france24--2020-01-29--White House tries to block incriminating book by former national security adviser Bolton

Then-White House former National Security Advisor John Bolton delivers remarks on North Korea at the Center for Strategic and International Studies ( CSIS ) think tank in Washington , U.S. September 30 , 2019 .
The White House on Wednesday objected to the publication of a book by President Donald Trump 's former national security adviser John Bolton depicting Trump as playing a central role in a pressure campaign on Ukraine , while members of the U.S. Senate asked a spree of questions in the impeachment trial .
A letter from the White House National Security Council to Bolton 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a preliminary review , appeared to contain `` significant amounts of classified information . ''
Some material was deemed top secret and could `` cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security , '' according to the letter dated Jan. 23 to Bolton 's lawyer .
The letter surfaced with the Senate in the midst of a pitched battle over whether to remove Trump from office in part due to conduct described by Bolton in the manuscript .
Contradicting Trump 's version of events , Bolton wrote in the unpublished book manuscript that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freeze $ 391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kiev pursued investigations into Democrats , including Biden and the former vice president 's son Hunter Biden , the New York Times reported .
`` Under federal law and the nondisclosure agreements your client signed as a condition for gaining access to classified information , the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information , '' the letter said .
The manuscript was submitted to the White House for pre-publication review , a process that civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much power to censor speech .
Democrats view Bolton as a figure who could help them solidify their case against the president .
Reports about the book 's contents appear to boost their arguments in the trial .
Democrats want to call Bolton , a Republican foreign policy hawk , and a small number of other officials to testify .
Trump 's fellow Republicans in the Senate have resisted the idea of having any witnesses .
The letter said the White House would be in touch with Bolton 's lawyer with `` detailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began the first of two planned days of posing questions to both Trump 's legal team and the Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives who have served as prosecutors in the trial on charges of abusing power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate political rival Joe Biden .
Democratic senators used their questions to try to undermine the defense presented by Trump 's legal team and make their case for witnesses including Bolton .
Republicans used their questions to try to bolster the contention of Trump 's team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offense even if Bolton 's assertions are true .
The Senate is expected to acquit Trump but allowing witnesses such as Bolton could inflict political damage on him as he seeks re-election on Nov. 3 .
Biden is a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination to challenge Trump .
Bolton 's allegations go to the heart of the impeachment charges .
Democrats have said Trump abused his power by using the security aid - passed by Congress to help Ukraine battle Russia-backed separatists - as leverage to get a foreign power to smear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team has argued that the evidence supporting that allegation is based on hearsay .
A Bolton spokeswoman had no comment on the White House letter .
Neither his publisher nor lawyer immediately responded to requests for comment .
The Senate is expected on Friday to vote on whether to call witnesses .
Democrats need four Republicans to join them to get a majority in the 100-seat Senate .
Republican leaders are hoping to vote as quickly as possible to acquit Trump , leaving him in office .
Removing Trump from office would take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican senators and none has publicly advocated removal .
The Democratic-led House impeached Trump last month .
Trump lashed out at Bolton on Twitter .
He said Bolton `` could n't get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago , could n't get approved for anything since , 'begged ' me for a non Senate approved job '' and added that `` if I listened to him , we would be in World War Six by now . ''
Trump added that Bolton , who left his White House post in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writes a nasty & untrue book .
All Classified National Security .
Who would do this ? ''
Trump , who has denied Bolton 's account , has said he fired Bolton .
Bolton , a foreign policy hawk who served as a temporary `` recess appointee '' as American ambassador to the United Nations under Republican former President George W. Bush , has said he quit .
Responding to a question by top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer , lead House prosecutor Adam Schiff said there would be no way to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you have a witness as plainly relevant as John Bolton who goes to the heart of the most serious and most egregious of the president 's misconduct , who has volunteered to come and testify - to turn him away , to look the other way , I think is deeply at odds with being an impartial juror , '' Schiff said .
Democratic questions prompted answers from House prosecutors that Trump did not need to have committed a statutory crime to be convicted .
Republicans asked Trump 's lawyers questions aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process was illegitimate from the start .
Senators submitted questions in writing to be read aloud by U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts , who is presiding over the trial .

The White House on Wednesday objected to the publication of a book by President Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton depicting Trump as playing a central role in a pressure campaign on Ukraine, while members of the U.S. Senate asked a spree of questions in the impeachment trial.
Then-White House former National Security Advisor John Bolton delivers remarks on North Korea at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank in Washington, U.S. September 30, 2019.
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A letter from the White House National Security Council to Bolton's attorney said the manuscript, based on a preliminary review, appeared to contain "significant amounts of classified information."
Some material was deemed top secret and could "cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security," according to the letter dated Jan. 23 to Bolton's lawyer. The letter surfaced with the Senate in the midst of a pitched battle over whether to remove Trump from office in part due to conduct described by Bolton in the manuscript.
Contradicting Trump's version of events, Bolton wrote in the unpublished book manuscript that the president told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kiev pursued investigations into Democrats, including Biden and the former vice president's son Hunter Biden, the New York Times reported.
"Under federal law and the nondisclosure agreements your client signed as a condition for gaining access to classified information, the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information," the letter said.
The manuscript was submitted to the White House for pre-publication review, a process that civil libertarians have said gives the government too much power to censor speech.
Democrats view Bolton as a figure who could help them solidify their case against the president. Reports about the book's contents appear to boost their arguments in the trial. Democrats want to call Bolton, a Republican foreign policy hawk, and a small number of other officials to testify. Trump's fellow Republicans in the Senate have resisted the idea of having any witnesses.
The letter said the White House would be in touch with Bolton's lawyer with "detailed guidance" for manuscript revisions.
Senators began the first of two planned days of posing questions to both Trump's legal team and the Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives who have served as prosecutors in the trial on charges of abusing power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate political rival Joe Biden.
Democratic senators used their questions to try to undermine the defense presented by Trump's legal team and make their case for witnesses including Bolton. Republicans used their questions to try to bolster the contention of Trump's team that he did not commit an impeachable offense even if Bolton's assertions are true.
The Senate is expected to acquit Trump but allowing witnesses such as Bolton could inflict political damage on him as he seeks re-election on Nov. 3. Biden is a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination to challenge Trump.
Bolton's allegations go to the heart of the impeachment charges. Democrats have said Trump abused his power by using the security aid - passed by Congress to help Ukraine battle Russia-backed separatists - as leverage to get a foreign power to smear a political rival. Trump's legal team has argued that the evidence supporting that allegation is based on hearsay.
A Bolton spokeswoman had no comment on the White House letter. Neither his publisher nor lawyer immediately responded to requests for comment.
A vote on witnesses
The Senate is expected on Friday to vote on whether to call witnesses. Democrats need four Republicans to join them to get a majority in the 100-seat Senate. Republican leaders are hoping to vote as quickly as possible to acquit Trump, leaving him in office.
Removing Trump from office would take a two-thirds majority. There are 53 Republican senators and none has publicly advocated removal. The Democratic-led House impeached Trump last month.
Trump lashed out at Bolton on Twitter. He said Bolton "couldn't get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago, couldn't get approved for anything since, 'begged' me for a non Senate approved job" and added that "if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now."
For a guy who couldn’t get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago, couldn’t get approved for anything since, “begged” me for a non Senate approved job, which I gave him despite many saying “Don’t do it, sir,” takes the job, mistakenly says “Libyan Model” on T.V., and.. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2020
Trump added that Bolton, who left his White House post in September, "goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book. All Classified National Security. Who would do this?"
Trump, who has denied Bolton's account, has said he fired Bolton. Bolton, a foreign policy hawk who served as a temporary "recess appointee" as American ambassador to the United Nations under Republican former President George W. Bush, has said he quit.
.@realDonaldTrump so have you fired the guy who hired John Bolton? Oh wait ..... — Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) January 29, 2020
Responding to a question by top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, lead House prosecutor Adam Schiff said there would be no way to have a fair trial without witnesses.
"And when you have a witness as plainly relevant as John Bolton who goes to the heart of the most serious and most egregious of the president's misconduct, who has volunteered to come and testify - to turn him away, to look the other way, I think is deeply at odds with being an impartial juror," Schiff said.
Democratic questions prompted answers from House prosecutors that Trump did not need to have committed a statutory crime to be convicted. Republicans asked Trump's lawyers questions aimed at convincing senators that the House impeachment process was illegitimate from the start.
Senators submitted questions in writing to be read aloud by U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-29--'Finally free': Asia Bibi breaks silence after Pakistani death row hell

