DAILY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Greece-North Macedonia ʼselfie diplomacyʼ warms relations Prime Minister Alex Tsipras was in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on Tuesday for a landmark trip to Greeceʼs northern neighbor. "Today our Republic for the first time in its history is a hosting an official visit of a Greek Prime Minister," Prime Minister Zoran Zaev noted during a joint press conference. "We are starting to cover lost ground to build a deep friendship, not only between our governments, but especially between our people," Tsipras said. Tsiprasʼ visit comes just weeks after the former Yugoslav republic changed its name to North Macedonia, settling a name dispute that has been going on for almost 30 years. The two leaders pushed the name change — amid fierce opposition from nationalists from both nations —in exchange for assurance that Athens would stop thwarting Macedonian efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union.
77/2019 • 3 APRIL, 2019
UK to ask for Article 50 extension Work with opposition to take Brexit forward
The German companies Daimler, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Bank, Volkswagen and soccer club Borussia Dortmund announced on Tuesday that they would donate €5 million ($5.6 million) to the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem on Tuesday. The companies view their effort as "a clear sign of our solidarity with the victims of the Holocaust, and as our responsibility, past and future, in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism." Yad Vashem houses the worldʼs largest collection of artefacts from the time of the Holocaust, and in light of the significant increase in objects donated to the institution new space will now be created for the archiving, research and restoration of those objects.
German greenhouse gas emissions fall for first time in four years
Germanyʼs crime rate fell to lowest level in decades in 2018 The crime rate in Germanyhas fallen for the second year in a row, according to the 2018 crime report that was published on Tuesday. Itʼs the lowest crime rate Germany has seen since 1992, but the Interior Ministry said the figures should be handled with caution — and did not provide any estimates of the number of unreported crimes. The main takeaways: The Federal Criminal Police Agency (BKA) detailed the number of reported criminal acts for 2018, including the following takeaways: 5.56 million criminal acts were recorded in 2018 — down 3.6 percent from the previous year.Robberies were significantly down, particularly home burglaries and pickpocketing cases.The number of reported rape, sexual assault and harassment cases dropped by 18 percent.Physical assaults on police officers rose significantly, up by 36 percent.
German companies pledge support for Yad Vashem Holocaust Center
The UK government is to ask for an extension to Article 50 to find a way out of the Brexit impasse. Prime Minister Theresa May said she would work with the opposition to agree a plan to take the Brexit process forward. Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Tuesday she wanted an extension to the process of the UK leaving the EU. However, she also said she did not want the UK to take part in European elections. May said the extension would be "as short as possible" and would end once a deal was struck. Speaking in Downing Street, after a seven-hour meeting with her ministers, May said she would take action to break the logjam and work with the opposition to agree a plan which could then be approved by Parliament before being taken to the EU next week. May said she was seeking a single, unified approach. She said the government would abide by a decision of Parliament on the path for Brexit. European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted: "Even if,
after today, we donʼt know what the end result will be, let us be patient." Pro-EU Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon expressed concern: "If MPs allow 12 April to pass with no commitment to fight Euro elections, May 22 becomes the inescapable exit day ... and PM would then be able to say itʼs my deal or no deal. Parliament needs to be very wary about a potential trap." Conservative support? The prime minister did not say if she had the agreement of her ministers for her plan. Suggestions are it will lead to a ʼsofter Brexit" which would cause resignations from Brexit hardliners. There was no reference to any further public vote on the issue. If no plan is presented to the EU by April 12, the default position is for the UK to leave the bloc without a deal.
Germanyʼs Environment Ministry announced Tuesday that the country emitted 4.2 percent less carbon dioxide in 2018 than it did in 2017. The figure represents a 30.6 percent drop over 1990. It is the first significant reduction after fouryears of stagnation. Renewables played a major role in 38-million-ton reduction, which environmental authorities say avoided roughly 184 million tons of emissions compared to fossil fuels producing the same amount of energy. In all, Germany emitted 868.7 metric tons of carbon.
