france24--2020-08-31--Belarus leader proposes vote on constitution reforms

The opposition in Belarus has been staging demonstrations against the results of the August 9 election which returned Lukashenko to power Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday discussed plans for a referendum on constitutional reforms as discontent with his 26-year rule has fuelled huge protests .
The 66-year-old is facing his greatest challenge yet following three weekends of giant protests in Minsk over a disputed August 9 presidential poll where he claimed victory over a popular opposition candidate , Svetlana Tikhanovskaya .
Lukashenko has twice before held such referendums , pushing through changes that strengthened the role of the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country 's `` somewhat authoritarian system '' .
Russia has backed constitutional reforms in neighbour and close ally Belarus after President Vladimir Putin in July pushed through reforms allowing him to serve more terms .
Lukashenko 's proposals on Monday focused on court reforms and rejected calls by the opposition to go back to the country 's 1994 constitution that was later modified to give the president more powers .
Lukashenko has sought to downplay the protest movement and depict himself as maintaining control and order .
But he has appeared increasingly isolated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers he viewed as his natural supporters and wearing a bullet-proof vest to helicopter into his official residence .
Meeting the chairman of the Supreme Court , Lukashenko said that experts were discussing changes , including more independent courts , while he said this was not needed .
`` I 'm ready to argue with anyone that the most independent court is in Belarus .
No one should laugh . ''
He said however the system needed to work `` without being tied to a personality , including Lukashenko . ''
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to `` give their opinion : what they like , what they do n't , '' while insisting that `` those who yell about being for changes '' were a minority .
Lukashenko , elected democratically in 1994 , held a referendum on changes including constitutional reforms in 1996 .
These included giving the president greater powers on appointing judges including the chair of the Constitutional Court .
Lukashenko said that going back to the 1994 Constitution as the opposition wants would not move the country forward .

Minsk (AFP) –
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday discussed plans for a referendum on constitutional reforms as discontent with his 26-year rule has fuelled huge protests.
The 66-year-old is facing his greatest challenge yet following three weekends of giant protests in Minsk over a disputed August 9 presidential poll where he claimed victory over a popular opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
Lukashenko has twice before held such referendums, pushing through changes that strengthened the role of the president.
On Monday, he acknowledged the country's "somewhat authoritarian system".
Russia has backed constitutional reforms in neighbour and close ally Belarus after President Vladimir Putin in July pushed through reforms allowing him to serve more terms.
Lukashenko's proposals on Monday focused on court reforms and rejected calls by the opposition to go back to the country's 1994 constitution that was later modified to give the president more powers.
Lukashenko has sought to downplay the protest movement and depict himself as maintaining control and order.
But he has appeared increasingly isolated and paranoid, booed by the blue-collar workers he viewed as his natural supporters and wearing a bullet-proof vest to helicopter into his official residence.
Meeting the chairman of the Supreme Court, Lukashenko said that experts were discussing changes, including more independent courts, while he said this was not needed.
"I'm ready to argue with anyone that the most independent court is in Belarus. No one should laugh."
He said however the system needed to work "without being tied to a personality, including Lukashenko."
He said members of the public would be able to "give their opinion: what they like, what they don't," while insisting that "those who yell about being for changes" were a minority.
Lukashenko, elected democratically in 1994, held a referendum on changes including constitutional reforms in 1996.
These included giving the president greater powers on appointing judges including the chair of the Constitutional Court.
Lukashenko said that going back to the 1994 Constitution as the opposition wants would not move the country forward.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--Sprinter Matthews to leave Sunweb and rejoin Mitchelton

Australian sprinter Michael Matthews , who was not selected in the Sunweb team for the Tour de France , has signed up for the next two years with his former team Mitchelton .
The Australian team announced late Sunday that the 29-year-old , who won the green jersey of the 2017 Tour , would be rejoining them for the next two seasons .
The announcement came just a few hours after a statement from Sunweb saying Matthews was free to leave .
`` Bling '' Matthews , is returning to the team where he raced for four years from 2013 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has won stages on all three Grand Tours ( Tour de France , Giro , Vuelta ) and won the Brittany Classic last week .
`` I saw a moment where it just felt right .
As a sprinter and as a rider you feel moments like this and sometimes you just have to go with instinct , '' Matthews said in a Mitchelton-Scott press release .
`` The opportunity was there to come back and you have to take them when they are there .
At this moment in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the team has welcomed me back with open arms which is really special .
`` ( Team owner ) Gerry Ryan supported me through my under-19 and under-23 days and also in helping me turn professional , so it just feels like coming home . ''

Nice (France) (AFP) –
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Australian sprinter Michael Matthews, who was not selected in the Sunweb team for the Tour de France, has signed up for the next two years with his former team Mitchelton.
The Australian team announced late Sunday that the 29-year-old, who won the green jersey of the 2017 Tour, would be rejoining them for the next two seasons.
The announcement came just a few hours after a statement from Sunweb saying Matthews was free to leave.
"Bling" Matthews, is returning to the team where he raced for four years from 2013 to 2016 when it was called Orica. He has won stages on all three Grand Tours (Tour de France, Giro, Vuelta) and won the Brittany Classic last week.
"I saw a moment where it just felt right. As a sprinter and as a rider you feel moments like this and sometimes you just have to go with instinct," Matthews said in a Mitchelton-Scott press release.
"The opportunity was there to come back and you have to take them when they are there. At this moment in my career it just felt right, and the team has welcomed me back with open arms which is really special.
"(Team owner) Gerry Ryan supported me through my under-19 and under-23 days and also in helping me turn professional, so it just feels like coming home."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--Red Bull defend Albon after Hamilton criticism

Red Bull team adviser Helmut Marko hit back at Lewis Hamilton ’ s criticism of Alex Albon and defended Red Bull ’ s driver line-up as a `` good pairing '' after the London-born Thai driver 's sixth-placed finish in Sunday ’ s Belgian Grand Prix .
Albon , in his first full season as Max Verstappen ’ s team-mate , has struggled to match the Dutchman ’ s pace and has remained around four-tenths of a second per lap behind him – a gap that Sunday ’ s race winner Hamilton believes has undermined Verstappen and Red Bull ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is head of the Red Bull driver programme that has supplied a stream of racers to both Alpha Tauri , formerly Toro Rosso , and the senior team , defended Albon in the aftermath of Verstappen finishing third behind both Mercedes ’ cars to claim his sixth consecutive podium finish .
`` I don ’ t understand the criticism of Albon , '' said Marko .
`` Other team-mates also had a lot of trouble with Max… I don ’ t see it that Max is pushing him to the limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think we have a good pairing there . ''
Albon was separated from Verstappen by both Renaults on Sunday while Hamilton was followed home by team-mate Valtteri Bottas in Mercedes ’ 50th one-two finish since 2010 in the modern turbo hybrid era .
Asked about the potency of Red Bull ’ s challenge to the ‘ black arrows ’ defence of their championship crowns , Hamilton had suggested that Verstappen lacked a team-mate who could match his pace and results .
The championship leader , whose win on Sunday took him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drivers ’ title race , did not mention Albon by name as he made a general strategic point .
`` People downplay it , but Red Bull have got a very , very strong car , ” he said .
`` Unfortunately , both drivers aren ’ t there like me and Valtteri are there… That makes it harder for them .
`` I experienced it many years ago with McLaren and I was the driver that was always at the front and did n't have a team-mate backing up .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constructors ' points and then ca n't play with strategy on the cars they are racing against… .
So he 's kind of there on his own . ''
Albon , who has finished in the top four only once this year , received solid support from Red Bull team chief Christian Horner who also heaped praise on the man he replaced midway through last season , Pierre Gasly .
The Frenchman was chosen as ‘ driver of the day ’ on Sunday after finishing eighth for Alpha Tauri .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which may be easier to manage than ours , but Alex is great on Sundays , ” said Horner .
“ He had another good race , he is always strong on the attack , so we are moving in the right direction.
” Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher added , when speaking on Sky Germany , that his Thai background was a factor .
`` We can ’ t forget about the ownership structure at Red Bull , where it is very welcome that a Thai driver is there , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bull will introduce a new front wing at next weekend ’ s Italian Grand Prix .
Hamilton , whose win moved him within two victories of Michael Schumacher ’ s all-time record of 91 as he seeks this year to equal the German ’ s haul of seven championships , has welcomed a closer fight .
But , like Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff and many paddock observers , he has not welcomed ‘ artificial ’ manipulation of the regulations to reduce his speed .
Instead , he suggested tyres were an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the day it 's tyres , '' he explained .
`` One-stopping really is boring .
We 're all ‘ managing ’ out there and it 's not racing .
We 're all backing off at the end and we have no idea what they 're going to do .
`` I was worried it was going to be another Silverstone , so I backed off .
Maybe it would have been fine , but I just ca n't take that risk .
Of course , I would like to have more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not on me . ''

Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) (AFP) –
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Red Bull team adviser Helmut Marko hit back at Lewis Hamilton’s criticism of Alex Albon and defended Red Bull’s driver line-up as a "good pairing" after the London-born Thai driver's sixth-placed finish in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Albon, in his first full season as Max Verstappen’s team-mate, has struggled to match the Dutchman’s pace and has remained around four-tenths of a second per lap behind him – a gap that Sunday’s race winner Hamilton believes has undermined Verstappen and Red Bull’s challenge for the titles.
Marko, who is head of the Red Bull driver programme that has supplied a stream of racers to both Alpha Tauri, formerly Toro Rosso, and the senior team, defended Albon in the aftermath of Verstappen finishing third behind both Mercedes’ cars to claim his sixth consecutive podium finish.
"I don’t understand the criticism of Albon," said Marko. "Other team-mates also had a lot of trouble with Max… I don’t see it that Max is pushing him to the limit, but that he is pushing himself. I think we have a good pairing there."
Albon was separated from Verstappen by both Renaults on Sunday while Hamilton was followed home by team-mate Valtteri Bottas in Mercedes’ 50th one-two finish since 2010 in the modern turbo hybrid era.
Asked about the potency of Red Bull’s challenge to the ‘black arrows’ defence of their championship crowns, Hamilton had suggested that Verstappen lacked a team-mate who could match his pace and results.
The championship leader, whose win on Sunday took him 47 points clear of second-placed Verstappen in the drivers’ title race, did not mention Albon by name as he made a general strategic point.
"People downplay it, but Red Bull have got a very, very strong car,” he said.
"Unfortunately, both drivers aren’t there like me and Valtteri are there… That makes it harder for them.
"I experienced it many years ago with McLaren and I was the driver that was always at the front and didn't have a team-mate backing up.
"So, you equally don't get the constructors' points and then can't play with strategy on the cars they are racing against…. So he's kind of there on his own."
- 'Great on Sundays' -
Albon, who has finished in the top four only once this year, received solid support from Red Bull team chief Christian Horner who also heaped praise on the man he replaced midway through last season, Pierre Gasly.
The Frenchman was chosen as ‘driver of the day’ on Sunday after finishing eighth for Alpha Tauri.
"They have a good car this year, which may be easier to manage than ours, but Alex is great on Sundays,” said Horner.
“He had another good race, he is always strong on the attack, so we are moving in the right direction.”
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher added, when speaking on Sky Germany, that his Thai background was a factor.
"We can’t forget about the ownership structure at Red Bull, where it is very welcome that a Thai driver is there,” he said.
Marko revealed also that Red Bull will introduce a new front wing at next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, whose win moved him within two victories of Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 as he seeks this year to equal the German’s haul of seven championships, has welcomed a closer fight.
But, like Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff and many paddock observers, he has not welcomed ‘artificial’ manipulation of the regulations to reduce his speed.
Instead, he suggested tyres were an issue to address.
"At the end of the day it's tyres," he explained. "One-stopping really is boring. We're all ‘managing’ out there and it's not racing. We're all backing off at the end and we have no idea what they're going to do.
"I was worried it was going to be another Silverstone, so I backed off. Maybe it would have been fine, but I just can't take that risk. Of course, I would like to have more of a fight, but that's not on me."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--Sudan government and rebel groups agree peace deal

Sudanese leaders and rebel commanders agreed Monday on a historic peace deal , a crucial step towards ending 17 years of conflict in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed .
Leaders of the Sudan Revolutionary Front ( SRF ) , an umbrella organisation of rebel groups from the western region of Darfur and the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile , raised their fists in celebration after inking the agreement .
Fighting in Darfur alone left around 300,000 people dead after rebels took up arms there in 2003 , according to the United Nations , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genocide and of crimes against humanity .
Conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile erupted in 2011 , in the wake of South Sudan 's independence , resuming two decades of war .
`` I congratulate all in Sudan on reaching a historic comprehensive peace that addressed the roots of the problem and ended the war , God willing , '' said Gibril Ibrahim , commander of one of rebel groups , the rebel Justice and Equality Movement ( JEM ) .
He paid tribute to all those killed or affected by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo -- best known by his nickname `` Hemeti '' , and who commanded fighters in the war -- signed the deal on behalf of Khartoum .
Daglo and the leaders of the rebel movements grouped together and shook hands -- and briefly danced together .
`` We have started the real transformation of Sudan from dictatorship to democracy , '' Faisal Mohammed Salih , Sudan 's information minister , told AFP , at the ceremony in Juba , the capital of neighbouring South Sudan .
But while celebrating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still a long way to go .
`` We know that we are going to face some problems when we start to move this ( deal ) from paper to the ground ... but we have that political will , '' Salih said .
Rebels fought troops deployed by now-toppled autocrat Omar al-Bashir , who is wanted by the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) over charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in the Darfur conflict .
Bashir , who is in jail in Khartoum convicted of corruption , is now on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he grabbed power .
Sudan 's transitional authorities in February agreed Bashir be handed over to the ICC .
Human rights groups say Khartoum targeted suspected pro-rebel ethnic groups with a scorched earth policy , raping , killing , looting and burning villages .
The deal was `` initialled '' and not signed , as a way to leave the door open for two key holdout rebel groups to join in a `` final '' agreement , officials said .
Forging peace with rebels has been a cornerstone of Sudan 's transitional government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months after the overthrow of Bashir in April 2019 .
Both General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan , head of a sovereign council , and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok , were also at the ceremony in Juba .
Sudan 's rebels are largely drawn from non-Arab minority groups that long railed against Arab domination of the government in Khartoum under Bashir .
The agreement covers key issues around security , land ownership , transitional justice , power sharing , and the return of people who fled their homes because of fighting .
It also provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the integration of their fighters into the national army .
Rebel members of the Sudan Liberation Movement ( SLM ) and the Sudan People 's Liberation Movement-North ( SPLM-N ) had provisionally initialled the agreement with the government late on Saturday .
However , an SLM faction led by Abdelwahid Nour and a wing of the SPLM-N headed by Abdelaziz al-Hilu refused to take part .

Juba (AFP) –
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Sudanese leaders and rebel commanders agreed Monday on a historic peace deal, a crucial step towards ending 17 years of conflict in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed.
Leaders of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), an umbrella organisation of rebel groups from the western region of Darfur and the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, raised their fists in celebration after inking the agreement.
Fighting in Darfur alone left around 300,000 people dead after rebels took up arms there in 2003, according to the United Nations, with former government leaders accused of carrying out genocide and of crimes against humanity.
Conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile erupted in 2011, in the wake of South Sudan's independence, resuming two decades of war.
"I congratulate all in Sudan on reaching a historic comprehensive peace that addressed the roots of the problem and ended the war, God willing," said Gibril Ibrahim, commander of one of rebel groups, the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).
He paid tribute to all those killed or affected by the long years of war.
Sudanese paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo -- best known by his nickname "Hemeti", and who commanded fighters in the war -- signed the deal on behalf of Khartoum.
Daglo and the leaders of the rebel movements grouped together and shook hands -- and briefly danced together.
"We have started the real transformation of Sudan from dictatorship to democracy," Faisal Mohammed Salih, Sudan's information minister, told AFP, at the ceremony in Juba, the capital of neighbouring South Sudan.
- First steps -
But while celebrating the deal, he said there was also still a long way to go.
"We know that we are going to face some problems when we start to move this (deal) from paper to the ground... but we have that political will," Salih said.
Rebels fought troops deployed by now-toppled autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in the Darfur conflict.
Bashir, who is in jail in Khartoum convicted of corruption, is now on trial for the 1989 coup in which he grabbed power.
Sudan's transitional authorities in February agreed Bashir be handed over to the ICC.
Human rights groups say Khartoum targeted suspected pro-rebel ethnic groups with a scorched earth policy, raping, killing, looting and burning villages.
The deal was "initialled" and not signed, as a way to leave the door open for two key holdout rebel groups to join in a "final" agreement, officials said.
Forging peace with rebels has been a cornerstone of Sudan's transitional government, which came to power in the months after the overthrow of Bashir in April 2019.
Both General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of a sovereign council, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, were also at the ceremony in Juba.
Sudan's rebels are largely drawn from non-Arab minority groups that long railed against Arab domination of the government in Khartoum under Bashir.
The agreement covers key issues around security, land ownership, transitional justice, power sharing, and the return of people who fled their homes because of fighting.
It also provides for the dismantling of rebel forces and the integration of their fighters into the national army.
Rebel members of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) had provisionally initialled the agreement with the government late on Saturday.
However, an SLM faction led by Abdelwahid Nour and a wing of the SPLM-N headed by Abdelaziz al-Hilu refused to take part.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--Angry residents begin clean up in Karachi as rains lash South Asia

Successive days of storms have exposed the longstanding failures of Karachi 's neglected and overwhelmed drainage system Karachi residents began cleaning ruined homes and businesses Monday after catastrophic flooding sent rivers of filthy water cascading through Pakistan 's largest city , while deadly monsoon weather continued to lash communities across South Asia .
Successive days of storms have exposed the longstanding failures of Karachi 's neglected and overwhelmed drainage system , and residents used a welcome break in the rain to vent their fury at what they see as gross mismanagement of municipal resources .
`` Everything got ruined in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of water inside .
The water is a mix of rain and sewage water .
It is the fifth day and we are suffering horribly , '' housewife Lubna Salman , who lives in an upscale Karachi neighbourhood managed by the military , told AFP .
Salman and other angry residents gathered outside local authority buildings to blast officials for failing to fix drainage problems in the city of 20 million people .
Municipal and military managers were `` grossly incompetent '' for neglecting the city 's sewerage system , Salman said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( nine inches ) of rain , compared to the average of 130mm for the time of year , according to the city 's meteorological service .
Videos and images on social media regularly show builders dumping rubble into drainage canals , while shoddy new buildings are erected with scant regard for their effect on maxed-out sewer lines .
With a population of only 500,000 in 1947 , Karachi has seen its population mushroom `` without investing in invisible infrastructure ( pipes and sewerage ) for more than 30 years , '' Karachi-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During a single day last week , 18 Karachi residents died from flood-related incidents .
The water was so deep in places that children were seen swimming in the streets .
More than 100 Pakistanis died in August because of the monsoon , which has also destroyed more than 1,000 homes .
Rains and flooding have also swept India in recent days , killing scores of people .
In the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh , at least 10 people died in rain-related incidents over the weekend , the Press Trust of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air force helped evacuate stranded villagers Sunday , with images showing families being winched up in the badly affected Chindwara district .
Rescue workers and the army have evacuated more than 10,000 people in the state so far .
The monsoon , which usually lasts from June to September , is essential for irrigating crops and replenishing water supplies across the Indian subcontinent , home to one-fifth of the world 's population .

