DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Russia denies it is violating nuclear arms treaty The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed US claims that Russia is violating a major Cold War treaty that limits mid-range nuclear arms, from which Washington is planning to withdraw. "Groundless accusations are again being repeated," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Russia in "material breach" of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. "No proof has been produced to support this American position," Zakharova said. She described the treaty as a "cornerstone of global stability and international security." Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that facts had been distorted "in order to camouflage the true goal of the US withdrawing from the treaty."
Terrorism deaths down, but still a widespread issue "The total number of deaths fell by 27 percent between 2016 and 2017, with the largest falls occurring in Iraq and Syria," the report said. However, despite both Middle East countries seeing the biggest improvement in sheer numbers, they still ranked in the top three countries most impacted by terrorism. In total, Iraq recorded more than 5,000 fewer deaths as a result of terrorism last year, while Syria had more than 1,000 fewer compared to 2016. The military defeat of the "Islamic State" (IS) militant group in Iraq and Syria resulted in the significant drop in terrorism-related deaths in the Middle East as well as in Europe. "ISIL has now lost most of its territory and sources of revenue and is actively redirecting "Despite its reduced capacity, ISIL remained the deadliest terrorist group globally in 2017."
276/2018 • 6 DECEMBER, 2018
China vows quick trade deal as Trump sends mixed signals President Trump welcomed a deal, but reiterated that he was a Tariff Man
Beijing said bilateral talks were "very successful" and that it was "confident" a trade pact with the US would be reached in 90 days. US President Donald Trump sowed confusion on Tuesday over the tradetruce with China, as he said negotiations could extend beyond an agreed 90-day timeframe. The threemonth period halted the addition of new tariffs by both countries and was aimed at resolving the ongoing trade dispute. Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jingping agreed to the truce on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina. Trump took to Twitter to discuss the talks, first expressing positive feelings and later leveling threats. "President Xi and I want this deal to happen, and it probably will," Trump tweeted. "But if not remember, I am a Tariff Man. When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for the privilege of doing so," he added. China, on the other hand, has kept quiet on the details since the meeting in Argentina, but released an optimistic statement on Wednesday. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Beijing would seek to quickly implement specific issues already agreed upon, as both sides "actively promote the work of negotia-
tions within 90 days in accordance with a clear timetable and road map." "We are confident in implementation," the Commerce ministry statement read, calling the latest bilateral talks "very successful." US officials have struggled to provide concrete details of what the two countries agreed on at the dinner between Trump and Xi. The White House has alleged that China pledged to purchase a "very substantial" amount of agricultural, energy, industrial and other products from the US, to help narrow the current trade deficit. Additionally, China was said to be beginning to buy products from US farmers "immediately." Beijing, however, has not yet confirmed what, if any, concessions it has made to the Trump administration. The lack of clarity surrounding the US-China trade truce and the change in Trumpʼs tone, injecting uncertainty over whether a deal can be reached in 90 days, sent the Dow Jones industrial average tumbling 586 points in early afternoon trading, a drop of 2.3 percent. Chinese shares responded in kind, opening lower on Wednesday.
Trumpʼs exsecurity adviser Michael Flynn may avoid prison According to a court filing, President Donald Trumpʼs former national security adviser Michael Flynn has provided so much information to the Special Counsel Robert Muellerʼs Russia investigation that prosecutors say he shouldnʼt do any prison time. Prosecutors said that his cooperation has been substantial. The filing provided the first details of Flynnʼs assistance in the Russia investigation. Prosecutors say that he participated in 19 interviews and cooperated extensively in a separate and undisclosed criminal probe. The filing comes two weeks ahead of Flynnʼs sentencing and just over a year after he became one of five Trump associates to plead guilty in the Russia probe, in his case admitting to lying to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US.
Police target ʼNdrangheta mafia in raids across Europe Police in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium have arrested several members of the Calabrian mafia. The ʼNdrangheta is heavily involved in Europeʼs cocaine trade. Joint investigative teams involving police in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium are targeting members of the Calabrian ʼNdrangheta mafia, Germanyʼs Federal Criminal Police Agency and Italyʼs Polizia di Stato confirmed after several media outlets had reported the story.
