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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Saudi Arabia introduces law banning sexual harassment The measure has been passed by the Cabinet and an advisory council, and will become law with a royal decree.

The country is making some piecemeal reforms, including ending its notorious driving ban on women. Saudi Arabia passed a draft law Wednesday that criminalizes sexual harassment less than a month before the stridently conservative country lifts a decadesold ban against women driving. The measure, which was passed by the Shura Council, carries a maximum 5-year prison term and fine of up to 300,000 riyals ($80,000, or €70,000).

"The law is aimed at combating and preventing the crime of harassment, enforcing penalty on perpetrators, protecting victims and safeguarding the individualʼs privacy, dignity and freedom ensured by the Islamic sharia law," the council said in a statement.

Syria recognizes Georgiaʼs breakaway regions in nod to Russia The Georgian government has hit back at Syria by severing diplomatic ties with the Arab republic.

Syria is now one of five countries that have recognized the Moscowbacked regions. The Syrian government has recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Georgian breakaway regions backed by Russia, as independent countries. "A deal has been reached between the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia to exchange recognition and set up diplomatic ties at the embassy level," said a Syrian Foreign Ministry official in comments circulated by the staterun SANA news agency on Tuesday. The move prompted the Georgian government to announce its decision to sever official ties with Syria, blaming Russia for orchestrating the diplomatic stunt.

127/2018 • 07 JUNE, 2018

Czech billionaire Andrej Babis wheels and deals a government Andrej Babis is to be named the Czech Republicʼs prime minister for a second time

The magnateʼs struggle to form a governing coalition is emblematic of the contradictions inherent to populist, dealmaking politics.

Andrej Babis is missing. A hint of panic whips around the prime ministerʼs office in Prague as aides hunt for the 63-year-old Czech leader.

Heʼs found in the hallway, coordinating the ANO partyʼs response to a parliamentary motion criticizing President Milos Zeman for his claim that his country produced the nerve agent Novichok. Moscow had said the assertion proved it was not the only suspect in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain. Babis crushes the proposal, a stark contrast to his robust "show of solidarity" with the UK in March when it expelled three Russian diplomats. While Babis craves recognition and acceptance in the West, he also needs the support of the proRussian head of state. As Babis struggles to form a governmentseven months since winning elections, the industrial magnate embodies the contradictions thrown up by dealmaking populist politics. Heʼs a billionaire businessman thrashing out

an agreement with communists, a euroskeptic who lauds the EU, a centrist seeking to boost the Czech Republicʼs pro-Western credentials while his partners are hostile to NATO, Brussels and Berlin. Babis sounds disappointed as he explains heʼs still waiting for evidence from London to support his actions over Skripal. He appears keen to reiterate the Czech Republicʼs commitment to the West after the Machiavellian Zeman — a regular source of scandalous headlines for his support of Russia and attacks on migrants and liberals — was re-elected in January.

Known for his vindictive nature, the president slammed both the expulsions and the almost simultaneous extradition of a Russian hackerto the US following a long geopolitical tug-of-war. Asked if that frayed relations, Babis deadpans: "He is my president. I respect him," he tells DW. "Sometimes we have different views, but that doesnʼt mean we have bad relations."

Israel launches retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza after Hamas rocket attacks The fighting is the worst episode of violence since Israel and Hamas fought a brief war in 2014. The United States, European Union and United Nations have condemned the rocket and mortar attacks against Israel. Israel has launched airstrikes against targets throughout the Gaza Strip after the armed wing of the ruling group in the Palestinian territory launched dozens of rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel. The confrontation, which continued into Wednesday morning, is the worst episode of violence between Israel and Hamas since they fought a sevenweek-long war in 2014. The Israeli military said around 70 rockets and bombs had been fired into Israel by 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday (1700 GMT). One mortar shell landed near a kindergarten.

Saudi Arabia issues first driverʼs licenses to women Ahead of the lift of a decades-old ban on women driving, a group of women have received their driverʼs licenses.

The ban is due to be lifted on June 24.

Saudi Arabia on Monday issued driverʼs licenses to 10 women on Monday.

The announcement comes three weeks before a ban on women driving is set to be lifted followingKing Salamʼs decision last year to allow women to drive . Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed drive but this will change on June 24.