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77/2019 • 3 April, 2019
European Court of Justice rules Polish arrest warrants can be halted The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against extraditing suspects to Poland on Wednesday if there are "serious and fact-based grounds" to believe the suspect would not receive a fair trial. The ruling concernsa Polish man in Irelandwho claims recent justice reforms in Poland harmed his chances of being treated fairly. The man is suspected of drug trade. In recent years, Polandʼs ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has been working to place courts under a tighter control of the executive branch. Among other steps, the parliament now has power to choose members of the National Council of the Judiciary whose job is to oversee judicial impartiality. More recently, the lawmakers changed retirement age for the Supreme Court judges, which critics believe was aimed at ousting the most experienced judges and stacking the body with government supporters. The Supreme Court and its chief Malgorzata Gersdorf are opposing the move.
Geely the car industryʼs rising ʼprofitability starʼ Ferdinand Dudenhöffer from the CAR Center Automotive Research at Germanyʼs Duisburg-Essen University called Chinese auto manufacturer Geely "the profitability star of the worldʼs car industry." A fresh study by the center points out that on average, a Geely car costs just €9,529 ($10,942), but the companysecures a 14.4 percent profit from revenues before tax and interest. Dudenhöffer says thatʼs a lot more than, say, the profit margins of foreign rivals BMW, Toyota or PSAOpel. The worldʼs largest carmaker, Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen, logs a profit margin of only 8.2 percent, the survey says. Geely is part of the Zhejiang Geely Holding,which also owns Volvo Cars, London EVTaxi and Lotus.The holding has also acquired a 10 percent stake in Daimler. According to the CAR researchers, Geelyʼs rapid rise is based on its successful compact car platform, which it developed together with Sweden-based Volvo. "What Ferdinand Piëch managed to implement at VW from 1993 with the help of his platform strategyis in a way being copied now by Geelyʼs main shareholder and founder, Li Shufu," said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, adding that the Chinese were becoming major players in the global auto market. 2
Angela Merkel faces climate questions in Berlin school One issue moved the students more than any
The German chancellor faced questions on Brexit, Fridays for Future, and the EU during one of her regular high school visits. But one issue moved the students more than any: Article 13, the divisive new copyright law. The Thomas Mann high school in Berlin was astir with excitement on Tuesday morning for a special visit from Angela Merkel. Teenagers were roped into helping with security checks, teachers corralled journalists down hallways, and the schoolʼs cellphone ban had been suspended just so kids could get the all-important chancellor selfie. The ostensible purpose of the trip was for the chancellor to inspect the studentsʼ world-improving European projects. In this case, their of-
Confusion over missing Saudi journalist in Turkey who ʼvanishedʼ from consulate Turkish and Saudi officials have given conflicting reports on the whereabouts of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Khashoggi, a regular contributor to The Washington Post, has been a fierce critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and has criticized Saudi Arabiaʼs policies toward Qatar and Canada,the war in Yemen and a
Rappler CEO Maria Ressa says arrests intended to shut up news site Maria Ressa, founder of the Philippinesʼ online news site Rappler, said the multiple legal proceedings and arrests were all part of the official attempt to shut Rappler up. The former CNN correspondent is facing charges ranging from tax evasion to libel. "I spent most of yesterday running in and out of four different courts," Ressa told DW on Tuesday. "I mean itʼs gone from the ridiculous to the absurd." The latest chargesagainst Ressa and six other directors are for alleged violation of the Securities Regulation Code of the Philippines. Rappler has been charged with violating constitutional limitations on ownership and control of mass media entities by accepting funds from foreign investor Omidyar Network. Only Filipino citizens can own media entities in the South East Asian nation. "Arrested on Friday. A new arrest warrant on Monday. 8th time to post bail. And the weekʼs just starting!" Ressa said.
ferings included a small exhibition around a section of the Berlin Wall, which allowed an affable Merkel to recall an anecdote about the relief of a chain-smoking aunt who had gone to West Berlin to buy cigarettes two days before the Wall was built. Meanwhile in the auditorium, the school choir rehearsed a rendition of Michael Jacksonʼs "Smooth Criminal," evidently deemed an appropriate song to honor Germanyʼs elected leader. Journalists refrained from political interpretation. crackdown on dissent, the media and activists. Khashoggiʼs personal website bore a banner saying, "Jamal has been arrested at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul!" without elaborating. A Saudi official denied that Khashoggi had been detained inside the consulate. "Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter," the official said. "He is neither in the consulate nor in Saudi custody."