Karachi (AFP) –
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Karachi residents began cleaning ruined homes and businesses Monday after catastrophic flooding sent rivers of filthy water cascading through Pakistan's largest city, while deadly monsoon weather continued to lash communities across South Asia.
Successive days of storms have exposed the longstanding failures of Karachi's neglected and overwhelmed drainage system, and residents used a welcome break in the rain to vent their fury at what they see as gross mismanagement of municipal resources.
"Everything got ruined in my basement, with about three metres of water inside. The water is a mix of rain and sewage water. It is the fifth day and we are suffering horribly," housewife Lubna Salman, who lives in an upscale Karachi neighbourhood managed by the military, told AFP.
Salman and other angry residents gathered outside local authority buildings to blast officials for failing to fix drainage problems in the city of 20 million people.
Municipal and military managers were "grossly incompetent" for neglecting the city's sewerage system, Salman said.
Authorities did not immediately comment.
Karachi last week saw a record 230mm (nine inches) of rain, compared to the average of 130mm for the time of year, according to the city's meteorological service.
Videos and images on social media regularly show builders dumping rubble into drainage canals, while shoddy new buildings are erected with scant regard for their effect on maxed-out sewer lines.
With a population of only 500,000 in 1947, Karachi has seen its population mushroom "without investing in invisible infrastructure (pipes and sewerage) for more than 30 years," Karachi-based urban planning professor Nauman Ahmed said.
During a single day last week, 18 Karachi residents died from flood-related incidents. The water was so deep in places that children were seen swimming in the streets.
More than 100 Pakistanis died in August because of the monsoon, which has also destroyed more than 1,000 homes.
Rains and flooding have also swept India in recent days, killing scores of people.
In the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, at least 10 people died in rain-related incidents over the weekend, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
The Indian air force helped evacuate stranded villagers Sunday, with images showing families being winched up in the badly affected Chindwara district.
Rescue workers and the army have evacuated more than 10,000 people in the state so far.
The monsoon, which usually lasts from June to September, is essential for irrigating crops and replenishing water supplies across the Indian subcontinent, home to one-fifth of the world's population.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--Mustapha Adib, Lebanon's new PM-designate

A file photo from July 18 , 2013 shows Mustapha Adib , taking up his post as Lebanon 's ambassador to Berlin Mustapha Adib , a little-known diplomat who was nominated to become Lebanon 's new prime minister Monday , faces the nearly impossible challenge of embodying change after being picked by the political establishment .
Adib has been Lebanon 's ambassador to Germany since 2013 and his name only emerged on Sunday to replace Hassan Diab , whose government resigned in the aftermath of the deadly August 4 blast at Beirut port .
The 48-year-old was born in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunni Muslim , making him eligible to become prime minister under Lebanon 's sectarian-based power-sharing system .
His biography on the Berlin embassy website presents him as an academic who holds a PhD in political science .
It says he has conducted `` research and expert work in the areas of both human and state security , parliamentary oversight of the security sector , decentralisation and local democracy , and electoral laws '' .
From 2000 to 2004 , he served as an advisor to Najib Mikati , a billionaire and former prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2011 , then-prime minister Mikati appointed Adib as his chief of cabinet .
Former premiers Saad Hariri and Fouad Siniora also threw their weight behind Adib after two other candidates were reportedly rejected by the dominant Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah and its political allies .
His appointment came on the day French President Emmanuel Macron was due to arrive for another landmark visit .
An acquaintance of Adib from Tripoli who asked not to be named described him as `` calm , courteous and diplomatic '' .
`` He is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take strong stances , but avoids problems and strives to solve them diplomatically with a view to consolidating his relationship with different sides , '' the acquaintance said .
Opposition groups representing the protest movement that erupted last year to demand the wholesale removal of a political class seen as corrupt and incompetent rejected Adib 's nomination before it was even confirmed .
Activists on social media were quick to compare Adib to Diab , who had promised to lead Lebanon 's first government of technocrats when he took office in January but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political sponsors .
Lebanon Rises Up -- Germany , a Facebook page representing Lebanese activists in Germany , told AFP that Adib was a product of the past and could not embody change .
`` We see no change for the better in Ambassador Mustapha Adib being named , as he is subject to the quota system in place in Lebanon , '' the group said in a statement .
It claimed that Adib himself , who was not a career diplomat when he was appointed to Berlin seven years ago by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former prime minister and to Lebanon 's sectarian quotas .

Beirut (AFP) –
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Mustapha Adib, a little-known diplomat who was nominated to become Lebanon's new prime minister Monday, faces the nearly impossible challenge of embodying change after being picked by the political establishment.
Adib has been Lebanon's ambassador to Germany since 2013 and his name only emerged on Sunday to replace Hassan Diab, whose government resigned in the aftermath of the deadly August 4 blast at Beirut port.
The 48-year-old was born in the northern city of Tripoli and is a Sunni Muslim, making him eligible to become prime minister under Lebanon's sectarian-based power-sharing system.
His biography on the Berlin embassy website presents him as an academic who holds a PhD in political science.
It says he has conducted "research and expert work in the areas of both human and state security, parliamentary oversight of the security sector, decentralisation and local democracy, and electoral laws".
From 2000 to 2004, he served as an advisor to Najib Mikati, a billionaire and former prime minister who backed his nomination on Monday.
In 2011, then-prime minister Mikati appointed Adib as his chief of cabinet.
Former premiers Saad Hariri and Fouad Siniora also threw their weight behind Adib after two other candidates were reportedly rejected by the dominant Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah and its political allies.
His appointment came on the day French President Emmanuel Macron was due to arrive for another landmark visit.
An acquaintance of Adib from Tripoli who asked not to be named described him as "calm, courteous and diplomatic".
"He is not a man of confrontation and does not take strong stances, but avoids problems and strives to solve them diplomatically with a view to consolidating his relationship with different sides," the acquaintance said.
Opposition groups representing the protest movement that erupted last year to demand the wholesale removal of a political class seen as corrupt and incompetent rejected Adib's nomination before it was even confirmed.
Activists on social media were quick to compare Adib to Diab, who had promised to lead Lebanon's first government of technocrats when he took office in January but showed no ability to break from his political sponsors.
Lebanon Rises Up -- Germany, a Facebook page representing Lebanese activists in Germany, told AFP that Adib was a product of the past and could not embody change.
"We see no change for the better in Ambassador Mustapha Adib being named, as he is subject to the quota system in place in Lebanon," the group said in a statement.
It claimed that Adib himself, who was not a career diplomat when he was appointed to Berlin seven years ago by a Mikati government, owed his job to the former prime minister and to Lebanon's sectarian quotas.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--Fairuz: the Arab world's most celebrated living voice

The Arab world 's last living music legend Fairuz , who French president Emmanuel Macron is to visit Monday in Beirut , is a rare symbol of national unity in crisis-hit Lebanon .
Since the death of Egyptian diva Umm Kulthum in 1975 , no Arab singer has been so profoundly venerated as 85-year-old Fairuz -- a stage name that means `` turquoise '' in Arabic .
For decades , she captivated audiences everywhere from her native Beirut to Las Vegas , including the grand Olympia in Paris and the Royal Albert Hall in London .
She has sung of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in ballads that have revolutionised Middle Eastern music .
Fairuz is `` certainly one of the greatest Arab singers of the 20th century , '' expert in Middle Eastern music Virginia Danielson told the New York Times in 1999 .
When she sang , she appeared as if in a trance : eyes glazed over , expression stoic , small smiles flashing quickly across her face .
`` If you look at my face while I am singing , you will see that I am not there , I am not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times in a rare interview .
Fairuz has been dubbed `` our ambassador to the stars '' by her compatriots -- not just for her celestial voice , but because she is a rare symbol of unity for a country bitterly divided by a 15-year civil war .
Born Nouhad Haddad in 1934 to a working class Christian family , she studied at the national music conservatory as a teenager .
During her time with the Lebanese state radio choir , composer Halim al-Roumi nicknamed her Fairuz and introduced her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1955 .
Fairuz , Assi , and his brother Mansour revolutionised traditional Arabic music by merging classical Western , Russian and Latin elements with eastern rhythms and a modern orchestra .
Fairuz shot to fame after her first performance at the Baalbeck International Festival in 1957 .
Her reign as the queen of Arabic music was partly thanks to her championing the Palestinian cause , including `` Sanarjaou Yawman '' or `` We Shall Return One Day '' , an elegy to Palestinians exiled by the creation of Israel in 1948 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her native Lebanon .
Many of her most popular songs are nostalgic odes to pastoral times .
Others are poems by the likes of Lebanese legends Gibran Khalil Gibran and Said Aql that are set to music .
She has largely disappeared from public life in recent years , but her soaring voice remains ubiquitous , blaring every morning from radios in street cafes and taxis .
`` When you look at Lebanon now , you see that it bears no resemblance to the Lebanon I sing about , so when we miss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the songs , '' the diva told the New York Times .
Fairuz also won national acclaim for remaining in Lebanon throughout the country 's civil war from 1975 to 1990 , and for refusing to side with one faction over another .
Tens of thousands of people swarmed her first post-war concert , in 1994 in Beirut 's downtown .
`` I love you , oh Lebanon , my country , I love you .
Your north , your south , your valley , I love you , '' she croons in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fairuz is famously protective of her personal life .
`` When she wants to , she can be really funny .
She 's also a distinguished chef .
Very humble , she loves serving her guests herself , '' journalist Doha Chams , her press officer , told AFP .
But she hates `` the invasion of her private life '' .
Fairuz had four children with husband Assi Rahbani , who died in 1986 .
Their daughter Layal died at a young age of a brain haemorrhage , their son Hali is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , films and produces her mother 's concerts .
Her eldest son , Ziad , followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle as a musician and composer .
Fairuz worked closely with Ziad -- known as a troubled , but talented artist -- to compose songs with a jazz influence .
The Lebanese star 's recent past has been marked by a string of family and political controversies .
In 2008 , when Lebanese political factions were fiercely divided over support for the regime in neighbouring Syria , Fairuz performed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanese judiciary prevented her from singing tunes co-written by the Rahbani brothers without the authorisation of the sons of her brother-in-law Mansour .
Fairuz spent several years without new material until 2017 , when her daughter Rima produced her last album , `` Bibali '' .