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127/2018 • 07 June, 2018

North Korea shakes up military top brass ahead of Trump meeting The North Korean regime has reportedly reshuffled its top military command ahead of Kim Jong Unʼs planned meeting with President Donald Trump on June 12.

South Korea said it was monitoring developments in the North amid reports that Kim Jong Un replaced all three of the countryʼs top military officials. Reports claim the reshuffle could be aimed at eliminating possible resistance to Kimʼs engagement with the international community, including the United States. North Korean leader Kim is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12. Pyongyangʼs nuclear arsenal and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula would be top of the agenda during the Kim-Trump talks. South Koreaʼs Yonhap news agency cited intelligence sources as saying that Ri Myong Su, the chief of the general staff, has been replaced by his deputy, Ri Yong Gil. Defense minister Pak Yong Sik has reportedly been succeed by No Kwang Chol, previously first vice minister. Last month, North Koreaʼs state media revealed that General Kim Su Gil had replaced Kim Jong Gak as director of the KPAʼs (Korean Peopleʼs Armyʼs) General Political Bureau.

MH370: Mystery of missing jet remains as four-year search ends A US company has ended its search of the Indian Ocean for the remains of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. It disappeared in March 2014, with 239 people on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Efforts to locate the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 drew to a close in the remote Indian Ocean on Tuesday, after a private company, hired to extend the search, admitted it had found no trace of the aircraft. Texas-based Ocean Infinity said in a statement it had "searched and collected high-quality data from over 112,000 square kilometers of ocean floor ... overcoming both challenging conditions and terrain," but without success. Oliver Plunkett, Ocean Infinityʼs chief executive, said the failure to find any sign of the plane was "extremely disappointing." In January, the firm signed a 90-day "no find, no fee" deal with the Malaysian government to resume the hunt for the missing aircraft, a year after the official search was called off.

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Angela Merkel quizzed on Russia and refugees Chancellorʼs Question Time:

In a Germany first, Chancellor Angela Merkel fielded direct questions from lawmakers, with Russia and G7 high on the agenda. But the attempt to pep up the Bundestagʼs image left Merkel more lightly toasted than grilled.

"Unspectacular." That was the general consensus among members of the German parliament outside the chamber on Wednesday following the countryʼs first "Chancellorʼs Question Time." Without being able to pose follow up questions, deputies in the Bundestag were restricted from digging deeper. Even Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble seemed unimpressed, regularly letting out a lethargic, "Thank you," and "Next question." Other MPs stared up into the

Donald Trump signs Taiwan Travel Act, drawing Chinaʼs ire US President Donald Trump has signed a law promoting official exchanges between the US and Taiwan. The move could further strain US-China ties. US President Donald Trump on Friday signed legislation promoting contacts between Washington officials and their Taiwanese counterparts, angering China, which considers Taiwan as part of its territory. The Taiwan Travel Act will allow unrestricted two-way travel for officials from the United States and Taiwan, thus restoring direct official US contacts with the self-ruled is-

Canada to deploy troops, helicopters to Mali Canada will send troops and helicopters to Mali to join a UN peacekeeping mission there, Canadian media have reported. The helicopters are expected to replace a German contingent. Canada will soon take part in its first peacekeeping mission to Africa since Rwanda in 1994, sending peacekeepers, backed by helicopters, to join UN Blue Helmets in Mali before autumn, Canadian media reported late on Friday. The commitment comes amid pressure on Canada from Germany and the Netherlands to send peacekeepers, with the Canadian helicopters expected to replace a German contingent, CBC News said, citing a senior government official.

The deployment would be for a planned 12 months, according to the report.

Reichstag dome from where tourists peered into the chamber below. The format was clear: Oneminute questions; one-minute answers; no follow-ups and no presubmitted questions. Three such sessions are planned each year.

The aim? To "make the Bundestag the central place of social and political debate again," as set out in the agreement signed by the"grand coalition" of Merkelʼs conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD). land, which were cut in 1979 when Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

The White House said the bill, which was passed unanimously by Congress, would go into effect on Saturday morning even without the presidentʼs signature.

The United States still does not have formal ties with Taiwan, but is required by lawto help it with selfdefense.

