241/2018 • 20 OCTOBER, 2018 WEEKEND ISSUE
DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Angela Merkel defies Trump, defends free trade at EU-Asia meet Meeting in Brussels, EU and Asia leaders have pledged to create
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rebuked the "America First" approach to free trade of US President Donald Trump.
Afghanistan violence raises uncertainty over elections
Germany: Falsely imprisoned Syrian did not commit suicide
A top security official and several candidates have been killed in the run-up to the Afghan vote. But Germanyʼs special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan tells DW heʼs still optimistic about the countryʼs future. Afghan authorities have vowed to go ahead with the October 20 polls despite a violent attack in Kandahar on Thursday that killed General Abdul Raziq, one of the countryʼs most powerful security officials and a key US ally in the war against the Taliban.
A wrongfully imprisoned Syrian man, Amed A., whose death was ruled a suicide in the western German town of Kleve appeared to have called for help, local media reported on Thursday, casting doubt on the official account of the manʼs passing. The daily Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger wrote that a report passed around in the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Kleve lies, indicated that the man had not intentionally set himself on fire. Indeed, it appeared that he had tried to call for help.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended free trade at a summit of European and Asian leaders in Brussels on Friday, rejecting the protectionist rhetoric and policy of US President Donald Trump. "We can show that itʼs about creating win-win situations, making it clear that when one profits, the other also profits," she said at the 12th summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Merkelʼs call set the tone of the two-day meet, where 30 European leaders and their counterparts from 21 Asian countries are expected to defend the World Trade Organization (WTO), international cooperation, and the fight against climate change. "The summit shows that countries from Europe and Asia, which all want a rulebased world trade, are gathering here to commit themselves to multilateralism and this is an important signal," Merkel said. Trumpʼs specterThe German chancellorʼs comments directly contradicted Trumpʼs zero-sum approach to trade and disregard for multilateralism. Under the banner of "America First," the US president has called for ripping up free trade deals, protected domestic industries through tariffs, andlambasted Germany and the European Union for their high export surpluses with the US. Fighting back against that doctrine, the EU and Singapore are set to sign a free trade deal later on Friday.
Divisions below the surface Disagreements nevertheless emerged between Europe and China appeared on Friday, with China refusing to admit wording in a final communique that would have called for the end of state subsidies, according to Reuters news agency. The European Union and the United States have criticized China for distorting international trade by subsidizing national companies andpromoting oversupply in international steel and aluminum markets. European leaders also face challenges in maintain good trading relations with Asian countries that have poor human rights records. Electoral irregularities in Cambodia and the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Myanmar have led the bloc to recently threaten revoking both countriesʼ trading privileges. Merkel acknowledged those difficulties in her speech on Friday, admitting that European leaders would "have to bring up questions of human rights and values in bilateral talks." Electoral irregularities in Cambodia and the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Myanmar have led the bloc to recently threaten revoking both countriesʼ trading privileges. Merkel acknowledged those difficulties in her speech on Friday, admitting that European leaders would "have to bring up questions of human rights and values in bilateral talks."
Malaysiaʼs UNMO leader Zahid denies graft charges
Tracing the flow of Nigeriaʼs stolen oil to Cameroon
Malaysiaʼs former deputy premier has pleaded not guilty to 45 charges stemming from a fresh graft investigation. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi heads the longdominant UNMO party which voters relegated into opposition last May. The head of Malaysiaʼs opposition party on Friday denied before a Kuala Lumpur that he had accepted bribes to award contracts while home minister, laundered money, and breached trust within a family-run charity. Multiple reports said the 45 charges pointed to alleged corruption involving a total of 111 million Malaysian ringgit (€23 million, $26 million).
The noise of heavy vehicle traffic and portside traders greets you at Idenau on Cameroonʼs border with Nigeria. Vigilant gun-toting soldiers, police and security guards patrol the area. Journalists like me are closely monitored and severely restricted. The soldiers are quick to warn that the use of any photographic or recording devices is strictly prohibited without written permission from the authorities. With that clearance in hand, I make my way to the waterside to find fishermen who can tell me about the local industry, with the policewoman assigned to escort me in tow.
