france24--2020-12-12--Iran executes opposition figure Ruhollah Zam

Ruhollah Zam , a former opposition figure who had lived in exile in France and had been implicated in anti-government protests , speaks during his trial at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran in June Iran authorities on Saturday executed Ruhollah Zam , a former opposition figure who had lived in exile in France and was implicated in anti-government protests , days after his sentence was upheld .
State television said the `` counter-revolutionary '' Zam was hanged in the morning after the supreme court upheld his sentence due to `` the severity of the crimes '' committed against the Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday said Zam 's sentence was upheld by the supreme court `` more than a month ago '' .
London-based human rights group Amnesty International , in a statement after his verdict was confirmed , described Zam as a `` journalist and dissident '' .
It said the confirmation marked `` a shocking escalation in the use of the death penalty as a weapon of repression '' .
Iran 's Revolutionary Guards announced the arrest of Zam in October 2019 , claiming he had been `` directed by France 's intelligence service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` under the protection of several countries ' intelligence services '' .
The official IRNA news agency said he was also convicted of espionage for France and an unnamed country in the region , cooperating with the `` hostile government of America '' , acting against `` the country 's security '' , insulting the `` sanctity of Islam '' and instigating violence during the 2017 protests .
At least 25 people were killed during the unrest in December 2017 and January 2018 that was sparked by economic hardship .
Zam , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly lived in Paris , ran a channel on the Telegram messaging app called Amadnews .
Telegram shut down the channel after Iran demanded it remove the account for inciting an `` armed uprising '' .
Zam was charged with `` corruption on earth '' -- one of the most serious offences under Iranian law -- and sentenced to death in June .
As his trial started , state television broadcast a `` documentary '' about Zam 's `` relations '' with the Islamic republic 's foes .
The broadcaster also aired an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which he is seen saying he believed in reformism until he was detained in 2009 during protests against the disputed re-election of ultra-conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad .
He also denied having instigated violence through his Telegram channel .
Amnesty has repeatedly called on Iran to stop broadcasting videos of `` confessions '' by suspects , saying they `` violate the defendants ' rights '' .
Zam had lived in exile in France for several years before being arrested by Iran 's Revolutionary Guards under unclear circumstances .
Paris-based press rights group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday it was `` outraged '' by the execution .
RSF had previously claimed that Zam had disappeared on a trip to Baghdad in October 2019 , and accused Iran of abducting him in Iraq to face trial back home .
Zam is one of several people to have been sentenced to death over participation or links to protests that rocked Iran between 2017 and 2019 .
Navid Afkari , a 27-year-old wrestler , was executed at a prison in the southern city of Shiraz in September .
The judiciary said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homicide '' for stabbing to death a government employee in August 2018 .
Shiraz and other urban centres had been the scene of anti-government protests at the time .
Three young men were also sentenced to death over links to deadly 2019 protests , but Iran 's supreme court said last week that it would retry them at the request of their defence teams .
Their sentences were initially upheld with the judiciary saying evidence had been found on their phones of them setting alight banks , buses and public buildings .
Amnesty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people last year , the world 's second highest total after China .

Tehran (AFP) –
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Iran authorities on Saturday executed Ruhollah Zam, a former opposition figure who had lived in exile in France and was implicated in anti-government protests, days after his sentence was upheld.
State television said the "counter-revolutionary" Zam was hanged in the morning after the supreme court upheld his sentence due to "the severity of the crimes" committed against the Islamic republic.
Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili had on Tuesday said Zam's sentence was upheld by the supreme court "more than a month ago".
London-based human rights group Amnesty International, in a statement after his verdict was confirmed, described Zam as a "journalist and dissident".
It said the confirmation marked "a shocking escalation in the use of the death penalty as a weapon of repression".
Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced the arrest of Zam in October 2019, claiming he had been "directed by France's intelligence service".
State television said he was "under the protection of several countries' intelligence services".
The official IRNA news agency said he was also convicted of espionage for France and an unnamed country in the region, cooperating with the "hostile government of America", acting against "the country's security", insulting the "sanctity of Islam" and instigating violence during the 2017 protests.
At least 25 people were killed during the unrest in December 2017 and January 2018 that was sparked by economic hardship.
Zam, who was granted political asylum in France and reportedly lived in Paris, ran a channel on the Telegram messaging app called Amadnews.
Telegram shut down the channel after Iran demanded it remove the account for inciting an "armed uprising".
- 'Corruption on earth' -
Zam was charged with "corruption on earth" -- one of the most serious offences under Iranian law -- and sentenced to death in June.
