title

DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

China to hike tariffs on $60 billion of US goods China said on Monday that it would increase tariffs of up to 25% on $60 billion (€53 billion) worth of US goods, starting on June 1. The "adaptation" was a "response to US unilateralism and trade protectionism," the State Councilʼs Customs Tariffs Commission said. US President Donald Trumplast week increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25%and ordered US trade officials to start looking into imposing tariffs on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. Talks between the United States and China on a deal to end their trade dispute ended on Friday without a breakthrough. China had collected duties of 5% to 25% on nearly 2,500 goods before the latest hike. The Tariffs Commission did not specify which goods would be targeted by the higher rates.

Poland and Israel at odds over Holocaust restitution The Israeli government delegation had already arrived in Warsaw by the time Polandʼs Foreign Ministrycanceled bilateral talksplanned for Monday. "The Israeli side had worked toward a meeting with representatives of the Polish Foreign Ministry some time ago, and various issues were on the agenda," Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ewa Suwara told DW. "Over the past days, however, the composition of the delegation has changed, and that led us to assume that the return of the property of Holocaust victims was to be the main issue." The spokesperson said the ministry does "not hold talks at all about the return of the property." Before World War II, 3.5 million Jews lived in Poland, making up 10 percent of the population. More than 90 percent of them werekilled in the Holocaust, and their property was looted by German Nazis or nationalized, as was most Polish private property, by the post-war communist government.

109/2019 • 14 MAY, 2019

Donald Trump meets Hungaryʼs Viktor Orban at the White House Orban has been welcomed at the White House by US President Donald Trump

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been welcomed at the White House by US President Donald Trump. Trump said Orban had "kept Hungary safe" while Orban said he was proud to fight illegal migration alongside the US. US President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbanmet at the White Housein Washington on Monday with plans to discuss trade and energy issues, as well as weapons sales. Speaking to media at the White House before their meeting, Trump said that the US "relationship is very good with Hungary." "I know hesʼs a tough man, but heʼs a respected man," Trump said, adding that people should look at some of the "tremendous" problems Europe is facing because "theyʼve done things differently" to Hungary. Trump praised Hungaryʼs action on curbing migration, saying that Orban had "kept Hungary safe." Orban said Hungary was proud to join the US in "fighting against illegal migration," as well as on terrorism and protecting Christian communities. Like Trump, right-wing Orban has taken a hard line against migration. Orban has said he hopes he and Trump can coordinate that stance into a global alliance. Hungaryʼs foreign minister told state radio on Sunday that an anti-migration alliance was being formed and noted that Hungary and the US were among a handful of

countries that last year opposed a United Nations migration pact. The timing of the meeting, less than two weeks ahead of European elections in which Orban and his Fidesz party are becoming a thorny issue, raised some eyebrows in Europe. The meeting could also be seen as an attempt to discourage Hungary from strengthening ties with Russia and China. Orban said he had not been in the US for 20 years. Former US President Barack Obama did not welcome Orban and similarly his predecessor George W Bush did not welcome a Hungarian prime minister. Ahead of the meeting, senior Republican and Democratic members of the US Congress told President Donald Trump that they were concerned about Hungaryʼs "downward democratic trajectory." "In recent years, democracy in Hungary has significantly eroded," Republican Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch and Bob Menendez, the panelʼs top Democrat, said in a letter to Trump. "Under Orban, the election process has become less competitive and the judiciary is increasingly controlled by the state."

Sri Lanka imposes overnight curfew after anti-Muslim attacks Sri Lanka ordered a nationwide overnight curfew on Monday after Christian-led rioters attacked mosques and shops owned by Muslims in the countryʼs North Western Province. The curfew would run from 9 p.m. local time (1530 UTC) to 4 a.m. on Tuesday, police said. The announcement came after police fired tear gas to disperse mobs in several parts of the province in the second day of violence against Muslimowned buildings and mosques. Read more: Sri Lanka: Catholics attend first Sunday Mass in capital since bombings At least three shops were torched in the town of Hettipola. Overnight, a mob ransacked Abrar mosque in the town of Kiniyama. The government also temporarily banned social media networks and messaging apps after similar attacks in several towns on Sunday.