Afghan leader rejects resignation of spy chief, top ministers President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday
urged Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak, Defense Minister Tareq Shah Bahrami, and intelligence chief Masoum Stanekzai to stay in their posts, the Afghan government said. The three officials submitted resignation letters on Saturday, citing policy differences and a spate of deadly attacks. "President Ghani did not approve their resignations... and gave them the necessary instructions to improve the security situation," a statement from the presidential palace said. The offers to step down followed the resignation of Ghaniʼs national security adviser and close ally, Hanif Atmar, on Friday. Atmar, one of the countryʼs most powerful politicians, has been replaced by former ambassador to the US Hamdullah Mohib.
77/2019 • 3 April, 2019
Heiko Maas says ʼworld peace threatened by nuclear weaponsʼ German Foreign Minister Maas has warned the UN Security Council of a potential arms race. He called for dialog with nuclear powers such as China and North Korea to avoid that scenario. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who led his second meeting as head of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, told representatives that "world peace is threatened by nuclear weapons." Speaking in New York, he said that the ultimate goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons was a "difficult topic," but added that this
German satirist Jan Böhmermann sues Angela Merkel over Erdogan poem remark German comedian Jan Böhmermannis seeking an injunction against German Chancellor Angela Merkelover her comments about his controversial poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a Berlin court confirmed on Tuesday. Böhmermannʼs "Schmähgedicht" — or "defamatory poem" — sparked a diplomatic crisis between Germany and Turkey in 2016 and led to an investigation against the German comedian. Details of the case: A spokesperson with Berlinʼs Administrative Court told news agency DPA that Böhmermannʼs suit against Merkel includes two parts: First, he wants the court to bar her from publically repeating that his poem was "purposefully offensive."If the court rejects that motion, Böhmermann has asked the court to formally state that Merkelʼs assessment of his poem was unlawful.The Berlin court will hear the case on April 16 and is also due to deliver a verdict then as well.Merkel will not personally appear in court, but will be represented by her lawyer.
is exactly why it is important that the Security Council address it. The body has not dealt with the issue since 2012. He said task at hand was to, "regain trust to attain the goal of a world without nuclear weapons." Maas also warned that the trend toward more, rather than less, nuclear weapons could lead to anew arms race.
German environment minister Schulze takes aim at wolves
With the wolf population rising and on the prowl in Germany, Environment Minister Svenja Schulze is pushing for a new law to curb the damage they cause to farmers. Schulzeʼs proposed "Lex Wolf" would make it easier to shoot the protected animals. "If wolves are repeatedly getting over fences or getting too close to humans, people need to be allowed to shoot them," Schulze told the mass-circulation Bild
am Sonntag. Wolves killed at least 472
farm animals in 2017, according to German officials. However, current laws place the predators under strict environmental protection, which makes shooting them possible only rarely and with official permission, orin a serious emergency. People who ignore these restrictions and harm or kill healthy wolves face hefty fines or even jail time.