As his trial started, state television broadcast a "documentary" about Zam's "relations" with the Islamic republic's foes.
The broadcaster also aired an "interview" with him in July, in which he is seen saying he believed in reformism until he was detained in 2009 during protests against the disputed re-election of ultra-conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He also denied having instigated violence through his Telegram channel.
Amnesty has repeatedly called on Iran to stop broadcasting videos of "confessions" by suspects, saying they "violate the defendants' rights".
Zam had lived in exile in France for several years before being arrested by Iran's Revolutionary Guards under unclear circumstances.
Paris-based press rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Saturday it was "outraged" by the execution.
RSF had previously claimed that Zam had disappeared on a trip to Baghdad in October 2019, and accused Iran of abducting him in Iraq to face trial back home.
Zam is one of several people to have been sentenced to death over participation or links to protests that rocked Iran between 2017 and 2019.
Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old wrestler, was executed at a prison in the southern city of Shiraz in September.
The judiciary said he had been found guilty of "voluntary homicide" for stabbing to death a government employee in August 2018.
Shiraz and other urban centres had been the scene of anti-government protests at the time.
Three young men were also sentenced to death over links to deadly 2019 protests, but Iran's supreme court said last week that it would retry them at the request of their defence teams.
Their sentences were initially upheld with the judiciary saying evidence had been found on their phones of them setting alight banks, buses and public buildings.
Amnesty International said Iran executed at least 251 people last year, the world's second highest total after China.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--First foreign aid convoy reaches capital of Ethiopia's conflict-hit Tigray

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed , winner of last year 's Nobel Peace Prize , said his government would be in charge of handling the humanitarian response in Tigray The first international aid convoy arrived Saturday in the capital of Ethiopia 's Tigray region since fighting broke out more than a month ago , triggering a refugee crisis and humanitarian disaster .
The International Committee of the Red Cross said seven trucks brought medicines and medical equipment for 400 wounded as well as relief supplies to Mekele , a city of half a million which had been all-but cut off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on November 4 .
`` It is the first international aid to arrive in Mekele since fighting erupted in Tigray more than one month ago , '' the Geneva-based ICRC said , describing health care facilities in the city as `` paralysed '' .
Patrick Youssef , ICRC regional director for Africa , said the supplies would `` reduce those impossible life-or-death triage decisions '' for doctors and nurses in Mekele who had endured for weeks without running water and electricity , let alone essential medicines .
The convoy arrived as the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray and appealed for urgent access to assist them and 600,000 others who were dependent on food rations before the conflict even began .
Ethiopia had restricted access to Tigray , and a communications blackout has made it difficult to evaluate the true extent of the humanitarian situation on the ground .
But aid groups have been warning for weeks of a looming hunger crisis as food rations dwindled , and efforts to send life-saving relief were repeatedly delayed .
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed , the winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on Friday said his government would be in charge of handling the humanitarian response and access to Tigray , and that Ethiopia had this week dispatched tonnes of food and other relief supplies by trucks to Mekele and other cities in the region .
Ethiopia has bridled at suggestions that outsiders might play a leading role in the relief effort and an agreement last week to allow the UN and aid agencies access to Tigray foundered , deepening international alarm , before another deal was announced on Wednesday .
The UN refugee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been able to reach four camps housing nearly 100,000 Eritreans since the announcement of a major military offensive by Ethiopia 's army against forces loyal to Tigray 's dissident ruling party more than a month ago .
Filippo Grandi , the UN High Commissioner for Refugees , said the UNHCR had received `` an overwhelming number of disturbing reports '' of refugees being killed or kidnapped and forcibly returned to Eritrea , which borders Tigray to the north .
`` If confirmed , these actions would constitute a major violation of international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am strongly urging the government of Ethiopia to continue to uphold their responsibility towards refugees under international law , and to ensure the protection and safety of all refugees in the country . ''
The International Rescue Committee said Friday one of its staff was killed last month at a refugee camp for Eritreans in Tigray .
The Danish Refugee Council , which also assists the Eritreans , said three of its guards were killed , but did not specify where .
Ethiopia said Friday it was returning `` misinformed '' Eritrean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ababa back to the camps in Tigray to receive aid and live `` lawfully and peacefully '' .
`` Forcibly sending Eritrean refugees back to camps in Tigray places them at unnecessary risk of harm and hunger , '' Laetitia Bader , Horn of Africa director for Human Rights Watch , said Saturday .
`` Eritrean refugees should n't be forced to be in a conflict zone where humanitarian assistance is still restricted and international access to the refugee camps still cut off . ''
The UN migration agency IOM on Friday denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refugees `` to an unknown destination '' and rejected allegations that Eritreans were being held at one of its transit centres in Addis Ababa and processed for forcible return .