EU backs Iran nuclear deal as USʼ Pompeo visits German, French and British foreign ministers have met in Brussels to find ways to keep the pact alive amid Iranʼs partial withdrawal. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a surprise visit. EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday that EU member states continued "to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran" ahead of a foreign ministersʼ summit in Brussels. Washington has increased its pressure on the EU to isolate Iran internationally and walk away from the nuclear deal.

weather today BUDAPEST

8 / 13 °C Precipitation: 0 mm

109/2019 • 14 May, 2019

ICC acquits former Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo Judges at The Hague-based court delivered the eagerly awaited decision on Tuesday morning, clearing 73-year-old Gbagbo of all charges of crimes against humanity over post-electoral violence.

Head judge Cuno Tarfusser said the court granted "the defence motions for acquittal for all charges for Mr Laurent Gbagbo," as well as his co-defendant, Charles Ble Goude. Tarfusser said that a majority of the three-judge bench found that "the prosecutor has failed to satisfy the burden of proof" against both men. Lawyers for the pair had asked judges to acquit them both over a lack of evidence at the end of the prosecution case in their trial that began just under three years ago. The 73year-old Gbagbo was the first former head of state to go on trial at the court in The Netherlands.

His case was seen as a milestone in efforts to bring high-ranking leaders accused of atrocities to justice.

US and Turkish presidents discuss safe zone in northern Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, took to the telephone to discuss the situation in northern Syria on Monday.

"The president expressed the desire to work together to address Turkeyʼs security concerns in northeast Syria while stressing the importance to the United States that Turkey does not mistreat the Kurds and other Syrian Democratic Forces with whom we have fought to defeat ISIS," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement, referring to the "Islamic State" (IS) extremist group. The Turkish presidency said the two men discussed the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria cleared of militia groups.

It did not provide any other details.

Thedisagreement between the NATO alliesis the latest consequence of Trumpʼs December 19 decision to withdraw US military personnel from Syria.

This could leave the Kurdish militia under threat should Turkey start a new offensive. Over the weekend, Trump had taken to Twitter to threaten he would"devastate" the Turkish economyif Ankara sent its forces to attack the Kurds in northern Syria.

2

Ukraineʼs president-elect offers citizenship to Russians However, he coupled the offer with a dig at the situation in the neighboring country

Ukraineʼs soon-to-be leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy has responded to a similar move by Russia and offered Russians Ukrainian citizenship.

President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday offered his countryʼs passports to Russians, but he combined the proposal with criticism of the Kremlin. "We will provide Ukrainian citizenship to representatives of all peoples who suffer from authoritarian and corrupt regimes. In the first place — the Russians, who today suffer probably the most," Zelenskiy wrote on Facebook. Zelenskiyʼs offer came in response to a Kremlin decree last week thatwould fast-track Russian passports for residents of eastern Ukraine,with Russian President Vladimir Putin even saying on Sat-

Berlin AG wants to get rid of fines for fare evaders Authorities in Berlin view fare dodging as a criminal offense punishable by a €60 ($68.6) fine. Local police filed 12,000 complaints over the issue in 2017 and more than 300 people are imprisoned every year for not being able or willing to pay the fines. The left-leaning mayorand other top officials have recently called for less drastic regulations, with some proposing to downgrade fare dodging to a mere administrative offense. Now, the Berlin attorney general wants to go a step further and "completely abolish" the crime of fare dodging. "We shouldnʼt waste resources for criminal

urday he was considering giving all Ukrainians easier access to Russian citizenship if they wanted. Zelenskiy said Putin should not expect many Ukrainians to take up the offer, saying they had "freedom of speech in our country, free media and internet," in contrast with Russia. Moscowʼs move has angered many politicians in Kyiv, which has been at war with Russian-backed separatists in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine since 2014. The conflict, which began after the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, has so far killed 13,000 people. offenses where criminality is highly questionable," Attorney General Margarete Koppers told Berliner Morgen‐ post. Koppers is one of the most senior judiciary officials in Berlin, a 3.6million-strong city which is also considered one of Germanyʼs 16 federal states. Talking to the local daily, Koppers said downgrading the offense would pose "no relief for the judiciary."