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276/2018 • 6 December, 2018
Hundreds of migrants scale Spanish enclave fence One man died and several were injured as hundreds tried to reach the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco. Despite the Spanish governmentʼs promise to remove barbed wire on top of the fence, it has not yet done so. Some 300 people rushed a border fence between Morocco andSpainʼs North African enclave Melilla, Spanish authorities said on Sunday. Out of those who attempted to scale the two fences topped in barbed wire, 200 sub-Saharan Africans entered Spanish territory, a representative of Spainʼs government in Melilla said in a statement. One man who climbed over the fences died of an apparent heart attack despite efforts to revive him. Nineteen other people were being treated for fractures or cuts sustained while scaling the fences, authorities said. Another six Civil Guards sustained non-serious injuries during the rush at the border fence.
Disaster-prone nations threatened by huge insurance gap New research from Lloydʼs and CEBR has shown that vast assets are underinsured, posing a huge threat to livelihoods particularly in poorer nations. Those most at risk are also those with the lowest insurance levels. Disaster-prone developing nations are exposed to crippling losses when storms, floods or earthquakes strike, because they suffer from a dangerous lack of insurance, industry experts said Monday. Globally, assets worth about $163 billion (€141 billion) are not insured against catastrophes, posing a significant threat to livelihoods and prosperity,Londonbased insurance market Lloydʼs said in a fresh report. The value of underinsured assets had shrunk by only 3 percent since 2012, it noted. Many nations with the lowest levels of insurance were also among those most exposed to risks, including from climate change impacts, and were least able to fund recovery efforts, the study stressed. "If insurance is not available,catastrophes can have a much greater impact on economies and lives, Lloydʼs Chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown said in a statement. Emerging and low-income nations accounted for almost the entire global insurance gap, the report noted. 2
Tsunami warning after huge earthquake off New Caledonia A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake was registered off the east coast of New Caledonia
Australia apologizes to child sex abuse victims Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has delivered an apology to survivors and victims of institutional child sex abuse. "Today, Australia confronts a trauma, an abomination, hiding in plain sight for far too long," Morrison told parliament in an emotional televised speech on Monday. "Today, as a nation, we confront our failure to listen, to believe and to provide justice. Again, today, we say sorry. To the children we failed, sorry. To the parents whose trust was betrayed and who have struggled to pick up the pieces, sorry. "As a nation, we failed them, we forsook them, and that will always be our shame." Hundreds of survivors and their families gathered in Canberra and at special receptions around the country to witness the apology.
An undersea earthquake measuring 7.6 magnitude has struck off the South Pacific island of New Caledonia. A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake was registered off the east coast of New Caledonia in the South Pacific on Wednesday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the undersea quake was a shallow 10 km (6 miles) deep. The epicenter of the quake was some 300 kilometers east of the capital of New Caledonia, Noumea, but such was the force of the shock that experts said small tsunami waves might
Siemens CEO pulls out of Saudi investment conference over Khashoggi case After receiving "hundreds, if not thousands" of e-mails and posts urging him not to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII), Joe Kaeser on Monday announced his withdrawal from the Saudi conference. The chief executive of Siemens is now one of many high-profile senior executives and financiers pulling out of the three-day event in Riyadh this week, afterSaudi Arabia has admitted it murdered Saudi government critic Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul two weeks ago. In a post on social network
be detectable as far away as Antarctica and Russia. The center issued a warning for those nearer the tremor. "Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 1,000 km (600 miles) of the epicenter along the coasts of Vanuatu and New Caledonia," the PTWC said. There were no immediate reports of damage from the earthquake, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that waves had been "observed" and could reach up to three meters high. LinkedIn, Kaeser described his move as "the cleanest decision but not the most courageous one." He also wrote that the decision was not one "against the Kingdom or its people," and noted that Siemens had been "a reliable partner to Saudi Arabia for decades." "But for now, the truth must be found and justice must be served," he added in the post. Pressure had been mounting for the Siemens CEO to withdraw from the FII conference, which is intended to showcase the reform efforts undertaken by the new Saudi strongman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
China unveils plans to launch man-made moon into space
China is set to launch into orbit a huge space mirror,which has been specifically designed to reflect sunlight back to Earth, the stateowned China Daily online portal reported. In Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, the "illumination satellites" are being rigously tested. If all goes to plan, the construction will shine simultaneously with the real moon, but will be almost eight times brighter, the online portal wrote. The mirrors will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province before the end of the year. "By then, the three huge mirrors will divide the 360-degree orbital plane, continuously illuminating an area for 24 hours," Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society and the company responsible for the project, told newspaper in an interview. Three more moons will launch in 2022 if the initial test goes off without a hitch, he added.