241/2018 • 20 October, 2018 Weekend issue
Amnesty accuses Turkey of ʼturning blind eyeʼ to abuses in Afrin Human rights organization Amnesty International accused Turkey on Thursday of allowing Syrian armed groups to commit a wide range of violations against civilians in Afrin. Turkish forces aided by allied rebelscaptured the northern Syrian townin March from the US-backed Kurdish Peopleʼs Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a terrorist group.According to Amnestyʼs research, scores of displaced residents have since returned to their homes, only to be subjected to rights abuses. Read more:Turkeyʼs military offensive against Kurdish-held Afrin: What you need to know Amnesty interviewed 32 people, both current and former Afrin residents, between May and July 2018, who said: Residents in Afrin are enduring "arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, confiscation of property and looting."Most of the abuses were "at the hands of Syrian groups that have been equipped and armed by Turkey."Some of the rebel groups and Turkish armed forces had "taken over schools, disrupting the education for thousands of children."
Outcry in Uganda over compulsory HIV test 19-year-old Methia Nalukwago, a student at Makerere University in the capital Kampala, is excited by the proposal to have all students undergo compulsory HIV/AIDS testing. Some students, she says, have been living in denial. "Our friends, we study with them but you look at someone and you are like, ʼare you sure you are not sick or something like that?ʼ Of course you never come out to tell them but you feel it deep down inside you, this person must be sick because of the symptoms that show," Nalukwago told DW. "Compulsory testing for HIV will help us know our HIV status and where we stand." Studies conducted by the Ugandan AIDS Commission show lack of sufficient information among the youth is contributing to an increase of HIV. Jane Were, the head teacher of Forest Hill College in Mukono district located 21 kilometers (13 miles) east of Kampala, said they are grappling with HIV in schools. She said the situation has been made worse by parents who mislead their children on what they are actually suffering from. "We have situations where parents lie to students about these [anti-retroviral] drugs. There are parents who tell children they have other ailments other than HIV," 2
Two dead as police respond to Kirchheim domestic incident Germany:
Police have issued further information on an incident in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Officers were responding to a case of domestic violence and killed a suspect who was threatening a family member. Two people were killed and two police officers critically injured after police responded to a domestic incident in Kirchheim in the western German state of RhinelandPalatinate, police said on Friday. A 56-year-old woman and her 25-yearold son were among the fatalities. Police responded after the woman called them and told them her son was having a psychotic episode under the influence of drugs and had attacked her. The police shot dead the son after he attacked and injured two police officers with scissors. The mother died at the scene despite receiving emergency medical treat-
German politician targeted by haters over climate refugees A member of the Green Youths has received an onslaught of online hate, including rape and death threats, after she publicly put her support behind extending citizenship to asylum seekers fleeing disasters of climate change. Earlier this month, comments made by 24-yearold Ricarda Lang (above), a spokeswoman for the political organization, were published in a number of German regional newspapers and online outlets, including ZDF, and Die Welt. "The EU should offer the citizens of island states that are threatened by climate change European citizenship and enable them to migrate with dignity," Lang told German media. In the 24 hours that
ment. Police said they had not yet determined the cause of death. Police had earlier taken to Twitter to reassure the public that the situation was under control and appeal to people not to jump to conclusions: "More and more false announcements regarding our operation in #Kirchheim. We ask you to keep your distance from speculation," police wrote. Kirchheim an der Weinstrasse is a small municipality southwest of Frankfurt with a population of less than 2,000. Itʼs in the heart of Rhineland-Palatinateʼs wine-growing region known colloquially as the Weinstrasse ("wine road"). followed, Lang saidhate messagesflooded her Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Email. "People threatened my life and commented on my body, and said how they wanted to kill or rape me," she told DW. "The first day was really hard because I kind of felt like I was alone, standing in front of this huge wall of hate."
