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DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Israeli health minister steps down over Sabbath railway work Israelʼs health minister, who is also head of an ultra-orthodox Jewish party, has resigned from his post in protest at rail work carried out on the Sabbath. PM Netanyahuʼs government, however, is not in immediate danger. Yaakov Litzman, a rabbi from the United Torah Judaism party, followed through with a resignation threat he made on Friday and stepped down from his ministerial position Sunday over rail work on the Jewish Sabbath. Litzman said he refused to remain in a government that allowed the "desecration" of the Sabbath with Saturdayʼs maintenance work on a public train line. Work on the Sabbath, which lasts from Friday evening until Saturday evening, is prohibited under Jewish law. Although no bus or train services are permitted in Jewish cities and towns on Saturdays, maintenance work is usually allowed by the government.

Egypt targets militants following Sinai attack The Egyptian military has carried out airstrikes and raids against militants reportedly linked to Fridayʼs Sinai attack that killed at least 305 people. President elSissi promised the attack would "not go unpunished." World leaders condemned Fridayʼs deadly assault on a Sinai mosque, as Egypt hit back with airstrikes on suspected Islamist targets. The United Nations also condemned the attack in "the strongest terms" and expressed its condolences for the victimsʼ families and the people of Egypt. Egypt received messages of solidarity and condolence from Israel, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Vatican. On Friday,militants set off bombs and opened fire on worshippersat a mosque in Sinai, killing at least 305 people and injuring some 109 others, according to state TV reports, citing prosecutors.

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South Africaʼs Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters takes the crown Miss Universe winner:

Scientists look at Frederic Chopinʼs alcohol-pickled heart to determine death from TB The famous Polish composer has been dead for nearly 170 years. His body is in Paris, but his heart is in a glass jar encased in stone in Warsaw.

Now scientists believe they can dispel doubts about the cause of his death.

Perhaps Polandʼs most famous classical composer, Frederic Chopin put his heart into his compositions, many of which were based on Polish folk melodiesand helped give voice to the countryʼs blossoming nationalism in the early 19th century. But he also put his heart into what appears to be cognac — and now Polish scientists believe that they have been able to conclude from the pickled organ that Chopin died of tuberculosis (TB), countering a 10-year-old theory that his death at 39 was due to cystic fibrosis.

Beating out contestants from across the world, Demi-Leigh NelPeters has won the Miss Universe crown in the US city of Las Vegas.

It is the first time since 1978 that South Africa has claimed the title.

South Africaʼs Demi-Leigh NelPeters won the Miss Universe crown held in Las Vegas on Sunday. "As Miss Universe, you have to be confident in who you are as an individual.

And Miss Universe is a woman who has overcome many fears, and by that she is able to help to help many women overcome their fears," NelPeters said during the "Final Word" segment of the competition. Beating out contestants from across the world, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has won the Miss Universe crown in the US city of Las Vegas. It is the first time since 1978 that South Africa has claimed the title. South Africaʼs Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters won the Miss Universe crown held in Las Vegas on Sunday.

"As Miss Universe, you have to be confident in who you are as an individual. And Miss Universe is a woman who has overcome many fears, and by that she is able to help to help many women overcome their fears," Nel-Peters said during the "Final Word" segment of the competition. "She is a woman that nothing is ever too much to ask for. And I think that is exactly who I am." Nel-Petersʼ victory marks the first time since

1978 that South Africa has claimed the Miss Universe title. She was bestowed with the crown by last yearʼs winner, Iris Mittenaere from France.

Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez was named runner-up, while Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett was dubbed second runner-up. It was the the pageantʼs 66th year and included nearly 100 women from around the world. First time entrants included Cambodia, Laos and Nepal.

South Africaʼs Demi-Leigh NelPeters won the Miss Universe crown held in Las Vegas on Sunday. "As Miss Universe, you have to be confident in who you are as an individual.

And Miss Universe is a woman who has overcome many fears, and by that she is able to help to help many women overcome their fears," NelPeters said during the "Final Word" segment of the competition. Beating out contestants from across the world, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has won the Miss Universe crown in the US city of Las Vegas. It is the first time since 1978 that South Africa has claimed the title. South Africaʼs Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters won the Miss Universe crown held in Las Vegas on Sunday.

China: Deadly blast hits Ningbo port city, near Shanghai A major explosion in a Chinese port city south of Shanghai has killed at least two people and injured more than 30 others. Authorities say they are investigating the cause of the incident.