Beirut (AFP) –
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The Arab world's last living music legend Fairuz, who French president Emmanuel Macron is to visit Monday in Beirut, is a rare symbol of national unity in crisis-hit Lebanon.
Since the death of Egyptian diva Umm Kulthum in 1975, no Arab singer has been so profoundly venerated as 85-year-old Fairuz -- a stage name that means "turquoise" in Arabic.
For decades, she captivated audiences everywhere from her native Beirut to Las Vegas, including the grand Olympia in Paris and the Royal Albert Hall in London.
She has sung of love, Lebanon and the Palestinian cause, in ballads that have revolutionised Middle Eastern music.
Fairuz is "certainly one of the greatest Arab singers of the 20th century," expert in Middle Eastern music Virginia Danielson told the New York Times in 1999.
When she sang, she appeared as if in a trance: eyes glazed over, expression stoic, small smiles flashing quickly across her face.
"If you look at my face while I am singing, you will see that I am not there, I am not in the place," she told the New York Times in a rare interview.
"I feel art is like prayer."
Fairuz has been dubbed "our ambassador to the stars" by her compatriots -- not just for her celestial voice, but because she is a rare symbol of unity for a country bitterly divided by a 15-year civil war.
- 'I love you, oh Lebanon' -
Born Nouhad Haddad in 1934 to a working class Christian family, she studied at the national music conservatory as a teenager.
During her time with the Lebanese state radio choir, composer Halim al-Roumi nicknamed her Fairuz and introduced her to composer Assi Rahbani, whom she married in 1955.
Fairuz, Assi, and his brother Mansour revolutionised traditional Arabic music by merging classical Western, Russian and Latin elements with eastern rhythms and a modern orchestra.
Fairuz shot to fame after her first performance at the Baalbeck International Festival in 1957.
Her reign as the queen of Arabic music was partly thanks to her championing the Palestinian cause, including "Sanarjaou Yawman" or "We Shall Return One Day", an elegy to Palestinians exiled by the creation of Israel in 1948.
The star is an immortal icon in her native Lebanon.
Many of her most popular songs are nostalgic odes to pastoral times. Others are poems by the likes of Lebanese legends Gibran Khalil Gibran and Said Aql that are set to music.
She has largely disappeared from public life in recent years, but her soaring voice remains ubiquitous, blaring every morning from radios in street cafes and taxis.
"When you look at Lebanon now, you see that it bears no resemblance to the Lebanon I sing about, so when we miss it, we look for it through the songs," the diva told the New York Times.
Fairuz also won national acclaim for remaining in Lebanon throughout the country's civil war from 1975 to 1990, and for refusing to side with one faction over another.
Tens of thousands of people swarmed her first post-war concert, in 1994 in Beirut's downtown.
"I love you, oh Lebanon, my country, I love you. Your north, your south, your valley, I love you," she croons in one of her most well-known songs.
- Political, family controversies -
Fairuz is famously protective of her personal life.
"When she wants to, she can be really funny. She's also a distinguished chef. Very humble, she loves serving her guests herself," journalist Doha Chams, her press officer, told AFP.
But she hates "the invasion of her private life".
Fairuz had four children with husband Assi Rahbani, who died in 1986.
Their daughter Layal died at a young age of a brain haemorrhage, their son Hali is disabled, and Rima, the youngest, films and produces her mother's concerts.
Her eldest son, Ziad, followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle as a musician and composer.
Fairuz worked closely with Ziad -- known as a troubled, but talented artist -- to compose songs with a jazz influence.
The Lebanese star's recent past has been marked by a string of family and political controversies.
In 2008, when Lebanese political factions were fiercely divided over support for the regime in neighbouring Syria, Fairuz performed in Damascus.
Two years later, the Lebanese judiciary prevented her from singing tunes co-written by the Rahbani brothers without the authorisation of the sons of her brother-in-law Mansour.
Fairuz spent several years without new material until 2017, when her daughter Rima produced her last album, "Bibali".
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--US-Israeli flight with Kushner on board lands in UAE after normalisation deal

US President Donald Trump 's son-in-law Jared Kushner ( C-R ) with a team of US and Israeli officials at the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on August 31 , 2020 .
A Star of David-adorned El Al plane took off Monday from Israel ’ s Ben-Gurion Airport , carrying a high-ranking US and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight to the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) .
The Israeli flag carrier ’ s flight marks the implementation of the historic US-brokered deal to normalise relations between the two nations and solidifies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evolved over years of shared enmity toward Iran .
The historic flight came as several people were injured on Monday in an explosion at fast-food restaurants in the Emirati capital , Abu Dhabi , that was likely caused by gas lines in a restaurant , according to officials .
In a second incident , one person was killed when a gas cylinder exploded in a Dubai restaurant , local media reported .
With the US as mediator , Israel and the UAE agreed earlier this month to work toward normalisation , which would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have full relations with Israel , after Egypt and Jordan .
But unlike those two nations , Israel has never fought a war against the UAE and hopes to have much-warmer relations .
The US delegation included President Donald Trump ’ s son-in-law Jared Kushner , as well as national security adviser Robert O ’ Brien , Mideast envoy Avi Berkowitz and envoy for Iran Brian Hook .
Israel 's team included national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and the director generals of several ministries .
“ While this is a historic flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an even more historic journey for the Middle East and beyond , ” Kushner told reporters before boarding the plane .
Israeli officials hope the two-day trip will produce a date for a Washington signing ceremony , perhaps as early as September , between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi 's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan .
Meir Ben-Shabbat , Israel ’ s national security adviser and head of the Israeli delegation , said he was excited about the trip and that the aim was to lay the groundwork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medicine , technology and trade .
“ This morning the traditional greeting of ‘ go in peace ’ takes on a special significance for us , '' he said .
The El Al flight , numbered LY971 as a gesture to the UAE ’ s international calling code number , flew into Saudi Arabian airspace shortly after takeoff .
That marked another historic first for Israel and at least an acquiescence by the kingdom for the UAE 's move .
Saudi King Salman , along with other Gulf Arab leaders to varying degrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of Palestinians obtaining an independent state .
Palestinians were dismayed by the UAE 's move , worried that it would weaken a long-standing pan-Arab position that called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory - and acceptance of Palestinian statehood - in return for normal relations with Arab countries .
El Al spokesman Stanley Morais said the 737-900 is equipped with a missile-defense system , a standard feature on these types of planes and a requirement for this flight .
After grounding its fleet due to the coronavirus , it is the airline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Israeli delegation will stay in the capital , Abu Dhabi , for one night before returning home on El Al flight LY972 , a nod to Israel ’ s international calling code .
Private jets have earlier flown between the two nations as part of covert talks , and Abu Dhabi ’ s Etihad Airways flew cargo freighters to Israel before to deliver coronavirus aid to the Palestinians .
But the high-profile flight Monday , eagerly promoted by US officials , looks to place a solid stamp on the surprise August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UAE establishing ties .
Since then , telephone calls were connected , and the UAE ’ s ruler issued a decree formally ending the country ’ s decades-long boycott of Israel .
Some Israeli firms have already signed deals with Emirati counterparts , but Monday ’ s visit is expected to usher in a slew of further business cooperation .
The official repeal of the boycott looks to open the door to more joint ventures , such as in aviation , banking and finance .
The UAE has touted the deal as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for their future state .
It also may help the Emirates acquire advanced US weapons systems that have been previously unattainable , such as the F-35 fighter jet .
Currently , Israel is the only country in the region with the stealth warplanes .
The Palestinians , however , have fiercely opposed the normalisation as peeling away one of their few advantages in moribund peace talks with Israel .
Palestinians have held public protests and burned the UAE flag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prospect of mutual embassies , expanding tourism to the Gulf and solidifying business opportunities with another country that shares its penchant for technology and innovation .
Netanyahu has touted the deal as validation of his vision that regional peace doesn ’ t have to go through Palestinian acquiescence and come at the cost of ceding land .
But he has come under fire from supporters at home for seemingly giving up on dreams of annexation and tacitly agreeing to a questionable arms sale that could undermine Israel ’ s regional superiority .
Netanyahu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , the accord delivers a key foreign policy victory as he faces a tough reelection campaign .
On Sunday , Kushner said “ the stage is now set ” for other Arab countries to follow the UAE .
However , he gave no indication that any other deals are imminent , despite a swing through the region last week by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Hanan Ashrawi , a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation 's executive committee , said Kushner and his team were `` scrambling to convince as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to give Trump an election boost .
`` They will be a prop at the backdrop of a meaningless spectacle for a ridiculous agreement that will not bring peace to the region , '' she said .