Refugees in Italy get their hands dirty with own farm Every morning Dembo Cisse, a sturdily-built 21-year old from Guinea, waits for the car to pick him up. He and two others, who live in the same apartment that belongs to Italyʼs privatized migrant reception system, get in the vehicle. The old family car
Germanyʼs family reunification policy can leave young adults in limbo It sounds desperate, but Riham abo Staiti says she would rather die than turn 18. The 17-year-old only leaves her darkened accommodations when absolutely necessary. She lives here in a 30-square-meter (323-square-foot) portable housing unit with her father and three siblings in the Nahr alBared Refugee Camp in northern Lebanon. Yet, one important person is missing: "I just want to be with my mother," Riham says. She only speaks with her mother, who lives in a suburb of Karlsruhe, Germany, on her mobile phone. Her fear is constant when the two talk each day: "I am terrified of being left here on my own," says Riham. She has been waiting for the day she can join her mother for more than three years now. She is in a race against time, for she will likely be barred from family reunification as soon as she turns 18.
then heads from Oleggio, a small town in the northern Italian region of Piedmont, to an agricultural field nearby. But Dembo and his companions are not off to work in the food supply chain, dominated by large-scale distributors who require ever lower prices and therefore cheap labor — which many of their fellow Africans provide for lack of better options. Read more: Italy tells refugees: Donʼt risk the journey The carʼs driver is Raffaele DʼAcunto, known as Lello, the areaʼs first organic farmer, now retired, who decided to set up a small-scale agricultural company to make organic produce and sell it on the local market. Lello, Dembo and four others from Mali, Senegal and Nigeria — the youngest of whom is just 19 — are to become equal partners in the budding business they have aptly named Zappa Arcobaleno, Italian for Rainbow Hoe. The company is currently caught up in the bureaucratic process awaiting official registration.
241/2018 • 20 October, 2018 Weekend issue
Everyday use and extreme fashion accessories by young Hungarian brand DELACIER Timeless stability meets sophisticated elegance in the collection.
DELACIER is an extravagant jewelry and accessory brand which was born by the fusion of steel and string art technique. The philosophy of the brand is based on innovation, experimentation and astonishing combining with minimal elements. In addition to the jewelry pieces DELACIER also provides extreme fashion accessories not meant for everyday use, which belong to the futurist line of the brand. The products depend on the style, not the age. It means the DELACIER woman is having a strong, fierce
character, unique style with confidence. She is choosing the perfect DELACIER jewelry no matter if it is a strong necklace or a refined earrings. The brand was created by Dora Domokos after graduating the ModʼART International Institute of Fashion Design in Hungary. "While designing my diploma collection I realized that I would like to work with steel in the future. Working with this metal was natural for me, because our family business is processing and working with steel more than 20 years. As I child, I spent so
much time in the workroom, where I discovered many industrial materials and technologies. These childhood memories gave me the inspiration of creating the brand, the mood as well as the spectacle of DELACIER. Showroom (By appointment only!) : Clique Design stu‐ dio 1082 Budapest, Hungary, Baross u. 47. Mobile: +36 30 4692494 Shops (just drop by): ColourMyStyle // 1066 Budapest Zichy Jenő u. 32 ONE Fashion Budapest // 1092 Budapest Ráday u. 9.
Find out more or buy online: https://shop.delacier.com/
Air guitarists compete for world title (and world peace) in Finland The elite among the international air guitar scene donʼt just gather each year in the Finnish city of Oulu to shake their long hair and jump around on stage, but also to strive for loftier humanitarian goals. According to the ideology of the Air Guitar World Championships, as stated on the official website, "wars would end, climate change stop and all bad things disappear, if all the people in the world played the air guitar." Contestants from six countries are gearing up for the final of the air guitar world championships on Friday, organizers said. Contestants are judged on their ability to pretend to strum rock or heavy metal electric guitar solos — minus the instrument.
Budapest installs new running track near MOM Park Steps away from Buda’s MOM Park shopping centre and the popular Saturday organic market, Gesztenyés kert park now welcomes runners with a newly installed rubberised track. The 400-metre-long facility contains a shock-absorbing layer and an EPDM rubber-wearing surface to provide consistent thickness. Every 100 metres is marked, allowing runners to track their performance. Blending in with its environment, a yellow-coloured rubberised running track awaits sport aficionados in District XII. The joint-friendly course is made of pervious materials, allowing water to pass through the track, so runners can train there any time of the year. Set in the triangle of Alkotás utca, Csörsz utca and Jagelló út, Gesztenyés kert is a laid-back park towered above by the modern MOM Park shopping mall. This quiet recreation zone, complete with a playground and dog-friendly facilities, is a popular hangout for local residents. Additional fitness and spa facilities around here include MOM Sport, an extensive complex with swimming pools and saunas.