The International Organization for Migration said it was `` extremely concerned '' by reports of Eritreans being relocated against their will and `` does not under any circumstances conduct the forced return of migrants and refugees '' .
It said one of its three transit centres in Addis Ababa was `` taken over '' by Ethiopian authorities on December 3 and that IOM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or involvement in any activities undertaken by the authorities in the centre since that time '' .
In a sign of the depth of tensions over where and how aid agencies should operate in Tigray , a UN team trying to visit a camp for Eritrean refugees on December 6 was shot at by Ethiopian forces and briefly detained .
Abiy declared the fighting in Tigray over on November 28 , saying the army had captured Mekele from forces loyal to the Tigray People 's Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sporadic gunfire '' and not major combat .
Thousands have been killed , according to the International Crisis Group think tank , and around 50,000 people have fled to refugee camps across the border in Sudan .

Addis Ababa (AFP) –
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The first international aid convoy arrived Saturday in the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region since fighting broke out more than a month ago, triggering a refugee crisis and humanitarian disaster.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said seven trucks brought medicines and medical equipment for 400 wounded as well as relief supplies to Mekele, a city of half a million which had been all-but cut off to foreign aid since the conflict began on November 4.
"It is the first international aid to arrive in Mekele since fighting erupted in Tigray more than one month ago," the Geneva-based ICRC said, describing health care facilities in the city as "paralysed".
Patrick Youssef, ICRC regional director for Africa, said the supplies would "reduce those impossible life-or-death triage decisions" for doctors and nurses in Mekele who had endured for weeks without running water and electricity, let alone essential medicines.
The convoy arrived as the United Nations expressed growing alarm over the plight of nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray and appealed for urgent access to assist them and 600,000 others who were dependent on food rations before the conflict even began.
Ethiopia had restricted access to Tigray, and a communications blackout has made it difficult to evaluate the true extent of the humanitarian situation on the ground. But aid groups have been warning for weeks of a looming hunger crisis as food rations dwindled, and efforts to send life-saving relief were repeatedly delayed.
- Disturbing reports -
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, on Friday said his government would be in charge of handling the humanitarian response and access to Tigray, and that Ethiopia had this week dispatched tonnes of food and other relief supplies by trucks to Mekele and other cities in the region.
Ethiopia has bridled at suggestions that outsiders might play a leading role in the relief effort and an agreement last week to allow the UN and aid agencies access to Tigray foundered, deepening international alarm, before another deal was announced on Wednesday.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR said Friday it still has not been able to reach four camps housing nearly 100,000 Eritreans since the announcement of a major military offensive by Ethiopia's army against forces loyal to Tigray's dissident ruling party more than a month ago.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said the UNHCR had received "an overwhelming number of disturbing reports" of refugees being killed or kidnapped and forcibly returned to Eritrea, which borders Tigray to the north.
"If confirmed, these actions would constitute a major violation of international law," Grandi said.
"I am strongly urging the government of Ethiopia to continue to uphold their responsibility towards refugees under international law, and to ensure the protection and safety of all refugees in the country."
The International Rescue Committee said Friday one of its staff was killed last month at a refugee camp for Eritreans in Tigray. The Danish Refugee Council, which also assists the Eritreans, said three of its guards were killed, but did not specify where.
- 'Harm and hunger' -
Ethiopia said Friday it was returning "misinformed" Eritrean refugees making their way south to Addis Ababa back to the camps in Tigray to receive aid and live "lawfully and peacefully".
"Forcibly sending Eritrean refugees back to camps in Tigray places them at unnecessary risk of harm and hunger," Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director for Human Rights Watch, said Saturday.
"Eritrean refugees shouldn't be forced to be in a conflict zone where humanitarian assistance is still restricted and international access to the refugee camps still cut off."
The UN migration agency IOM on Friday denied that its buses were used to transport refugees "to an unknown destination" and rejected allegations that Eritreans were being held at one of its transit centres in Addis Ababa and processed for forcible return.
The International Organization for Migration said it was "extremely concerned" by reports of Eritreans being relocated against their will and "does not under any circumstances conduct the forced return of migrants and refugees".
It said one of its three transit centres in Addis Ababa was "taken over" by Ethiopian authorities on December 3 and that IOM "had no management authority, oversight or involvement in any activities undertaken by the authorities in the centre since that time".
In a sign of the depth of tensions over where and how aid agencies should operate in Tigray, a UN team trying to visit a camp for Eritrean refugees on December 6 was shot at by Ethiopian forces and briefly detained.
