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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Top South Korea security officials talk nuclear in North The most senior South Korean officials to travel to the North in decades are seeking to ease nuclear tensions with the US. The delegation became the first to meet Kim Jong Un since the leader took office in 2011. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted a dinner Monday for a group of South Koreaʼs top security officials, according to reports by the Yonhap news agency. The envoys traveled to North Korea looking to pave the way for talks between the nuclear-armed North and the United States. It is the first time Kim has met with South Korean officials. The 10-member delegation is made up of five senior officials, including national security advisor Chung Eui-yong and spy chief Suh Hoon, and five supporting officials. The group is due to return to Seoul on Tuesday. "We plan to hold in-depth discussions for ways to continue not only inter-Korean talks but dialogue between North Korea and the international community including the United States," said Chung, who is leading the delegation.

Turkey asks Germany to extradite Syrian Kurdish leader Salih Muslim The Syrian Kurdish politician, who faces terrorism charges in Turkey, was spotted at a pro-Kurdish demonstration in Berlin. Days earlier, he had been briefly detained in the Czech Republic on Turkeyʼs request. Turkey on Monday asked German authorities to detain and extradite Salih Muslim, the founder and former co-chair of Syriaʼs Democratic Union Party (PYD), the countryʼs state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Monday. Muslim was detained in Praguelast week on a Turkish arrest warrant while attending a conference on the Middle East.A Czech court later ordered his releaseon the assurance that he will remain in European Union territory and cooperate in any further proceedings in his extradition case.

55/2018 • 07 MARCH, 2018

Is India snubbing the Dalai Lama?

Tense relations

Guatemala vows to move embassy in Israel to Jerusalem The Guatemalan leader has thanked US President Donald Trump for "leading the way" on Jerusalem. But this wouldnʼt be the first time the Central American country has maintained an embassy in the holy city.

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales on Sunday announced he would return his countryʼs embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in May during an annual policy conference held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). "In May of this year, we will celebrate Israelʼs 70th anniversary, and under my instructions,two days after the US moves its embassy, Guatemala will return and permanently move its embassy to Jerusalem," said Morales.

The Indian government has urged officials to shun upcoming events commemorating the Dalai Lamaʼs 60th anniversary of exile in India to avoid riling China at a time of rising tensions.

A leaked circular between two senior officials directing their colleagues to avoid events marking theDalai Lamaʼs 60th anniversary in exile in India hints at New Delhiʼs reluctance to rile Beijing during "a very sensitive time" for bilateral relations. Written on February 22 by Vijay Gokhale, secretary for foreign affairs, to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, the directive stated that it was "not desirable" for officials to participate in upcoming exile events, noting "the sensitive nature of the subject." It has since sparked a serious debate on whether the Indian government is bowing to Chinese pressure and downgrading ties with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile led by the Dalai Lama. In response to the circular, the Dalai Lamaʼs office has now cancelled its two main events in New Delhi — an inter-faith prayer on March 31 and a "Thank You India" event on April 1.

They will now be held in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lamaʼs residence and the CTA headquarters. Relations

between India and China have been tense over the past couple of years.

Last year, both countriesʼ militaries evenfaced off over a territorial dispute that also involved Bhutan.

Some observers in India view the latest directive as an attempt by New Delhi to repair the relationship. "The issuance of the circular on this occasion would mainly be because of the tension in IndiaChina relations caused by the faceoff at Doklam," Jayadeva Ranade, President of the Center for China Analysis and Strategy, told DW. It is therefore a prudent move, the expert said. Government officials speaking on condition of anonymity have confirmed that India was trying to downplay the 60th anniversary celebrations. "Look at Chinaʼs expanding geopolitical and economic footprint. With Sri Lanka andthe Maldives under Chinese influence, India is fast losing its leverage. This (circular) is part of diplomacy and the dividends, we hope, will pay off in the long term," said a senior diplomat. But others disagree with this assessment.

German energy executive severely injured in acid attack The finance chief of an RWE renewable energy subsidiary was struck by unknown assailants as he crossed a park near Düsseldorf. Police said they were investigating "in every direction." A German energy executive has been badly injured in an acid attack, his company confirmed early Monday. Bernhard Günther, the CFO ofenergy giant RWEʼs green subsidiary, Innogy,was struck as he crossed a park in Haan, a well-to-do suburb of Düsseldorf on Sunday.