Belgium vows to amplify EU voice on UN Security Council Belgiumʼs foreign minister says his country will use its temporary UN Security Council seat to make the EU

The year Trumpian disruption rocked German politics The image that sticks most in my mind from the uniquely disruptive political year that was 2018 is of Angela Merkel with Horst Seehofer on the balcony of the Chancellery building. The chancellor, a glass of white wine in her hand, has turned her back and is stalking away from her rebellious interior minister, as though he were a dog sheʼd just caught going through the kitchen garbage can.

The wind has ruffled her normally perfectly styled hair. She looks unhappy, tired, old. To be fair, Merkel had every reason to be a tad disheveled, having spent many a late night negotiating with Seehofer and her other coalition partners over one-stop holding centers for migrants, so-called "Anker" centers, versus transit centers —an issue that threatened for a few summer weeks to bring down her government and was immediately forgottenwhen a suitably face-saving compromise was found.

Nonetheless, this press photo was a disconcerting sight for anyone who has ever come close to the chancellor in person. Iʼve witnessed her testify for five straight hours in front of a parliamentary investigative committee only to decline with a confident smile when asked if sheʼd like a break. For Merkel stress was always like water off a duckʼs back.Until 2018.

more influential on the global stage.

Belgium and Germany are to scheduled to take up their seats on January 1. Belgium will use its two-year seat on the United Nations Security Council to bolster the European Unionʼs influence within the global body, Belgiumʼs foreign minister has said. Didier Reynders told Germanyʼs Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung news outlet that Belgium aims to help harmonize each EU member stateʼs diplomacy so that they "send the same message with different voices." Belgium will take up its temporary seat on the Security Council,the UNʼs highest decisionmaking body, along with Germany on January 1. "We have an important role to play in supporting multilateralism," Reynders said. "There is no better place for it than in the United Nations Security Council."

109/2019 • 14 May, 2019

Pope Francis urges hairdressers to stop gossiping

The Pope told hairdressers to "avoid succumbing to the temptation of chatter." He said they should take inspiration from a 16th century saint who was known for cutting hair, bloodletting and amputations.

Pope Francis on Monday warned an audience of hairdressers, hairstylists and beauticians that they should avoid gossiping. "Practice your profession in a Christian style, treating customers with kindness and courtesy, offering them a good word and encouragement," he said. "And avoid succumbing to the temptation of chatter which is easily associated with your field of work," he added. During the meeting at the Vatican, he advised the group of 230 pilgrims to follow their patron saint Martino de Porres

EU must curb corporate lobbying power — NGO LobbyControl on Monday accused the European Union of doing too little to combat corporate influence.

Anew report by the German NGO said there are insufficient rules to limit such influence, which takes place through expert groups, meetings between civil servants and lobbyists or informal channels. "Corporations can draw on an incredible lobbying power to push through their interests," said the reportʼs author, Nina Katzemich. The report said EU member governments were some of the main lobbyists in Brussels, with many countries pushing for EU rules and decisions that reflect the interests of their national industries. Germany, it noted, had used its influence to weaken and delay rules on tax evasion and diesel emissions tests. The EU allows "corporations and the rich to move their assets to shadow financial centres and thus evade their tax responsibility," it said.

(1579-1639), canonized in 1966 by his predecessor Paul VI. The barbersurgeon was canonized for his supposed miracles of levitation, being in two places at once, instant cures and communicating with animals. Porres is also the patron saint of mixed-race people. Much like Porres, whose job covered haircuts, amputations and bloodletting, "each of you, in your professional work, can always act with righteousness, thus making a positive contribution to the common good of society," Francis said.

