record inflation Official data from Turkey showed Monday that the countryʼs year-onyear inflation rate stood at 17.9 percent in August. Inflation is now at its highest level since September 2003, the year Recep Tayyip Erdogan first took power as prime minister. Ratings agencies and analystshad long called on the central bank to raise interest rates, but in July the lender kept them at 17.75 percent despite all warnings. While central banks typically try to dampen sharply rising consumer prices with interest rate hikes, Erdogan — now Turkeyʼs president — has opposed higher rates claiming they could cause even higher inflation. Decision in two weeks But the central bank said Monday that "recent developments regarding the inflation outlookindicated sig-

Two Malaysian women caned publicly for samesex relations Two Malaysian Muslim women convicted under Islamic Shariah law of attempting same-sex relations were given six strokes of the cane in public on Monday, with some 150 people witnessing their whipping. The women, aged 32 and 22, who had pleaded guilty last month to the charges leveled against them, received a fine in addition to the caning, which was carried out using a light rattan cane while they were fully clothed. The incident occurred in northeast Terengganu state. The punishment, which is banned under civil law in Malaysia, is allowed under Islamic law in the countryʼs dual-track legal system. The country, whose population is around 60 percent Muslim, has seen a recent rise in Islamic conservativism, with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Malaysia regularly subjected to discrimination and hostility.

truck driver is believed to be part of a gang that smuggled over 12 million cheap Russian cigarettes into Germany between 2009 and 2011.

Police believe that he thus evaded paying taxes to the tune of €1.67 million ($1.9 million). A typical price for a pack of cigarettes in Russia is currently around 90 rubles (€1.20), while in Germany the major brands tend to cost €6.50 ($7.40) for a pack of 21. nificant risks to price stability, pledging it would take action. "Our monetary stance will be adjusted at the September Monetary Policy Committee Meeting in view of the latest developments," the lender said of its forthcoming meeting on September 13. Also on Monday, Erdogan denounced the dollar as an obstacle to global trade.

"Weʼreproposing to trade in our own currency rather than the US dollar," he told a summit in Kyrgyzstan.

South Korea slashes North Korea human rights budget, raises regime aid Under the budget bill put forward by President Moon Jae-inʼs government, spending earmarked for the North

Korean Human Rights Foundation has been set at KRW800 million (€620,857), down 92.6 percent from the original sum of KRW10.8 billion (€8.4 million). Similarly, the budget for the organizationʼs database has been slashed by nearly 71 percent to KRW486 million (€377,201). Assistance to the more than 31,000 North Koreans, who have managed to flee the regime and settle in South Korea, has been reduced by more than 31 percent to KRW39.9 billion (€31.03 million), with the government saying that fewer North Koreans are defecting and there is therefore less need to support them once they reach the South. The South Korean government has previously withdrawn funding for a number of organizations, including the North Korean Defector Comradery, a group set up in 1999 to assist some of the people who have managed to flee the regime in finding jobs or to receive education or training.

249/2018 • 2 November, 2018

Germany at a crossroads after Bavarian poll debacle The drubbing of the mainstream parties in Bavariaʼs election didnʼt come as a surprise. But the outcome could have serious repercussions for Germanyʼs political landscape.

The collective hangover that many Christian Social Union (CSU) voters and politicians are nursing on Monday wonʼt be the result of imbibing too many beers at the Oktoberfest which ended a week ago — although some may be wishing that theycould drown their sorrows. Angela Merkel, the embattled chancellor and leader of the CSUʼs sister party, the Christian Democrats, said on Monday that it was her job to regain votersʼ trust in government. "My lesson from this is that I, as chancellor, must make sure that trust is

German minister pushes for free trade deal ahead of Africa trip Germany’s development minister Gerd Müller is promoting a "customs-free trade deal in Africa" ahead of his seven-nation Africa visit. Experts say the real issues are being ignored.

When it comes to the economic relationship between Germany and Africa, the issue of customs exemption is no longer an important topic. At least thatʼs what renowned development economist Robert Kappel from the University of Leipzig thinks. Instead, agricultural subsidies and trade barriers should be the main topic of discussion.

However, Kappel blames Europe for pursuing neocolonialism in its monetary policy. Yet, Müller avoided these issues before his trip to Africa this week. According to Kappel, he has failed to recognize that a trade imbalance has only increased in recent years — despite a customs exemption. "The minister is not well informed, therefore itʼs right to criticize him," Kappel told

won back. I will work on that with as much vigour as I can." In the immediate aftermath, Horst Seehofer, the leader of the CSU and federal interior minister, said he would "continue to take responsibility." However, that does not, for the time being, appear to include stepping down as party leader. Leading CSU politicians are calling on State Premier Markus Söder to take over as leader of the party. However, given his poor handling of the election and low popularity rates, itʼs hard to see how that would make any difference.