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241/2018 • 20 October, 2018 Weekend issue
Hungarian company wins exclusive rights to AC/DC brand Visit us: Tipton Budapest, 1056 Budapest, Irányi u. 20 More information: www.tipton.hu
Dark, intense shades meet casual feminine style: Högl Collection A/W 2018/2019 The Högl autumn/winter 2018/19 collection confidently showcases the new on-trend colours dark plum, violet, rust brown and different shades of grey. The new season’s styles are impressively strong, but still feminine. They come in a range of new colours and materials, in slim, elegant styles with block heels and profiled soles – guaranteed to turn heads. Nightwalker Mysterious and as dark as the night, the styles in this part of the collection won’t fail to impress. The focus is on new interpretations of classics: boots and ankle boots with stylish details such as laces, eyelets and buckles. The colour palette ranges from black to dark grey to the new addition of dark plum. Swarovski® crystal detailing emphasises the feminine look and adds a hint of opulence. Winter styles are enhanced by a Gore-Tex® membrane, and are available in both casual suede and metallic leather. Sense Maker
Delicate greys bring a ray of light in the winter darkness, complemented by clean, simple lines. The urban focus of the collection uses a palette of flattering dark grey, stone, nude and mauve tones. Trendy block heels and new queenie heels feature strongly. From sneakers to heels (in round, V-neck and high-fronted cuts) to bootees and overknee boots, the high-quality leather and soft neutral colours of these new designs complement next season’s relaxed, feminine look perfectly. Experiencer The third theme of the collection is expressed in earthy tones, from espresso to rust brown and camel. Sneakers, bootees and heels in burnt colours and retro-chic style invite to experiment with all sorts of different combinations. The multi-tone effect of the new materials used for ankle boots – such as crushed Naplak – adds a surprising twist to their look. Singer Adrien Szekeres is now 3rd year brand ambas‐ sador of Högl Shoes in Hungary!
A local eyewear manufacturer is the exlcusive producer of eyewear for hard rock gods AC/DC. Vinylize, created by local designer Zachary Tipton, recycles vinyl records into uber-premium glasses and sunglasses. Now their new collection is made out of one of the most successful albums ever: Back in Black. Be prepared to pay premium
for their products which are all handmade in their downtown workshop. Prices start at 90,000 HUF(300 euros). A visit will grant you access to their production facilites where you can even have your purchase customized.
Hungary’s Recirquel to stage
Alma Abonyi Design
Budapest premiere of hit Edinburgh show “My Land” The show runs at Müpa Budapest every day from 16 to 19 October and on 21 October. From tonight, Budapest audiences can expect gravity-defying acts performed in their purest form, through physical feats of the body. Presented on the stage of the prestigious Müpa Palace of Arts are stunts by globally renowned company Recirquel, whose new ballet-like production “My Land” was top-rated by critics at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We talk to Recirquel founder and choreographer Bence Vági, who has taken acrobatics to new heights. Performers in skin-tight unitards rise up from a dirt-covered set to share personal stories, their bodies contorted and biceps straining. What unfolds in front of the viewers appear as illusionary images combining light, shadow and reflection – nature’s elements. Tradition, freedom and love all form part of My Land, a real physical feat enacted by a team of Ukrainian artists to traditional Tatar and Moldavian music. 4
Handmade, high tech bags and accessories - between fine art and design. More information and webshop: almaabonyi.com
ʼYou are a woman, a mother, a sister and a daughter; dare to be yourself with Celeniʼ
A line born in Budapest embracing the female body through precised tailoring to achieve effortless sophistication together with timeless classics. Look inside the pieces to discover our story hidden in the details! Celeni is a lifestyle brand designed
for educated and powerful, yet feminine women, who love art and culture. It focuses on everyday luxury, creating classic, but modern pieces season after season highlighting womenʼs natural beauty. Celeni’s pieces are wearable and versatile transitioning from daywear to eveningwear with just the change of accessories. All of Celeniʼs products are proudly crafted in Hungary. End of season sale has kicked off in our showroom. Grab your favorite unique pieces at unbelievable prices until stock lasts. If you can’t find what you are looking for, we design it for you. Our showroom is situated in the very heart of Budapest. Book an appointment today. Contact us at: info@celeni.hu +36-70/670-0116 Metropolitan Store 1054 Budapest, Aulich utca 4. Visit our showroom in Metropolitan Store - we also ship abroad!