The blast ripped through a factory site in the eastern harbor city of Ningbo early Sunday, filling the sky with gray smoke, Chinese state media reported.

Local officials said at least two people died and more than 30 others were taken to hospital for treatment.

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Russia vetoes last-ditch bid to save probe into gas attacks in Syria Russia used its veto twice in 24 hours to deny a new mandate to the UN team looking into chemical weapon attacks in Syria. Moscow said it would not extend the mandate of the probe without fixing its "fundamental flaws." Tensions were running high in the UN Security Council on Friday after Russia vetoed a last-ditch motion

by Japan to continue the UN-led investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria. The move comes only a day after Russiavetoed a separate US draft resolutionto extend the probe, and its own draft was in turn rejected by the US, UK, and France. Moscow has repeatedly criticized the findings of the UN-backed investigative body, dubbed Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) as biased and inaccurate. Last week, JIM released a report blaming the Syrian regime for the chemical attack which killed around 100 people in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April. Russia rejected it as "invented" and insisted that the body needed to reform.

Ousted Venezuelan opposition leader escapes house arrest, flees to Spain Ousted Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma has likened his escape to a film. He plans to take the fight against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro abroad.

The ousted opposition mayor of Caracas arrived in Spain on Saturday after orchestrating a daring escape from house arrest in Venezuela. Antonio Ledezma landed in Madrid from Bogota, Colombia, where he arrived a day earlier after slipping across the border. He was greeted by his wife and two daughters who live in Spain.

Ledezma said he planned to organize resistance from abroad to President Nicolas Maduro, under whose rule millions of Venezuelans have suffered from shortages of food and other basic supplies. "I am going to travel the world to spread the hope of all Venezuelans to escape this regime, this dictatorship," Ledezma said. The 62-year-old opposition figure was removed as mayor of Caracas and arrested in 2015 on allegations he sought to topple Maduro. He was later put under house arrest due to health issues. Ledezma was one of the opposition leaders who led protests against the government in 2014, which also resulted in the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

He remains under house arrest.

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Ireland warns Britain over hard border with North Brexit:

After decades of strife and violence, the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, part of the UK, was finally nixed in 1998. The process of Brexit may put that in jeopardy.

Tensions were heating up between the Irish and British governments on Sunday, with Dublin warning that Londonʼs proposed Brexit plans could lead to a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Such an arrangement, it is feared, could threaten decades of arduous work to establish a relative peace in Northern Ireland. Speaking to UK Sunday newspaper the Ob‐ server, Irish EU Commissioner Phil Hogan warned that Ireland would

Argentina navy loses contact with submarine with 44 crew on board No one has heard from an Argentinian submarine for at least two days. While authorities initially insisted it wasnʼt missing, Argentinaʼs navy has stepped up its search efforts. Argentinaʼs navy lost contact with one of its submarines and its 44 crew members, it announced on Friday. Although the German-built ARA San Juan has been out of contact for two days, the navy initially did not consider it lost. "Itʼs not that itʼs lost, because to be lost, you have to look for it and not find it," the navy told a local broadcaster. However, after an initial search operation in the submarineʼs last known position, around 430 kilometers (267miles) off the southeastern

"continue to play tough to the end" over the border, and advised British Prime Minister Theresa May to try and remain in the European single market and customs union rather thanseeking a separate free trade agreement (FTA). "I continue to be amazed at the blind faith that some in London place in theoretical future fair trade agreements," Hogan said, accusing Mayʼs government of not considering the cost of cross-border business to both Ireland and the UK. Valdez peninsula, bore no results, Argentina said it was stepping up its search efforts and calling on allies for help. "We have not been able to find, or have visual or radar communication with the submarine," navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters at a news conference. "I donʼt want to dramatize the issue. Weʼre lacking communication and donʼt know what happened."

The incident has formally been upgraded to a "search and rescue" operation, Balbi added.

Cambodia charges 2 journalists with espionage The arrests are the latest in a widening crackdown on media and the opposition in Cambodia ahead of elections next year. The move further

Australia shutters Papua New Guinea detention center Around 600 asylum seekers have refused to leave the facility, citing fears of attacks from locals. Australian lawmakers have warned of a "humanitarian emergency" when authorities in Papua New Guinea shut off the water.

Private security staff at a controversial Australian detention center in Papua New Guinea left the facility for the first time in years on Tuesday ahead of its expected closure.

