DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
South African white Solidarity union strikes against Sasol share exclusion The action is being reported as the first ever strike by white employees in South Africa over racial exclusion. Solidarity spokesman Francois Redelinghuys told DW that 4,000 of its members took part in the go slowaction on Monday. "As Solidarity we are pleased with the development of the action and the manner in which it was conducted. The go-slow will continue tomorrow." "On Wednesday we will deliver a Memorandum to Sasol at the Sasolburg plant and on Thursday our members in Secunda will embark on a full scale strike," Redelinghuys said. In its defense of the scheme, petrochemical giant Sasol, which employs 26,000 people in South Africa, said all companies there are obliged to meet quotas as part of the governmentʼs effort to reversedecades of exclusion of black workersfrom company ownership, employment and procurement.
German health minister calls for opt-out organ donation Germany should change its laws on organ donation and adopt an opt-out scheme to increase the number of organs available for transplantation, Health Minister Jens Spahn said in comments published on Monday. "I am in favor of a double opt-out solution," Spahn told the mass-circulation Bild newspaper. "Thatʼs the only way to make organ donation the norm." Spahn admitted that a new law of this kind would represent an intrusion by the state "into the freedom of the individual." But he argued that all previous attempts at a political level to increase the declining number of organ donors had "unfortunately been without success."
202/2018 • 04 SEPTEMBER, 2018
Is the honeymoon over?
Myanmar jails Reuters journalists for seven years
French President Emmanuel Macron:
Two reporters from the global news agency Reuters had pleaded not guilty to violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act while investigating acrackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar. On Monday, a court in Yangon sentenced them to seven years in prison. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were detained as they researched the killing of 10 Rohingya and other abuses involving soldiers and police in Inn Din, a village in western Rakhine state. They argued that they had been framed by police officers who handed them official documents in a Yangon restaurant before arresting them on December 12. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo testified they received harsh treatment during their initial interrogations. Several appeals for release were denied. "I have no fear," Wa Lone said after the verdict. "I have not done anything wrong....I believe in justice, democracy and freedom."
Emmanuel Macron is showing the first signs of wear: Unpopular reforms, a resigned environment minister and a bodyguard embroiled in scandal. Macron is under pressure, and itʼs not doing his European project any good. "La rentree." Two little words with a meaning that sweeps across France once every year. The return to everyday life following the vacation month of August. The sweet, slow drum of summertime is irrevocably over and the French return from the coast to repopulate the sleepy country. Many shops reopen after a long break, the metros fill up with commuters and every student from Lille to Aix-en-Provence starts the new academic year. The merciful period of disinterest that the French grant their government in the summer months also comes to an end. The nation follows the politics of the Elysee with fresh sharpness. And French President Emmanuel Macron is feeling the nationʼs eyes upon him. His summertime was by no means sweet and idle — the president struggled his way through a summer marred by stormy domestic politics. It kicked off with a scandal involving one of his security officers,Alexandre Benalla. The fact that Benalla had become violent, but as an employee of the Elysee was able to avoid the otherwise harsh consequences of his actions, outraged French politicians and public alike. The less-than-
perfect crisis management of the socalled "Affaire Benalla" was also chalked up to Macron: First silence and an attempt to wait it out, then only a slap on the wrist. According to political expert Jerome Sainte-Marie from Paris pollsters PollingVox, this once again exposes Macronʼs authoritarian style, which also causes him to sink in the polls. The honeymoon is over, "many voters are now watching their president with growing suspicion. Thatʼs new," says Sainte-Marie. According to a recent survey by pollsters BVA, 59 percent of the French are dissatisfied with their president. Certainly, cause for concern for Macron: According to the survey, the criticism does not only come from the political opposition. Three-quarters of his constituents are also disappointed. For many who voted for the 40-year-old with left-wing hopes, Sainte-Marie said that Macron was too neo-liberal, too right-wing. A summer offensive of European charm ThatNicolas Hulot, Macronʼs star minister for the environment and sustainability, has resigned, also weakens the president, who is currently traveling across Europe.