241/2018 • 20 October, 2018 Weekend issue
A long mission to Mercury begins BepiColombo spacecraft launch:
BepiColombo is set to begin its long journey to one of the least studied of Earthʼs seven neighboring planets. It is hoped the probe will offer insights into how our solar system was formed. A seven-year journey to Mercury, one of the solar systemʼs least studied planets, is about to get underway. Thespace probe duo BepiColombo,named after Italian engineer and mathematician Giuseppe Colombo, is considered one of the most demanding space missions the European Space Agency (ESA) has ever undertaken. This might sound surprising, because at first glance the project appears to be a simple one — at least when compared to missions such as Rosettaʼs
landing on comet Chury in 2014. After all, itʼs just an orbiter probe — albeit one with two components — like many others before it that have visited planets in our solar system. But getting a probe to Mercury is not as easy as it sounds. ESA has teamed up with theJapanese space agency JAXA for this technically challenging mission. Extreme climatic conditions around the planet will add an element of difficultly to the study, as Mercury has virtually no atmosphere.
French-German space probe MASCOT lands on Ryugu asteroid The French-German Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) lander was released from an unmanned Japanese spacecraft on Wednesday. A few hours later, Japanese space agency JAXA confirmed that the scout hand landed onthe Ryugu asteroid, 325 million kilometers (201 million miles) from earth. Researchers hope that the lander will be able to provide vital information about the organic substances and hydrated minerals believed to be contained in the 900meter (3,000-foot) asteroid. The readings from these substances could provide vital information about the origin and evolution of the solar system. The lander also has a wide-angle camera to capture its surroundings and a spectroscopic microscope on the bottom to examine minerals on the asteroidʼs surface. "The researchers will be watching with excitement in the minutes and hours after touchdown, as it is impossible to predict how MASCOT will move on the surface according to the laws of physics alone," said the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Atelier Palmetta - The new hub of Hungarian comtemporary fashion in Buda
Big beef versus family farms: A war of ideas in Brazil When Jonas de Souza arrived at the small farming area on Brazilʼs eastern coast, he despaired. Lifeless vegetation dotted the nearby riverbank, pesticide bottles littered the ground and thesoil was ruined. "Soil contains a lot of life," said Souza. "But it was hard to even find worms or maggots in that soil. And the river too — there were no fish — because it had all been contaminated by pesticides." It was 2003 and he had just arrived with 19 other families to occupy the land, which holds a portion of the Atlantic rainforest — a forest that has been so exploited and is losing biodiversity at such a rapid rate that researchers re-
cently called it an "extinction vortex." The land had been overworked by years of buffalo ranching but Souza, a farmer, believed it was salvageable and that sustainable production could revive the surrounding forest ecosystem. Now 15 years later, the Jose Lutzenberger Camp — named for a famous Brazilian environmentalist — cultivates everything from coffee to cabbage without pesticides. Around 90 percent of the 20 tons of food they produce every month is sent to public schools as part of a free lunch program; the rest is either sold at local markets or used to feed the encampmentʼs families.
Atelier Palmetta Concept Room Address: 1111 Budapest, Bartók Béla Street 30. palmettadesign@gmai.com Open: Monday Friday 11 - 19. Phone: +36 70 610 7330. www.palmettadesign.hu, instagram.com/alelier_palmetta
Weather
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Hungary Budapest: Debrecen: Eger: Hévíz:
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Athens: Berlin: Bratislava: Bucharest: London: Madrid:
21/23 11/24 11/26 17/26 13/18 11/22
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Culture
A new exhibition celebrates 100 years of Budapest’s Gellért Hotel A recreated Baroque-style guest room, photos of the building taken during World War II and Communist-era posters reflect the history of Budapest’s most legendary hotel, the Gellért. A new exhibition at the Museum of Commerce & Catering celebrates the centenary of this institution which opened on 24 September 1918. Attached to the hotel is Budapest’s Art Nouveau Gellért Baths, whose outdoor wave pool, also illustrated at the museum, was the first of its kind in the world. Tucked away in the cobblestoned district of Óbuda, the former residence of Hungarian writer Gyula Krúdy is now home to a charming museum. Here, permanent displays include old-fashioned shop interiors illustrating the history of commerce and catering. This same building also hosts relevant seasonal exhibitions, such as the recently opened Gellért 100 to commemorate the centenary of the Gellért Hotel, a splendid Art Nouveau landmark towering above the Buda riverfront. Opened during the turmoil of World War I, during its long history, the Gellért has accommodated the likes of former US president Richard Nixon and the Dalai Lama. They both enjoyed the hotel’s fine facilities that are now brought to life through historic objects and images currently on show at the museum.