Italy blocks NGO ship carrying rescued migrants from docking Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has refused to allow an Italian-flagged ship carrying 49 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya to dock in Italy. Salvini told Italian radio that migrants aboard the Mare Jonio "can be treated, dressed and fed. We can give them every manner of comfort, but they will not set foot in Italy." The group, including 12 minors, were rescued by humanitarian group Mediterranea Saving Humans and sailed to "the closest safe port" of Lampedusa in Italyʼs south, flanked by Italian coast guard boats. "Those on board had been at sea for almost two days …
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77/2019 • 3 April, 2019 Germany attempts ʼface-savingʼ resolution to Saudi drugs boycott
The human rightsrow between Saudi Arabia and Canada made international headlinesin recent weeks, when the Riyadh government suddenly suspended new trade and investment to the Great White North. The punitive measures were in response to a simple tweet by Canadaʼs foreign minster, calling for the release of two jailed Saudi activists. Receiving less attention has been the diplomatic spat between Europeʼs No. 1 economy and the oil-rich kingdom — also sparked by a ministerʼs comments; this time Sigmar Gabriel, Germanyʼs thenforeign minister. During the political crisis in Lebanon last November that saw Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resign and later rescind his decision, Riyadh was widely accused of forcing his departure, which Gabriel alluded to as "adventurism." ʼShamefulʼ remarks hurt tiesRiyadh immediately recalled its ambassador to Berlin, telling the German government the comments were "shameful." In May, it went further and froze all new business with Germany. Over the subsequent months, several German pharmaceutical and medical technology firms, including Siemens Healthineers, Bayer and Boerhringer Ingelheim, have been excluded from public healthcare tenders in the kingdom. A pharmaceutical industry source told DW, on condition of anonymity, that Saudi authorities had not given any written explanation about the exclusion, and that there was no clear path for Germany to resolve the issue. Efforts by German diplomats to mediate with Saudi authorities were delayed, initially, by the Holy Month of Ramadan, and the summer break, as Gulf countries stop work in July and August due to the extreme heat.
Global property markets on the turn Boom times in many global real estate markets are turning to bust. Australia, several Asian countries and North America are starting to see large price corrections that are leaving speculators racing for cover. Australiaʼs housing market is witnessing its steepest annual fall in 15 years. In Sydney, prices are down 10 percent in a year. House prices in Sydney doubled in a decade on the back of Australiaʼs booming economy, with the median price still being an eyewatering 1,062,619 Australian dollars (€668,391, $762,391). But tighter lending criteria for mortgages have helped fuel the drop. Bangkokʼs condo market cools Bangkok condominiums have been popular with Chinese investors over the past five years, with prices rising at 5-10 percent per annum. 4
Paris joins Hong Kong and Singapore as worldʼs most expensive city The French capital shares the title of the worldʼs most expensive place to live with Hong Kong and Singapore. Economic woes have made Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Istanbul much cheaper. Singapore is one of the worldʼs three most expensive cities for the sixth year running, according to The Economist Intelligence Unitʼs 2019 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, released on Tuesday. The southeast Asian citystate shares the tag of the most costly place to live with Hong Kong and Paris. When the prices of more than 150 items were compared in 133 cities around the world, the French capital moved up one place in the rankings compared to last year. Parisʼ ad-
No breakthrough in China-US trade talks Chinaʼs Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that it had held "constructive meetings" with US officialsafter talks resumed between the countries over their ongoing trade spat. Nonetheless, with no major breakthrough yet in sight, the resumption of talks did not prevent an additional $16 billion (€13.83 billion) of tariffs being levied by the US and China on each otherʼs goods, starting from Thursday. Read more: US-China trade spat: Clash of the titans, part 2 Talks took place on Wednesday and Thursday aimed at defusing the escalating conflict, which has now seen both countries slap $50 billion in tariffs on the otherʼs products, with more expected to follow. The Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that the officials on both sides have vowed to "keep in contact" in the future. High-tech will suffer, says China Meanwhile, a prominent Chinese state planner said on Friday that US tariffs onhigh-tech Chinese technology would have an impact on the tech sectors in both countries.
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Oasis frontman Liam Gallagherʼs fashion brand hits financial wonderwall The former Oasis starʼs business is reportedly looking for a buyer after incurring losses in 2018 on the back of 2017 losses. Pretty Green — inspired by the name of song from the British 1980s pop band The Jam — reported revenues of 22 million pounds (€26 million, $28 million) in 2018 but failed to turn a profit, even with sales up 32 percent. Its pre-tax loss of 1.5 million pounds followed a 5.6-million-pound loss the year before. Gallagher, the largest shareholder, earned 120,000 pounds from the firm last year, records show. The brand incurred costs of 333,000 pounds relating to an abandoned stock market flotation, while a cash injection of 11 million pounds from the hedge fund Rockpool Investments in 2017 to help expand the business failed. Gallagher set up Pretty Green 11 years ago and its range includes coats that cost up to 425 pounds and jeans for up to 150 pounds.