Fire at Brazil National Museum engulfs 200year-old building Brazilʼs National Museum in Rio de Janeiro was engulfed by a huge fire on Sunday night, putting in jeopardy millions of the countryʼs most valuable historical treasures. Firefighters in northern Rio de Janeiro battled the blaze into the early hours. After five hours, they had managed to bring the blaze under control, but were still working to extinguish it completely. Spokesman for the fire department, Roberto Robadey, said firefighters were hindered in tackling the fire as two hydrants closest to the museum were not working.
weather today BUDAPEST
16 / 24 °C Precipitation: 0 mm
202/2018 • 04 September, 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. 2
Chemnitz prepares to rock against the farright Seven German punk and hip hop bands are heading to Chemnitz for a concert
Seven German punk and hip hop bands are heading to Chemnitz for a concert against fascism and extremism. It follows violent clashes and neo-Nazi marches after a man was stabbed to death in the eastern German city. Under the watchful gaze of Chemnitzʼs giant Karl Marx statue, seven German punk and hip hop acts are set to show that there is more to the eastern German city than Hitler salutes, and neo-Nazi and other extremist violence. Adopting the slogan "Wir sind mehr" (literally, "we are more") used by anti-Nazi protesters — and headlined by one of Germanyʼs best-known punk acts, Dusseldorf-based Die Toten Hosen — Monday afternoonʼs open-air gig aims to "rise against far-right rab-
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.
ble-rousing" and take a stand against the far-right, fascism and racism. Chemnitz has been shaken byviolent demonstrations, mostly stoked by far-right groups, some of which were supported by the populist AfD party, the third-largest party in the German parliament. Several demonstrators openly did the Hitler salute — a criminal offense in Germany — leading to nationwide debates about the strength and degree of influence of the farright, especially in the east. 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.
202/2018 • 04 September, 2018
Germany hosts high-level conference on humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region Conflict and climate change have plunged the Lake Chad region into one of the worldʼs worst humanitarian crises. An international conference in Berlin aims to raise more support for the millions of people in need of aid. Speaking at the opening of the Berlin conference,German Foreign Minister Heiko Maassaid that the situation in the Lake Chad region had improved in recent months. "There is real hope that the vicious circle of poverty, displacement, radicalization and terror can be stopped", Maas said. Joined efforts by all governments in the region had been a "game changer" and had helped to reduce the areas controlled by Boko Haram from a territory the size of Belgium to some few isolated patches of land, the minister added. The high-level
meeting on the Lake Chad region, jointly organized by Germany, Norway, Nigeria and the United Nations, comes roughly one and a half years after a donor conference in Oslo thatraised more than $672 million(€580 million) in humanitarian assistance for the region. Maas said that the commitment by donors had made an important contribution to preventing famine in the area and assisting people affected by the crisis, but noted that more efforts needed to be taken to ensure that the region did not slip back into more serious conflict.
Diplomatic Oops! Can we consume less without wrecking Embarrassing the economy? state-visit blunders Politiciansʼ visits abroad are serious business. But very often at these diplomatic affairs, something goes awry — usually in front of the eyes of the world. An (incomplete) list of blunders and awkward moments. Known for her no-nonsense approach, German Chancellor Angela Merkel doesnʼt seem like sheʼd be susceptible to cheap flattery, so the song choice for welcoming her in Senegal was a bit dubious: "Schöne Maid, hast du heutʼ für mich Zeit?" ("beautiful maid, do you have time for me today?"), a cheesy pop hit. Whatever his protocol team was thinking, President Macky Sall got lucky: Merkel indulged him. The list of embarrassments that have occurred during foreign visits is long. US President Donald Trump and the British Royal Family feature often. So what happens when the two collide? Double trouble! In 2018, in a combination of bad manners and a break of protocol, Trump kept the monarch waiting 12 minutes in the sun and then walked faster than her at the parade — not amusing!