The facility formed an integral part ofAustraliaʼs expensive offshore detention programknown as "Sovereign Borders." However, Papua New Guineaʼs Supreme Court ruled that the facility is unconstitutional and needed to be closed. Some 600 asylum seekers residing at the facility have refused to leave, saying the alternatives provided are less secure.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the campʼs closure would proceed, and that the asylum seekers have access to temporary residences nearby. "All have been informed for a considerable period of time that there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," Dutton told Reuters news agency in an emailed statement.

strains ties between the United States and Cambodia. Two Cambodian journalists who worked for a US-funded radio station were charged with espionage on Saturday, the latest move in a widening crackdown on critics of authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Uon Chhin and Yeang Socheameta, former journalists of the Washington-based Radio Free Asia, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly providing information to a foreign power. The offense carries up to 15-years in prison. Radio Free Asiaʼs Phnom Penh bureau closed its office in September, citing "intimidation" and threats that it was violating tax and registration regulations. The Cambodia Daily newspaper reported the two journalists were accused of setting up broadcasting equipment in the capital and sending news reports to Radio Free Asiaʼs Washington bureau.

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Merkel: Asking Germans to vote again is ʼsimply wrongʼ The chancellor has said that it would be "simply wrong" to hold new elections after preliminary coalition talks with the Greens and FDP failed. The SPD is reconsidering another "grand coalition" with the CDU and CSU. Chancellor Angela Merkel revised her earlier comments about fresh elections on Saturday, saying it was "simply wrong" to ask Germany to vote again. Speaking at the MecklenburgLower Pomerania regional conference of her Christian Democratic (CDU) party, Merkel added that "Germany must have a stable government, but one which also takes the country forward." The chancellor was speaking on the heels of one of Germanyʼs most significant political events in years: the breakdown of preliminary coalition talks between the CDU and

US and Poland strike $10.5 billion missile defense deal The US has approved the $10.5 billion sale of a Patriot anti-missile system to NATO ally Poland. Eastern European NATO states have been ramping up their military capabilities in the face of perceived Russian aggression.

In a move likely to irk Russia, the US and Poland agreed on Friday a major arms deal that could see the eastern European NATO member soon begin conducting air and missile defense operations. As part of the $10.5 billion (€8.9 billion) sale, Poland is expected to receive 208 Patriot Advanced Capabilty-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement missiles, 16 M903 launching stations, four AN/MPQ-65 radars, four control stations, spares, software and associated equipment. Made by US defense contractor Raytheon, the missiles are reportedly designed to detect, track and engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles and shortrange or tactical ballistic missiles. In a statement issued following the sale, the State Department said that: "A secure Europe capable of deterring air and missile threats and other forms of aggression promotes peace and stability within NATO and on the European continent."

its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, the Green party and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) last week. After disappointing results in Septemberʼs general election, and a refusal from the Social Democrats (SPD) to enter into another "grand coalition," Merkel had approached the two smaller parties in order to form a majority government. However, afterthe FDP backed out of preliminary talks — citing ideological differences — Germanyʼs longtime leader has been left looking for a solution after two months without a new government.

Pope meets military chief on first day in Myanmar

Pope Francis has visited Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing, whose forces deny blame for the Rohingya refugee crisis. The Vatican withheld meeting details, only saying both acknowledged a "great responsibility." Francis began his six-day South Asia touron Monday, closely watched on how he would address the recent mass-flight of 620,000 Ro-

hingya Muslims from Buddhistmajority Myanmarʼs Rakhine state into Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

His trip, which continues in Myanmar until Thursday — to be followed by two nights in Bangladesh — was planned before the United Nations and the US said that Myanmarʼs treatment of the Rohingya bore the hallmarks of "ethnic cleansing."

Austrian full-face veil ban comes into effect Austriaʼs prohibition of full-face coverings has officially come into force. The government said the ban helps uphold Austrian values and promotes integration despite criticism from Muslim and refugee groups. People in Austria are now banned from covering their faces in public.

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279/2017 • 29, November 2017 Can the ad industry become sustainable?

A look at an entrepreneur who wants to revolutionize the ad industry. Andrea Henao is a former advertising executive who left the corporate world to found her own business — a boutique ad agency that vets its clients. ndrea Henao wants to change the ad industry. Two years ago, the Berlin-based French entrepreneur founded an ad agency that only works with sustainable brands. I met Henao in her offices, not too far from the Berlin’s notorious Alexanderplatz. The premises are decorated with second-hand furniture that she bought online, and art pieces collected and made with friends and colleagues. While showing me around, she shared the stories about the furniture and art. Henao understands the importance of stories. And she knows just how brands come up with stories that appeal to customers with certain values.