Syria: Al-Qaida and IS increasingly lose territory to Assad With the exception of Idlib, Syriaʼs government has recovered control of most major cities from rebels and ter-

ror organizations. Are the "Islamic State" and al-Qaida being beaten out of Syria? With Syriaʼs civil war now in its eighth year, the "Islamic State" (IS) and al-Qaida — two of the most prominent terror organizations active in the fighting — are on the decline.

DW takes a closer look at their roles in the conflict. IS drew international attention when it swept across Iraq and Syria in 2014, making Raqqa, Syria, its capital and taking control of Iraqʼs second-largest city, Mosul. In Syria, IS now only really controls some area near Iraqʼs border, as well as some parts of the countryside. The organization does not currently have a central headquarters. In October, the US military estimated that the group still had about 6,500 members. AlQaida operates most prominently as Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham, a Salafist group that is concentrated near and in the major Syrian city of Idlib.

127/2018 • 07 June, 2018

Did Facebook share too much with Huawei?

Facebook has acknowledged it has shared user data with several Chinese smartphone makers. Among the recipients was Huawei, which had been flagged by US intelligence officials as a national security threat.

Chinese firms Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo and TCL were among numerous handset makers that were given access to Facebook data in what the US company said was "a controlled operation." The social media giantʼs vice president of mobile partnerships, Francisco Varela, confirmed a report in The New York Times Tuesday that Facebookhad given Chinese device makers deep access to the data of usersʼ friends without their explicit consent. The recipients of

Iran tells UN it will boost uranium enrichment capacity Iran has informed the UN it plans to increase uranium enrichment within the limits of the 2015 deal with world powers. The move comes amid a growing uncertainty about the future of the landmark Iran nuclear deal. ehrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, was quoted by state media as saying that a letter had been submitted to the UNʼs International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) detailing Iranʼs move. Ali Akbar Salehi, director of Iranʼs atomic program and a vice president, also confirmed that his country had started working on advanced centrifuges at its Natanz facility. Salehi said the latest nuclear activities would remain within the framework of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers. "If conditions allow, maybe tomorrow night at Natanz, we can announce the opening of the center for production of new centrifuges" for uranium enrichment, Salehi said Tuesday, quoted by conservative news agency Fars.

the data included Chinese firms like Huawei that had been banned by some US government agencies due to security concerns. Facebook said it would stop its partnership with Huawei by the end of the week.

The top Democrat on the US Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said the new revelationsraised legitimate concerns and wanted to know how Facebook ensured data was not transferred to Chinese servers.

Orban ally Janez Jansa expected to top Sloveniaʼs election

Ex-PM Janez Jansa appears likely to win the most votes as Slovenians cast their ballots in an early election. But thatʼs no guarantee heʼll lead the next government. DW looks at the people vying for power. Slovenia is voting for a new parliament on Sunday, with right-wing leader Janez Jansa vying to return to the prime ministerial post he lost in 2013. The latest polls show

his Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) pulling ahead of the group led by his main rival, Marjan Sarec, a former satirist and stand-up comedian.

With more than 20 political factions vying for power in the small Alpine country with a population of just 2 million, the outcome of the race is far from certain. Who are the most important players?

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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127/2018 • 07 June, 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.

Starbucks head Howard Schultz steps down amid rumors of presidential run Coffee chain Starbucksʼ executive chairman Howard Schultz has become increasingly outspoken on political issues. He stepped down from the CEO job last year to focus on innovation and social impact projects.

The Seattle-based international coffee chain announced that its outspoken executive chairman Howard Schultz would leave the company at the end of the month. He will retain the role of chairman emeritus. Last year, Schultz stepped down as chief executive officer and became executive chairman and ran the companyʼs social impact initiatives. The New York Times reported that his decision could increase speculation that the 64-year-old may run as a presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in the 2020 elections.

Schultz has been openly critical of US President Donald Trump. Schultz told the newspaper that he was deeply concerned about "the growing division at home and our standing in the world."

He said he wanted to "figure out if there is a role I can play in giving back," which could include public service.

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Is Trump giving the EU higher drug prices too?

Soaring drug prices keep Americans sick. Donald Trumpʼs new plan aims to bring down domestic costs at the expense of Europeans, but is the EU really to blame? Lindsey Rae Gjording reports from New York.