A Star of David-adorned El Al plane carrying a US-Israeli delegation led by President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Abu Dhabi Monday from Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (C-R) with a team of US and Israeli officials at the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on August 31, 2020.
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The Israeli flag carrier’s flight marks the implementation of the historic US-brokered deal to normalise relations between the two nations and solidifies the long-clandestine ties between them that have evolved over years of shared enmity toward Iran.
The historic flight came as several people were injured on Monday in an explosion at fast-food restaurants in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, that was likely caused by gas lines in a restaurant, according to officials. In a second incident, one person was killed when a gas cylinder exploded in a Dubai restaurant, local media reported.
With the US as mediator, Israel and the UAE agreed earlier this month to work toward normalisation, which would make the UAE the third Arab nation to have full relations with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan. But unlike those two nations, Israel has never fought a war against the UAE and hopes to have much-warmer relations.
The US delegation included Jared Kushner, as well as national security adviser Robert O’Brien, Mideast envoy Avi Berkowitz and envoy for Iran Brian Hook. Israel's team included national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and the director generals of several ministries.
“While this is a historic flight, we hope that this will start an even more historic journey for the Middle East and beyond,” Kushner told reporters before boarding the plane at Ben-Gurion Airport.
Israeli officials hope the two-day trip will produce a date for a Washington signing ceremony, perhaps as early as September, between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
'Go in peace'
Meir Ben-Shabbat, Israel’s national security adviser and head of the Israeli delegation, said he was excited about the trip and that the aim was to lay the groundwork for cooperation in areas like tourism, medicine, technology and trade.
“This morning the traditional greeting of ‘go in peace’ takes on a special significance for us," he said.
The El Al flight, numbered LY971 as a gesture to the UAE’s international calling code number, flew into Saudi Arabian airspace shortly after takeoff. That marked another historic first for Israel and at least an acquiescence by the kingdom for the UAE's move.
Saudi King Salman, along with other Gulf Arab leaders to varying degrees, maintain their boycotts of Israel in support of Palestinians obtaining an independent state.
Palestinians were dismayed by the UAE's move, worried that it would weaken a long-standing pan-Arab position that called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory - and acceptance of Palestinian statehood - in return for normal relations with Arab countries.
El Al spokesman Stanley Morais said the 737-900 is equipped with a missile-defense system, a standard feature on these types of planes and a requirement for this flight. After grounding its fleet due to the coronavirus, it is the airline’s first flight since July 1.
Joint ventures, future business deals
The Israeli delegation will stay in the capital, Abu Dhabi, for one night before returning home on El Al flight LY972, a nod to Israel’s international calling code.
Private jets have earlier flown between the two nations as part of covert talks, and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways flew cargo freighters to Israel before to deliver coronavirus aid to the Palestinians. But the high-profile flight Monday, eagerly promoted by US officials, looks to place a solid stamp on the surprise August 13 White House announcement of Israel and the UAE establishing ties.
Since then, telephone calls were connected, and the UAE’s ruler issued a decree formally ending the country’s decades-long boycott of Israel. Some Israeli firms have already signed deals with Emirati counterparts, but Monday’s visit is expected to usher in a slew of further business cooperation. The official repeal of the boycott looks to open the door to more joint ventures, such as in aviation, banking and finance.
The UAE has touted the deal as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious plan to annex parts of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians for their future state. It also may help the Emirates acquire advanced US weapons systems that have been previously unattainable, such as the F-35 fighter jet. Currently, Israel is the only country in the region with the stealth warplanes.
The Palestinians, however, have fiercely opposed the normalisation as peeling away one of their few advantages in moribund peace talks with Israel. Palestinians have held public protests and burned the UAE flag in anger.
Israelis eagerly anticipate the prospect of mutual embassies, expanding tourism to the Gulf and solidifying business opportunities with another country that shares its penchant for technology and innovation.
04:24
A pre-election boost for Trump
Netanyahu has touted the deal as validation of his vision that regional peace doesn’t have to go through Palestinian acquiescence and come at the cost of ceding land. But he has come under fire from supporters at home for seemingly giving up on dreams of annexation and tacitly agreeing to a questionable arms sale that could undermine Israel’s regional superiority. Netanyahu denies such a deal exists.
For Trump, the accord delivers a key foreign policy victory as he faces a tough reelection campaign.
On Sunday, Kushner said “the stage is now set” for other Arab countries to follow the UAE. However, he gave no indication that any other deals are imminent, despite a swing through the region last week by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee, said Kushner and his team were "scrambling to convince as many Arab and Muslim leaders as possible" to give Trump an election boost.
"They will be a prop at the backdrop of a meaningless spectacle for a ridiculous agreement that will not bring peace to the region," she said.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-31--Lebanon to mark dismal centenary amid fears for survival

Though Lebanon flourished in the 1960s , its history has largely been a succession of political crises punctuated by rounds of violence .
Now its worst economic crisis in decades has doubled poverty to more than half the population Mourning the Beirut blast disaster , ruined by economic meltdown and hostage to a dysfunctional political system , Lebanon marks its centenary Tuesday unsure whether it will survive as a state .
There will be no ceremony to commemorate 100 years since French mandate authorities on September 1 , 1920 proclaimed the creation of Greater Lebanon incorporating mainly Muslim former Ottoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macron will return to the same iconic Ottoman-era building where it was declared to meet representatives of a political class desperately clinging on to its privileges to convince them to accept essential reforms to save the country .
`` This is the greatest crisis Lebanon has ever witnessed , '' said 87-year-old Rose Ghulam , whose home was destroyed by the massive August 4 explosion at Beirut 's port .
`` It 's even worse than the war '' that rocked Lebanon from 1975 to 1990 , she said .
`` Our leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest .
How can they possibly rebuild our homes ?
They all need to be replaced , '' said the former school teacher , who was born under French mandate .
The massive explosion of a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate at the port killed at least 188 people , wounded thousands and sowed destruction across large parts of the capital .
For many Lebanese who have taken to the streets since October 2019 to protest what they view as the corruption and incompetence of the political class , it was a point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were aware the fertiliser was being stored at the port , have refused to claim responsibility and have instead been seen to be passing the buck .
Lebanon 's civil society says the blast is just the latest in a long line of official failings .
The protest movement accuses the political class of having failed , in the three decades since the civil war , to build a functioning state and implement the rule of law .
`` Today the political system is at the end of its tether , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Though Lebanon flourished in the 1960s , its history has largely been a succession of political crises punctuated by rounds of violence .
Now its worst economic crisis in decades has doubled poverty to more than half the population in just several months , and is chipping away at the middle class .
Although he dismissed the likelihood of civil war , Mufti said he expected the country to `` disintegrate '' .
`` Everybody says that we ca n't continue like this , even political actors , but they are trapped .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
One of the key culprits , he said , was Lebanon 's deep-rooted political sectarianism , under which the top state and government posts are divided up between its myriad religious sects .
This system , inherited from the Ottoman era , was supposed to be scrapped under the 1989 Taef Accord that ended the civil war , but never was .
Instead it has been pushed to extremes , leading to political deadlock and rendering impossible even the naming of lower-ranking bureaucrats without the accord of politicians from all religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long been a proxy battleground , most recently being caught in a tug-of-war between the United States and Iran .
Lebanese historian Dima de Clerck said that throughout Lebanon 's history `` foreign interference has always existed , and we have a culture of heightened cronyism '' .
`` We are not a unified people , we always need a foreign sponsor to fight the internal enemy . ''
As an example , she pointed to `` the absence of a national collective memory to the benefit of those memories upheld by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why , until now , `` we do n't have unified history books '' in schools , she said , and Lebanese children are educated through the lens of their community instead .
But for many , the multi-confessional street movement since last October has given birth to a national sentiment that transcends political or religious affiliations .
`` But no one holds the keys to this -- not the political parties , not the various opposition movements , nor the international community , '' he said .
Emilie Sueur , co-editor-in-chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action is needed before it was too late .
`` It is just several minutes to midnight on the clock of the end of Lebanon .
But it is not midnight yet . ''