Australia to remove all children from Nauru migrant detention camp

Traumatized children languishing in Australian-run offshore migrant detention centers will be removed by the end of the year, the Australian government said on Thursday. Some 40 children remain in migrant detention camps on the Pacific island of Nauru; more than 240 have been relocated in the past few years. Last week, there were 52 children on the island. "Children have been transferred off Nauru.

Thatʼs been happening for some time," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told 2GB radio on Thursday. "I

havenʼt been showboating about it, I havenʼt been drawing attention to it. Itʼs being done in accordance with our policies, our existing policies."

Earlier, former attorney general George Brandis, now Australiaʼs high commissioner to Britain, said in an interview with LBC radio in London that the government would remove the children within weeks. "There are hardly any children in Nauru and in New Guinea and we expect that by the end of this year there will be none," Brandis said.

Zimbabweans hope for economic recovery ahead of court ruling on election outcome As the Constitutional Court of Zimbabweprepares to rule on the oppositionʼs legal challenge to President Emmerson Mnangagwaʼs election victory, Zimbabweans are hoping that whoever is given the mandate to govern will be able to turn the countryʼs ailing economy around. A decade after hyperinflation peaked in Zimbabwe at a rate of up to 500 billion percent, the economy still struggles to fund basic public services, while unemployment and emigration remains rife.

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249/2018 • 2 November, 2018

Gamers seek out trends and idols at gamescom A winged angel of death descends on the crowd from the escalator, swinging its fantasy scimitar. Nearby, a tank driver and a small girl in a feathery anime costume get their picture taken together, surrounded by a crowd in the hallway.

As trade shows go, gamescom is definitely on the more exciting end for visitors. Thatʼs because in the past 10 years, the fair has transformed into an event featuring not only the devoted costumed fans known as cosplayers, but also lots of surrounding activities like concerts, competitions and signing sessions.

Meeting the idols The luckiest visitors get to not only see their favorite gamer or livestreamer in person, they also get to play with them. When League of Legends player Frederick Hinteregger (screen name Noway4u) gets on stage to pick a team for a live game with him, arms shoot up by the dozens.

In no time at all, the extremely comfy-looking gaming chairs on stage fill up.

Hinteregger has found his place in eSports as a professional."I used to be happy to just get a mousepad, hardware, anything, really. But if you play national leagues, you can make up to €2,000 per month. If you play higher, it can be five digits."

Can Europe defeat a palm oil ʼmonsterʼ of its own making?

Alongside record heat waves, trade wars have also been grabbing global headlines recently, whether itʼs the United States versus Turkey, the US versus China — or the European Union versus Indonesia and Malaysia.

Rumblings of the latter followed the European Parliamentʼs January 2018 vote to ban the use of palm oil as a biofuel by 2020. Malaysia and Indonesia — both major producers — threatened retaliation, but backed down after the EU opted for a slower phase-out of palm oil as biofuel.

Now, under the EUʼs updated Renewable Energy Directive (finalized in June), palm oil imports should peak around 2019, then begin to drop in 2023 before being phased out entirely by 2030.

The EUʼs move came amidst growing recognition that the consumption of palm oil in Europecontributes to deforestation, destruction of wildlife habitat and — when industrial palm oil growers clear rainforests — greenhouse gas emissions.

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Warsaw and Budapest go nuts for gold When Hungary and Poland upped their gold reserves recently, some asked what it might indicate about confidence — or lack thereof — in the global economy. But with gold prices low, was it just a simple market calculation?

Malaysiaʼs Mahathir dumps Chinese projects amid ʼnew colonialismʼ fear On Tuesday,Malaysiaʼs Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad ended his five-day visit to Beijing by announcing that China-financed projects in Malaysia worth billions of dollars would be cancelled. Speaking to Malaysian reporters, Mahathir said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had "accepted" the reasoning behind putting the projects on ice. "Itʼs about pouring in too much money, which we cannot afford, cannot repay, and also because we donʼt need these projects for Malaysia at this moment," Mahathir said, adding a warning about bankruptcy and Malaysiaʼs ballooning national debt, which currently hovers around $250 million (€217 million), according to the Malaysian Ministry of Finance.

The projects include a $20 billion railway, the 688 kilometer (430 mile)-long East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), which would have connected Malaysiaʼs east coast with southern Thailand and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Construction of two gas pipelines worth $2.3 billion is also being discontinued.

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Poland increased its gold reserves for the first time in over two decades this summer, with Hungaryʼs central bank, the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), following suit in October, raising its gold reserves 1,000 percent, from 3.1 tons to 31.5 tons. So, were Poland and Hungary signaling worries about their own or wider economic conditions?