People hold signs reading `` Free Asia Bibi '' as they demonstrate on the Parvis des droits de l'homme in Paris on October 29 , 2014 Recounting the hellish conditions of eight years spent on death row on blasphemy charges but also the pain of exile , Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi has broken her silence to give her first personal insight into an ordeal that caused international outrage .
Bibi was sentenced to death on blasphemy charges by a Pakistani court in 2010 but then dramatically acquitted in 2018 .
She now lives in Canada at an undisclosed location .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-written a book about her , was once based in the country where she led a support campaign for her .
She is the only reporter to have met Bibi during her stay in Canada .
In the book “ Enfin libre !
” ( “ Finally Free ” ) -- published in French on Wednesday with an English version due out in September—Bibi recounts her arrest , the conditions of prison , the relief of her release but also the difficulty of adjusting to a new life .
“ You already know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said in the book .
“ But you are far from understanding my daily life in prison or my new life , ” she said .
“ I became a prisoner of fanaticism , ” she said .
In prison , “ tears were the only companions in the cell ” .
She described the horrendous conditions in squalid jails in Pakistan where she was kept chained and jeered at by other detainees .
“ My wrists are burning me , it is hard to breathe .
My neck ... is encased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can tighten with a huge nut , ” she wrote .
“ A long chain drags along on the filthy ground .
This connects my neck to the handcuffed hand who pulls me like a dog on a lead .
“ Deep within me , a dull fear takes me towards the depths of darkness .
A lacerating fear that will never leave me.
” Many other prisoners showed her no pity .
“ I am startled by the cry of a woman .
‘ To death !
’ The other women join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
’ .
” Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan , where even the whiff of an unsubstantiated allegation of insulting Islam can spark death at the hands of mobs .
Her acquittal on the charges , which stemmed from an incident in 2009 when she argued with a Muslim co-labourer , resulted in violent protests that paralysed the country , led by firebrand cleric , Khadim Hussain Rizvi .
Bibi , who vehemently denied the charges against her , argued in the book that the Christian minority in overwhelmingly Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with my freedom , the climate ( for Christians ) does not seemed to have changed and Christians can expect all kinds of reprisals , ” she said .
“ They live with this sword of Damocles over their head.
” And while Canada gives her a safer and more certain future , Bibi also has to come to terms with likely never setting foot in her homeland again .
“ In this unknown country , I am ready for a new departure , perhaps for a new life .
But at what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had to leave without saying goodbye to my father or other members of the family.
” “ Pakistan is my country .
I love my country but I am in exile forever , ” she said .

Recounting the hellish conditions of eight years spent on death row on blasphemy charges but also the pain of exile, Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi has broken her silence to give her first personal insight into an ordeal that caused international outrage.
People hold signs reading "Free Asia Bibi" as they demonstrate on the Parvis des droits de l'homme in Paris on October 29, 2014
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Bibi was sentenced to death on blasphemy charges by a Pakistani court in 2010 but then dramatically acquitted in 2018. She now lives in Canada at an undisclosed location.
French journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet, who has co-written a book about her, was once based in the country where she led a support campaign for her.
She is the only reporter to have met Bibi during her stay in Canada.
In the book “Enfin libre!” (“Finally Free”) -- published in French on Wednesday with an English version due out in September—Bibi recounts her arrest, the conditions of prison, the relief of her release but also the difficulty of adjusting to a new life.
“You already know my story through the media,” she said in the book.
“But you are far from understanding my daily life in prison or my new life,” she said.
‘Depths of darkness’
“I became a prisoner of fanaticism,” she said.
In prison, “tears were the only companions in the cell”.
She described the horrendous conditions in squalid jails in Pakistan where she was kept chained and jeered at by other detainees.
“My wrists are burning me, it is hard to breathe. My neck... is encased in an iron collar that the guard can tighten with a huge nut,” she wrote.
“A long chain drags along on the filthy ground. This connects my neck to the handcuffed hand who pulls me like a dog on a lead.
“Deep within me, a dull fear takes me towards the depths of darkness. A lacerating fear that will never leave me.”
Many other prisoners showed her no pity. “I am startled by the cry of a woman. ‘To death!’ The other women join in. ‘Hanged!’ Hanged!’.”
‘At what price?’
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even the whiff of an unsubstantiated allegation of insulting Islam can spark death at the hands of mobs.
Her acquittal on the charges, which stemmed from an incident in 2009 when she argued with a Muslim co-labourer, resulted in violent protests that paralysed the country, led by firebrand cleric, Khadim Hussain Rizvi.
Bibi, who vehemently denied the charges against her, argued in the book that the Christian minority in overwhelmingly Muslim Pakistan still faces persecution.
“Even with my freedom, the climate (for Christians) does not seemed to have changed and Christians can expect all kinds of reprisals,” she said.
“They live with this sword of Damocles over their head.”
And while Canada gives her a safer and more certain future, Bibi also has to come to terms with likely never setting foot in her homeland again.
“In this unknown country, I am ready for a new departure, perhaps for a new life. But at what price?
“My heart broke when I had to leave without saying goodbye to my father or other members of the family.”
“Pakistan is my country. I love my country but I am in exile forever,” she said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-29--Tunisia’s 'trailblazing' sex-ed programme struggles out of starting blocks

Tunisia ’ s announcement late last year that it would introduce sex education starting at the primary school level was welcomed as a trailblazer in the Arab world .
But the implementation has faced challenges , from a watering down on subjects considered taboo to political turmoil .
Introducing sex education into the school curricula is rarely an easy task across the world .
So , in December 2019 , when Tunisian authorities announced they would introduce a sex education programme for primary and high school students , it was hailed as yet another example of the North African nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Arab world .
The move marked the first time an Arab country would be introducing sex education to primary school students as young as five-year-olds .
It would also make Tunisia the only Arab nation to provide sex education in schools after Lebanon scrapped its programme for 12-to-14-year-olds in 2000 over concerns it would “ provoke perversions ” .
After several years of studies , surveys and polls across the country , the programme introduction was finally triggered by sexual violence and harassment revelations that shook Tunisia .
A March 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assaulted and raped 20 children in a village near the western city of Sfax , served as a wake-up call on the need for sex education .
In the aftermath of the case , Tunisian Education Minister Hatem Ben Salem stressed the need to raise awareness among children and promised to introduce sex education classes in schools .
The new programme was set to be launched in 12 areas around the capital , Tunis , by end-December , followed by a nationwide rollout as early as January 2020 .
But the plan has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in the process of finalising the document before the experimental phase is launched in 13 regions , '' Elhem Barboura , inspector general at the ministry of education , who is piloting the project , told FRANCE 24 .
No trainers , no government When asked about the reasons for the delay , consultants involved in the development of the project mentioned a staffing problem .
`` Everything is ready : the frame of reference has been drafted , the pedagogical tools printed , the objectives have been defined .
But now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' admitted Ines Derbel , vice-president in Tunis-based of the Tunisian Society of Clinical Sexology and a consultant who has been working on the programme for five years .
Part of the problem is also political .
Tunisia is experiencing political turmoil , which could jeopardise the programme .
The country has not had a government since the October general elections failed to produce an outright winner .
Earlier this year , parliament rejected a new prime minister-designate amid a tussle for power between parties over political appointments .
A new prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tasked with forming a government .
But differences between the country ’ s president and the largest party in parliament , the moderate Islamist Ennahda , indicate that Fakhfakh faces an uphill battle to come up with a coalition government in Tunisia ’ s fragmented political landscape .
`` We do n't know if the current education minister will stay on his role and he has been in charge of the sex education project since the beginning .
At the moment , everything is on standby , '' admitted Derbel , who hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the start of the 2020-2021 academic year , at the latest .
Shock-free ‘ sexual health education ’ It ’ s not the only obstacle confronting the ambitious project .
Convincing a broad spectrum of society across class , regional and ideological divides is another challenge .
`` Changes like that take time , '' explained Derbel .
In January 2018 , Yamina Zoghlami , an Ennahda party parliamentarian , electrified the country with a remarkable speech to parliament .
`` There are young Tunisians who consider the body to be haram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministry of education is very outdated on this subject , young people must be taught scientific sex education so that they can protect themselves and others , '' said the veiled mother of three children .
Convincing parents is another challenge in a country where sociological studies show sexual issues remain taboo and are difficult to address within families .
Tunisia has long been a trailblazer in women ’ s rights in the region , thanks to a large extent to the country ’ s first president , Habib Bourguiba .
Just months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March 1956 , the Tunisian lawyer-statesman promulgated a historic personal status code outlawing polygamy and granting women the right to divorce and vote .
But conservatism has also been on the rise in Tunisia following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising , with religious leaders becoming more influential as the state fails to address major economic problems , including soaring youth unemployment rates .
“ Over the past four to five years , we 've been consulting Tunisians , from the north to the south of the country , training imams , talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the needs and demands are , and adapting them to Tunisian society , '' said the clinical sexologist .
The `` adaptations '' include avoiding controversial subjects , such as sexual orientation -- homosexuality is still taboo in Tunisia -- and anal sex , which is still forbidden by law .
The new programme was also given a title change from sex education to `` sexual health education '' .
`` At the onset , we did n't want to shock people to ensure the programme would n't be rejected , '' explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be an academic course by itself , but will be rolled into physical education and life and earth science ( LES ) courses in Arabic .
This makes it less of a `` sex education '' course and more a lesson on the body , the biological differences between genders and an introduction to children 's rights , adapted to each age group .
From the ages of 5-to-8 years old , children will study the notion of intimacy and prohibitions ( who has the right to touch a child 's body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 8-12 and 12-15 year brackets will be made aware of puberty and physiological changes .
Young people ‘ want to try everything ’ '' A whole section of the programme is focused on protection : learning how to better protect yourself [ from assault ] , how to say no , how to respect yourself and how to provide comprehensive sex education , '' said sexologist Karim Chérif , who helped develop the programme .
`` We have a generation of young people who are not afraid , and want to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them the tools they need to have a fulfilling and responsible sexual life , '' says Chérif .
Other issues include tackling more `` technical '' subjects like sexual diseases , contraception and unwanted pregnancies .
Abortions have been legal since 1965 , when Tunisia became the first Muslim country to legalise abortions for women who had five or more children , within the first trimester and with the husband ’ s consent .
In 1973 , the law was liberalised to include any woman , without spousal consent .
These topics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for older students .
But above all , they are already being taught in high schools in Tunisia '' .
Outside schools , Tunisia ’ s vigorous civil society is widely mobilised on sexual health issues .
Workshops on sexual risks have been available for young people since the 1990s .
`` For years now , education sessions have been offered on risky behaviour , unwanted pregnancies and STD [ sexually transmitted disease ] prevention , '' the National Office for Family and Population ( ONFP ) informed FRANCE 24 .
But these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities .
`` By integrating sex education into the school curriculum , it will be accessible to everyone , from the north to the [ more traditional ] south , without socio-cultural disparities .
It will be systematised and multidisciplinary , '' says Chérif .
When , that is , it ’ s finally taught in Tunisian schools .
This article has been adapted from the original in French .