Beirut (AFP) –
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Mourning the Beirut blast disaster, ruined by economic meltdown and hostage to a dysfunctional political system, Lebanon marks its centenary Tuesday unsure whether it will survive as a state.
There will be no ceremony to commemorate 100 years since French mandate authorities on September 1, 1920 proclaimed the creation of Greater Lebanon incorporating mainly Muslim former Ottoman regions.
Instead, French President Emmanuel Macron will return to the same iconic Ottoman-era building where it was declared to meet representatives of a political class desperately clinging on to its privileges to convince them to accept essential reforms to save the country.
"This is the greatest crisis Lebanon has ever witnessed," said 87-year-old Rose Ghulam, whose home was destroyed by the massive August 4 explosion at Beirut's port.
"It's even worse than the war" that rocked Lebanon from 1975 to 1990, she said.
"Our leaders have no conscience. They're not honest. How can they possibly rebuild our homes? They all need to be replaced," said the former school teacher, who was born under French mandate.
The massive explosion of a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate at the port killed at least 188 people, wounded thousands and sowed destruction across large parts of the capital.
For many Lebanese who have taken to the streets since October 2019 to protest what they view as the corruption and incompetence of the political class, it was a point of no return.
- 'Breaking point' -
Political leaders, who were aware the fertiliser was being stored at the port, have refused to claim responsibility and have instead been seen to be passing the buck.
Lebanon's civil society says the blast is just the latest in a long line of official failings.
The protest movement accuses the political class of having failed, in the three decades since the civil war, to build a functioning state and implement the rule of law.
"Today the political system is at the end of its tether," said Lebanese academic Karim El Mufti.
Though Lebanon flourished in the 1960s, its history has largely been a succession of political crises punctuated by rounds of violence.
Now its worst economic crisis in decades has doubled poverty to more than half the population in just several months, and is chipping away at the middle class.
"We've reached breaking point," said Mufti, a political science and international law professor.
Although he dismissed the likelihood of civil war, Mufti said he expected the country to "disintegrate".
"Everybody says that we can't continue like this, even political actors, but they are trapped. This system acts like a mouse trap."
One of the key culprits, he said, was Lebanon's deep-rooted political sectarianism, under which the top state and government posts are divided up between its myriad religious sects.
This system, inherited from the Ottoman era, was supposed to be scrapped under the 1989 Taef Accord that ended the civil war, but never was.
Instead it has been pushed to extremes, leading to political deadlock and rendering impossible even the naming of lower-ranking bureaucrats without the accord of politicians from all religious communities.
"Lebanon risks disappearing," Mufti said, echoing similar warnings from France.
- 'Minutes to midnight' -
Deeply fragmented, Lebanon has long been a proxy battleground, most recently being caught in a tug-of-war between the United States and Iran.
Lebanese historian Dima de Clerck said that throughout Lebanon's history "foreign interference has always existed, and we have a culture of heightened cronyism".
"We are not a unified people, we always need a foreign sponsor to fight the internal enemy."
As an example, she pointed to "the absence of a national collective memory to the benefit of those memories upheld by the different sectarian groups".
This explains why, until now, "we don't have unified history books" in schools, she said, and Lebanese children are educated through the lens of their community instead.
But for many, the multi-confessional street movement since last October has given birth to a national sentiment that transcends political or religious affiliations.
Mufti said Lebanon needed "a new social contract".
"But no one holds the keys to this -- not the political parties, not the various opposition movements, nor the international community," he said.
Emilie Sueur, co-editor-in-chief of Lebanese newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour, warned that action is needed before it was too late.
"It is just several minutes to midnight on the clock of the end of Lebanon. But it is not midnight yet."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--US, Israeli officials take 'historic' first commercial flight to UAE

An El Al airliner carrying a US-Israeli delegation to the UAE following the normalisation accord lifts off in the first-ever commercial flight from Israel to the UAE A US-Israeli delegation including White House advisor Jared Kushner took off Monday on a historic first direct commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi to mark the normalisation of ties between the Jewish state and the UAE .
The word `` peace '' was written in Arabic , English and Hebrew on the cockpit of the plane of Israel 's national carrier El Al that took off around 11:20 am ( 0820 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Emirates in the afternoon .
`` While this is a historic flight , we hope that it will start an even more historic journey in the Middle East and beyond , '' Kushner , who is President Donald Trump 's son-in-law and a key architect of his Middle East policy , said before boarding .
`` The future does not have to be predetermined by the past .
This is a very hopeful time . ''
The flight number El Al 971 is a reference to the UAE 's international dialling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to leave Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning , is El Al 972 , matching Israel 's dialling code .
The Israel-UAE agreement to normalise ties was announced by Trump on August 13 , making the UAE the first Gulf country and only the third Arab nation to establish relations with Israel .
Unlike Egypt , which made peace with its former battlefield enemy in 1979 , and Jordan , which followed in 1994 , the UAE has never fought a war with Israel .
The unprecedented flight also passed through Saudi airspace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website FlightRadar24 , and marked the most concrete sign yet that Israel 's thaw with major Arab powers is taking hold .
Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat , who was also on the flight to the UAE , said `` our goal is to achieve a joint working plan to advance relations in a very broad range of areas .
`` This morning , the traditional blessing 'go in peace ' receives special meaning for us , '' he was quoted as saying in an English-language government statement .
The talks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two regional economic powerhouses in areas including aviation , tourism , trade , health , energy and security .
An Israeli government statement said there would be `` working meetings of joint teams on a range of issues ahead of the signing of cooperation agreements in the civil and economic spheres '' .
The visit will also include a trilateral meeting between Kushner , Ben-Shabbat and UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed , it said .
Israel 's health ministry had late Sunday updated its list of `` green countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include the UAE and eight other countries .
The change meant the Israeli officials and journalists travelling to Abu Dhabi would be exempted from a 14-day quarantine upon return .
Since the agreement between the UAE and Israel was unveiled , there have been phone calls between their ministers , and on Saturday the Emirates in a new milestone repealed a 1972 law boycotting Israel .
`` It will be permissible to enter , exchange or possess Israeli goods and products of all kinds in the UAE and trade in them , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , speaking alongside Kushner in Jerusalem on Sunday , praised `` the swift pace of normalisation '' between his country and the UAE .
Noting the UAE 's Saturday move , Netanyahu said it `` opens the door '' for `` unbridled trade , tourism , investments , exchanges between the Middle East 's two most advanced economies '' .
`` You will see how the sparks fly on this .
It 's already happening , '' he said , predicting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's norms .
`` It will pave the way for other countries to normalise their ties with Israel . ''
`` There are many more unpublicised meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders to normalise relations with the state of Israel , '' Netanyahu said without naming any countries .
As part of the normalisation agreement , Israel agreed to suspend its planned annexations in the occupied West Bank , although Netanyahu quickly insisted the plans remained on the table in the long run .
The Palestinians dubbed the UAE 's agreement with Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it opens parts of the Arab world to the Jewish state while their own conflict remains unresolved .
Saudi Arabia , in keeping with decades of policy by most Arab states , says it will not follow the UAE 's example until Israel has signed a peace deal with the Palestinians establishing an independent Palestinian state .

Tel-Aviv (AFP) –
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A US-Israeli delegation including White House advisor Jared Kushner took off Monday on a historic first direct commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi to mark the normalisation of ties between the Jewish state and the UAE.
The word "peace" was written in Arabic, English and Hebrew on the cockpit of the plane of Israel's national carrier El Al that took off around 11:20 am (0820 GMT) and was expected to land in the Emirates in the afternoon.
"While this is a historic flight, we hope that it will start an even more historic journey in the Middle East and beyond," Kushner, who is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key architect of his Middle East policy, said before boarding.
"The future does not have to be predetermined by the past. This is a very hopeful time."
The flight number El Al 971 is a reference to the UAE's international dialling code, and the return flight, set to leave Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning, is El Al 972, matching Israel's dialling code.
The Israel-UAE agreement to normalise ties was announced by Trump on August 13, making the UAE the first Gulf country and only the third Arab nation to establish relations with Israel.
Unlike Egypt, which made peace with its former battlefield enemy in 1979, and Jordan, which followed in 1994, the UAE has never fought a war with Israel.
The unprecedented flight also passed through Saudi airspace, according to data from the specialist website FlightRadar24, and marked the most concrete sign yet that Israel's thaw with major Arab powers is taking hold.
Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, who was also on the flight to the UAE, said "our goal is to achieve a joint working plan to advance relations in a very broad range of areas.
"This morning, the traditional blessing 'go in peace' receives special meaning for us," he was quoted as saying in an English-language government statement.
- 'Sparks fly' -
The talks in Abu Dhabi aim to boost cooperation between the two regional economic powerhouses in areas including aviation, tourism, trade, health, energy and security.
An Israeli government statement said there would be "working meetings of joint teams on a range of issues ahead of the signing of cooperation agreements in the civil and economic spheres".
The visit will also include a trilateral meeting between Kushner, Ben-Shabbat and UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, it said.
Israel's health ministry had late Sunday updated its list of "green countries" with low coronavirus infection rates to include the UAE and eight other countries.
The change meant the Israeli officials and journalists travelling to Abu Dhabi would be exempted from a 14-day quarantine upon return.
Since the agreement between the UAE and Israel was unveiled, there have been phone calls between their ministers, and on Saturday the Emirates in a new milestone repealed a 1972 law boycotting Israel.
"It will be permissible to enter, exchange or possess Israeli goods and products of all kinds in the UAE and trade in them," read a decree issued by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking alongside Kushner in Jerusalem on Sunday, praised "the swift pace of normalisation" between his country and the UAE.
Noting the UAE's Saturday move, Netanyahu said it "opens the door" for "unbridled trade, tourism, investments, exchanges between the Middle East's two most advanced economies".
"You will see how the sparks fly on this. It's already happening," he said, predicting that "today's breakthroughs will become tomorrow's norms. "It will pave the way for other countries to normalise their ties with Israel."
"There are many more unpublicised meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders to normalise relations with the state of Israel," Netanyahu said without naming any countries.
As part of the normalisation agreement, Israel agreed to suspend its planned annexations in the occupied West Bank, although Netanyahu quickly insisted the plans remained on the table in the long run.
The Palestinians dubbed the UAE's agreement with Israel a "stab in the back" as it opens parts of the Arab world to the Jewish state while their own conflict remains unresolved.
Saudi Arabia, in keeping with decades of policy by most Arab states, says it will not follow the UAE's example until Israel has signed a peace deal with the Palestinians establishing an independent Palestinian state.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--Australia's Hazlewood reveals IPL coronavirus 'concern'