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vance perhapsbolsters the central case of Franceʼs yellow vest protesters, who have blockaded major roads and cities during the past four months over the rising cost of living. The Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva were ranked fourth and joint fifth respectively, followed by Japanʼs Osaka and Seoul in South Korea. Israelʼs secondmost populous city, Tel Aviv, entered the Top 10 for the first time — the only Middle Eastern high-ranked representative in the survey.
No-deal Brexit ʼalmost inevitableʼ — the view from Europe
The deadline for the UK to present the European Union with a new proposal for its exit from the bloc or crash out without a deal is fast approaching. A top EU official has warned that Britain is "facing the abyss." After the UK Parliament once again rejected alternative options to Prime Minister Theresa Mayʼs Brexit deal, European politicians were quick to react. The European Parliamentʼs Brexit coordinator said the UK has a "last chance" to break the deadlock on leaving the European Union when Parliament meets again on Wednesday or "face the abyss." Guy Verhofstadt said: "The House of Commons again votes against all options. A hard #Brexit becomes nearly inevitable. Jens Geier, a German member of the European Parliament, said that there was a "ridiculous self-blockade in the British parliament" and that the EU could only agree to an extension of the Brexit deadline beyond April 12 if there was a second referendum.
77/2019 • 3 April, 2019
Dissident Czech literary master Milan Kundera at 90 He went into exile in Paris in 1975
An imaginative visionary who claimed to have "smuggled art" into his body of work, photographer Erwin Blumenfeld often embraced mischief when he produced his images. His friendship with Dadaists impacted how he experimented with photography and his life experiences, which took the GermanJewish photographer from his Berlin birthplace to a failed business in Amsterdam to internment camps in France and eventually to the United States, also fed into the dark visual subtitles of his images. While in Europe, Blumenfeld shot in black and white, but itʼs his kaleidoscopic photography that forms the subject of a new exhibition at Foam in Amsterdam: "Erwin Blumenfeld in Color — His New York Years."
His "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" brought the Prague Spring to life for international readers. But the writer who went into exile in Paris in 1975 wants to be remembered as a French writer. Milan Kunderaʼs novels delve deeply into the the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the individual. But his books also often portray relationships, and not only between two people. In his masterpiece, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Kundera tells the story of a love triangle against the backdrop of the Prague Spring. The epic turned Kundera into an international literary star when it was published in 1984. By
Erwin Blumenfeld: Fashion photographyʼs surrealist innovator
then, the dissident Czech novelist had been living in exile in Paris for almost a decade. His books had been banned in Czechoslovakia, and since the Soviet-backed government deprived him of citizenship in 1978, he has remained the countryʼs most famous exiled writer. Even after the Velvet Revolution, the fall of the Iron Curtain and the creation of the Czech Republic, the writer has not returned to live in his homeland.
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ʼBorn in Evinʼ: Processing the trauma of the Iranian Revolution One day, the story just slips out of her auntʼs mouth: Maryam Zaree did not come into this world in a normal hospital; instead, she was born in captivity in 1983. The aunt said she was horrified when she realized that the girl wasnʼt aware of that. She thought Zareeʼs parents had long explained to the 12-year-old that she was born in Evin, one of Iranʼs most notorious prisons for political prisoners. But this was not the case. And even after the revelation, there were no further conversations to discuss
and process this part of the family history. Baby behind bars The story begins when Zareeʼs parents meet in Iran. They listen to John Lennon, read Karl Marx and are against the ruling shah and Iranʼs monarchy. But with the Iranian Revolution of 1979, one strong man is replaced by another and they are declared enemies of the new religious regime under Ayatollah Khomeini. In 1983, Zareeʼs parents are arrested and Maryam Zaree along with them — as a baby in her motherʼs belly.