Julian Assange: Sweden reopens rape case

With just one year to go before the statute of limitations expires, Swedish prosecutors have reopened a rape case against Julian Assange. Whether the WikiLeaks founder will face trial in Sweden now depends on Britain.

Prosecutors in Sweden said Monday they are reopening a preliminary investigation into a rape allegation againstWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The relaunch leaves the UK, whoarrested Assange last month for jumping bail, deciding whether to extradite him to Sweden or to the

United States, where he faces charges in connection with the leaking of government documents. What was announced: Eva-Marie Persson, Swedenʼs deputy director of public prosecutors, said: "There is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange committed rape.""The previous decision (in May 2017) to close the investigation was not based on difficulties related to evidence, but on difficulties that blocked the investigation.""It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required."

Eurovisionʼs Orange Carpet in Tel Aviv With the last of the countriesʼ entries announced weeks ago, the official Eurovision videos have long since been been generating untold numbers of online views. Each step of the yearly ritual has been assiduously reported on the contestʼs websites eurovision.de and eurovision.tv, from the arrivals of the contestants and their entourages in Tel Aviv to sneak previews of their final shows taken from the first phase of rehearsals last week. Multiple press conferences have given the artists every possible exposure.

3

109/2019 • 14 May, 2019

Older German diesels face reckoning German government ministers met at Chancellor Angela Merkelʼs offices on Friday to discuss the vexatious diesel question. After years of wrangling, a solution is dearly sought, but what are the realistic options? Is Germanyʼs seemingly never-ending diesel debate edging towards its endgame? On Friday, German government ministers for transport, finance, the economy and the environment met at the offices of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to try and reach an agreement on the thorny subject of how to reduce pollution from diesel cars as quickly as possible. Read more: New analysis reveals deadly scale of diesel emissions Last weekend, German government figures and car manufacturers were in talks over potential hardware retrofits for older diesels, but no deal was reached. With diesel bans allowed in Germany since rulings earlier this year, the debate has entered a decisive phase.Hamburg began a partial ban in May, while Stuttgart,Frankfurtand Düsseldorf are among the other cities expected to follow. Car manufacturers are vehemently opposed to such bans, as they have added to uncertainty over dieselʼs future and hit sales. The debate in the Chancellery once more centered on a few key questions around whether older diesels should be banned outright, retrofitted with new hardware or gradually phased out through incentivized buyback schemes. On top of that is the fundamental issue of who pays to make things better.

Sri Lanka seeks investment, but China questions linger You donʼt need to be an expert on international trade routes to look at a map and understandthat Sri Lankaʼs location is one of potentially serious economic advantage. The island nation — population 22 million — sits at the southern tip of India, almost as close to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa as it is to South East Asia. The value of this location has not been lost on its northern neighbor China.Under Xi Jinpingʼs so-called ʼBelt and Road Initiative,ʼ the Chinese government has pumped billions into Sri Lanka in the form of both foreign investment and loans in recent years. This reliance on Chinese money is part of a longstanding Sri Lankan problem. With a major trade deficit, as well as crippling levels of debt, the country needs foreign money. China has rushed to fill the gap more enthusiastically than anyone else. The current Sri Lankan government came to power in 2015, when it replaced former President Mahinda Rajapaksaʼs administration.

4

Ride-hailing firm Uber sees rocky start in stock launch Ride-hailing service Uber went public on Friday, and the event had been billed as one of the largest IPOs in the history of the New York Stock Exchange. The shares did not start the day well.

Shares of Uber Technologies dropped about 9% in their debut on Friday, recovering later to just under 7% below the initial public offer (IPO). The stockʼs opening at $42 per share came despite the companyʼs strategy to price its oversubscribed IPO conservatively to avoid a repeat of Lyftʼs stock market struggles, following the rivalʼs debut in March of this year.

The disappointing market response needs to be seen against the backdrop of investor skepticism about Uberʼs ability to turn profitable anytime

Can the European Union control Chinaʼs connectivity in Europe?