With rising consumer awareness about environmental issues and labor practices, brands increasingly emphasize ecological footprint and employee working conditions. Unfortunately, ad campaigns do not always tell the truth — they exaggerate, embellish and lie.

And this is something Henau wants to change. "We really believe that we are responsible for the ad that we promote, hence we promote exclusively sustainable brands," she tells me. The ad industry has yet to play a significant role in ensuring brands tell the truth.The onus to reveal false claims has generally fallen on activists, consumer groups and the media. But Henao believes advertisers can play a bigger role.

China sales behind German carmakersʼ rosy third quarter Strong vehicle sales in the wordʼs most important car market have been essential in enabling German carmakers to end their third quarters on a positive note. Their dependence on China is expected to increase further.

Germanyʼs top carmakers would not have been able to present positive third-quarter results without a booming auto market in China, a study by consultancy EY showed Tuesday.

It said China had long become the most important market for Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler, with one in three of their cars sold in the third quarter having gone to the Asian nation. To be more precise, the Chinese market accounted for 34 percent of Germanyʼs overall car sales between July and September, the highest ever rate logged so far.

Back in 2010, only 23 percent of Germanyʼs quarterly car sales ended up in China.

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Brexit divorce bill: Britain prepares to pay more to EU as negotiations falter British Prime Minister Theresa May could bulk up the amount that Britain pays as it leaves the EU, in a bid to move talks on to trade. But senior leave campaigners have attached a condition to the money.

Britainʼs Brexit bill offer to the EU is set to swell, national media reports, as senior lawmakers attempt to kick-start stalled negotiations with the European Union. No new figure has been confirmed on the size of the so-called divorce bill, which in recent weeks has become a major source of contention in Brexit talks, but there is a growing acceptance among Conservative Party members to increase it. Online newspapers iNews reported on Tuesday that "May will offer 40 billion pounds to get Brexit moving." The pro-Brexit Daily

Germany bans sale of childsnooping smartwatches A German regulator has banned the sale of childrenʼs smartwatches that have one-way monitoring functions.

Officials said parents had been using the watches to listen in on teachers while their children were in class.

Certain smartwatches for children can no longer be sold in Germany as some of these models are equipped with a "wiretapping" function, a regulator said on Friday Germanyʼs Federal Network Agency, orBundesnetzagentur, announced the ban saying that these watches can be classed as "unauthorized transmitters." "According to our investigations, parents were using the watches, for example, to listen in on teachers during class," said Bundesnetzagentur President Homann.

Germany Germany bans sale of child-snooping smartwatches A German regulator has banned the sale of childrenʼs smartwatches that have one-way monitoring functions. Officials said parents had been using the watches to listen in on teachers while their children were in class.

H-1056 Budapest, Só u. 6.

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

Norwegian wealth fund plans to divest of oil and gas Norwayʼs trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund is proposing to drop oil and gas companies from its holdings, saying it already has enough exposure to the industry and wants to protect against fluctuating oil prices. Oslo is set to decide in the fall of 2018 on backing a proposal from the countryʼs sovereign wealth fund —the worldʼs biggest— to cut oil and gas companies from its benchmark index. In a letter to the government, the Norwegian central bank, which manages the fund, said on Thursday that the move would make Norway "less vulnerable to a lasting decline in oil prices." "This advice is based exclusively on financial arguments and analyses of the governmentʼs total oil and gas exposure," the bankʼs deputy governor Egil Matsen said in a statement. "It does not reflect any particular view of future movements in oil and gas prices or the profitability or sustainability of the oil and gas sector," he added.

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

Telegraph newspaper ran a front-page splash on Tuesday that read "Johnson and Gove back a bigger Brexit divorce bill offer." Cabinet ministers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are two of the most senior faces of Brexit. They command a large following within their deeply-divided party. Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly signaled her willingness to pay more to the EU than initially suggested. But she has avoided publicly discussing figures out of fear that hardline elements within the party will not tolerate a large payout.

Carmaker BMW to invest heavily in battery cell center

German premium car manufacturer BMW has announced it will spend hundreds of millions of euros on a new battery cell competence center. The company wants to have more options should e-cars hit the mass market.