Tunisia’s announcement late last year that it would introduce sex education starting at the primary school level was welcomed as a trailblazer in the Arab world. But the implementation has faced challenges, from a watering down on subjects considered taboo to political turmoil.
Advertising Read more
Introducing sex education into the school curricula is rarely an easy task across the world. So, in December 2019, when Tunisian authorities announced they would introduce a sex education programme for primary and high school students, it was hailed as yet another example of the North African nation’s leading women’s rights in the Arab world.
The move marked the first time an Arab country would be introducing sex education to primary school students as young as five-year-olds. It would also make Tunisia the only Arab nation to provide sex education in schools after Lebanon scrapped its programme for 12-to-14-year-olds in 2000 over concerns it would “provoke perversions”.
After several years of studies, surveys and polls across the country, the programme introduction was finally triggered by sexual violence and harassment revelations that shook Tunisia. A March 2019 case of a paedophile teacher, who assaulted and raped 20 children in a village near the western city of Sfax, served as a wake-up call on the need for sex education.
In the aftermath of the case, Tunisian Education Minister Hatem Ben Salem stressed the need to raise awareness among children and promised to introduce sex education classes in schools.
The new programme was set to be launched in 12 areas around the capital, Tunis, by end-December, followed by a nationwide rollout as early as January 2020.
But the plan has been running behind schedule. “We are in the process of finalising the document before the experimental phase is launched in 13 regions," Elhem Barboura, inspector general at the ministry of education, who is piloting the project, told FRANCE 24.
No trainers, no government
When asked about the reasons for the delay, consultants involved in the development of the project mentioned a staffing problem. "Everything is ready: the frame of reference has been drafted, the pedagogical tools printed, the objectives have been defined. But now we have to find the right trainers," admitted Ines Derbel, vice-president in Tunis-based of the Tunisian Society of Clinical Sexology and a consultant who has been working on the programme for five years.
Part of the problem is also political. Tunisia is experiencing political turmoil, which could jeopardise the programme. The country has not had a government since the October general elections failed to produce an outright winner. Earlier this year, parliament rejected a new prime minister-designate amid a tussle for power between parties over political appointments.
A new prime minister, Elyes Fakhfakh, was then tasked with forming a government. But differences between the country’s president and the largest party in parliament, the moderate Islamist Ennahda, indicate that Fakhfakh faces an uphill battle to come up with a coalition government in Tunisia’s fragmented political landscape.
"We don't know if the current education minister will stay on his role and he has been in charge of the sex education project since the beginning. At the moment, everything is on standby," admitted Derbel, who hopes to have the courses up and running by the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, at the latest.
Shock-free ‘sexual health education’
It’s not the only obstacle confronting the ambitious project. Convincing a broad spectrum of society across class, regional and ideological divides is another challenge. "Changes like that take time," explained Derbel.
In January 2018, Yamina Zoghlami, an Ennahda party parliamentarian, electrified the country with a remarkable speech to parliament.
"There are young Tunisians who consider the body to be haram [forbidden in Islam]. The ministry of education is very outdated on this subject, young people must be taught scientific sex education so that they can protect themselves and others," said the veiled mother of three children.
Yamina Zoghlami, Nahdha, a daring proposal: involve sexual education in school curricula to teach children how to protect themselves from sexual aggression, bravo — Mehrezia Labidi MP (@Labidi_Mehrezia) January 4, 2018
Convincing parents is another challenge in a country where sociological studies show sexual issues remain taboo and are difficult to address within families.
Tunisia has long been a trailblazer in women’s rights in the region, thanks to a large extent to the country’s first president, Habib Bourguiba. Just months after the country gained independence from France in March 1956, the
Tunisian lawyer-statesman promulgated a historic personal status code outlawing polygamy and granting women the right to divorce and vote.
But conservatism has also been on the rise in Tunisia following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, with religious leaders becoming more influential as the state fails to address major economic problems, including soaring youth unemployment rates. “Over the past four to five years, we've been consulting Tunisians, from the north to the south of the country, training imams, talking to parents and children to see what the needs and demands are, and adapting them to Tunisian society," said the clinical sexologist.
The "adaptations" include avoiding controversial subjects, such as sexual orientation -- homosexuality is still taboo in Tunisia -- and anal sex, which is still forbidden by law. The new programme was also given a title change from sex education to "sexual health education". "At the onset, we didn't want to shock people to ensure the programme wouldn't be rejected," explained Derbel.
Moreover, the programme will not be an academic course by itself, but will be rolled into physical education and life and earth science (LES) courses in Arabic. This makes it less of a "sex education" course and more a lesson on the body, the biological differences between genders and an introduction to children's rights, adapted to each age group. From the ages of 5-to-8 years old, children will study the notion of intimacy and prohibitions (who has the right to touch a child's body or not). Older children in the 8-12 and 12-15 year brackets will be made aware of puberty and physiological changes.
Young people ‘want to try everything’
"A whole section of the programme is focused on protection: learning how to better protect yourself [from assault], how to say no, how to respect yourself and how to provide comprehensive sex education," said sexologist Karim Chérif, who helped develop the programme. "We have a generation of young people who are not afraid, and want to try everything. Our role is to give them the tools they need to have a fulfilling and responsible sexual life," says Chérif.
Other issues include tackling more "technical" subjects like sexual diseases, contraception and unwanted pregnancies. Abortions have been legal since 1965, when Tunisia became the first Muslim country to legalise abortions for women who had five or more children, within the first trimester and with the husband’s consent. In 1973, the law was liberalised to include any woman, without spousal consent.
These topics, Chérif explained, “can be addressed for older students. But above all, they are already being taught in high schools in Tunisia".
Outside schools, Tunisia’s vigorous civil society is widely mobilised on sexual health issues. Workshops on sexual risks have been available for young people since the 1990s. "For years now, education sessions have been offered on risky behaviour, unwanted pregnancies and STD [sexually transmitted disease] prevention," the National Office for Family and Population (ONFP) informed FRANCE 24.
But these workshops mostly reach young people in big cities. "By integrating sex education into the school curriculum, it will be accessible to everyone, from the north to the [more traditional] south, without socio-cultural disparities. It will be systematised and multidisciplinary," says Chérif. When, that is, it’s finally taught in Tunisian schools.
This article has been adapted from the original in French.
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france24--2020-01-29--European Parliament gives final approval to Brexit deal