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55/2018 • 07 March, 2018

US Nuclear Posture Review: A bigger bang for the buck?

The United States has put countering China and Russia, dubbed "revisionist powers," at the center of a new national defense strategy. DW takes a look at what that entails.

At the height of the Cold War, the United States and the then-Soviet Union possessed around 70,000 nuclear warheads between them — enough to destroy or poison every square centimeter of inhabited land on Earth several times over.

Americas US Nuclear Posture Review: A bigger bang for the buck?

The United States has put countering China and Russia, dubbed "revisionist powers," at the center of a new national defense strategy.

DW takes a look at what that entails. At the height of the Cold War, the United States and the then-Soviet Union possessed around 70,000 nuclear warheads between them — enough to destroy or poison every square centimeter of inhabited land on Earth several times over. Somewhat ironically, the concept of "mutually assured destruction" (MAD), whereby the full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender, was and is a guarantor of peace.

A record 28 French restaurants get Michelin three-star ratings

Twenty-eight French restaurants have been honored with the gastronomic sectorʼs most coveted rating.

Thatʼs a record number of threestar ratings for any single country in the Michelin Red Guide.

A comeback by La Maison des Bois mastermind Marc Veyrat (pictured) and the emergence of Christophe Bacquieʼs Hotel du Castellet as another culinary force in southern France have given the country a record for most restaurants to hold a vaunted foodie guideʼs coveted three-star maximum. Set for official release on Friday, Michelin France has become the most prestigious of the publicationʼs 31 national editions and the domestic culinary bible. Michelin has faced criticism that its stars reward pomp and presentation rather than the food itself and for the guideʼs putting restaurateurs under unbearable scrutiny. The guide has made many a chefʼs name; others say it has nearly broken their wills. Veyrat — a 67-yearold who quit cooking after a skiing accident nine years ago and faced hardship again when La Maison burned down in 2015 — told The Associated Press that he does not mind the stress.

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Olympic champion Mo Farah victim of ʼracial harassmentʼ at Munich airport Farah is seen being pushed towards the departure gates by an airport officer

Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah has released a video on Instagram showing him being "racially" harassed by Munich airport staff.

Sir Mo Farah, the British four-time Olympic gold medal winner, said on Tuesday that he was the victim of "racial harassment" while traveling through Munich airport. Farah filmed his altercation with a Munich airport officer on Instagram Live. The clip appears to show the officer pushing Farah towards the departure gates.

Finding ancient cities and improving weather forecasts with LiDAR Researchers discovered an old Mayan city with the help of lightwave technology. Christoph Kiemle from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) explains how the method works and how it could be used in self-driving cars. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. Itʼs similar to radar, or radiowave detection and ranging, but it works with optical radiation rather than radio waves. It works with light, basically.

You can use lasers to send out this light to discover properties of the atmosphere or the Earth surface. We typically send a laser beam down to Earth from an airborne platform.

That beam travels through the at-

"The guy is touching me up like crazy.

Pure harassment. Pure, pure, harassment," Farah said in the video. The official replies: ʼI can touch you. Go to the gate, go to the gate.ʼ The 34-yearold Somalia-born runner later posted the video on Twitter with the caption "Sad to see racial harassment in this day and age. 2018...!!!!" mosphere and can measure particle matter, aerosol in the atmosphere for example. It can detect clouds, it could travel down to the surface when there are no clouds, and it gives us profiles of atmospheric properties. We can detect and derive a lot of information from these measurements that help advance science.

Maldives declares state of emergency, former president arrested The president of the Maldives has ordered his predecessor arrested and called a state of emergency. Soldiers charged into the Supreme Court and arrested two judges after they ordered imprisoned politicians released. Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen called a state of emergency on Monday and ordered soldiers to arrest

Indonesia debates bill criminalizing gay sex and any sex outside of marriage Indonesiaʼs parliament speaker has called for reforms to the criminal code that would outlaw any sex outside of marriage, including gay sex.

Critics say the bill would also weaken checks and balances on democracy.