Last week, the EU announced a proposal for a "new and comprehensive strategy to better connect Europe and Asia." As European countries and industry expand infrastructure and network connections with Asia, and China in particular, the EU is seeking to level the playing field and ensure that joint projects develop with Brussels setting the standard. DW spoke with Mathieu Duchâtel, senior policy fellow and deputy director of the Asia and China Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about the EUʼs strategy on connecting Europe and Asia. Mathieu Duchâtel: This proposal is the EUʼs response mainly to Chinaʼs Belt and Road initiative, with the aim of making European values on connectivity clear. I think itʼs the result of a feeling in the EU that it wasnʼt in the driverʼs seat on the connectivity discussion in Eurasia. This, of course, includes infrastructure because thereʼs no connectivity without infrastructure.

H-1056 Budapest, Só u. 6.

Telephone: +36 1 577 0700 Fax: +36 1 577 0710 bhzinfo@zeinahotels.com www.boutiquehotelbudapest.com

Knorr-Bremse set to become German IPO of the year Knorr-Bremse said on Friday that strong investor demand for its 35 million shares to be publicly listed on October 12 could value the stake at up to €4.21 billion ($4.77 billion). The German braking and technology group now hopes to sell its newlyfloated shares at a price of between €72 and €87. Earnings from the 30-percent stake in the company could make the flotation the biggest in Germany this year, overtaking that of Siemens Healthineers — the worldʼs largest maker of medical imaging equipment — which sold for €4.2 billion. The companyʼs chief executive Klaus Deller, said KnorrBremse would welcome new investors as it was heading toward further growth. "We have received very positive feedback from investors and other stakeholders...confirming our strong belief that this IPO is the next logical step for us," he said in a statement.

Published by: Mega Media Kft. 1075 Budapest, Madách I. út 13-14. +36 1 398 0344 www.hotelujsag.hu

soon. About half a year ago, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was as honest as it can get and more straightforward than the bosses of big companies tend to be. In the presence of hundreds of students at Stanford University, he railed against all those investors, who had exerted pressure on the firm by criticizing Uber for being in the red. "If they want a predictable profitable company — go buy a bank," he said, only to add that "we are not going to have predictable profitability."

Thyssenkrupp expects EU to ʼblockʼ Tata merger plan

Neither Thyssenkrupp nor Tata were prepared to make the concessions necessary to get their planned merger passed by the European Commission, fearing a negative effect on synergy. Thyssenkrupp then announced job cuts.

German steel giant Thyssenkrupp on Friday announced that it no longer expected the green light from the EU over a proposed merger with Indian competitor Tata. A plan to split the company in to two entities has now been put on ice. "Thyssenkrupp and Tata Steel expect that the planned joint venture of their European steel activities will not go ahead due to the Commissionʼs continuing concerns," the Essen-based company said in a statement. The Commission itself declined to comment. "At this stage all I can say is that our investigation is ongoing and that the provisional deadline for the commission to take its decision is June 17," said European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso. The merger would have created the scond-largest steel group in Europe, with around 48,000 employees.

The executive board of Thyssenkrupp has said it will reassess the "strategic options for the company," including, among other things, a "leaner holding structure."

109/2019 • 14 May, 2019

Space mice — NASAʼs rodent astronauts This most recent experiment is far from the rodent space mission

NASA has sent mice to the ISS to learn more about the effects of microgravity and how humans would fare on long space trips like voyages to Mars.

The International Space Station (ISS) has seen many interesting experiments. Fromgrowing lettuce in spacetostudying twins (one in space and one on Earth) to compare the different developments their bodies went through. One study carried out

by NASA doesnʼt involve human subjects, but animal ones: the researchers sent mice up to the ISS to see how organisms react to microgravity. "Since the environment of space alters multiple, interacting biological systems — including bones, muscles, the heart, blood flow, and

the immune system – sometimes it is better to study everything at once in the entire organism," NASA states on their "rodent research" site. "This can be achieved by working with research model organisms, such as mice and other rodents." While it might not seem like it at first glance, humans and mice actually have quite a lot in common, which makes the little rodents perfect guinea pigs, so to speak. Another plus is miceʼs faster development, so effects of microgravity can be studied on a shorter timescale.