Britain 's EU Parliament members react after a vote on the Withdrawal Agreement at the European Parliament in Brussels , Belgium January 29 , 2020 .
Britain ’ s departure from the European Union was set in law Wednesday as , amid emotional scenes , the bloc ’ s parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers .
After half a century of sometimes awkward membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks , the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time ( 2300 GMT ) on Friday .
MEPs voted by 621 votes to 49 to pass the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU institutions but remain under most EU rules during a transition until the end of the year .
Following the vote , MEPs burst into a chorus of “ Auld Lang Syne ” , a traditional Scottish song of farewell .
The transition will see Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s government try to negotiate an ambitious—unprecedented in the timeframe—free trade agreement with his 27 former partners remaining in the bloc .
“ Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depth of love , ” EU Commission president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , quoting British author George Eliot .
“ We will always love you and we will never be far .
Long live Europe.
” In other words , as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said : “ The hardest part lies ahead ... we ’ re going to get down to brass tacks now.
” In the Brussels parliament , many MEPs made it clear that they were voting for the withdrawal deal not out of any support for Brexit , but to avoid the disruption of a chaotic no deal divorce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and pointed to Britain ’ s role not only in the development of the European unification project but also to its historic battles against tyranny on the continent .
“ If we could stop Brexit by voting ‘ no ’ today I would be the first to recommend it , ” former Belgian premier and chairman of the parliament ’ s Brexit steering group Guy Verhofstadt said .
“ It is indeed a sad issue , ” he said , turning to the World Wars of the first half of he last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see a country leaving that twice liberated us , twice has given its blood to liberate Europe.
” The day began with Britain ’ s permanent representative to the EU Tim Barrow—from Saturday to be its ambassador—handing back the withdrawal agreement signed by Johnson , to be stored in Brussels .
“ This step ensures that the UK has fulfilled its legal obligations regarding our exit from the EU , ” the British mission said .
But it was still an emotional day in the European Parliament in Brussels , steeped in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and historical metaphor .
Nigel Farage , veteran MEP and leader of Britain ’ s Brexit Party , was in triumphant mood after two decades as a thorn in Brussels ’ side .
After his final speech in parliament , in which he described Brexit as a victory for populism over “ globalism ” , Farage and his MEPs brandished British flags , in contravention of the rules , then left .
“ We ’ re going to wave you goodbye , ” he declared , as deputy speaker Mairead McGuinness cut his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules , you ’ ll get cut off , ” she retorted .
At an earlier news conference , Farage said he had loved playing the “ pantomime villain ” in the Strasbourg assembly , feeding opposition to Europe at home with theatrical YouTube clips .
But he insisted on the seriousness of Brexit , comparing its significance to king Henry VIII taking Britain out of the Catholic church in 1534 .
“ He took us out of the Church of Rome , and we are leaving the Treaty of Rome , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 1957 founding document .
Later in the day , Farage ’ s fellow MEPs gathered for the historic vote to incorporate the withdrawal agreement into EU law .
This was the last legislative act of the 73 remaining British MEPs , and departure was hard for some .
Iratxe Garcia Perez , the Spanish leader of the Socialist group , choked back tears as she said farewell to her British Labour Party comrades .
After Brexit the United Kingdom will be what the EU calls a “ third country ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and economic drama will continue .
Britain and Europe will apply EU rules on trade and free movement of citizens until the end of the year , while negotiating a free trade agreement .
In the face of scepticism in EU capitals , Johnson insists he is optimistic that a comprehensive free trade deal can be done before the next cliff-edge .
But negotiations between the world ’ s sixth biggest economy and a 27-nation single market with a population of 450 million will be tricky Fishing rights , residency and working rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to Europe for Britain ’ s huge services sector : all will be on the table .
“ We are considering a free trade agreement with zero tariffs and zero quotas .
This would be unique .
No other free trade agreement offers such access to our single market , ” von der Leyen said .
“ But the pre-condition is that European and British businesses continue to compete on a level playing field .
We will not expose our companies to unfair competition , ” she warned , to applause .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the United States and Asian powers can help offset the costs of Brexit .
But the British premier was facing difficult talks on Wednesday with President Donald Trump ’ s secretary of state Mike Pompeo .
Trump backed Brexit , but Washington opposed Johnson ’ s decision to allow Chinese telecoms giant to work on Britain ’ s 5G telecoms network despite security fears .

Britain’s departure from the European Union was set in law Wednesday as, amid emotional scenes, the bloc’s parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers.
Britain's EU Parliament members react after a vote on the Withdrawal Agreement at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium January 29, 2020.
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After half a century of sometimes awkward membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (2300 GMT) on Friday.
MEPs voted by 621 votes to 49 to pass the withdrawal agreement, which sees Britain leave the EU institutions but remain under most EU rules during a transition until the end of the year.
Following the vote, MEPs burst into a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne”, a traditional Scottish song of farewell.
The transition will see Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government try to negotiate an ambitious—unprecedented in the timeframe—free trade agreement with his 27 former partners remaining in the bloc.
“Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depth of love,” EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told the chamber, quoting British author George Eliot.
“We will always love you and we will never be far. Long live Europe.”
In other words, as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said: “The hardest part lies ahead... we’re going to get down to brass tacks now.”
In the Brussels parliament, many MEPs made it clear that they were voting for the withdrawal deal not out of any support for Brexit, but to avoid the disruption of a chaotic no deal divorce.
Some expressed real anguish and regret, and pointed to Britain’s role not only in the development of the European unification project but also to its historic battles against tyranny on the continent.
“If we could stop Brexit by voting ‘no’ today I would be the first to recommend it,” former Belgian premier and chairman of the parliament’s Brexit steering group Guy Verhofstadt said.
“It is indeed a sad issue,” he said, turning to the World Wars of the first half of he last century. “We’re sad to see a country leaving that twice liberated us, twice has given its blood to liberate Europe.”
The day began with Britain’s permanent representative to the EU Tim Barrow—from Saturday to be its ambassador—handing back the withdrawal agreement signed by Johnson, to be stored in Brussels.
“This step ensures that the UK has fulfilled its legal obligations regarding our exit from the EU,” the British mission said.
Leaving the church
But it was still an emotional day in the European Parliament in Brussels, steeped in a mixture of nostalgia, political carnival and historical metaphor.
Nigel Farage, veteran MEP and leader of Britain’s Brexit Party, was in triumphant mood after two decades as a thorn in Brussels’ side.
After his final speech in parliament, in which he described Brexit as a victory for populism over “globalism”, Farage and his MEPs brandished British flags, in contravention of the rules, then left.
“We’re going to wave you goodbye,” he declared, as deputy speaker Mairead McGuinness cut his microphone.
“If you disobey the rules, you’ll get cut off,” she retorted.
At an earlier news conference, Farage said he had loved playing the “pantomime villain” in the Strasbourg assembly, feeding opposition to Europe at home with theatrical YouTube clips.
But he insisted on the seriousness of Brexit, comparing its significance to king Henry VIII taking Britain out of the Catholic church in 1534.
“He took us out of the Church of Rome, and we are leaving the Treaty of Rome,” he said, referring to the EU’s 1957 founding document.
Later in the day, Farage’s fellow MEPs gathered for the historic vote to incorporate the withdrawal agreement into EU law.
This was the last legislative act of the 73 remaining British MEPs, and departure was hard for some.
Bagpipe serenade
Iratxe Garcia Perez, the Spanish leader of the Socialist group, choked back tears as she said farewell to her British Labour Party comrades.
After Brexit the United Kingdom will be what the EU calls a “third country”, outside the union, but the political and economic drama will continue.
Britain and Europe will apply EU rules on trade and free movement of citizens until the end of the year, while negotiating a free trade agreement.
In the face of scepticism in EU capitals, Johnson insists he is optimistic that a comprehensive free trade deal can be done before the next cliff-edge.
But negotiations between the world’s sixth biggest economy and a 27-nation single market with a population of 450 million will be tricky
Fishing rights, residency and working rights for citizens, tariff free trade, access to Europe for Britain’s huge services sector: all will be on the table.
“We are considering a free trade agreement with zero tariffs and zero quotas. This would be unique. No other free trade agreement offers such access to our single market,” von der Leyen said.
“But the pre-condition is that European and British businesses continue to compete on a level playing field. We will not expose our companies to unfair competition,” she warned, to applause.
UK goes solo
Johnson’s government hopes more trade with the United States and Asian powers can help offset the costs of Brexit.
But the British premier was facing difficult talks on Wednesday with President Donald Trump’s secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
Trump backed Brexit, but Washington opposed Johnson’s decision to allow Chinese telecoms giant to work on Britain’s 5G telecoms network despite security fears.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-29--French ice skating coaches face multiple rape claims

Former professional skater Sarah Abitbol , during a European Skating Championship in Bratislava in 2001 .
Former world bronze medal winning skater Sarah Abitbol was at the forefront on Wednesday of new revelations about sexual abuse in French sport .
In a new book published on Wednesday and in an interview with the newspaper L ’ Obs , Abitbol , a 10-time French champion and bronze medal winner in the pairs at the 2000 world championships , accused her ex-coach Gilles Beyer of raping her between 1990 and 1992 when she was between the ages of 15 and 17 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day that sports daily L ’ Equipe ran a lengthy report into sexual abuse in skating , swimming and tennis in France .
Under the headline “ The End of Omerta ” , L ’ Equipe leans on the stories of three other skaters who accuse Beyer and two other coaches , Jean-Roland Racle and Michel Lotz , of abuse and rape when they were minors .
The coaches have either denied the allegations or declined to comment .
The report comes a week after French tennis coach Andrew Geddes was jailed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He ( Beyer ) started to do horrible things leading to sexual abuse and I was raped at 15 , ” said Abitbol , now 44 , in a video interview with L ’ Obs .
“ It was the first time a man touched me.
” Another skater Helene Godard accused Beyer , who was French national champion in 1978 , and Racle of sexual abuse when she was a minor .
According to L ’ Equipe , Beyer , who continued his career as director of the French teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two investigations , one by the sports ministry , in the early 2000s .
After the second inquest , the ministry terminated his contract as a technical advisor but he remained close to the skating federation , whose president Didier Gailhaguet declined to comment when contacted by AFP .
Abitbol says that after she retired she mentioned her claims against Beyer to the then Minister of Sport , Jean-Francois Lamour , who allegedly replied : “ Yes , we have a file on him , but we ’ re going to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L ’ Obs he did not remember this conversation .
“ I understood that I was faced with an organised silence , ” said Abitbol .
“ Basically , everyone said to me ‘ Take your meds and be quiet !
’ I obeyed .
I took my meds and I fell silent.
” L ’ Equipe also ran a separate report into sexual aggression in French swimming during the 1980s while former tennis player Isabelle Demongeot accused her coach Regis de Camaret of rape .
At the end of 2019 , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Report shed light on “ major dysfunctions ” at different levels , citing 77 cases and at least 276 victims , mostly children under the age of 15 , across 28 different sports .
Minister of Sport Roxana Maracineanu did not comment directly on these cases but told Radio France on Wednesday that controls on coaches needed to be tighter .
“ We are talking about paedophilia , clearly about inadmissible things in society , ” she said .
“ In sport it is even less acceptable since parents , each year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this question .
They need to be able to continue doing that.
” The ministry is organising a major conference on February 20 to discuss the issue .