'Tough gig ' - Australia 's Josh Hazlewood ( R ) expects a stern test for his side during their upcoming T20 and one-day series in England Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said Monday he was a `` bit concerned '' by a coronavirus outbreak at his Indian Premier League franchise but insisted he was fully focused on the national side 's white-ball tour of England .
Hazlewood is a member of the Australia squad who are set to face 50-over world champions England in three Twenty20 and three one-day internationals from September 4-16 .
Following his Australia stint , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United Arab Emirates , where this year 's edition of the lucrative IPL T20 franchise tournament is being staged because of Covid-19 , and play for the Chennai Super Kings led by India great M.S .
Dhoni .
But IPL officials have reported that 13 Super Kings personnel , including two players , tested positive for coronavirus during tests administered from August 20-28 and have been isolated .
`` The franchise , we have a group WhatsApp , with all the information that comes through , it 's , obviously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yeah , '' Hazlewood told reporters in a conference call from Australia 's training base in Southampton on Monday .
`` You ideally would have no cases .
`` They are , obviously , in quarantine now and I think they finish up over the next few days .
All my focus is , obviously , on this tournament at the moment .
Once that IPL becomes closer , we will think more about that . ''
The Australia squad are currently in a bio-secure bubble at Southampton , the venue for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before they travel to Manchester for the one-dayers .
Several international sides have already toured England this season , with Hazlewood saying : `` They have , obviously , had West Indies , Pakistan and England through already , ironed out a few kinks , I suspect .
We are probably spending more time with each other than we would normally , which is a good thing . ''
Hazlewood has played 51 Tests and 48 ODIS but appeared in just seven Twenty20 internationals , the last against India at Mohali in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1-33 in seven overs during an intra-squad warm-up match at Southampton on Sunday as a Pat Cummins XI defeated an Aaron Finch XI , still harbours hope of breaking into the Twenty20 team ahead of next year 's T20 World Cup in India .
`` I am pretty aware of where I sit roughly , '' he said .
`` The team keeps winning and the guys are going well , especially the bowling unit . ''
England beat Australia in the semi-finals of last year 's World Cup before defeating New Zealand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They remain a formidable white-ball side as they showed when , with captain Eoin Morgan top-scoring with 66 , they chased down a stiff target of 196 to beat Pakistan by five wickets in the second T20 international at Old Trafford on Sunday .
England could include the likes of Joe Root and Jos Buttler when they name their squad for the Australia series later Monday , having previously kept their Test and limited overs squads in separate 'bubbles ' this season .
`` They had a good chase against Pakistan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white-ball team is as good as ever , '' Hazlewood said .
Asked who had stood out for him lately , Hazlewood pinpointed two batsmen : `` It 's probably a few of the new guys who I have n't seen a great deal of : Tommy Banton , Dawid Malan -- I 've seen him but he 's in the runs again .
`` Eoin Morgan runs a really good ship in the white-ball stuff .
`` It is a tough gig ... England are flying at the moment .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win every game we play . ''

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
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Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said Monday he was a "bit concerned" by a coronavirus outbreak at his Indian Premier League franchise but insisted he was fully focused on the national side's white-ball tour of England.
Hazlewood is a member of the Australia squad who are set to face 50-over world champions England in three Twenty20 and three one-day internationals from September 4-16.
Following his Australia stint, the 29-year-old Hazlewood is set to head to the United Arab Emirates, where this year's edition of the lucrative IPL T20 franchise tournament is being staged because of Covid-19, and play for the Chennai Super Kings led by India great M.S. Dhoni.
But IPL officials have reported that 13 Super Kings personnel, including two players, tested positive for coronavirus during tests administered from August 20-28 and have been isolated.
"The franchise, we have a group WhatsApp, with all the information that comes through, it's, obviously, a little bit of a concern, yeah," Hazlewood told reporters in a conference call from Australia's training base in Southampton on Monday.
"You ideally would have no cases.
"They are, obviously, in quarantine now and I think they finish up over the next few days. All my focus is, obviously, on this tournament at the moment. Once that IPL becomes closer, we will think more about that."
The Australia squad are currently in a bio-secure bubble at Southampton, the venue for a T20 series that starts on Friday, before they travel to Manchester for the one-dayers.
Several international sides have already toured England this season, with Hazlewood saying: "They have, obviously, had West Indies, Pakistan and England through already, ironed out a few kinks, I suspect. We are probably spending more time with each other than we would normally, which is a good thing."
Hazlewood has played 51 Tests and 48 ODIS but appeared in just seven Twenty20 internationals, the last against India at Mohali in 2016.
Nevertheless, Hazlewood, who took 1-33 in seven overs during an intra-squad warm-up match at Southampton on Sunday as a Pat Cummins XI defeated an Aaron Finch XI, still harbours hope of breaking into the Twenty20 team ahead of next year's T20 World Cup in India.
"I am pretty aware of where I sit roughly," he said. "The team keeps winning and the guys are going well, especially the bowling unit."
- 'England are flying' -
England beat Australia in the semi-finals of last year's World Cup before defeating New Zealand in a thrilling final at Lord's.
They remain a formidable white-ball side as they showed when, with captain Eoin Morgan top-scoring with 66, they chased down a stiff target of 196 to beat Pakistan by five wickets in the second T20 international at Old Trafford on Sunday.
England could include the likes of Joe Root and Jos Buttler when they name their squad for the Australia series later Monday, having previously kept their Test and limited overs squads in separate 'bubbles' this season.
"They had a good chase against Pakistan, so they know their roles and their white-ball team is as good as ever," Hazlewood said.
Asked who had stood out for him lately, Hazlewood pinpointed two batsmen: "It's probably a few of the new guys who I haven't seen a great deal of: Tommy Banton, Dawid Malan -- I've seen him but he's in the runs again.
"Eoin Morgan runs a really good ship in the white-ball stuff.
"It is a tough gig...England are flying at the moment. It's always tough here but we expect to win every game we play."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--Paris looking into free Covid-19 testing amid resurgence of virus

The Paris local municipality said on Monday that it would look to make free Covid-19 testing available in all of @ @ @ @ @ ( arrondissements ) , as authorities battle against signs of a re-emergence of the virus @ @ @ @ @ mayor 's office added in a statement that from Monday onwards , there would be @ @ @ @ @ to conduct free Covid-19 tests , as well as two other mobile laboratories that would @ @ @ @ @ Face masks have been made compulsory throughout Paris with the measure applying to all pedestrians @ @ @ @ @ electric scooters in the French capital and three neighbouring departments – except children under 11 @ @ @ @ @ exercise , whether running or cycling .
Anyone caught breaking the new rule will face @ @ @ @ @ will not have to wear a mask inside their car .
Previously the mask order @ @ @ @ @ of the city .
Masks are also obligatory for all children over 11 when they @ @ @ @ @ the summer holidays , including in the playground .

The Paris local municipality said on Monday that it would look to make free Covid-19 testing available in all of the capital's 20 districts (arrondissements), as authorities battle against signs of a re-emergence of the virus in France.
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The Paris mayor's office added in a statement that from Monday onwards, there would be three permanent laboratories set up to conduct free Covid-19 tests, as well as two other mobile laboratories that would go around the capital.
Face masks have been made compulsory throughout Paris with the measure applying to all pedestrians, cyclists and those riding electric scooters in the French capital and three neighbouring departments – except children under 11 and people carrying out physical exercise, whether running or cycling. Anyone caught breaking the new rule will face a €135 fine. Motorists will not have to wear a mask inside their car.
Previously the mask order only applied to some areas of the city.
Masks are also obligatory for all children over 11 when they return to school Tuesday after the summer holidays, including in the playground.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-08-31--Michel Platini faces Swiss prosecutor in payment probe

Former European football chief Michel Platini arrived for a meeting with the Swiss public prosecutor on Monday as part of proceedings investigating a two million Swiss franc ( $ 2.2 million ) payment he received in 2011 .
Platini was summoned to the Swiss capital Bern by prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand .
Sepp Blatter , the former president of the sport 's world governing body FIFA , is due to meet the prosecutor on Tuesday as part of the same probe .
Platini , the former head of European football 's governing body UEFA , arrived at the Office of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex in a taxi accompanied by his lawyer Dominic Nellen .
Wearing a suit and blue shirt without a tie and carrying a blue folder , he said `` hello '' towards waiting journalists and smiled briefly as he went to the registration office .
He briefly came out again to enter the main premises through a revolving metal gate .
Platini and Blatter each face interrogation from the public prosecutor as part of the proceedings , which were opened in 2015 .
In June , Hildbrand formally added Platini to an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2011 for an advisory job completed in 2002 , on suspicion of `` complicity in unfair management , embezzlement and forgery in securities '' .
The 65-year-old former French football great now has the status of `` accused '' alongside Blatter .
Platini said at the time that the OAG had `` confirmed in writing in May 2018 '' that his case was closed .
Two other former FIFA executives , Frenchman Jerome Valcke , the former secretary-general , and German Markus Kattner , the former financial director , are being investigated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the OAG said .
Kattner will be questioned on September 4 .
Platini said he was being persecuted by FIFA .
`` After five years , it is quite possible that FIFA will continue to harass me through complaints with the sole aim of keeping me out of football and smearing my reputation , '' he said in June .
Blatter , who is 84 , told AFP the payment was above board .
`` It was a back pay for work done by Michel Platini .
The sum was validated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a criminal offence , '' Blatter said , adding that he was `` serene '' ahead of the new hearing .
FIFA deemed the sum a `` disloyal payment '' and suspended Blatter and Platini from all football-related activities , which prevented the former UEFA chief from running for the FIFA presidency in 2016 .
Platini appealed against his suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport , which reduced it to four years , then the Swiss Federal Court and finally at the European Court of Human Rights .
Hildbrand questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in connection with a separate investigation into television rights contracts issued to the Caribbean Football Union .