Ukraineʼs Eurovision contestant Maruv clouded by political scandal The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is supposed to be a purely musical competition that transcends politics — a claim that has been spectacularly disproved in Ukraine this year. On Monday, the result of the Ukrainian national final was canceled, and Ukraineʼs participation in the ESC finale in Tel Aviv in May is now uncertain. Itʼs possible the eastern European country may have to cancel its appearance at the song contest for the second time since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukrainian winner dropped The bombshell came late on

Monday afternoon. State broadcaster UA Suspilne Movlennya announced that it would drop Maruv, the winner of the national final, after it was unable to reach an agreement with her.

The statement said there was "evidence of politicization" of the competition. It was initially unclear what would happen next. Maruv, 27, won the national final on February 23. Her raunchy performance of "Siren Song” garnered the most votes, both from the jury and from the viewers of the channel broadcasting the event, state broadcaster UA Pershiy.

Man leaves €10,000 Picasso jug on German train German police are trying to help a man find a ceramic jug made by Pablo Picasso, after he accidentally left it on a train earlier this month.

The elderly man was traveling from Kassel to Dusseldorf on February 15 when he switched trains at the city of Hamm and forgot to bring his precious cargo with him. Read more: How German was Picasso? The 26centimeter-tall (10-inch-tall) ceramic piece dates to 1953 and was an original crafted by Picasso at his Madoura workshop in Vallauris in the south of France, police said. It is part of Picassoʼs "Owl series" and is estimated to be worth at least €10,000 ($8,800).

Police said the man reported the disappearance immediately after exiting the train but the bag with the jug inside it was already gone. Read more: Picasso and windows The shopping bag was made of solid cardboard with blue lettering that read "Neumeister — Alte Kunst — Moderne." Munster Federal Police, which is investigating the case, asked witnesses who might have seen the man "forgetting" the bag to report the sighting to them.

Macklemore, 6lack and Michael Kiwanuka are the final acts confirmed for Sziget 2019

International superstars Macklemore, 6lack and Michael Kiwanuka have just been announced as the final additions to Sziget’s incredible genrespanning line-up for 2019, joining headliners Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Foo Fighters, The 1975, Post Malone, Twenty One Pilots, Martin Garrix and The National.

Also appearing this August will be James Blake, Richard Ashcroft, Mura Masa, Years & Years, IDLES, Jungle, Johnny Marr, Tove Lo, IAMDDB, Son Lux, Masego – and, of course, many more.

Weather

Wed

7 / 12

Thu

Fri

7 / 12

9 / 14

Hungary Budapest: Debrecen: Eger: Hévíz:

6/13 5/17 4/16 5/16

Athens: Berlin: Bratislava: Bucharest: London: Madrid:

4/25 0/21 5/15 6/20 3/17 10/21

Kecskemét: Keszthely: Siófok:

5/17 4/22 6/18

Europe Moscow: Paris: Prague: Rome: Varsaw: Vienna:

0/14 5/20 5/21 10/24 5/16 5/21

Culture

Hungary at a Glance (Published

by Scolar Publishing Company) look for it in bookstores It is a unique feature of the Carpathian basin that its relatively small area hosts an unparalleled variety of ethnic groups, religions and civilizations. This cohabitation gave birth to a common culture, while a truly multilayered nation was also formed.

For centuries the descendants of the founding Hungarian tribes lived alongside ancient peoples who preceded them and the people migrating here from neighbouring nations. Hungarians, Slovaks, Romanians, Serbs and Germans shared a common land here, just like the members of the different faiths – Catholics, Calvinists, Lutherans and Jews – did. Our book is a special project, as it tries to convey the colourful nature of Hungary and its people.

This unique “guidebook” covers everything from history to cultural heritage, from the achievements of the arts and sciences to the extraordinary music scene.

Although these pages will give you only a glance, we do hope that this glimpse will inspire real love for this country in all our readers.