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 75-meter (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-of-the-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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Many Americans simply cannot afford the treatments they need. A longtime complaint of the American health care system — overpriced drugs — keeps pharmaceutical investors rich while the sick stay sick.

"Weʼre going to end global freeloading," promised Donald Trump while unveiling his American Patients First plan to tackle the market. It is still not clear just how he plans to do this. On Wednesday, Trump again made big

promises while signing the newly passed "Right to Try" law which allows patients with life-threatening illness to bypass the countryʼs Food and Drug Administration for access to experimental medication. Trump predicted big pharma companies are "going to announce voluntary massive drops in prices" but the Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment or clarify the statement.

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

Next time you fly for vacation, buy your right to pollute

Together with its joint venture on the ground, Japanese automaker Nissan is to make a multi-billion-dollar 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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Tourism has a growing impact on the climate — particularly with regard to flights. Many aviation companies offer an option to offset carbon emissions. But where does that money go, and how effective is this contribution?

With travel by traingetting very expensive in some places, and not an option in others, vacations are being organized ever more over hectic, crowded flights. Although itʼs practically cheaper than going out for dinner, such short hops on planes are very costly for the planet. Aviation worldwide accounts forat least 2 percentof global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, about the same of Germanyʼs total emissions, not to mention harmful further impacts from emissions. But the biggest problem is expected growth of the aviation sector in the decades to come. To limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), as planned through the Paris climate accord, each person on the planet would be allowed to emit some 2 tons of CO2 per year — thatʼs whatʼs known as a personal carbon budget.

127/2018 • 07 June, 2018

Still a long way till ʼpeak plasticʼ Weʼre nowhere near solving it yet

2018 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year in terms of awareness around the plastic pollution problem. But weʼre nowhere near solving it yet, says DWʼs environment team leader.

People seem to finally be waking up to the global issue of plastic pollution – it was the focus of this yearʼsEarth Day, and also World Environment Day in 2018 has the theme beating plastic pollution.

Theunfortunate recent end of a whale in Thailandprovides a timely illustration of the problem. It died with 80 plastic bags in its stomach, which prevented it from getting enough nutrition to survive. That whale, like innumerable other marine animals, died a slow and

painful death as a result of our consumption habits. But the plastics problem, and its accompanying disturbing images, are not new at all.

Already in 2016, scientists warned that if current trends continue,plastic will outweigh fish in our oceans by 2050. Despite bans on plastic bags in some African countries, and aplanned ban on other single-use plastic items in the European Union, the sad truth is that the world is probably still pretty far from "peak plastic."

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. "None of them had any negative health effects," he went on, adding that the tests were meant to measure the impact of pollutants in the workplace.

Cate Blanchett recites manifestos to Budapest audiences at National Gallery

A piercingly provocative multichannel video installation should entice spectators to the Hungarian National Gallery this summer.

Starring award-winning Cate Blanchett, the highly immersive Manifesto project by German artist Julian Rosefeldt presents modern-day characters through 12 scenes, all played by the Australian actress and each projected on an individual screen. Appearing as a homeless man, a teacher, then as a stock broker, Blanchett in her varied roles recites a collage of declarations that had significant impact on arts and history, including manifestos of Communism, Dada and Futurism.

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Culture

Gergő Szinyova: Comfortable/Comfortless The new exhibition at Kisterem, Comfortable/Comfortless, presents Gergő Szinyova’s latest series.

The paintings’ extremely thin, print-like painted surfaces are similar to silk screen printing, and echo aesthetic characteristics of risograph printing.

The artist developed a technique that makes it possible for him to paint print-like surfaces that are unique, unrepeatable and not multipliable, however, the repetition of digitally pre-drawn motifs in the pictures is a reference to the possibilities of reproduction. Gergő Szinyova (born 1986), one of the most prominent talents of his generation, participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the past years in Budapest, Graz, New York and Los Angeles. The artist developed a technique that makes it possible for him to paint print-like surfaces that are unique, unrepeatable and not multipliable, however, the repetition of digitally pre-drawn motifs in the pictures is a reference to the possibilities of reproduction.

Gergő Szinyova (born 1986), one of the most prominent talents of his generation, participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the past years in Budapest, Graz, New York and Los Angeles. however, the repetition of digitally pre-drawn motifs in the pictures is a reference to the possibilities of reproduction.