Former world bronze medal winning skater Sarah Abitbol was at the forefront on Wednesday of new revelations about sexual abuse in French sport.
Former professional skater Sarah Abitbol, during a European Skating Championship in Bratislava in 2001.
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In a new book published on Wednesday and in an interview with the newspaper L’Obs, Abitbol, a 10-time French champion and bronze medal winner in the pairs at the 2000 world championships, accused her ex-coach Gilles Beyer of raping her between 1990 and 1992 when she was between the ages of 15 and 17.
Abitbol’s accusations came on the day that sports daily L’Equipe ran a lengthy report into sexual abuse in skating, swimming and tennis in France.
Under the headline “The End of Omerta”, L’Equipe leans on the stories of three other skaters who accuse Beyer and two other coaches, Jean-Roland Racle and Michel Lotz, of abuse and rape when they were minors.
The coaches have either denied the allegations or declined to comment.
The report comes a week after French tennis coach Andrew Geddes was jailed for 18 years for raping four underage players.
“He (Beyer) started to do horrible things leading to sexual abuse and I was raped at 15,” said Abitbol, now 44, in a video interview with L’Obs.
“It was the first time a man touched me.”
Another skater Helene Godard accused Beyer, who was French national champion in 1978, and Racle of sexual abuse when she was a minor.
Investigation
According to L’Equipe, Beyer, who continued his career as director of the French teams and national coach, was the subject of two investigations, one by the sports ministry, in the early 2000s.
After the second inquest, the ministry terminated his contract as a technical advisor but he remained close to the skating federation, whose president Didier Gailhaguet declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
Abitbol says that after she retired she mentioned her claims against Beyer to the then Minister of Sport, Jean-Francois Lamour, who allegedly replied: “Yes, we have a file on him, but we’re going to close our eyes.”
The former minister told L’Obs he did not remember this conversation.
“I understood that I was faced with an organised silence,” said Abitbol. “Basically, everyone said to me ‘Take your meds and be quiet!’ I obeyed. I took my meds and I fell silent.”
L’Equipe also ran a separate report into sexual aggression in French swimming during the 1980s while former tennis player Isabelle Demongeot accused her coach Regis de Camaret of rape.
At the end of 2019, an investigation by the collective of journalists We Report shed light on “major dysfunctions” at different levels, citing 77 cases and at least 276 victims, mostly children under the age of 15, across 28 different sports.
Minister of Sport Roxana Maracineanu did not comment directly on these cases but told Radio France on Wednesday that controls on coaches needed to be tighter.
“We are talking about paedophilia, clearly about inadmissible things in society,” she said.
“In sport it is even less acceptable since parents, each year, confidently entrust their children without asking themselves this question. They need to be able to continue doing that.”
The ministry is organising a major conference on February 20 to discuss the issue.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-29--Airlines suspend China flights as WHO calls emergency coronavirus meeting

FILE PHOTO : Members of the Thai Airways crew disinfect the cabin of an aircraft of the national carrier during a procedure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at Bangkok 's Suvarnabhumi International Airport , Thailand , January 28 , 2020 .
Airlines began suspending flights to and from China Wednesday as the World Health Organization ( WHO ) called an urgent meeting over whether a viral epidemic that has killed 132 people and infected around 6,000 others should be declared a global health emergency .
The flight suspensions came as some countries began airlifts of their nationals trapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 11 million people at the centre of the epidemic .
Among 206 Japanese nationals who returned home Wednesday , 12 were hospitalised for tests after they reported they felt unwell or showed flu-like symptoms .
A growing number of governments—including the United States , Britain and Germany—have advised their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China .
China has urged its own citizens to delay trips abroad , with at least 18 countries having confirmed cases of the disease .
In Geneva , WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that referred to the global risk of the outbreak as “ moderate ” instead of “ high ” .
A meeting of WHO experts could on Thursday upgrade it further .
“ I have decided to reconvene the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on the new # coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV ) tomorrow , ” Tedros said on Twitter .
British Airways was the first major airline to announce a suspension of flights to and from China , citing the travel advice of the foreign office .
It was followed by German flag carrier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest airlines , which said all flights to mainland China would be suspended until February 9 .
Indonesia ’ s Lion Air Group , Southeast Asia ’ s biggest carrier by fleet size , said it would halt services to and from China from Saturday , and airlines from Myanmar and Nepal followed suit .
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has reduced flights , citing low demand and the city government ’ s response plan to the virus .
Meanwhile Kazakhstan , an important China trade partner , stopped issuing visas to Chinese citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ train traffic and suspend flights .
In one of the most dramatic measures , the tiny Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea announced no travellers from Asia would be allowed in .
China has taken extraordinary measures to try and stop the disease spreading , including bans on tour groups travelling overseas , suspending schools and extending the Lunar New Year holiday .
Most street traffic in and around Wuhan has been banned in an unprecedented quarantine effort , leaving more than 50 million people shuttered in their homes .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve had to go out , ” a man in his 50s told AFP on the mostly deserted streets of the industrial city on Wednesday .
“ I have no choice because I need to buy food.
” Countries have scrambled to get their citizens out of Wuhan safely , but have faced logistical , medical and bureaucratic hurdles .
A US charter flight from Wuhan with about 210 Americans on board—including consulate staff—was met at a California military base on Wednesday by emergency vehicles with flashing lights and personnel in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be monitored for symptoms and sent to local hospitals if they are found to be ill , the US defense department said .
Some 250 French citizens and 100 other Europeans will be flown out of Wuhan on board two French planes this week .
The Italian government said it would send an aircraft on Thursday .
Up to 70 Italians are reportedly in Wuhan .
France said it would keep its returnees in a holding facility in Paris for 14 days—the estimated incubation period for the virus .
Australia plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally used to detain asylum seekers .
The number of confirmed cases across China climbed to 5,974 , while the death toll nationwide jumped to 132 .
The scale of the deepening crisis was emphasised with the total number of infections on the Chinese mainland exceeding that of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) outbreak of 2002-03 .
But the death toll is so far much lower than SARS , which claimed nearly 800 lives around the world—with most fatalities in mainland China and Hong Kong .
The virus is believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan , where it jumped to humans before spreading across the country as the peak travel period for New Year festivities got under way .
The virus has rattled global markets and started to dent an already-slowing Chinese economy .
Japanese automaker Toyota said it would keep its plants in China closed until at least February 9 .
Tech giant Foxconn said Wednesday that Taiwan staff at its vast network of factories in China do not need to return to work until mid-February , a move likely to impact global supply chains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taiwan company to manufacture everything from iPhones to flat-screen TVs and laptops .
The virus has also disrupted sporting events , with a women ’ s football Olympic qualifier event moved from Wuhan to Australia .
Despite the precaution , the Chinese team was quarantined in a Brisbane hotel after arriving for the competition , according to Australian media .
“ The whole world needs to be on alert now .
The whole world needs to take action , ” Michael Ryan , head of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme , told reporters @ @ @ @ @