The more we consume, the more the planet suffers. Soils are leached of their nutrients,forests felledand minerals ripped from the earth to leave gaping holes where little can survive. The resources we use return to the earth as chemical waste, land-fill mountains and carbon emissions that are pushing the climate toward disaster. At the same time, many of us still go without basics we need to survive — fromclean airto enough to eat. According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN
SDG) report 2018, "nine out of 10 people living in cities breathe polluted air" and "the number of undernourished people rose from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million in 2016, mainly due to conflicts and drought and disasters linked to climate change." And yet, politicians and economists around the world hail consumption as the economic driver key to keeping our economies thriving. Without consumption, the thinking goes, there is no economic growth.
Hornet attack leaves 18 injured during German wine festival A German wine festival celebrating the final weeks of summer instead ended with 13 people needing hospital treatment, after a swarm of hornets decided to crash the party. Emergency services were called to the town of Weingarten, near Karlsruhe, on Sunday after festivalgoers were attacked by a vicious swarm of hornets. Eighteen people were injured, 13 of whom required medical treatment, authorities said. No children were hurt in the incident and none of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening.
3
202/2018 • 04 September, 2018
Voice assistants all the rage at IFA electronics show
Iʼve finished my work for the day, and Iʼm feeling hungry. I tell my smartphone app to look for something to eat. It comes up with a low-calorie recipe as my smartwatch indicates I havenʼt had enough physical exercise to go for anything else. A camera installed in my fridge checks whatʼs available and puts the missing ingredients on a shopping list, which is then passed on to my car-based navigation system. The car has already worked out the route I need to take to get the food items in question. While I drive, the fridge regulates its temperature, and my oven starts pre-heating, to be ready for action when I return home. The future is now What might sound like science fiction is reality for home appliance maker Siemens at this yearʼs consumer electronics and household appliances show IFA in Berlin. "Connected World" is the motto of the event. Be it ovens, washing machines or fridges —the latest generation of all of them is internet-enabled and can be controlled via apps and the human voice. Roland Hagenbucher, managing director of Siemensʼ home appliance division, believes such developments are already inevitable. "Itʼll become quite natural to control such appliances with your voice," he said. "Thatʼs a big topic at the fair, and weʼre cooperating with a number of companies to push the underlying technology."
Boomtown Berlin: What makes international foundations flock to the German capital The list of foundations based in the German capital is a long one. The Berlin Senate has a register of 939 foundations. Still, in comparison with other cities in Germany, this number is relatively low. Briefly defined, foundations serve the purpose of making private assets available for charitable purposes such as social work, culture or education. According to the Association of German Foundations, the amount of foundations in Berlin has it ranked 51st among German cities. Most of the foundations are located in western Germany, for example in the cities of Hamburg, Munich, and Frankfurt. These cities have strong economies and host industry headquarters, since without funds there are no foundations. But Berlin is catching up on its own terms. 4
Africaʼs leaders race to China summit to talk cooperation Exalted as a "mega-event," the Africa-China summit is expected to draw nearly all of Africaʼs leaders to Beijing. Barely a squeak of criticism has come out of China or Africa, even though there is plenty to be said. "It will be the biggest summit of all time." Those were the words of Chinaʼs Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a press briefing last week. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is set to take place in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday — "an event of global significance, which Beijing awaits with feverish enthusiasm." China and Africa are in a "win-win situation," and the cooperation will benefit all countries concerned, according to Chinaʼs chief diplomat. Africa offensive in
China looking into arrest of e-commerce billionaire Liu The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday it was looking into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of e-commerce billionaire Liu Qiangdong, also known as Richard Liu, in the US on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct. The Chinese Consulate in Chicago was trying to verify facts regarding the situation, spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reports at a daily briefing. Hennepin County Jail records showed that Liu,the CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, was arrested late Friday and released Saturday pending possible criminal charges. The jail records didnʼt provide details of the incident. John Elder, a spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department, said "an active investigation" was underway, but it was possible for Liu to leave the United States. Nasdaqlisted JD.com said in a statement that Liu was falsely accused of sexual misconduct while in the US on a business trip, and that police investigators found no misconduct, meaning Liu would continue his journey as planned.