Gergő Szinyova, one of the most prominent talents of his generation, participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the past years in Budapest, Graz, New York and LA.

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127/2018 • 07 June, 2018

Joachim Löw has his reasons for leaving out Manchester City star Leroy Sané

The omission of Leroy Sané from Germanyʼs World Cup squad raised eyebrows from Eppan to England.

Despite the Manchester City starʼs breakthrough season, Joachim Löw has his reasons for leaving him at home. Breathing in sharply and sipping on his espresso, Joachim Löw was well aware of the impact of the fourth name to cross his lips.While the omissions of goalkeeper Bernd Leno, defender Jonathan Tah and striker Nils Petersen were less surprising, Löwʼs quick, curt pronunciation of the name "Leroy Sané" elicited an audible collective gasp among the journalists present in Eppan, South Tyrol.

Angelique Kerber finds form, Serena Williams digs deep

Itʼs been a good day for Germany as Angelique Kerber led the way, winning her second-round match in an hour dead.

Serena Williams also progressed, but the returning American was made to work harder for her victory. Angelique Kerber needed exactly one hour as she advanced to the third round of the French Open with a 6-2, 6-3 victory against Ana Bogdan on Thursday. The former world No. 1 infamously lost in the first round at Roland Garros last year, becoming only the fifth top seed in the Open Era to fall in the first round.

But Kerber has started to find her form again, and her Romanian opponent offered little resistence as Kerber eased to her 30th victory of the season.

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Autopsy confirms Michael Goolaerts died of heart attack An autopsy carried out on the body of Michael Goolaerts has confirmed that the Belgian rider died of cardiac arrest. He suffered the heart attack and fell off his bike during a race on the weekend.

Remy Schwartz, the state prosecutor for the northern French commune of Cambrai said the autopsy following Michael Goolaertsʼ death on Sunday, confirmed that the Belgian had died of cardiac arrest, as had been widely speculated. "The autopsy confirms the previous hypothesis that death was due to a heart attack and not a crash," Schwartz told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. "He suffered an attack while racing. His heart stopped, and thatʼs why he crashed." The 23year-oldGoolaerts crashed in the early stages of the Paris-Roubaix one-day classicand shortly afterwards he was found unconscious and not breathing along the side of the road. He was rushed to a hospital in Lille, but the Verandaʼs Willems team rider was pronounced dead late on Sunday. Toxicology and other tests are now to be conducted on his body in an effort to determine an exact cause of the heart attack.

The results of these may not be known for several weeks.

Zinedine Zidane leaves Real Madrid five days after winning third Champions League The Spanish giants made the shock announcement on Thursday

Zinedine Zidane, the only coach to win the Champions League three times in a row, has left Real Madrid. The Spanish giants made the shock announcement on Thursday, describing it as ʼunexpectedʼ.

Real Madrid have announced that Zinedine Zidane, their coach since 2016, has left the club. The announcement comes just five days after the former Los Blancos playerturned-coach won a third successive Champions League title with victory over Liverpool in Kyiv. Zidane, 45, also won La Liga in 2017 and his shock departure brings to an end an unprecedented period of success for

the Frenchman. The news was confirmed in a press conference which was called just 90 minutes earlier. "I have taken the decision not to continue next year as Real Madrid coach," Zidane told reporters on Thursday. "This is the right moment for everyone. It might seem a bit strange but it had to be done for the good of everyone, the players, the club and myself."

Robert Lewandowski reportedly wants out of Bayern Munich this summer The agent of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has said that the Polish international wants to leave the club in the summer transfer window. Lewandowskiʼs contract runs through the end of the 2020-21 season.

There were rumors throughout much of the last Bundesliga season that Robert Lewandowski was thinking about leaving Bayern Munich, but the words of his agent, published in this Wednesdayʼs edition of the German weekly SportBild were the most

concrete evidence of this to date.

"Robert feels that he needs a change and a new challenge in his career," his agent, Pini Zahavi said. "Bayern management have been informed of this." Zahavi, who was the agent responsible for Brazilian star Neymarʼs €222 million ($258 million) buyout clause at Barcelona, which was triggered by Paris SaintGermain last summer, denied that financial interests were behind Lewandowskiʼs desire to leave Germanyʼs most successful football club.