Airlines began suspending flights to and from China Wednesday as the World Health Organization (WHO) called an urgent meeting over whether a viral epidemic that has killed 132 people and infected around 6,000 others should be declared a global health emergency.
FILE PHOTO: Members of the Thai Airways crew disinfect the cabin of an aircraft of the national carrier during a procedure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, January 28, 2020.
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The flight suspensions came as some countries began airlifts of their nationals trapped in Wuhan, the quarantined Chinese city of 11 million people at the centre of the epidemic.
Among 206 Japanese nationals who returned home Wednesday, 12 were hospitalised for tests after they reported they felt unwell or showed flu-like symptoms.
A growing number of governments—including the United States, Britain and Germany—have advised their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China.
China has urged its own citizens to delay trips abroad, with at least 18 countries having confirmed cases of the disease.
In Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation “deeply regrets” its reports last week that referred to the global risk of the outbreak as “moderate” instead of “high”.
A meeting of WHO experts could on Thursday upgrade it further.
“I have decided to reconvene the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on the new #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) tomorrow,” Tedros said on Twitter.
I have decided to reconvene the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on the new #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) tomorrow to advise me on whether the current outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. pic.twitter.com/993YBQ6hol — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 29, 2020
British Airways was the first major airline to announce a suspension of flights to and from China, citing the travel advice of the foreign office.
It was followed by German flag carrier Lufthansa, one of Europe’s largest airlines, which said all flights to mainland China would be suspended until February 9.
The announcement included subsidiaries Swiss and Austrian Airlines.
Indonesia’s Lion Air Group, Southeast Asia’s biggest carrier by fleet size, said it would halt services to and from China from Saturday, and airlines from Myanmar and Nepal followed suit.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has reduced flights, citing low demand and the city government’s response plan to the virus.
Meanwhile Kazakhstan, an important China trade partner, stopped issuing visas to Chinese citizens and said it would halt cross-border passenger train traffic and suspend flights.
In one of the most dramatic measures, the tiny Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea announced no travellers from Asia would be allowed in.
Foreigners escape
China has taken extraordinary measures to try and stop the disease spreading, including bans on tour groups travelling overseas, suspending schools and extending the Lunar New Year holiday.
Most street traffic in and around Wuhan has been banned in an unprecedented quarantine effort, leaving more than 50 million people shuttered in their homes.
“This is the first day since the lockdown that I’ve had to go out,” a man in his 50s told AFP on the mostly deserted streets of the industrial city on Wednesday.
“I have no choice because I need to buy food.”
Countries have scrambled to get their citizens out of Wuhan safely, but have faced logistical, medical and bureaucratic hurdles.
A US charter flight from Wuhan with about 210 Americans on board—including consulate staff—was met at a California military base on Wednesday by emergency vehicles with flashing lights and personnel in white biological hazard suits.
The evacuees will be monitored for symptoms and sent to local hospitals if they are found to be ill, the US defense department said.
Some 250 French citizens and 100 other Europeans will be flown out of Wuhan on board two French planes this week.
The Italian government said it would send an aircraft on Thursday. Up to 70 Italians are reportedly in Wuhan.
France said it would keep its returnees in a holding facility in Paris for 14 days—the estimated incubation period for the virus.
Australia plans to house any citizens evacuated on an island normally used to detain asylum seekers.
Highest priority
The number of confirmed cases across China climbed to 5,974, while the death toll nationwide jumped to 132.
The scale of the deepening crisis was emphasised with the total number of infections on the Chinese mainland exceeding that of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2002-03.
But the death toll is so far much lower than SARS, which claimed nearly 800 lives around the world—with most fatalities in mainland China and Hong Kong.
The virus is believed to have originated in a wild-animal market in Wuhan, where it jumped to humans before spreading across the country as the peak travel period for New Year festivities got under way.
Economic pain
The virus has rattled global markets and started to dent an already-slowing Chinese economy.
Japanese automaker Toyota said it would keep its plants in China closed until at least February 9.
Tech giant Foxconn said Wednesday that Taiwan staff at its vast network of factories in China do not need to return to work until mid-February, a move likely to impact global supply chains for tech companies that rely on the Taiwan company to manufacture everything from iPhones to flat-screen TVs and laptops.
The virus has also disrupted sporting events, with a women’s football Olympic qualifier event moved from Wuhan to Australia.
Despite the precaution, the Chinese team was quarantined in a Brisbane hotel after arriving for the competition, according to Australian media.
“The whole world needs to be on alert now. The whole world needs to take action,” Michael Ryan, head of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters in Geneva on Wednesday.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-29--Outrage as Roman Polanski's new film tops 'French Oscar' nominations

Roman Polanski ’ s new film “ An Officer and a Spy ” topped the list of nominations on Wednesday for the “ French Oscars ” , the Cesars , sparking fury from feminists .
The controversial director has been wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl since 1978 and is persona non grata in Hollywood .
His period drama about the Dreyfus affair , which rocked France at the turn of the 20th century , is in line for 12 Cesars , the French equivalent of the Oscars .
The head of the French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not take moral positions ” about giving awards .
But their choice was swifty condemned by feminists and some film critics .
“ If rape was an art , give all the Cesars to Polanski , ” tweeted the French women ’ s group , Osez le feminisme ( Dare to Be Feminist ) .
“ By celebrating a fugitive rapist and child sex criminal , we silence the victims , ” added the group , which said it would demonstrate outside the awards ceremony on February 28 .
“ The Cesar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a victim of sexual assault by a director when she was a child ( Adele Haenel ) , and a director who sexually abused a child ( Roman Polanski ) , to be in the same room together for a big celebration of film.
” Haenel , who was nominated for best actress for her performance in `` Portrait of a Lady on Fire '' , touched a nerve last year by telling how she was sexually harassed from the age of 12 on her first film .
French director Christophe Ruggia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minor earlier this month .
Polanski , 86 , won both best director and the critics ’ prize at the Venice film festival in August for `` An Officer and a Spy '' , which has been a big hit at the French box office despite a wave of protests .
Some screenings had to be cancelled after feminist protesters invaded or blockaded cinemas .
The publicity campaign for the film was also halted after French photographer Valentine Monnier claimed that she had also been raped by the director in 1975 .
Monnier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , said Polanski tried to give her a pill as he beat her `` into submission '' at his Swiss chalet .
“ Obviously I have no memory of it because it is false , ” he told Paris Match magazine .
The director - who sparked uproar at Venice by comparing his “ hounding ” to the anti-Semitic persecution Dreyfus suffered - blamed the disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein for his woes .
He said Weinstein had tried to brand him a “ child rapist ” to stop him winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pianist ” .
Terzian strongly defended the French academy ’ s right to honour Polanski ’ s new film .
“ Unless I am wrong , 1.5 million French people have gone to see his film .
Go ask them , ” he shot back when asked if the academy should be celebrating Polanski Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin , the star of Polanski ’ s new film , is the hot favourite to lift best actor in a race that also includes Vincent Cassel and Reda Kateb for the autism drama “ The Specials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belle Epoque ” .
“ Les Miserables ” , a tough drama set in the poor and restive poor suburbs of Paris - which is also in the running for a best foreign language Oscar - picked up 11 Cesar nominations , just behind Polanski ’ s film .
Ladj Ly ’ s film is also battling against Polanski and “ By the Grace of God ” , Francois Ozon ’ s film about clerical child sex abuse , in the best film and best director categories .
“ La Belle Epoque ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Celine Sciamma ’ s “ Portrait of a Lady on Fire ” .
The Polanski controversy quickly went to the top of trending topics on French social media , with many comparing the tolerance the director enjoys from the film industry to that granted until recently to the disgraced veteran writer Gabriel Matzneff , who had written for decades about his sexual adventures with adolescents .
Matzneff , who is being investigated by French police , said Wednesday that he regretted his sex tourism trips to Asia , claiming that at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a crime ” .

Roman Polanski’s new film “An Officer and a Spy” topped the list of nominations on Wednesday for the “French Oscars”, the Cesars, sparking fury from feminists.
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The controversial director has been wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl since 1978 and is persona non grata in Hollywood.
His period drama about the Dreyfus affair, which rocked France at the turn of the 20th century, is in line for 12 Cesars, the French equivalent of the Oscars.
The head of the French film academy Alain Terzian said it “should not take moral positions” about giving awards.
But their choice was swifty condemned by feminists and some film critics.
“If rape was an art, give all the Cesars to Polanski,” tweeted the French women’s group, Osez le feminisme (Dare to Be Feminist).
“By celebrating a fugitive rapist and child sex criminal, we silence the victims,” added the group, which said it would demonstrate outside the awards ceremony on February 28.
British film critic Caspar Salmon was equally scathing.
“The Cesar awards are literally inviting an actor who was a victim of sexual assault by a director when she was a child (Adele Haenel), and a director who sexually abused a child (Roman Polanski), to be in the same room together for a big celebration of film.”
The Cesar awards are literally - *LITERALLY* - inviting an actor who was a victim of sexual assault by a director when she was a child (Adele Haenel), and a director who sexually abused a child (Roman Polanski), to be in the same room together for a big celebration of film. — Caspar Salmon (@CasparSalmon) January 29, 2020
Cinemas picketed
Haenel, who was nominated for best actress for her performance in "Portrait of a Lady on Fire", touched a nerve last year by telling how she was sexually harassed from the age of 12 on her first film.
French director Christophe Ruggia was charged with sexual assault on a minor earlier this month.
Polanski, 86, won both best director and the critics’ prize at the Venice film festival in August for "An Officer and a Spy", which has been a big hit at the French box office despite a wave of protests.
Some screenings had to be cancelled after feminist protesters invaded or blockaded cinemas.
The publicity campaign for the film was also halted after French photographer Valentine Monnier claimed that she had also been raped by the director in 1975.
Monnier, an 18-year-old model and actress at the time, said Polanski tried to give her a pill as he beat her "into submission" at his Swiss chalet.
Polanski “absolutely denied” assaulting Monnier, pouring scorn on her story.
“Obviously I have no memory of it because it is false,” he told Paris Match magazine.
Uproar
The director - who sparked uproar at Venice by comparing his “hounding” to the anti-Semitic persecution Dreyfus suffered - blamed the disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein for his woes.
He said Weinstein had tried to brand him a “child rapist” to stop him winning an Oscar in 2003 for “The Pianist”.
Terzian strongly defended the French academy’s right to honour Polanski’s new film.
“Unless I am wrong, 1.5 million French people have gone to see his film. Go ask them,” he shot back when asked if the academy should be celebrating Polanski
Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin, the star of Polanski’s new film, is the hot favourite to lift best actor in a race that also includes Vincent Cassel and Reda Kateb for the autism drama “The Specials” and Daniel Auteuil for “La Belle Epoque”.
“Les Miserables”, a tough drama set in the poor and restive poor suburbs of Paris - which is also in the running for a best foreign language Oscar - picked up 11 Cesar nominations, just behind Polanski’s film.
Ladj Ly’s film is also battling against Polanski and “By the Grace of God”, Francois Ozon’s film about clerical child sex abuse, in the best film and best director categories.
“La Belle Epoque” also got 11 nominations, one ahead of Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”.
The Polanski controversy quickly went to the top of trending topics on French social media, with many comparing the tolerance the director enjoys from the film industry to that granted until recently to the disgraced veteran writer Gabriel Matzneff, who had written for decades about his sexual adventures with adolescents.
Matzneff, who is being investigated by French police, said Wednesday that he regretted his sex tourism trips to Asia, claiming that at the time “no one ever said it was a crime”.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-28--Paris to evacuate citizens from Wuhan as fifth coronavirus case confirmed in France