Indonesian lawmakers began debating controversial changes to the countryʼs criminal code on Tuesday, which critics warn would violate human rights and undermine the countryʼs democracy. Indonesiaʼs parliament speaker Bambang Soesatyo opened proceedings by urging lawmakers to consider the legislation that would curb "homosexual excesses." Writing in the Indonesian daily Koran Sindo, Soesatyo also said Tuesday that gay lifestyles in the country had spawned "horrifying" excesses, such as murder, HIV/AIDS and pedophilia. "If these people actively promote their lifestyles, it will be very worrying," he said. "We urge the state to take firm action." While homosexuality is not illegal in the worldʼs largest Muslim majority country, it has long been viewed as a bugbear to both Indonesiaʼs Islamic and secular political parties.

his 80-year-old predecessor, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, his estranged half brother, who supported the main political opposition. Yameen is in an escalating legal battle with the South Asian island nationʼs Supreme Court after judges ordered the release of all imprisoned opposition leaders in a surprise ruling last week. He ordered Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another of the Supreme Courtʼs four judges arrested early Tuesday. Yameen called a 15-day state of emergency, deepening a political crisis.The emergency decree grants wide powers for the security forces and police to make arrests, search and seize property and restricts freedom of assembly, officials said.Soldiers forced their way into the Supreme Court building and arrested two of the tribunalʼs four justices.Police used pepper spray to disperse hundreds of protesters who had gathered outside the court.Former President Gayoom was charged with bribery and attempting to overthrow the government, according to his lawyer.

55/2018 • 07 March, 2018

Turkey considers chemical castration for pedophile child abusers Turkeyʼs justice minister has said authorities want to "reduce or eliminate" the sex drives of convicted child abusers. The idea was immediately rounded upon by rights groups as draconian.

The Turkish government said on Tuesday that a new law would be submitted to parliament that would permit judges to order the chemical castration of child abusers. Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said the measure is being considered "to reduce or eliminate" the sex drives of people convicted of sexually assaulting minors, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. He said the draft law would be presented to lawmakers "within a few days." Turkeyʼs legal system dealt with a more than fourfold increase in child sexual

abuse cases in 2016 compared to a decade earlier, according to justice ministry data cited by rights groups.

Courts ruled on 21,189 cases compared to 3,778 in 2006, and more than 60 percent of suspects were convicted. Chemical castration, which involves using anaphrodisiac drugs to reduce libido and sexual performance, does not prevent a person from experiencing sexual urges indefinitely. The drug is administered either by mouth or injection, with a frequency between once a month and once every three months.

Germany to compensate Algerian Jewish Holocaust survivors

Austriaʼs public broadcaster sues farright vice chancellor over ʼfake newsʼ post

Jews who lived in Algeria during the Vichy regime will receive compensation, said the Claims Conference. Algerian Jews were "one of the last" groups to be recognized by Germany, the organizationʼs vice president told DW. The Claims Conference Hardship Fund on Monday announced that a new group ofJewish Holocaust survivorswill be eligible forcompensation from the Germany government. The group consists of Jews who lived in Algeria between July 1940 and November 1942. Those eligible for compensation will receive a one-time payment of €2,556 ($3,180), which the German government will begin paying out in July. "Even at this late stage, itʼs very important both for the individuals, because it acknowledges what they went through, and in general, because it creates a historical record which will stand the test of time," Eric Schneider, who serves as executive vice president of the Claims Conference, told DW. "The further we get away from the events, I think thereʼs the greater possibility of Holocaust revisionism … When the German government takes responsibility and acknowledges the event, then it makes it a lot harder to refute it.

Far-right leader Heinz-Christian Strache is facing multiple lawsuits over a Facebook post saying Austriaʼs public broadcaster spreads "propaganda." His "reform" calls have raised concerns about the news outletʼs future. Austrian public broadcaster ORF has taken legal action against vice chancellorHeinzChristian Stracheafter he shared a Facebook post claiming the broadcaster and one of its most prominent journalists publish "lies." In a statement forwarded

to DW on Wednesday, the broadcaster said it took the unusual step against Strache, who also headsthe far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), due to libelous and "untrue attacks on the ORF." "The text discredited the journalistic work of 800 ORF journalists in television, radio and online," ORF Director General Alexander Wrabetz said in the statement. ORF is also suingFacebookfor not removing the original post shared

by Strache, Wrabetz said.