H-1056 Budapest, Só u. 6. Telephone: +36 1 577 0700 Fax: +36 1 577 0710 bhzinfo@zeinahotels.com www.boutiquehotelbudapest.com
Greek ferry sailors launch 24-hour strike, halting boats Greek sailors announced plans to walk off the job for 24 hours on Monday after employers rejected their demand for a 5 percent pay raise. The federation of Greek seamen said in a statement there would be no ferries operating in the Aegean or Ionian seas, where a number of islands rely on sea transport. Ferry workers weresubject to an eight-year pay freezeunder Greeceʼs international bailout program,which ended last month. To avoid bankruptcy, the country took on rescue loansworth €260 billion ($300 billion) that were tied to austerity measures and spending cuts. The seamenʼs union launched the stoppage after bosses responded to their request for a 5 percent salary rise by offering a 1 percent increase this year, followed by another 1 percent bump from next June. Greek radio reported that last-ditch talks aimed to avert the strike collapsed on Sunday. Tourists unlikely to be stranded
Published by: Mega Media Kft. 1075 Budapest, Madách I. út 13-14. +36 1 398 0344 www.hotelujsag.hu
Chinaʼs media In the run-up to the FOCAC summit, Chinese state media embarked on a propaganda offensive on the topic of Africa. On an almost daily basis, over weeks and on all channels — especially the China Global Tele‐ vision Network (CNTV) — Chinese Africa experts praised China-Africa cooperation. Shen Xiaolei of the Institute of West Asian and African Studies in Beijing noted that China has been Africaʼs biggest trading partner for past nine years.
ʼGoogle took my motherʼs roleʼ
Google is arguably one of the greatest inventions of mankind touching almost every aspect of our lives. As the internet giant turns 20, DW asks people from different walks of life how Google has changed their lives. Growing up as a teenager, one of my motherʼs favorite phrases to me was, "Check your Funk and Wagnalls." She usually told me this when either she didnʼt know the answer to one of my millions of questions or she just wanted me to learn something on my own. So, off Iʼd go to the living room to a set of 26 encyclopedia volumes to find the answer to whatever question I had. With 26 bound books to choose from, we actually had a piece of furniture dedicated to house them! Today, I "ask the Google," just like the rest of the computer and smart phone-enabled world. Sometimes I feel guilty for using Google, thinking to myself I should somehow work to gain the knowledge. I also feel like itʼs important to use Google wisely, ensuring that I trust the sources, much like I did with my Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedia set!
202/2018 • 04 September, 2018
Budapest Wine Festival - coming weekend! September 6-9, 2018, Buda Castle
Purchase your tickets with discount, easily online. Drink from limited edition glasses! These exclusive glasses are available to be bought only in advance with Budapest Wine Festival tickets. Visitors to Budapest’s biggest and most scenic wine festival – held on the grounds of Buda Castle – can discover Hungary’s different wine regions and finest glasses of reds, whites and rosés between September 6th and 9th. But what kind of a wine festival would this be without culinary indulgence? No need to worry, as you
with quietly dramatic opening The notes played by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France right at the beginning seemed as light as leaves scattered by an autumn breeze. In the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB), music director Mikko Franck elicited tender tones in Maurice Ravelʼs Le tombeau de Couperin (Couperinʼs Tomb), transforming each of the three movements to a quiet, melancholy yet precious remembrance of Ravelʼs friends who had fallen in World War I. The words"Beethoven" and "fate" have more dramatic connotations. The image comes to mind of the deaf musician whose career as a pianist and conductor was curtailed at age 30 and who subsequently defied fate. The opening of this yearʼs Beethovenfest on August 31 was notably lacking in musical ballistics, also in the "Egyptian" piano concerto by Camille Saint-Saens with the elegantly-performing virtuoso Bertrand Chamayou as soloist — and even in Beethovenʼs "Fate Symphony," the "Fifth."