A picture taken in a laboratory of the National Reference Center ( CNR ) for respiratory viruses at the Institut Pasteur in Paris on January 28 , 2020 shows a biohazard sticker on the entrance of a room .
The CNR analyses for respiratory viruses among which coronavirus .
France has confirmed a fifth case of infection by the new coronavirus from China , the French health minister said on Wednesday , adding the patient was the daughter of an 80-year-old man already hospitalized with the disease .
Minister for Health Agnès Buzyn also said the first flight , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese town of Wuhan - the epicentre of the virus - would depart France for China later on Wednesday , with a second flight to follow on Thursday or Friday .
France confirmed its first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus on Friday , and a fourth case on Tuesday .
“ We now have five cases , out of which two are under surveillance , ” Buzyn said at a press conference .
The Chinese government has sealed off Wuhan and neighbouring cities , effectively trapping tens of millions of people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid to contain the spread of the virus .
Buzyn said the first plane will likely return to France late Friday or early Saturday .
Those on it will be brought to a holding facility in Paris , where they will stay for 14 days – the estimated virus incubation period – to ensure they do not have the virus and therefore can not pass it on to others .
Any who display symptoms , which are similar to the flu and include a fever , will be hospitalised immediately .
Deputy transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first flight would bring only passengers “ who do not have any symptoms ” of illness .
Another flight to bring home “ people who may be carrying the virus ” is planned but no date has yet been set , he said .
“ Several planes will follow , ” added Buzyn , so as not to mix potentially infected people with healthy ones on the same flight .
The European Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that EU citizens would also be flown out of Wuhan .
“ Initial numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be transported in the first aircraft and over 100 EU citizens from other countries will join the second aircraft , ” it said in a statement .
The airlift , at France ’ s request , will now be co-funded by the EU under its civil protection mechanism and broadened with the second plane for EU citizens .
It said “ only healthy or asymptomatic citizens will be authorised to travel ” on the flights .
France was the first European country to report imported cases of the new coronavirus .
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to China .
On Tuesday , officials said a German man , who has not been to China , was infected with the virus by a colleague visiting Bavaria from China , in what is believed to be the first human transmission on European soil .
Buzyn said several European countries had asked France to bring their nationals home on its planes .
“ Obviously , we won ’ t close the doors of our planes to foreign nationals if they request it and if we have the possibility ” to help them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan , some may not be keen on leaving , however .
“ Some have family members who are not necessarily French nationals , so it is necessary to know if they want to return , and if the Chinese government accepts it , ” Buzyn said .
“ All of this is being discussed with the Chinese authorities.
” Others are put off by the mandatory 14-day quarantine period .

France has confirmed a fifth case of infection by the new coronavirus from China, the French health minister said on Wednesday, adding the patient was the daughter of an 80-year-old man already hospitalized with the disease.
A picture taken in a laboratory of the National Reference Center (CNR) for respiratory viruses at the Institut Pasteur in Paris on January 28, 2020 shows a biohazard sticker on the entrance of a room. The CNR analyses for respiratory viruses among which coronavirus.
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Minister for Health Agnès Buzyn also said the first flight, which will later repatriate French nationals from the Chinese town of Wuhan - the epicentre of the virus - would depart France for China later on Wednesday, with a second flight to follow on Thursday or Friday.
France confirmed its first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus on Friday, and a fourth case on Tuesday.
“We now have five cases, out of which two are under surveillance,” Buzyn said at a press conference.
The Chinese government has sealed off Wuhan and neighbouring cities, effectively trapping tens of millions of people, including thousands of foreigners, in a bid to contain the spread of the virus.
Buzyn said the first plane will likely return to France late Friday or early Saturday. Those on it will be brought to a holding facility in Paris, where they will stay for 14 days – the estimated virus incubation period – to ensure they do not have the virus and therefore cannot pass it on to others.
Any who display symptoms, which are similar to the flu and include a fever, will be hospitalised immediately.
Deputy transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told CNews television the first flight would bring only passengers “who do not have any symptoms” of illness.
Another flight to bring home “people who may be carrying the virus” is planned but no date has yet been set, he said.
“Several planes will follow,” added Buzyn, so as not to mix potentially infected people with healthy ones on the same flight.
The European Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that EU citizens would also be flown out of Wuhan.
“Initial numbers indicate that around 250 French citizens will be transported in the first aircraft and over 100 EU citizens from other countries will join the second aircraft,” it said in a statement.
The airlift, at France’s request, will now be co-funded by the EU under its civil protection mechanism and broadened with the second plane for EU citizens.
It said “only healthy or asymptomatic citizens will be authorised to travel” on the flights.
‘Won’t close the doors’
France was the first European country to report imported cases of the new coronavirus. The first three were people who had recently been to China.
On Tuesday, officials said a German man, who has not been to China, was infected with the virus by a colleague visiting Bavaria from China, in what is believed to be the first human transmission on European soil.
Buzyn said several European countries had asked France to bring their nationals home on its planes.
“Obviously, we won’t close the doors of our planes to foreign nationals if they request it and if we have the possibility” to help them, Buzyn added.
Among the French in Wuhan, some may not be keen on leaving, however.
“Some have family members who are not necessarily French nationals, so it is necessary to know if they want to return, and if the Chinese government accepts it,” Buzyn said.
“All of this is being discussed with the Chinese authorities.”
Others are put off by the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-01-30--‘Two different political cultures’: A divided Scotland braces for Brexit