BMW will bundle its battery cell expertise in a new competence center in Munich. At a ground-breaking ceremony Friday, the carmaker said it would invest €200 million ($237 million) in the site over the next four years. "By producing battery-cell prototypes, we can analyze and fully understand the value-creation process behind it," BMW board member Oliver Zipse said in a statement.

"With this built-to-print expertise, we can enable potential suppliers to produce cells according to our specifications." "The knowledge we gain is very important to us, regardless of whether we produce the battery cells ourselves or not," Zipse added. Right now, German carmakers buy battery cells abroad. BMW for instance gets them from South Koreaʼs Samsung conglomerate for its plug-in hybrid vehicles and its all-electric i3.

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UK: Prince Harry gets engaged to actress Meghan Markle Britainʼs Prince Harry is engaged to his US partner Meghan Markle, his father Prince Charles has ann

The wedding is due to take place in the spring of 2018 and the couple are to live in Kensington Palace.

Clarence House — the residence of Prince Harryʼs father Prince Charles — released a statement on Monday announcing the engagement. "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle," the statement read. It said the couple had become engaged earlier this month. The wedding will take place next spring, and the couple are to live in Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace. Speculation had been rife that 33-year-old Harry would propose to 36-year-old Markle, who is from the US and best

known for her role in the legal drama series "Suits." The couple have been together since June 2016. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton and Harryʼs older brother Prince William, congratulated the couple. "We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together," Clarence House said in a tweet. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip,who recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, also said theyʼre "delighted" for the couple.

Teachers for AI — can robots create more jobs than they retire?

While headway in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry has many worried about potential jobs losses, others see this as a perfect opportunity to nurture an economy that is completely human-based.

Workers can spend anywhere from 5 minutes to 40 hours a week going through simple tasks on a smartphone, making AI all over the world more intelligent and efficient. By building platforms and crowd sourcing a large supply of workers, the companies that train AI were smart to realize the data needed could be processed by anyone with steady access to the internet. From this developed companies like Clickwork, Neurala,

and Alegion Inc., which utilize "human taggers" to push AI education.

With over a million "clickworkers" signed up, thereʼs an estimated 100,000 people logged on at this very moment, sifting through droves of information and lending a human touch to robot training. "Staring at security cameras or an airport scanner, remote-controlling a robot, driving trucks up and down a mine did not exist as jobs until recently," says Massimiliano Versace, CEO of Neurala, "and will probably not exist as jobs occupying a full-time human as they are today. Humans were created to do much more complicated and elevated tasks than watching videos 24/7."

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Germany must allow third gender in registry of births, court rules An intersex person has won a court case to allow them to enter a third gender into the registry of births.

The case was appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court after failing at lower levels.

Germanyʼs Federal Constitutional Court on Wednesday called for a third gender option in the registry of births.

Intersex people, who are neither male nor female, should be able to register their sexual identity as such, the Karlsruhe court ruled. The court found that the general right to the protection of personality in Germanyʼs Basic Law meant the register had to be altered to allow a third gender. The court ruled seven to one that lawmakers must create new legislation by the end of 2018 to allow for a third sex, providing the examples of "intersex," "diverse" or another "positive designation of sex." Another possibility raised was to scrap gender entries altogether. "Assignment to a gender is of paramount importance for individual identity; it typically plays a key role both in the self-image of a person and in the way in which the person concerned is perceived by others. The gender identity of those persons who are neither male nor female is protected,"the court ruled.

Advent Feast at the Basilica November 24 - January 1

One of the ‘Best European Christmas Markets’ is a must-see event in the heart of Budapest Discover Hungary’s most acclaimed Christmas market: The Advent Feast at the Basilica is blending Central European traditions and modern attractions, turning the iconic St. Stephenʼs square into 3D cinema. For more details and information about the Advent Feast’s event schedule, check out thewww.adventiunnep.hu/enwebsite. Budapest 1051, Szent István tér Opening hours: MondayFriday: 11 am – 10 pm, SaturdaySunday: 10 am – 10 pm, and 10 am – 2 pm on December 24. Skating class hours: Friday from 2-8 pm, Saturday from 10 am – 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am -6 pm.

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Culture

New Hungarian film Aurora Borealis now screens in Budapest Becoming a mother is a miraculous time in a woman’s life. However, there are certain scenarios when the arrival of a newcomer is not entirely wonderful news. The new motion picture by eminent Hungarian director Márta Mészáros, Aurora Borealis, tells a touching tale, taking viewers back in time in Hungary and leaving them reaching for the Kleenex.