European markets plunge at opening bell as stock market dip deepens Global markets continue to wobble precariously. European markets took a big hit as Tuesdayʼs trading began, following major losses across Asia and particularly in Japan. Wall Street fared no better on Monday. European markets opened on Tuesday awash with red, with the main benchmark indices all down around 3 percent followingWall Streetʼs Monday rout. Minutes after the bell to signal the start of trading, Germanyʼs DAX index dropped 3 percent to 12,308 points. It was a similar story in France and the UK, whose indices opened 3 and 2.5 percent lower respectively.

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55/2018 • 07 March, 2018

Chinese migration brings social change to Italyʼs Alps Home to the largest concentration of Chinese residents in Europe, two mountain villages have become the unlikely setting of an integration experiment. Giulia Saudelli and Matteo Civillini report from northern Italy.

At midday, the fog is so thick one can barely see the mountainside. From the vast space that opens out below, all one can hear are the Chinese workers busily hitting large slabs of stone with their chisels. The quarryʼs owner paces around them, making sure the precious material is handled with care. A few meters away a truck is ready to load the rough-cut stones, which, after a journey down a steep mountain road, will be delivered to the workshops in the tiny villages of Bagnolo Piemonte and Barge. This is the daily routine in the Infernotto Valley, in northern Italy, home to the largest Chinese community in terms of concentration in Europe. Since the early 1990s more than 1,300 of them have settled in this remote area, making up around 10 percent of the total population. The Chinese presence is so strong that Hu has now become the most common surname in Barge. Their arrival initiated what can be described as a 20-yearlong migration experiment, unintentionally providing a testing ground for integration policies in Italy and beyond. What brought them to this unlikely place is the Luserna stone. A pillar of the local economy, the ʼgrey goldʼ — as it is known locally — is a foliated rock featuring sheet-like layers of varying shades of color.

German metalworkers finally secure wage agreement Following weeks of bitter fighting, a wage agreement for the German metal and electrical industries has finally been struck. Employees were able to secure higher wages and more flexible working hours.

A wage agreement was reached in the early hours on Tuesday in Germanyʼs metal and electrical industries. The powerful IG Metall union announced the deal initially covering workers in the southern German state of BadenWürttemberg, but expected to be eventually implemented for a total of 3.9 million workers in the sector nationwide. According to the deal, employeesare to receive a pay hike of 4.3 percent from April this year. Additionally, monthly one-off payments of €100 ($124) were agreed for January through March. Employers and trade union representatives also agreed on the possibility of workers reducing their hours from 35 to 28 hours per week for two years, should they need to look after children or care for older relatives.

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German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer pays ʼflyingʼ visit to Mobile World Congress Deutsche Telekom has ʼflownʼ in a special guest to showcase its broadband capabilities at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The German telecom giant focused on its activities to advance 5G mobile networking.

United Kingdom waits to see how the post-Brexit winds will blow The UK is the current world leader in offshore wind capacity. But with the country heading for the EU exit door, can the renewable energy boom last? Lying unpainted on its side, the greenish curve of a 75meter (246 feet) long wind turbine blade bears a passing resemblance to a whale. Itʼs twice the length of a blue whale but at 25 tons, is much lighter than the earthʼs largest creature. For employees at the state-ofthe-art Siemens Gamesa factory in the port city of Hull in northern England, another comparison is more apt. "Four bull elephants, thatʼs how we equate it," said Alison Maxwell, the head of communications at the facility. Siemensʼ £160 million ($223 million/182 million euros) plant has manufactured these great fiberglass beasts for wind farms in Britain since it opened at the end of 2016 in the economically deprived city. And itʼs a good time to be in business.

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Deutsche Telekomʼs Head of Innovation Claudia Nemat was just wrapping up her description of the European Aviation Network, a project that allows passengers to use broadband thousands of meters up in the air, when she casually invited CEO Timotheus Höttges up on stage, claiming she had a surprise for him. Next thing,legendary German goalkeeper Manuel Neuerappeared on the screen behind them. He was sitting in a plane, live-streaming the Deutsche Telekom press conference. "Howʼs it

going?" Höttges asked breezily. Neuer grinned and pointed his smartphone out the window at the clouds. The gimmick concluded a press event that was dedicated to showcasing Deutsche Telekomʼs advances in 5G, its new voice assistant Magenta (meant, Nemat stressed, as an alternative, not as a replacement to counterparts like Alexa) and a pair of smart glasses that could one day display a checklist for doctors to consult before performing surgery.