276/2018 • 6 December, 2018
Riyadh between an OPEC rock and Trumpʼs hard place Donald Trump wants Riyadh to keep pumping oil to keep global prices low, a tactic that pleases his blue-collar base at home. But the Saudis may balk at opposing other OPEC members ahead of a key meeting of the cartel. The oil market has been very publicly bludgeoned in the last two months, with prices down from $86 per barrel on October 3 to $58 on November 23, a 32 percent cull. The question being asked in the run-up to a key OPEC meeting is which end of the producer/consumer spectrum will the cartel, a body dominated by US ally Saudi Arabia, fall? "Crude prices are suffering strong downside pressures due to abundant global supply and weakening demand,” Daniela Corsini of Intesa Sanpaolo in
Invisible and dangerous: The Salafist scene in North RhineWestphalia There are more Salafists in North Rhine-Westphalia than in any other German state. The scene has all but vanished from the public eye in its stronghold. But it is still very active, as DW is told by numerous sources. "Speak after me," the red-bearded German convert and Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel says as he publicly summons the young woman. Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd in the pedestrian zone of the western city of Offenbach, she does exactly that, and repeats the words of the Islamic profession of faith. That was in 2010. The conversion was filmed and uploaded to YouTube — just one example of the many videos shared online from the heydays ofSalafist missionary work in Germany. Until 2016, the scene had a self-confident and sometimes aggressive public appearance. Bearded men in baggy pants and flowing white robes such as Pierre Vogel regularly distributed free German-language editions of the Koran in market squares and pedestrian zones.
Milan told DW. "In our baseline scenario we expect that OPEC and nonOPEC allies will cut by about 1.3-1.8 million barrels per day (mbd).” She saw a cut as the most likely outcome of the OPEC+ (including non-member Russia) meeting in Vienna on December 6. Oil prices are increasingly being determined by the Troika of Saudi Arabia, Russia and the US, the worldʼs three largest producers accounting for 40 percent of global production of crude oil and condensates.
US senators have ʼzero doubtʼ Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggi killing
Though many US politicians have long believed that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) was involved in the October killing of Saudi journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi at his countryʼs Istanbul consulate, President Donald Trump and his administration have yet to say as much. On Tuesday, CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed top senators in a closed-door meeting and those suspi-
cions were confirmed, according to senators who spoke with reporters after it adjourned. Those same senators were angered last week when the administration is reported to have kept Haspel from briefing them on the issue, preferring to send Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis instead. After hearing Haspelʼs assessment, they said evidence of the crown princeʼs involvement was clear.
Pakistan honor killings haunting young women Khanzadi Mehboob lives in constant fear for her life after she married against the wishes of her family. Although honor killings are illegal, tribal customs in Pakistan often trump the rule of law. In 2008, when she was only 15 years old, Khanzadi Mehboob started teaching children in her village located near Jacobabad in Pakistanʼs southern province of Sindh. Her dedication impressed an NGO, which provided her "school" with a building in 2011.