5

109/2019 • 14 May, 2019

Formula One: Lewis Hamilton leads Mercedes one-two in Spain

Lewis Hamilton beat teammate Valtteri Bottas to win the Spanish Grand Prix for a third consecutive year on Sunday, securing a record fifthonetwo finish for Mercedesto start the season. Hamiltonʼs third win of the campaign let him take the championship lead by seven points over Bottas, who had entered the race with a one-point advantage. "This is history in the making to have five one-twos," Hamilton said about his teamʼs record start to 2019. Max Verstappen was third in his Red Bull, in front of Ferrari pair Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, with Vettel hampered with tyre issues throughout.

The Open: Royal Liverpool to host major for 13th time in 2022

Royal Liverpool Golf Club will host the Open Championship in 2022. It will be the 13th time the Hoylake venue has hosted the championship, with Rory McIlroy winning on the last occasion it staged the event in 2014. Governing body the R&A said the 151st edition of the major will take place from 10-17 July. "We know that there will be tremendous excitement among golf fans at its return to Royal Liverpool," said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A. "Its famous links has a cherished history and has produced a revered group of champion golfers, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy most recently." Royal Liverpool returned to the Open rota after a 39-year gap in 2006.

6

Toni Söderholm takes charge of German national ice hockey team Weeks after Marco Sturm left to pursue an opportunity in the NHL, the German ice hockey team have a new coach. Finnish coach Toni Söderholm has signed a contract that will take him through the 2022 Winter Games.

The German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) confirmed on Thursday what had been widely rumored for days;Toni Söderholm is the national teamʼs new head coach. "The decision was an easy one for us," DEB President Franz Reindl told a press conference in Munich. "He knows the system, he is predestined for international ice hockey. I am proud and am 100 percent certain that it will work out well with Toni." For his part, said he was "very happy" to have accepted the post. "The No. 1 job is to make the national team better and better. Söderholm, a former defenseman, is a relatively inexperienced coach, having only retired as a player in 2016 following a season at Red Bull Munich. Before turning professional, Söderholm spent four years playing US college hockey with the University of Massachusetts. As a pro he spent the bulk of his career at the club of his youth, Helsinki IFK, but also had spells in the top leagues in Sweden and Switzerland – where he learned to speak German.

South Africa plans to appeal Caster Semenya testosterone ruling Olympic champion Caster Semenya had challenged the new regulations

South Africaʼs government has said it wants an appeal to be lodged against rules that force some female athletes to reduce testosterone levels.

The South African government on Monday said it wanted an appeal to be lodged against the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) ruling on Caster Semenya. The Swiss-based CAS ruled earlier this month that female athletes withhigh testosterone levelswould have to take suppressive treatment to be able to compete as women in certain events. The case has provoked furious debate about the rights of athletes with differences of sexual development.

The South African government said it was "instructing" the national sports governing body, Athletics South Africa (ASA) — which has a certain degree of autonomy — to make the appeal after consulting an expert panel. Parties can only appeal the decisions of the CAS on a very limited number of grounds.

The Sports Ministry has said it believes two of the CAS judges were conflicted and that the judgment ignored the facts.

Valtteri Bottas leads Mercedes one-two in Baku Valtteri Bottas led a fourth consecutive Mercedes one-two in Baku, finishing ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Ferrariʼs Sebastian Vettel started and finished in third while Charles Leclerc ended a dramatic day in fifth.

Valtteri Bottas finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes continued their domination of Formula One this season with another one-two in an unspectacular Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Finn started in pole position and led almost throughout as he banished memories of last season when a puncture on the final lap robbed him of vic-

tory. Hamiltonʼs second place finish made it a fourth consecutive one-two for Mercedes. Ferrariʼs Sebastian Vettel had no chance against the two Mercedes and lost further points in the championship race with a third-placed finish. "Anything can happen here," Vettel had said ahead of the race, but very little actually happened on the narrow, winding streets of Baku. Vettelʼs Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished fifth after the most eventful ride of all, starting in eighth, dropping to ninth and even temporarily leading before dropping behind fourth-placed Max Verstappen.