The story has two timelines. One transports viewers back to a western Hungarian village in 1953, where a descendant of an aristocratic family, Ákos, falls for a village girl, Mari. They try to escape to Austria together, but unfortunately with no success, and after being harassed by soldiers, Mari has to start a new life alone and pregnant in occupied Vienna. The other storyline is in the present, unfolding the events through the recollections of old Mari, now a pensioner living in her old village.

One day she gets a letter from Russia and falls into a coma. Her daughter Olga, a lawyer living alone in Vienna, comes back to care for her. Suspecting something about her mother’s past isn’t quite right, she starts investigating. This is only a fraction of the story, as anything else would be a major spoiler. However, even the trailer foretells that Olga’s dad might not be who she thinks after all.

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279/2017 • 29, November 2017

Oscar Pistoriusʼ prison sentence more than doubled

South Africaʼs Supreme Court of Appeal has increased the Paralympianʼs jail term for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp to more than 13 years. Prosecutors had argued that the original sentence was "far too lenient." South Africaʼs Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein increased the prison sentence of formerParalympic champion Oscar Pistoriusto 13 years and five months on Friday. The athlete had previously been sentenced to six years for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius shot Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentineʼs Day 2013, and has since maintained that he mistook her for an intruder.

Michael Schumacherʼs Ferrari sells at auction for $7.5 million

Once the face of Formula One, Michael Schumacher drove the F2001 to victory in the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix. At auction, his iconic racing car has set a new record. Michael Schumacherʼs Monaco Grand Prixwinning racing car has sold in New York for $7.5 million (€6.35 million), auction house Sothebyʼs said, setting the world record for a modern-era Formula One car. The Ferrari F2001 racing car went under the hammer on Thursday evening, sparking a bidding war between eight competitors that was over in six minutes. The racing car is still fully functional.

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Athletics doping: IOC confident over Russia doping reform plans International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach believes Russia will resolve its doping issues and field athletes at next yearʼs Rio Games.

Russia was provisionally suspendedfrom world athletics after an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report alleged "state-sponsored doping". Bach met with his Russian Olympic Committee counterpart Alexander Zhukov to discuss the report. He said he was "confident" in the measures put forward by the ROC. Council members of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Friday voted 22-1 in favour of Russia being banned. As it stands, Russian athletes may not enter international competitions, including the World Athletic Series and Rio Olympics, which begin on 5 August next year.

Russia will also not be entitled to host the 2016 World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary and the 2016 World Junior Championships in Kazan. "We are confident that the initiatives being proposed by the ROC, with the responsible international organisations - Wada and the IAAF - will ensure compliance as soon as possible in order to provide participation of the clean Russian athletes at the Olympic Games," said IOC president Bach.

Former Brazil star Robinho sentenced to nine years in prison for rape The 33-year-old, who currently plays in Brazil, denies the crime and has the right to appeal

Former Brazil football international Robinho faces nine years in prison after being convicted of rape in Italy.

The 33-year-old, who currently plays in Brazil, denies the crime and has the right to appeal. Former Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan striker Robinho was sentenced to nine years in prison in Italy on Thursday after being convicted of gang rape. He was found guilty in absentia by an Italian court for sexually assaulting a 22-year-old Albanian woman. Five others also accused of the same crime, but their sentences are not yet known.

Robinho, who has the right to appeal, pleaded not guilty and has de-

nied the charges against him, which relate to an incident in January 2013, when Robinho was playing for Milan. According to Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera, Robinho and five friends made the young woman drink "to the point of making her unconscious and unable to resist". They were then said to have engaged in "sexual intercourse multiple times in a row" with her.

The 33-year-old is currently playing for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil. He has 100 international caps for his country.

Formula One: Valtteri Bottas leads Mercedes one-two in Abu Dhabi season finale Valtteri Bottas led from pole to flag from Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel finished in third, but ultimately the year ends in disappointment for Ferrari.

Valtteri Bottas won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prixfrom pole on Sunday — but it wasnʼt enough to snatch second place in the final standings. Bottas claimed his third season and career win ahead

of Hamilton and Ferrariʼs Sebastian Vettel, who retained the overall runners-up spot in the dusk race at the Yas Marina Circuit. Hamilton, who hadclinched a fourth career titlewith two races to spare four weeks ago in Mexico, finished the 20-race season with 363 points, with Vettel on 317 and Bottas on 305. Vettelʼs Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen ended the season in fourth place after Red Bullʼs Daniel Ricciardo retired with hydraulic problems.