Whether youʼre sightseeing, shopping, exploring or relaxing on the beach, this "Belly" bag can attach around your waist practically or be worn across your shoulder. www.hoegl.com
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Culture
Renovated Museum of Fine Arts to Open on 31 October AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BUDAPEST WILL OPEN ON 31 OCTOBER. NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC Thanks to the largest-scale and most comprehensive reconstruction project in the museum’s history, the museum building has been renewed, and, returning to the collection’s first concept, the museum’s permanent exhibitions will also be rearranged. Besides the new permanent exhibitions, the revamped museum will welcome visitors with a chamber exhibition titled Leonardo & the Budapest Horse and Rider. The museum reconstruction, implemented within the framework of the Liget Budapest Project, included the restoration of the Romanesque Hall, which sustained severe damage in World War II and since then had been only partially renovated and used as a storage area, along with the modernisation of the building’s obsolete heating system, the installation of air conditioning in some of the exhibition halls, the renewal of a large part of the roof structure, as well as the addition of new exhibition spaces, visitor areas and modern storage facilities.
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77/2019 • 3 April, 2019
DFB President Reinhard Grindel steps down
The German FA (DFB) announced on Tuesday that the organizationʼs president, Reinhard Grindel, had resigned with immediate effect. The two DFB first vice presidents, Rainer Koch and Reinhard Rauball, are to lead the DFB on an interim basis until a new president is elected at a congress in September. "Through his high level of personal commitment Reinhard Grindel has achieved a lot for the DFB, not only regarding the application for EURO 2024," Koch said in a statement posted on the DFBʼs website. "We are very grateful to him and greatly respect his decision." According to the statement, Grindel is to continue to serve as a member of the FIFA Council and on the UEFA Executive Committee.
Danny Cipriani: Gloucester fly-half signs new contract
Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani has signed a new contract with the Premiership club. The 31-year-old is believed to have agreed a three-year deal, which could see the England international end his career at Kingsholm. The former Sale Sharks back joined the Cherry and Whites from top-flight rivals Wasps last summer. Cipriani, who has 16 caps, has been in fine form this season, helping Gloucester to third in the table. After a three-year absence from the national side, he was recalled to Englandʼs squad last summer but has not featured for Eddie Jonesʼ team since Juneʼsthird Test against South Africa. 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.
Novak Djokovic through in Australian Open after beating Daniil Medvedev Novak Djokovic is bidding to win the Australian Open for a seventh time
World number one Novak Djokovic reached the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time since 2016 with a hard-fought win over Daniil Medvedev. The 31-year-old Serb earned a 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3 victory over the 15th seed in Melbourne. Djokovic was not at his fluent best, but outlasted Medvedev to win in three hours and 15 minutes. Russiaʼs Medvedev, 22, grew frustrated as he paid the price for only taking two of nine break points. Medvedevʼs resistance continued until the end, saving two match points before Djokovic took the third with a wonderful cross-court winner. Six-time
champion Djokovic will play Kei Nishikori in the last eight after theJapanese eighth seed beat Spainʼs Pablo Carreno Bustain controversial circumstances in a five-hour match decided by a super tie-break. Another triumph for the top seed at Melbourne Park will see him move ahead of Australian great Roy Emerson and Roger Federer, who was knocked out by Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday, in terms of all-time victories.
Andy Murray: Two-time Wimbledon champion returns to tennis court after hip surgery Andy Murray has returned to a tennis court just two months after hip surgery - albeit somewhat tentatively. The two-time Wimbledon champion hasposted a video on Instagramof him hitting against a wall alongside the caption: "Itʼs a start." Murray, 31, underwent a hip resurfacing procedure in January, which he said meant it was possible he would not be able to play professionally again.
But it was his only option if he wanted to return to competitive action. In March, the three-time Grand Slam champion saidhe is "painfree"following the surgery, but his chances of playing singles at Wimbledon this year are "less than 50%". He added he was under "no pressure" to resume a career which has also seen him win two Olympic gold medals among 45 singles titles.