Were they cutting exposure to the dollar? Or maybe hedging against potential EU sanctions? Or is this about wannabe autocratsʼ design

choices?Authoritarian leaderstend to love gold, after all. Those are not large amounts, "but normally, European central banks sell gold, not buy it," strategists at Macquarie bank wrote in September. Gyorgy Matolcsy, head of Hungaryʼs central bank, said the move was "a way to improve the security of the nationʼs wealth." He also said, one hopes lightheartedly, that it was a tribute to Hungaryʼs heritage as one of the largest gold producers in the Middle Ages.

Germany poised to set worldʼs largest trade surplus

Berlin campus takes German engineering giant Siemens back to its roots

Germany is expected to set a €264 billion ($299 billion) trade surplus this year, far more than its closest export rivals Japan and the Netherlands, according to research published Monday by Munichbased economic research institute Ifo. However, the latest surplus figures indicate a slight dip as a proportion of Germanyʼs total economic performance compared to 2017, falling from 7.9 percent to 7.8 percent. Ifoʼs report takes into account trade in goods, services and income from foreign assets.Trade in goodsis the runaway driving factor behind Germanyʼs surplus at over €200 billion, while income from assets is also expected to add up to around €63 billion. Germany is expected to run a€18 billion deficit in services, according to IFO. Trade in goodsis the runaway driving factor behind Germanyʼs surplus at over €200 billion, while income from assets is also expected to add up to around €63 billion. Germany is expected to run a€18 billion deficit in services, according to IFO.

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The German engineering giant has unveiled plans to build a huge innovation campus in Berlin, harking back to its early days in the German capital and aiming to rival Silicon Valley in the United States. nvestment in a new campus to be called Siemensstadt 2.0 (Siemens City 2.0) will come in at €600 million ($680 million) on offices and residential accommodation, as well as laboratories and production plants, according to an agreement signed by Berlin Mayor Michael Müller and Siemens executive member Cedrik Neike on Wednesday.

The plan is to transform the historic Siemens site in Berlin-Spandau into a location for research and startup centers by 2030. Siemens chief executive Joe Kaeser described the campus as a "networked ecosystem with flexible working conditions, social integration and affordable accommodation."

Kaeser pointed to the founding of the original Siemens City in 1897, saying the concept then was "to combine work, research and living and thus to create an intact symbiosis for a successful future." "Megatrends, such as industrial digitization and urbanization, will bring about fundamental changes: work, life and living will become more integrated and new ecosystems will emerge as people and things become more interconnected," he added.

249/2018 • 2 November, 2018

Science Pumpkins: fun facts about a fall staple Itʼs pumpkin time

Fall, autumn, sweater weather — whatever you want to call the cold, gray season leading up to Christmas, thereʼs one thing we can all agree on: Itʼs pumpkin time, and never more so than on todayʼs Pumpkin Day! Ah, fall. The leaves change color, the first chill is in the air and your favorite coffee shop offers up pumpkin spice lattes. In North America, itʼs hard to imagine this season without pumpkin flavors and decorations, which is why the squash even has its own holiday in the US: October 26 is Pumpkin Day. And if you need some pumpkin-pertinent knowledge to show off, weʼve got you covered! The term derives from the Greek word pepon, which means "large melon" — makes sense when you think of the shape. The French turned this name into pompon, the British used pumpion. The first settlers in the American colonies called the squash pumpkin and thus coined

the name that we still use today!

The German term kürbis, on the other hand, is more reminiscent of the Latin cucurbita. Theheaviest pumpkin ever recorded tipped the scales in 2016 at a whopping 1,190 kilograms, or 2,625 pounds. Although pumpkins are native to North America, a Belgian horticulturist raised the pumpkin in Germany, squashing the world record for the heaviest fruit. The recordsetting pumpkins are a variety of Curcurbita maxima bred in Nova Scotia and they tend to prefer cooler weather — which could explain why the worldʼs last three heaviest pumpkins have all hailed from Europe.

German artist welcomes attention after man breaks her ceramic penis artwork The German artist who created a spinning ceramic penis admitted on Wednesday that the man who had broken the artwork at an exhibition had inadvertently helped to raise awareness about her work. "Of course this incident was an advertisement for me," Anna Maria Bieniek told the dpa news agency, adding: "I wonʼt make a big drama out of it." The ceramic sculpture was one of three 40- to 60centimeter (15 to 23-inch) colorful penises on display at the Kunstpalais Erlangen exhibit in southern Germany on October 21. Shortly after the exhibit opened, a fellow artist inadvertently toppled the penis while he was trying to read an explanatory note about the piece. The sculpture, which had not been sold yet, was spinning on a round base at the time.