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276/2018 • 6 December, 2018
Aircraft makers are optimistic about Farnborough despite Brexit The Farnborough Airshow is a major trade venue for the aeronautical industry. As manufactures set up their displays their thoughts hover between anticipation of the next big order and fears of Brexit says Andreas Spaeth. The global aviation industry will come together on Monday at the Farnborough airfield southwest of London for its biennial industry fair — the second largest in the world after the Paris Air Show. The UK has traditionally been one of the worldʼs leading aviation countries and the Farnborough trade fairʼs roots date all the way back to 1920. It moved to its current location in 1948. Read more: Air India sale grounded after privatization flops However, this year is likely to be full of uncertainty as to the future role of the British aviation industry is called into question due to the UKʼs impending departure from the EU in 2019. Airlines and manufacturers have both recently denounced the prevailing uncertainties and demanded clear post-Brexit rules.Read more: Air India sale grounded after privatization flops However, this year is likely to be full of uncertainty as to the future role of the British aviation industry is called into question due to the UKʼs impending departure from the EU in 2019. Airlines and manufacturers have both recently denounced the prevailing uncertainties and demanded clear post-Brexit rules.
Indiaʼs currency tumbles amid rising oil prices The rupee has dropped over 12 percent against the US dollar since the beginning of 2018, earning it the unfortunate distinction of Asiaʼs worst performing currency this year. Economists blame risingglobal crude prices for the slide. India imports 80 percent of its oil needs and soaring prices have blown a hole in the nationʼs finances. The country also imports huge quantities of items like gold and electronics, swelling its import bill further. Indiaʼs current account deficit (CAD) will also likely widen to 2.8 percent of GDP in financial year 2018 — up from 1.9 percent last year — according to consultancy Nomura Research Institute. CAD is a measure of the flow of goods, services and investments in and out of the country. Still, macroeconomic problems resulting from a higher CAD and depreciating rupee are not Prime Minister Narendra Modiʼs biggest concerns. His administration is more worried about growing public discontent due to the rise in petrol and diesel prices. 4
Venezuela: Erdogan and Maduro slam US sanctions Venezuela has suffered from a severe political and economic crisis since a collapse in oil prices several years ago. It has sought to bolster its ties with Turkey as it faces down a range of US sanctions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced US sanctions against Venezuela at a joint press conference with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Monday. Ties between the two countries have grown closer in recent months as Venezuela struggles to overcome a severe economic and political crisis. The Turkish president said Venezuela had been unfairly targeted with economic sanctions, adding that he "did not approve of these measures
Foreign investment in the United States of America down sharply Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States plunged by a staggering 32 percent in 2017 year on year, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis reported. Investment totaled $259.6 billion (€221.2 billion),with the figure representing the second year of declineafter a peak in 2015 when foreign investorsʼ expenditure in the US hit $439.5 billion. Last year, most foreign investments in the United States came from neighboring Canada which contributed $66.2 billion. European Union member states accounted for 40 percent of the 2017 FDI total. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the drop in foreign investment in the United States is part of a global trend. Not just a US problem OECD researchers noted that FDI levels were down 18 percent worldwide in 2017.
H-1056 Budapest, Só u. 6. Telephone: +36 1 577 0700 Fax: +36 1 577 0710 bhzinfo@zeinahotels.com www.boutiquehotelbudapest.com
China: Multiple deaths in chemical plant blast Authorities in southwestern Sichuan province have opened an investigation into a blast at an industrial complex that left 19 people dead, state news agency Xinhua reported Friday. The explosion ripped through the Yibin Hengda Technology complex in the city of Yibin at 6:30 p.m. (1030 UTC) Thursday, sparking a fire that burned late into the night, Xinhua said. County officials said that 12 people wounded in the blast had been taken to hospital and were in a stable condition.Read more: China convicts dozens for last yearʼs giant explosions in Tianjin Reports in the Sichuan Dailysaid the force of the explosion reduced three buildings to their steel frames and shattered the windows of nearby properties. China, the worldʼs largest producer of chemicals, has sought to improve industrial safety standards following aseries of high-profile accidentsin recent years.