Nissan, Dongfeng to invest heavily in e-cars in China

Walmart raises minimum age for buying guns to 21

Together with its joint venture on the ground, Japanese automaker Nissan is to make a multi-billiondollar investment in the production of e-cars in China. Beijingʼs e-car quota system goes into effect next year. Japanese carmaker Nissan and its Chinese joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor Company announced Monday they would invest $9.5 billion (€7.6 billion) in China to increase annual sales by 1 million vehicles andboost the production of electric cars. The move came as China was rolling out new regulations to limit gas vehicles in a bid to reduce air pollution across the Asian nation. Authorities in Beijing will implement a complex quota system as of 2019, requiring carmakers to produce a minimum number of electric vehicles. They are also looking at plans to completely ban fossil fuel cars at a date that has yet to be decided.

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Walmart became the biggest retailer to raise the minimum gun buying age to 21. The decision comes on the heels of Americaʼs largest gun storeʼs decision to raise the age limit and to stop selling assault style rifles.

Walmart, the US retail giant, announced Wednesday that it will no longer sell firearms and ammunition to people younger than 21. It also said it would remove items resembling assault-style rifles from its website. Walmart said it made the decision after the company reviewed its firearm sales policy in light of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people. The teenage gunman used an AR-15 rifle. Walmart said it took "seriously our obligation to be a responsible seller of firearms." They also emphasized their background of "serving sportsmen and hunters." The move comes on the heels of Dickʼs Sporting Goods announcement earlier in the day that it would restrict the sale of firearms to those under 21years old. "When we saw what the kids were going through and the grief of the parents and the kids who were killed in Parkland, we felt we needed to do something," said Dickʼs Chairman and CEO Ed Stack on ABCʼs "Good Morning America."

55/2018 • 07 March, 2018

Monarch butterfly numbers decline for second year in a row The iconic monarch butterfly travels thousands of miles south to overwinter in Mexico

The iconic monarch butterfly travels thousands of miles south to overwinter in Mexico. But factors including the changing climate are challenging its existence — new figures show itʼs declined 15 percent from last year.

The monarch butterfly embarks on an impressive migration every year.

But for the second year in a row, its numbers are declining — figures from an official Mexican government count in the winter of 2017 indicate a decrease of 14.7 percent from the year before. Apart from partial rebounds in the winters of 2001 and 2003, numbers have gone down steadily since 1996. Storms and intense hurricane seasons disrupt the

insectʼs routes and fell trees they rely upon for shelter. Awind storm and cold snap in March 2016 devastated the core of the butterfly reservein Mexico. The massive overwintering colony was only discovered in 1975.

Pesticides used in the US also harm milkweeds, a plant intertwined with the monarch butterfliesʼ life cycles.

The US has set up some programs tohelp the monarch butterfly population grow again.

Russian accused of running spam network extradited to US Suspected Russian hacker Pyotr Levashov pleaded not guilty before a US judge after being extradited from Spain. Prosecutors claim he ran a massive computer network that sent out spam and installed malicious software.

Spanish authorities have extradited to the US a Russian man suspected of carrying out cybercrimes using bulk spam emails and malicious software, US officials announced Friday. Pyotr Levashov, a 37-year-old from St. Petersburg, pleaded not guilty to the charges of wire and email fraud, hacking, identity theft and conspiracy after appearing before a federal judge in the US state of Connecticut. He re-

mains in detention. Levashov was arrested in Aprilwhile vacationing with his family in Barcelona. In October, Spainʼs National Court granted the US extradition request, rejecting a counter-extradition request from Russia. US prosecutors say Levashov ran the sprawling Kelihos botnet — a network involving up to 100,000 infected computers that sent spam emails, harvested usersʼ logins and installed malicious software that intercepted bank account passwords. According to the indictment, the network generated and distributed more than 2,500 spam emails a day and allegedly victimized thousands of people in the US.

German university hospital defends auto firmsʼ nitrogen dioxide test ethics No experiments on animals or humans can take place in Germany without a go from an authorized ethics committee. Dr. Thomas Kraus from Aachen University Hospital says this was the case in the most recent NO2 scandal.

The European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) "did not impinge in any way on the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) research it commissioned Aachen University Hospital to do," Professor Thomas Kraus from the hospital told the German press agency DPA on Monday. The EUGT is a now defunct organization that was funded by German carmakers Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW plus partsmaker Bosch, thus raising questions of possible conflicts of interest. In 2013, 25 healthy volunteers were exposed to NO2 pollution for three hours, Kraus said.