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German professor ordered to pay thousands in late library fees A German professorlost her appeal on Wednesdayand must pay the €2,250 ($2,545) she racked up in late fees to her universityʼs library. An administrative court in Dusseldorf rejected lecturer Gina Kästeleʼs arguments that the fines were disproportionately large and a hindrance to academic freedom. Kästeleʼs lawyer had also argued that as his client had been on holiday, she did not receive the late notices. But the presiding judge was unimpressed, saying that such fines were needed to make sure books were returned on time and thus available to others who might need them. The 50

books in question were borrowed by Kästele, a psychology professor, during the summer semester of 2015 at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in the city of Krefeld. They were due to be returned in July of that year but did not make their way back to the library until September of the same year.

The libraryʼs late fee policy stipulates €2 per book per day for the first few days, which then increases to €5 and eventually to €20 after 30 days. On top of the late fees, the library applied administrative fees of €25 per book for the long delay.

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Culture

A new exhibition celebrates 100 years of Budapest’s Gellért Hotel A recreated Baroque-style guest room, photos of the building taken during World War II and Communist-era posters reflect the history of Budapest’s most legendary hotel, the Gellért. A new exhibition at the Museum of Commerce & Catering celebrates the centenary of this institution which opened on 24 September 1918. Attached to the hotel is Budapest’s Art Nouveau Gellért Baths, whose outdoor wave pool, also illustrated at the museum, was the first of its kind in the world. Tucked away in the cobblestoned district of Óbuda, the former residence of Hungarian writer Gyula Krúdy is now home to a charming museum. Here, permanent displays include old-fashioned shop interiors illustrating the history of commerce and catering. This same building also hosts relevant seasonal exhibitions, such as the recently opened Gellért 100 to commemorate the centenary of the Gellért Hotel, a splendid Art Nouveau landmark towering above the Buda riverfront. Opened during the turmoil of World War I, during its long history, the Gellért has accommodated the likes of former US president Richard Nixon and the Dalai Lama. They both enjoyed the hotel’s fine facilities that are now brought to life through historic objects and images currently on show at the museum.

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249/2018 • 2 November, 2018

Formula 1ʼs owners sign sponsorship rights deal for in-play betting

Formula 1ʼs owners have signed a deal to sell sponsorship rights to betting companies. The deal with Interregional Sports Group, reportedly worth more than $100m (£76m), will allow F1 to develop in-play betting markets during grands prix. F1 will also work with Sportradar to monitor bettingrelated fraud. Managing director Sean Bratches said the deal would give fans "new ways to engage with the sport". Liberty Mediacompleted an $8bn (£6.4bn) takeoverof F1 from Bernie Ecclestone in January 2017.

Wayne Rooney: DC United striker talks life in the USA, Everton and Mourinho

If you thought Wayne Rooney moved to the MLS for one final pay cheque before retirement, think again. Since joining DC United from boyhood club Everton in June, Manchester United and Englandʼs record scorer has scored 14 goals and steered his new side from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to the MLS play-offs.

Speaking to BBC Sportʼs Natalie Pirks for Football Focus, the 33-yearold discussed his new-found anonymity, being the dressing room DJ, and the availability of a good old British cup of tea.

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

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

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff praises British driver as he closes in on fifth title Lewis Hamilton:

Lewis Hamiltonʼs Mercedes boss says the Briton is "a class act" performing at the highest level as he closes on a fifth Formula 1 world title.

Toto Wolff said Hamilton was "more complete than ever before". "[He is] showing commanding performance in the car and challenging the entire team to perform to higher levels at the same time," Wolff added. Hamilton will clinch the title at Sundayʼs US Grand Prix if he wins and Sebastian Vettel finishes below second.

Even if Hamilton does not win at the Circuit of the Americas, he will be champion if he outscores the Ferrari

driver by eight points. Hamilton, 33, has taken six victories in the last seven races and heads to this weekendʼs race in Austin, Texas, with a 67-point lead with only a maximum of 100 points available over the remaining four races this season. The British driver has won five of the six races held in Austin since the inaugural event in 2012 - one for McLaren in 2012, and the last four in a row for Mercedes.

FIFA head asks Qatar about expanding World Cup games to Middle East rivals in 2022 Gianni Infantino has asked Qatar if it would share games with Saudi Arabia and other rival countries in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia has been leading a blockade of the small desert country since 2017.

The head of world football has asked the emir of Qatar whether he would allow rival Middle Eastern countries to host extra World Cup games during the 2022 World Cup. "This is something that would probably be a nice message," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. Qatar was awarded the rights to

host the 2022 World Cup in 2010 and has been planning to host 32 national teams during the tournament. But Infantino asked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar if the number of teams could expand to 48 and other countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, could host some of the extra games. Those countries cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of financing terrorism, and they continue to uphold an economic blockade of the small Gulf country.