Leo Budapest Bar - the best panoramic view of the city!
will be able to feast on traditional festival dishes, and match gourmet specialities with your mood and wine here, too. The event is also complete with performances by local artists as well as exciting events entertaining crowds and a breathtaking panorama over Pest stretching out below. www.aborfesztival.hu
How the press reviewed Thilo Sarrazinʼs ʼHostile Takeoverʼ Filled with "ideological warheads" (Stern magazine), "apocalyptic," (newspaper Bild) and written with "master race views," (Süddeutsche Zeitung): These are just some of the reviews of Thilo Sarrazinʼs new book, Feindliche Übernahme: Wie der Is‐ lam den Fortschritt behindert und die Gesellschaft bedroht (which literally
translates as Hostile Takeover: How Islam Impedes Progress and Threatens Society; no English version of the book is available). His publishers see things differently, describing it as a work that draws parallels between statements from the Quran and the
Muslim mentality, using the arguments to explain the peculiarities and problems of Muslim states and societies as well as the attitudes and behavior of Muslims who immigrated to the western countries. Another expert summarizes the book this way: "In an overwhelming pretense of objectivity, he justifies why the bogeyman he had already described in Deutschland schafft sich ab (Germany Abolishes Itself) can only be attributed to Islam," writes a Freiburg University Islamic Studies professor, Johanna Pink, in her review for the weekly Die Zeit.
Weather
Beethovenfest kicks off in Bonn
Hotel Clark, at the Buda foot of Chain Bridge, houses two outlet. Beefbar on the ground floor and, on the roof terrace, Leo Budapest named after the famous lions guarding the bridge. At the panoramic bar, you can admire the breathtaking vista of Buda Castle, the Danube, Chain Bridge and the rooftops of the riverfront while sipping on a refreshing drink. Leo offers a wide variety of wines and cocktails, and the kitchen is led by talented young chef András Sipos, also responsible for downstairs.
Wed
17 / 24
Thu
Fri
15 / 24
16 / 24
Hungary Budapest: Debrecen: Eger: Hévíz:
22/24 20/23 22/24 21/25
Athens: Berlin: Bratislava: Bucharest: London: Madrid:
19/33 15/25 21/23 21/31 13/22 22/29
Kecskemét: Keszthely: Siófok:
19/23 21/22 22/22
Europe Moscow: Paris: Prague: Rome: Varsaw: Vienna:
13/20 16/23 22/24 18/26 14/26 18/22
Culture
What’s happening in Budapest – September 2018 Festivals, cool concerts, cultural events and amazing parties – Budapest is always buzzing. Every month, we bring together all of the important happenings taking place in and around Hungary’s capital, so you can plan ahead. In September, the Budapest Wine Festival, the National Gallop and cool concerts are all among the many exciting events you shouldn’t miss. Whether you would like to shake it to the coolest beats, immerse yourself in culture or give in to guilty pleasures, we present a bunch of suggestions for the upcoming weeks. Get out there and enjoy everything that Budapest has to offer! Budapest Urban Games A38 concerts Ricky Martin Budapest Wine Festival Food Truck Show Budapest 33rd Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon National Gallop Sweet Days Chocolate and Sweets Oktoberfest Dub FX In September, scores of cool concerts will be rocking the A38 Ship, a repurposed Ukrainian cargo vessel that is today one of the hottest hangouts in Budapest. Parties aboard are plenty, but here is our pick of the bunch: on September 24th ‘the occult Nick Cave’, King Dude, brings his new album to Budapest, performing with the Icelandic dark-wave trio, Kælan Mikla. On September 28th, another album launch will be presented, by Berlin-based downtempo-nu-jazz collective, Jazzanova, and on 30th, one of the most unique characters in contemporary European r’n’b-pop, Dena, brings a gentle mix of modern glitter and DIYBalkan aesthetics aboard.