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Culture

Budapest’s Széchenyi Baths extend opening hours When the weather is so moody, it is so nice to plunge into a hot pool filled with mineral-rich thermal waters and soak away in the soothing atmosphere.

While the outdoor pools at Budapest’s splendid Széchenyi Baths are always open until 10pm, from March 1st, the indoor thermal area will also stay open until the same time, welcoming those who would rather enjoy the sight of snow from inside, savouring spa delights after dark.

Housed in a stunning NeoBaroque building, the Széchenyi is probably the most popular spa in Budapest, and certainly the largest of its kind in Europe.

While the open-air plunging area is most popular, the Széchenyi altogether holds 11 pools within, each filled with mineral-rich healing waters, as well as steam cabins, saunas and showers.

From March 1st, bathers can enjoy these convivial facilities until as late as 10pm, while the outdoor area stays open until the same time as usual.

Three pools inside are only available to guests with a medical referral, but this still leaves enough room for tranquil relaxation for everyone.

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55/2018 • 07 March, 2018

British parliamentary doping report slams Wiggins, Sky

A British parliamentary report has sharply criticized Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins for using permitted medication to enhance his performance at the 2012 Tour de France.

Sky and Wiggins have rejected the criticism. The report published on Monday by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, said Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins, had crossed an "ethical line" by using corticosteroids to treat a medical condition during the 2012 Tour.

Soccer captain Davide Astori of Fiorentina dies, aged 31

Italian football has reacted with shock to the death of Fiorentina captain and defender Davide Astori. He was found dead early on Sunday in his hotel room in Udine, where the team was due to play a Serie A match.

Fiorentina captain and defender Davide Astori died of a sudden illness on Sunday morning at the age of 31, the Serie A club said, leaving Italian football in a state of shock. Italian media reported that Astori was found by his team-mates in the early hours in his hotel room in Udine, where the team was staying ahead of an Italian league match.

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Athletics doping: IOC confident over Russia doping reform plans

Roger Federer, Serena Williams claim 2018 Laureus sports awards

International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach believes Russia will resolve its doping issues and field athletes at next yearʼs Rio Games.

Russia was provisionally suspendedfrom world athletics after an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report alleged "state-sponsored doping". Bach met with his Russian Olympic Committee counterpart Alexander Zhukov to discuss the report. He said he was "confident" in the measures put forward by the ROC. Council members of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Friday voted 22-1 in favour of Russia being banned. As it stands, Russian athletes may not enter international competitions, including the World Athletic Series and Rio Olympics, which begin on 5 August next year. Russia will also not be entitled to host the 2016 World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary and the 2016 World Junior Championships in Kazan. "We are confident that the initiatives being proposed by the ROC, with the responsible international organisations - Wada and the IAAF - will ensure compliance as soon as possible in order to provide participation of the clean Russian athletes at the Olympic Games," said IOC president Bach.

The Mercedes F1 team also claimed a prize

Tennis dominated the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards. Roger Federer won sportsman of the year and comeback of the year, while Serena Williams was named sportswoman of the year.

Roger Federer was named the Laureus Sportsman of the Year for the fifth time at the Monaco award ceremony on Tuesday. The Swiss veteran was also honored as enjoying the comeback of the year, having become the oldest world number 1 in tennisʼ history, reclaiming the top spot in the menʼs game 14 years after he first occupied it. "This means the world to me, thank you so, so much," Federer said in his acceptance speech, also praising the Lau-

reus Sport for Good Foundation for helping to inspire his own philanthropic work. Serena Williams, meanwhile, was named Sportswoman of the Year, having claimed her 23rd Grand Slam singles title and surpassed German ace Steffi Graf just in time to give birth to her first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr, later in 2017. Williams has not been able to return to the court quite as quickly as she had hoped since giving birth.

Russia back in Olympic competition after IOC lifts suspension Just three days after the 2018 Winter Olympics ended, the IOC has confirmed that Russia has been welcomed back into the Olympic fold.

This came after remaining tests from the Olympic Athletes from Russia tested negative. Despite two failed doping tests from its athletes

at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Russian Olympic Committee has had itʼs suspension lifted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, after no further Russians tested positive for banned substances.