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241/2018 • 20 October, 2018 Weekend issue
US Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton is in Formula 1ʼs top five, says Fernando Alonso
Lewis Hamilton is one of the five greatest champions in Formula 1 history, says Fernando Alonso. Hamilton will become only the third man to clinch a fifth world title if he wins Sundayʼs US Grand Prix and Sebastian Vettel is lower than second. Alonso named Hamilton with Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost as his top five. Hamilton winning a fifth title would be a "great achievement", added two-time champion Alonso. "It is difficult to compare different times and different ways to win those championships," said the Spaniard, who tied on points with Hamilton when they were McLaren team-mates in 2007, with both men finishing one point behind title winner Kimi Raikkonen.
Karim Benzema: Real Madrid striker denies involvement in alleged kidnapping attempt in Paris
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has denied reports he was involved in an attempted kidnapping in Paris, saying people should "give me a break". French publication Mediapart claimed Benzema, 30, was involved in the alleged kidnap attempt of an acquaintance who reportedly owes him 50,000 euros (£43,979). The man allegedly said Benzema and others tried to load him into a black van on 7 October. "Is this world serious?" Benzema said. He added onTwitter: "This must stop." 6
Aleksandar Kolarovʼs free kick stunner secures Serbia win over Costa Rica A brilliant second half free kick from captain Aleksandar Kolarov led Serbia to a deserved win over Costa Rica. Serbia were wasteful in front of goal but did enough to secure three vital points in Group E. Another World Cup day, another sublime freekick. If Cristiano Ronaldo’s ice-cold effort tosnatch a point against arch-rivals Spain on day two was the current goal of the tournament front-runner, the Portuguese may have just met his match. Aleksandar Kolarov, take a bow. A combination of poor finishing and sublime goalkeeping had kept the scores level until Serbia’s no.11 produced his moment of magic. Kolarov’s powerful left foot is no secret, but few inside the stadium would have expected such a thunderous strike when the Roma defender stood over a free kick midway through the second half. His shot was unstoppable; a side-footed missile which screamed into the top corner of the Costa Rica net. Kaylor Navas, who kept his team in the game with several crucial saves either side of half time, was nowhere near it.
Would sacking Man Utd manager be justified? Jose Mourinho:
The Premier League weekend before the international break was dominated by talk Jose Mourinho was about to lose his job as Manchester United manager. According to one national newspaper, the Portugueseʼs time at the club would come to an end regardless of the result against Newcastle on 6 October. Even afterUnited staged a remarkable late comebackat Old Trafford to win 3-2 - having trailed 2-0 after 10 minutes - callers to BBC 606 were split over whether Mourinho should keep his job. Afterwards, the
Portuguese said he could cope with the "manhunt" against him and reiterated that the contract given to him by the club ran until 2020. So would United be justified in ending his twoand-a-bit-year tenure, or is he being judged too harshly? As Mourinho prepares to face former club Chelsea on Saturday, we take a look at the facts...
LeBron James impresses but LA Lakers lose 128-119 at Portland Trail Blazers LeBron James scored 26 points on his NBA debut for the LA Lakers who slipped to a 128-119 loss by the Portland Trail Blazers in their season opener. The four-time MVPʼs total, the second highest scored by a Lakers debutant, included 12 rebounds and six assists. Damian Lillard scored 28 points for Portland and Nik Stauskas matched his career high with 24, on his debut. This was Portlandʼs 16th successive win
over the 16-time NBA champions, dating back to 2013. Eleven reasons LeBron is the biggest athlete on the planet James, who led Cleveland to their first NBA championship in 2016 after returning to the team from the Miami Heat, is playing for a Western Conference franchise for the first time in his career. The 33-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Lakers in the summer,earning a reported $154m (£118.2m)over the term.