5
202/2018 • 04 September, 2018
Schalkeʼs sloppy start is no reason to panic
A missed penalty, a late red card,a 2-0 defeat and zero points from their opening two games– itʼs not the start that Schalke were hoping for, and the vultures are already circling in some quarters as we head into the first international break of the season. "They have huge deficiencies," commented former Bayern Munich midfielder and current Sky television pundit Dietmar Hamann after the Royal Bluesʼ shock home defeat to Hertha Berlin this weekend. "I really am worried about Schalke. They were so harmless that I donʼt know where the improvements are going to come from. Tedesco has a lot of work on his hands." Panic on the streets of Gelsenkirchen, Tedesco out, sack the board!
US Open: Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams reach quarterfinals
The No.1-ranked Nadal battled past Georgiaʼs Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 on Sunday to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open for an eighth consecutive year. "Itʼs a big victory for me," said the 32-year-old Spaniard."He was hitting the ball very strong and when I thought I was in control of the points, he always came back with strong shots." However, 59 unforced errors doomed the 37thseeded Basilashvili to defeat. Nadal is to face Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals. Nadal has a 7-3 record against the Austrian, with all of their previous matches having been played on clay. "Thiem is a great opponent, he has the big serve," Nadal said. 6
Is eSports about to be recognized as a sport in Germany? Politicians in Germany are mulling recognizing eSports as a sport. Their decision would have wide-ranging repercussions in the gaming industry in the country and further legitimize the digital sport phenomenon. eSportsʼ continued growth has pushed competitive gaming ever-more into the public eye. This has sparked a debate about gaming’s role within German society, and whether eSports should be officially classified as a sport. And it is looking increasingly like it will. Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs grand coalition of her Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) agreed to recognize eSports as a sport as part of the coalition agreement they reached earlier this year. However, the legislation necessary to do so has not yet been passed. "eSports were long considered a niche topic, generally only discussed by experts. It has now reached a tipping point where it has become a meaningful topic to all of society and cannot be ignored," Konstantin von Notz, deputy chair of the opposition Green Party in the lower house Bundestag said.
Luka Modric, Mo Salah join Cristiano Ronaldo on FIFA Best shortlist This is the first time in 12 years that Lionel Messi has failed to make the cut
Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah and Luka Modric have been named on the shortlist for the FIFA player of the year award. Luka Modric (pictured above, right) made the shortlist for the FIFA Best award, which was announced on Monday, for helping Real Madrid to a third-straight Champions League title in May and then captaining Croatia to theWorld Cup final.Modric won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament and was named the UEFA Menʼs Player of the Year a few weekʼs later. Mohamed Salah(above, left), who like Modric has made the shortlist for the first time, got there based on the
32 goals he scored in the Premier League for Liverpool last season (44 in all competitions). Although Liverpoolreached the final against Madrid,he was was forced off early after injuring his shoulder following a challenge from Sergio Ramos. The holder, Cristiano Ronaldo (above, middle), who has won the award five times since 2008, was the top scorer in the Champions League, leading Real Madrid to a third-straight European title, their fourth in five years – before leaving for Juventus in the summer.
Formula One: Lewis Hamilton secures Italian Grand Prix with vintage performance Championship leader Lewis Hamilton delivered one of his finest driving displays when he wrecked Ferrariʼs homecoming party as he stormed to a record-equalling fifth Monza victory at the Italian Grand Prix. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton delivered one of his finest driving displays when he wrecked Ferrariʼs homecoming party as he stormed to a recordequalling fifth Monza victory in his Mercedes at the Italian Grand Prix. The defending world champion produced a
perfectly-judged race of raw aggression and astute tire-management to finish 8.7 seconds ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, who on Saturday had claimed pole position for Ferrari withthe fastest lap in Formula One history. His 68th career victory and sixth this year increased his championship lead from 17 points to 30 ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who finished fourth in the second Ferrari after spinning on the opening lap after a clash with the Briton as he passed him at the second chicane.