Bern (Switzerland) (AFP) –
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Former European football chief Michel Platini arrived for a meeting with the Swiss public prosecutor on Monday as part of proceedings investigating a two million Swiss franc ($2.2 million) payment he received in 2011.
Platini was summoned to the Swiss capital Bern by prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand. Sepp Blatter, the former president of the sport's world governing body FIFA, is due to meet the prosecutor on Tuesday as part of the same probe.
Platini, the former head of European football's governing body UEFA, arrived at the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) complex in a taxi accompanied by his lawyer Dominic Nellen.
Wearing a suit and blue shirt without a tie and carrying a blue folder, he said "hello" towards waiting journalists and smiled briefly as he went to the registration office.
He briefly came out again to enter the main premises through a revolving metal gate.
Platini and Blatter each face interrogation from the public prosecutor as part of the proceedings, which were opened in 2015.
In June, Hildbrand formally added Platini to an investigation into the payment he received from FIFA in 2011 for an advisory job completed in 2002, on suspicion of "complicity in unfair management, embezzlement and forgery in securities".
The 65-year-old former French football great now has the status of "accused" alongside Blatter.
Platini said at the time that the OAG had "confirmed in writing in May 2018" that his case was closed.
- 'Back pay' -
Two other former FIFA executives, Frenchman Jerome Valcke, the former secretary-general, and German Markus Kattner, the former financial director, are being investigated on "suspicion of unfair management", the OAG said.
Kattner will be questioned on September 4.
Platini said he was being persecuted by FIFA.
"After five years, it is quite possible that FIFA will continue to harass me through complaints with the sole aim of keeping me out of football and smearing my reputation," he said in June.
Blatter, who is 84, told AFP the payment was above board.
"It was a back pay for work done by Michel Platini. The sum was validated by the finance commission. It cannot be a criminal offence," Blatter said, adding that he was "serene" ahead of the new hearing.
FIFA deemed the sum a "disloyal payment" and suspended Blatter and Platini from all football-related activities, which prevented the former UEFA chief from running for the FIFA presidency in 2016.
Platini appealed against his suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced it to four years, then the Swiss Federal Court and finally at the European Court of Human Rights.
Hildbrand questioned Blatter in late July and early August in connection with a separate investigation into television rights contracts issued to the Caribbean Football Union.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-31--In Belarus, currency plunges, IT giants eye exit

A man holds a historical Belarus flag atan opposition rally in Minsk -- growing protests against President Lukashenko and resulting uncertainty have sent the local currency tumbling The Belarusian currency is tumbling in value and companies in its crucial IT sector are threatening to pull out after weeks of unprecedented protests against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko .
Belarusians are desperately trawling banks and bureaux de change for foreign currency to salvage at least some of the value of their savings .
`` The banks do n't have any foreign currency .
Staff tell you to wait , that a customer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customer at the country 's largest lender , Belarusbank , speaking on condition of anonymity .
The national currency is falling at a record rate , losing more than 10 percent of its value against the euro and the dollar in the last month due to uncertainty over the deepening political standoff and fears of an economic crisis .
Over the last year , it has fallen 27 percent against the dollar and 33 percent against the euro .
In recent days , numerous Telegram accounts widely followed by the opposition have urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ruble and therefore Lukashenko 's regime .
They have also encouraged people to boycott the giant state enterprises that are the bulwarks of Lukashenko 's Soviet-style economy and buy from private companies .
The president , re-elected in disputed polls on August 9 , on Thursday condemned `` scoundrels '' who are `` calling for destabilising the financial market . ''
`` We will not allow the national currency to collapse , '' he vowed at a meeting on state enterprises , in comments reported by his press service .
Independent analyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling rubles `` as a sign of protest '' but said the amount involved was not enough `` to significantly affect the exchange rate . ''
The mood of dissatisfaction has also extended to the country 's strong IT sector , one of Belarus 's few success stories .
It is angry that the government has attempted to quell protests by repeatedly cutting off online access and raiding offices of internet giants , seen by Lukashenko as playing a role in the protest movement .
More than 2,000 people working in the IT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for new elections and an end to political violence and internet shutdowns , even threatening to move out of the country .
Russian internet giant Yandex had its Minsk offices searched by armed law enforcement officers in mid-August .
It responded by closing its work space in the capital and transferring all of its approximately 300 staff to remote working .
Yandex has said that some employees have left Minsk but has not confirmed reports that it is beginning to move staff out of the country .
The Viber messaging app said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Minsk earlier in the month due to `` the safety concerns of our staff '' and `` internet issues . ''
The office reopened last week , it said .
The political crisis caused by Lukashenko 's re-election amid accusations of vote-rigging has also hit sectors of the economy with a high level of state intervention .
This comes as Russia has cut down on its largesse towards its smaller neighbour reliant on subsidised energy .
`` Strikes in key sectors could further erode growth prospects , which were already weakened by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Fitch analysts said in a note .
They estimated that GDP would contract by five percent in 2020 .
Workers at tractor , heavy machinery and potash plants -- seen as Lukashenko 's political heartland -- have downed tools and joined protests , shaking the authorities .
The walk-outs have died down in recent days as workers have been threatened with dismissal and strike leaders have been detained .
But Fitch said last week that strikes at the potash mines of Belaruskali , the world 's largest producer , could lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Minsk (AFP) –
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The Belarusian currency is tumbling in value and companies in its crucial IT sector are threatening to pull out after weeks of unprecedented protests against authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Belarusians are desperately trawling banks and bureaux de change for foreign currency to salvage at least some of the value of their savings.
"The banks don't have any foreign currency. Staff tell you to wait, that a customer might bring some," said one customer at the country's largest lender, Belarusbank, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The national currency is falling at a record rate, losing more than 10 percent of its value against the euro and the dollar in the last month due to uncertainty over the deepening political standoff and fears of an economic crisis.
Over the last year, it has fallen 27 percent against the dollar and 33 percent against the euro.
- 'Scoundrels' -
In recent days, numerous Telegram accounts widely followed by the opposition have urged people to buy foreign currency to destabilise the ruble and therefore Lukashenko's regime.
They have also encouraged people to boycott the giant state enterprises that are the bulwarks of Lukashenko's Soviet-style economy and buy from private companies.
The president, re-elected in disputed polls on August 9, on Thursday condemned "scoundrels" who are "calling for destabilising the financial market."
"We will not allow the national currency to collapse," he vowed at a meeting on state enterprises, in comments reported by his press service.
Independent analyst Alexander Vasilyev acknowledged that some people were selling rubles "as a sign of protest" but said the amount involved was not enough "to significantly affect the exchange rate."
The mood of dissatisfaction has also extended to the country's strong IT sector, one of Belarus's few success stories.
It is angry that the government has attempted to quell protests by repeatedly cutting off online access and raiding offices of internet giants, seen by Lukashenko as playing a role in the protest movement.
More than 2,000 people working in the IT sector have signed an open letter calling for new elections and an end to political violence and internet shutdowns, even threatening to move out of the country.
- Closed offices -
Russian internet giant Yandex had its Minsk offices searched by armed law enforcement officers in mid-August.
It responded by closing its work space in the capital and transferring all of its approximately 300 staff to remote working.
Yandex has said that some employees have left Minsk but has not confirmed reports that it is beginning to move staff out of the country.
The Viber messaging app said on Twitter that it temporarily closed its office in Minsk earlier in the month due to "the safety concerns of our staff" and "internet issues."
The office reopened last week, it said.
The political crisis caused by Lukashenko's re-election amid accusations of vote-rigging has also hit sectors of the economy with a high level of state intervention.
This comes as Russia has cut down on its largesse towards its smaller neighbour reliant on subsidised energy.
"Strikes in key sectors could further erode growth prospects, which were already weakened by oil supply disruptions and the pandemic," Fitch analysts said in a note.
They estimated that GDP would contract by five percent in 2020.
Workers at tractor, heavy machinery and potash plants -- seen as Lukashenko's political heartland -- have downed tools and joined protests, shaking the authorities.
The walk-outs have died down in recent days as workers have been threatened with dismissal and strike leaders have been detained.
But Fitch said last week that strikes at the potash mines of Belaruskali, the world's largest producer, could lead to a reduction in the country's exports.
© 2020 AFP