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that ignore the rules of global trade." He said his "friend" Maduro was facing "manipulative attacks from certain countries and acts of sabotage from economic assassins." He vowed to strengthen trade ties with Venezuela to help alleviate the economic crisis. He also praised Maduro, saying the Venezuelan leaderʼs "exemplary attitude is very valuable at a time when enmity toward Islam has risen and Western countries are stoking hostility toward foreigners."
Ranking: The most visited cities in the world
The British market research institute Euromonitor has determined which cities counted the most visitors in 2017. With 27.9 million visitors, Hong Kong once again achieved 1st place, Bangkok 2nd place, London 3rd place. Asian cities dominate the top positions. Of the European cities, only London and Paris made it into the top ten most visited cities in the world. The French capital recorded growth of 13.7 percent over the previous year. Amsterdam ranked 23rd, Vienna 34th and Berlin 36th. Ranking 2018 1. Hong Kong (27.9 million visitors) 2. Bangkok (22.5 million visitors) 3. London (19.8 million visitors) 4. Singapore (17.6 million visitors) 5. Macau (17.3 million visitors) 6. Paris (15.8 million visitors) 7. Dubai (15.8 million visitors) 8. New York City (13.1 million visitors) 9. Kuala Lumpur (12.8 million visitors) 10. Shenzhen (12.1 million visitors)
276/2018 • 6 December, 2018
Soyuz rocket lifts off with new crew for ISS A Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts is headed for the International Space Station
environmental law, the world over James Thornton, head of public interest law firm Client Earth, holds governments around the world accountable for environmental damage. He tells DW how the law can be harnessed for the good of people and the planet. James Thornton: The thing that allows a really small group of people to change the world is using the enormous power of the law. Legal systems encapsulate, really, what a society thinks about itself and the rules that people in the particular society have mutually agreed to be governed by. It always includes enforcement mechanisms. If, for example, a government has passed a law about air pollution or water pollution and then it doesnʼt do the right thing and protect the people like the law says, we — using the power of the law — can go to the courts and force the government to do the right thing.
Budapest’s charming Basilica Advent Fair is now open
trip of six hours. A few minutes after the rocket lifted off the Russian space agency Roscomos announced that the capsule was "successfully launched into orbit". Aboard the space station, German astronaut Alexander Gerst posted photos of the three current crew members tidying up "for the arrival of our friends," according to a post on Twitter. "Looking forward to having a full crew of six up here again, at least for a few weeks. Godspeed," Gerst said.
Charlotte Prodger wins Turner Prize for smartphone video British artist Charlotte Prodger has won the prestigious Turner Prize for art with a video shot on an iPhone. The film snippets center on her experiences of coming out as gay. Charlotte Prodger has won the 2018 Turner Prize, Britainʼs most prestigious award for art. The 44-year-old received the award for an autobiographical video entitled "BRIDGIT," shot over the course of a year on her iPhone. Judges praised "the painterly quality" of the work, which questions gender and identity
and draws on her own experiences of coming out as gay. "Her work explores issues surrounding queer identity, landscape, language technology and time," judges said. The 44-year-old artist said she felt "quite overwhelmed" about winning the award. "The stories that I am telling, although they are mine and are personal, are stories that a lot of people — well, I guess queer people — have experienced," the Glasgow-based artist told British broadcaster the BBC, upon recieving the prize.
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Culture
Renovated Museum of Fine Arts to Open on 31 October AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BUDAPEST WILL OPEN ON 31 OCTOBER.
It is the first liftoff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan since a mission failed in October. Three astronauts blasted off for the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday from the Russian-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three travelers, a Russian, an American and a Canadian are on the first manned mission since a failed launch from the facility on October 11. New astronauts Anne McClain of the United States and David Saint-Jacques of Canada, together with veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko of Russia, are due to arrive at the space station after a
Weather
Client Earth: Changing
NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC
The Advent Fair by St Stephen’s Basilica is one of the most atmospheric in Budapest. Centrepieced by a towering Christmas tree and a free ice-rink for kids, stalls offer delicious dishes and all things jolly, while special light shows projected onto the façade of the Basilica make every night special. See below for tips on what to eat, drink and buy – and find out what film star Antonio Banderas was up to here last year! Right in the city centre, this Christmas fair has been improving year upon year, offering an enchanted experience for all ages. The main attraction is a recent one, illuminated visuals projected onto the façade of the historic Basilica. Look out for them in the evenings, screened every half-an-hour after sunset, from 4:30pm. 2D and 3D short stories both feature and 3D glasses are available from stalls around the market.