Despite a majority of Scottish voters rejecting Brexit in the 2016 referendum , Scotland leaves the EU along with the rest of the UK on January 31 .
For some Scots , this shows that their nation is being ignored and bolsters the case for leaving the UK .
On the other side of the independence debate , some rue that Brexit makes it more difficult to make the case for unionism , while others argue that Scottish grievances over Brexit are unjustified .
Edinburgh is a city of two souls .
The ancient Old Town climbs up to Edinburgh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atop an extinct volcano .
This thousand year-old fortress is the most besieged place in Great Britain – largely thanks to attacks from English soldiers , most frequently during the bitter Wars of Scottish Independence in the Middle Ages .
The New Town incarnates the British side to Edinburgh ’ s character .
Its construction started in the eighteenth century to provide grand new housing for the city ’ s flourishing bourgeoisie , which thrived on the back of Scotland ’ s union with England in 1707 .
Its exquisite buildings shape the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the boundary between the Old and New Towns in Princes Street Gardens , the Scott Monument – in all its austere grandeur – represents a synthesis of their identities .
It memorialises Sir Walter Scott , the nineteenth-century novelist whose tales mourned the loss of Scotland ’ s time-hallowed clan society , while celebrating the emergence of a modern nation in political union with England .
Yet some in Edinburgh argued that Brexit shows this union is no longer working , as Scotland prepares to leave the EU on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its voters in the 2016 referendum .
‘ It doesn ’ t matter what the people of Scotland decided ’ “ Brexit made me more pro-independence , ” said Katherine , a young Scottish nationalist walking past the Scott Monument .
“ It ’ s always felt like we ’ re kind of second to the English viewpoint , maybe because there are less of us .
It feels like they don ’ t take our opinions seriously.
” “ I think it ’ s a backward step coming from a sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who declined to give her name , said of Brexit .
The notion that Scotland has been ignored over Brexit is a “ fairly accurate judgement ” , added Allan Massie , one of Scotland ’ s most acclaimed contemporary novelists , and a staunch unionist as well as a Remainer .
Brexit has been carried out on “ the assumption that there was this narrow majority in the United Kingdom , therefore we must go ahead and it doesn ’ t matter what the people of Scotland have decided – they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve got to come with us ” , said Massie , who lives in Selkirk near the border with England , in one of the most unionist parts of Scotland .
In this context , the Scottish National Party , which combines secessionism with Europhilia , performed well in the 2019 general elections amid a small uptick in support for Scottish independence .
It won 48 out of Scotland ’ s 59 seats , with 45 percent of the vote .
“ We ’ ve seen a modest , not dramatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming from people who voted Remain in the 2016 referendum , observed Nicola McEwen , a professor of politics at Edinburgh University .
The day after those Brexit-focused elections last December , Sturgeon asked for a second independence referendum , saying that the SNP landslide was a “ strong endorsement ” of “ not having to accept life as a nation outside the EU ” .
Johnson ’ s government rejected this request earlier this month.For one prominent supporter of Scottish independence in the 2014 referendum – which the unionist side won with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of several factors showing that Scotland and England now have “ two different political cultures ” .
Sir Tom Devine , widely regarded as the pre-eminent living historian of Scotland , said that the two nations ’ divergent attitudes to Europe over recent years can be attributed to Scots ’ outward-looking nature as a nation of emigrants , going back centuries .
“ Scotland has never suffered over the past twenty to thirty years the kind of inward-looking form of nationalism that England has , ” he said.Starting from around “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the census of 2001 , Scotland has experienced – sometimes really in vast numbers – net emigration ” , Devine continued .
“ Because of that , you could argue that Scots have always had to look outside.
” One Scot living in England offered a similar explanation for a divide between the two nations over Brexit , arguing that it is a product of Scotland ’ s greater ease with its own sense of national character .
A “ perception of a lack of national identity , or a threat to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key factor behind Brexit , argued Tauhid Ali , a scientist from the village of Dalmellington in western Scotland , who has lived in southern England for over two decades , and who opposed both Brexit and Scottish independence.
“ I think this is less of an issue for Scots , ” he continued .
“ Obviously my name is not Scottish , but my father immigrated to Scotland in the early 1960s and I feel very Scottish – I am Scottish , and then British – whereas I think in England they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what it means to be English.
” Others argued that the differences between the two nations are exaggerated – and that any Scottish sense of injustice over Brexit would not justify leaving the UK .
“ I don ’ t think Scotland was ignored over Brexit ; I think there ’ s a Scottish persecution complex , and it raises its head now and again – it ’ s always been there , especially about the English , ” said Charles Simpson , a Scottish artist living in Selkirkshire , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grievance that Scotland feels , voting mostly Remain , but I don ’ t think that ’ s cause for them to break away from the union , ” said a Londoner living in Edinburgh as a student at the city ’ s university .
“ I think at this point any more divisiveness is not beneficial to anyone.
” “ Thinking that Scottish nationalism is bound up with Brexit would be wrong , ” said David Spawforth , a former headteacher at an Edinburgh school , now also living in Selkirkshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independence referendum .
“ The SNP was founded in the 1930s , and it has always been a nationalist party , and now Brexit has given them an excuse.
” Brexit certainly hasn ’ t driven away Scottish unionism , the British aspect of the national character embodied by Edinburgh ’ s New Town .
Most polls continue to suggest that Scots would reject independence in a second referendum – one survey in early December by researchers YouGov and The Times even pointed to a 10-point lead for the unionist side.However , Brexit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unionists , especially those who voted Remain , Massie argued .
In a nation where the Brexiteer Tories are the only strong opposition to the SNP .
“ If you want to say no to Brexit and no to Scottish independence , what are you actually saying yes to ?
”

BREXIT DAY
Despite a majority of Scottish voters rejecting Brexit in the 2016 referendum, Scotland leaves the EU along with the rest of the UK on January 31. For some Scots, this shows that their nation is being ignored and bolsters the case for leaving the UK. On the other side of the independence debate, some rue that Brexit makes it more difficult to make the case for unionism, while others argue that Scottish grievances over Brexit are unjustified.
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Edinburgh is a city of two souls. The ancient Old Town climbs up to Edinburgh Castle, towering over the Scottish capital atop an extinct volcano. This thousand year-old fortress is the most besieged place in Great Britain – largely thanks to attacks from English soldiers, most frequently during the bitter Wars of Scottish Independence in the Middle Ages.
The New Town incarnates the British side to Edinburgh’s character. Its construction started in the eighteenth century to provide grand new housing for the city’s flourishing bourgeoisie, which thrived on the back of Scotland’s union with England in 1707. Its exquisite buildings shape the distinctive Scottish stone into quintessentially English architecture.
At the boundary between the Old and New Towns in Princes Street Gardens, the Scott Monument – in all its austere grandeur – represents a synthesis of their identities. It memorialises Sir Walter Scott, the nineteenth-century novelist whose tales mourned the loss of Scotland’s time-hallowed clan society, while celebrating the emergence of a modern nation in political union with England.
Yet some in Edinburgh argued that Brexit shows this union is no longer working, as Scotland prepares to leave the EU on Friday, against the will of 62 percent of its voters in the 2016 referendum.
Scotland's "New Town incarnates the British side to Edinburgh’s character". © Tom Wheeldon, FRANCE 24
‘It doesn’t matter what the people of Scotland decided’
“Brexit made me more pro-independence,” said Katherine, a young Scottish nationalist walking past the Scott Monument. “It’s always felt like we’re kind of second to the English viewpoint, maybe because there are less of us. It feels like they don’t take our opinions seriously.”
“I think it’s a backward step coming from a sort of English nationalism,” another Edinburgh local, who declined to give her name, said of Brexit.
The notion that Scotland has been ignored over Brexit is a “fairly accurate judgement”, added Allan Massie, one of Scotland’s most acclaimed contemporary novelists, and a staunch unionist as well as a Remainer.
Brexit has been carried out on “the assumption that there was this narrow majority in the United Kingdom, therefore we must go ahead and it doesn’t matter what the people of Scotland have decided – they’re part of the UK and they’ve got to come with us”, said Massie, who lives in Selkirk near the border with England, in one of the most unionist parts of Scotland.
In this context, the Scottish National Party, which combines secessionism with Europhilia, performed well in the 2019 general elections amid a small uptick in support for Scottish independence. It won 48 out of Scotland’s 59 seats, with 45 percent of the vote. “We’ve seen a modest, not dramatic, increase in support for independence” coming from people who voted Remain in the 2016 referendum, observed Nicola McEwen, a professor of politics at Edinburgh University.
A monument to novelist Sir Walter Scott whose tales celebrate "the emergence of a modern nation in political union with England" © Tom Wheeldon, FRANCE 24
The day after those Brexit-focused elections last December, Sturgeon asked for a second independence referendum, saying that the SNP landslide was a “strong endorsement” of “not having to accept life as a nation outside the EU”. Johnson’s government rejected this request earlier this month.
‘Scots have always had to look outside’
For one prominent supporter of Scottish independence in the 2014 referendum – which the unionist side won with 55 percent of the vote – Brexit is one of several factors showing that Scotland and England now have “two different political cultures”. Sir Tom Devine, widely regarded as the pre-eminent living historian of Scotland, said that the two nations’ divergent attitudes to Europe over recent years can be attributed to Scots’ outward-looking nature as a nation of emigrants, going back centuries. “Scotland has never suffered over the past twenty to thirty years the kind of inward-looking form of nationalism that England has,” he said.
Starting from around “the twelfth- and thirteen centuries up until the census of 2001, Scotland has experienced – sometimes really in vast numbers – net emigration”, Devine continued. “Because of that, you could argue that Scots have always had to look outside.”
One Scot living in England offered a similar explanation for a divide between the two nations over Brexit, arguing that it is a product of Scotland’s greater ease with its own sense of national character. A “perception of a lack of national identity, or a threat to the national identity and culture” was a key factor behind Brexit, argued Tauhid Ali, a scientist from the village of Dalmellington in western Scotland, who has lived in southern England for over two decades, and who opposed both Brexit and Scottish independence.
“I think this is less of an issue for Scots,” he continued. “Obviously my name is not Scottish, but my father immigrated to Scotland in the early 1960s and I feel very Scottish – I am Scottish, and then British – whereas I think in England they’ve always struggled with the question of what it means to be English.”
A ‘Scottish persecution complex’
Others argued that the differences between the two nations are exaggerated – and that any Scottish sense of injustice over Brexit would not justify leaving the UK. “I don’t think Scotland was ignored over Brexit; I think there’s a Scottish persecution complex, and it raises its head now and again – it’s always been there, especially about the English,” said Charles Simpson, a Scottish artist living in Selkirkshire, who is in favour of Brexit.
“I understand the grievance that Scotland feels, voting mostly Remain, but I don’t think that’s cause for them to break away from the union,” said a Londoner living in Edinburgh as a student at the city’s university. “I think at this point any more divisiveness is not beneficial to anyone.”
“Thinking that Scottish nationalism is bound up with Brexit would be wrong,” said David Spawforth, a former headteacher at an Edinburgh school, now also living in Selkirkshire, who voted Remain in the 2016 independence referendum. “The SNP was founded in the 1930s, and it has always been a nationalist party, and now Brexit has given them an excuse.”
Brexit certainly hasn’t driven away Scottish unionism, the British aspect of the national character embodied by Edinburgh’s New Town. Most polls continue to suggest that Scots would reject independence in a second referendum – one survey in early December by researchers YouGov and The Times even pointed to a 10-point lead for the unionist side.
However, Brexit makes life a lot harder for Scottish unionists, especially those who voted Remain, Massie argued. In a nation where the Brexiteer Tories are the only strong opposition to the SNP. “If you want to say no to Brexit and no to Scottish independence, what are you actually saying yes to?”
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