Thanks to the largest-scale and most comprehensive reconstruction project in the museum’s history, the museum building has been renewed, and, returning to the collection’s first concept, the museum’s permanent exhibitions will also be rearranged. Besides the new permanent exhibitions, the revamped museum will welcome visitors with a chamber exhibition titled Leonardo & the Budapest Horse and Rider. The museum reconstruction, implemented within the framework of the Liget Budapest Project, included the restoration of the Romanesque Hall, which sustained severe damage in World War II and since then had been only partially renovated and used as a storage area, along with the modernisation of the building’s obsolete heating system, the installation of air conditioning in some of the exhibition halls, the renewal of a large part of the roof structure, as well as the addition of new exhibition spaces, visitor areas and modern storage facilities.
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276/2018 • 6 December, 2018
Fans will decide ʼUEL2ʼ success
Sundayʼs announcement that UEFA is set to introduce a new club competition, known provisionally as "UEL2," came as no great surprise, as the Executive Committee of European footballʼs governing body merely confirmed what for months had been widely expected. But does Europe really need yet another club competition? UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and the rest of his Executive Committee obviously think so.
Sergio Garcia claims Valderrama Masters hat-trick
Sergio Garcia won his third Valderrama Masters in a row after the event was reduced to 54 holes and completed on the fifth day because of bad weather. The 2017 Masters champion, 38, was three clear on 10 under with 11 holes remaining going into day five and finished on 12 under after a 69. Irelandʼs Shane Lowry was second after a round of 66 left him on eight under. Lowry got to within a shot of Garcia with three consecutive birdies after the turn but the Spaniard held on. While Lowry ran up a double bogey at the 15th, Garcia added birdies at the 14th and 17th to give himself a cushion playing the last. Englandʼs Lee Westwood made four birdies on Sunday to move up to second but eventually finished in a share of fifth after shooting a 70. 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.
Replacing Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery wonʼt come cheap Bayern Munich:
With Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, replacements are needed in Bavaria. Nothing comes cheap in todayʼs market, but Bayern must be prepared to flash the cash. Out with the old and in with the new. Never has a statement been so accurate as in the case of Bayern Munichʼs wingers. With a combined age of 69, Arjen Robben (pictured above, right) and Franck Ribery (above, left) finally look set to ride off into the sunset at the end of the current season, bringing to an end an era of remarkable success. With neither player ever
too far from the treatment room, Bayern fans have become used to seeing understudies assume greater responsibility in recent years. However, when the pair are fit and firing, they continue to carry Bayernʼs creative burden well into retirement age. 178 goals in the past 457 games wonʼt be easy, or cheap, to replace, but Bayern will need to find a solution soon.
Murray to use protected ranking to play in Melbourne Andy Murray will use his protected ranking of world number two to gain entry to Januaryʼs Australian Open. The Briton, 31, ended his season early to focus on making "big improvements", having played in six events since returning from hip surgery in June. He will join last yearʼs semifinalist Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie in the field for the menʼs singles. Serena Williams will return to Melbourne for the first time since winning while pregnant in 2017. The American reached the finals of both Wimbledon
and the US Open in 2018 and will attempt to equal Margaret Courtʼs record of 24 Grand Slam singles victories. Katie Boulter will make her debut in the main draw of the womenʼs singles, with Johanna Konta and Heather Watson the other British players to make the cut. Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, now ranked 259th in the world, has not played since losing to Spainʼs Fernando Verdasco in the Shenzhen Open in September. His protected ranking affords him direct entry in up to nine tournaments from the point he returned from 11 months out in June.