Abiy declared the fighting in Tigray over on November 28, saying the army had captured Mekele from forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and has dismissed reports of ongoing fighting as "sporadic gunfire" and not major combat.
Thousands have been killed, according to the International Crisis Group think tank, and around 50,000 people have fled to refugee camps across the border in Sudan.
burs-np/bp
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--Spain's ex-king dents monarchy's image with tax settlement

Spain 's former King Juan Carlos I , pictured in 2019 , fled into self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates in August By settling a back tax bill , Spain 's former king Juan Carlos I is trying to avoid an embarrassing lawsuit , but he has further dented the image of the monarchy and deepened tensions within the country 's leftist coalition government .
His lawyer issued a two-paragraph statement on Wednesday night announcing that Juan Carlos , who fled into self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates in August , had `` presented the fiscal authorities with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' a tax debt amounting to 678,393 euros ( $ 821,453 ) , including interest and fines .
The settlement is linked to a probe made public last month by Spain 's attorney general into whether the scandal-hit former king used cards linked to accounts not registered in his name -- which could constitute a possible money-laundering offence .
Judicial sources said they were looking into funds deposited in several Spanish bank accounts held by a Mexican businessman and a Spanish Air Force official , and whether they had been accessed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payments took place after Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 , which could mean that he is not shielded by the immunity from prosecution he enjoyed as head of state .
It is the first time that Juan Carlos , who is already the target of two other investigations over his financial affairs , has acknowledged having withheld income from the tax office .
While the tax settlement reduces the risk of a lawsuit , it does `` enormous damage '' to the reputation of the monarchy , which was already tarnished by other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said political consultant Euprepio Padula .
Prosecutors are also examining a Saudi high-speed rail contract that was won by a consortium of Spanish companies in 2011 , seeking to establish whether the then-monarch was paid a commission .
According to Swiss daily La Tribune , the late Saudi king Abdullah deposited $ 100 million into a Swiss private bank in 2008 to which Juan Carlos had access , prompting suspicions it was a kickback for the contract which was awarded three years later .
Separately , prosecutors at Spain 's Supreme Court announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preliminary investigation into the former king 's business dealings following a report by the national anti-money laundering agency .
The prosecutor 's office gave no further details .
A steady drip of revelations about the former king 's love life and lavish lifestyle , combined with the 2018 conviction of his son-in-law for tax fraud and embezzlement , have severely tainted the monarchy .
The scandals have fuelled renewed criticism from far-left party Podemos , the junior partner in Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez 's minority coalition government .
Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was a `` growing debate '' in Spain `` over the usefulness of the monarchy '' .
The party has governed in coalition with the Socialists since January .
It is the first time that an anti-monarchy party is in power since Spain returned to democracy in the 1970s .
Podemos on Friday once again called for a parliamentary inquiry into the business activities of the former king .
These requests have always been rejected in the past with the votes against from the Socialists , and parties on the right which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former king 's tax settlement was announced , Sanchez said during a TV interview that the monarchy `` is not in danger '' .
Political consultant Padula said Juan Carlos ' son , the current King Felipe VI , `` should make a statement about this topic '' to distance himself further from the former monarch .
Felipe already put an end to his father 's palace allowance of nearly 200,000 euros per year and renounced his own inheritance in March .
Now that Juan Carlos has settled his tax bill , Spaniards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spain for Christmas .
When asked , Sanchez said it was up to the palace to `` comment on the possible return of the former king '' who will celebrate his 83rd birthday on January 5 .

Madrid (AFP) –
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By settling a back tax bill, Spain's former king Juan Carlos I is trying to avoid an embarrassing lawsuit, but he has further dented the image of the monarchy and deepened tensions within the country's leftist coalition government.
His lawyer issued a two-paragraph statement on Wednesday night announcing that Juan Carlos, who fled into self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates in August, had "presented the fiscal authorities with a spontaneous declaration" which "settled" a tax debt amounting to 678,393 euros ($821,453), including interest and fines.
The settlement is linked to a probe made public last month by Spain's attorney general into whether the scandal-hit former king used cards linked to accounts not registered in his name -- which could constitute a possible money-laundering offence.
Judicial sources said they were looking into funds deposited in several Spanish bank accounts held by a Mexican businessman and a Spanish Air Force official, and whether they had been accessed by the 82-year-old former monarch.
The credit card payments took place after Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014, which could mean that he is not shielded by the immunity from prosecution he enjoyed as head of state.
It is the first time that Juan Carlos, who is already the target of two other investigations over his financial affairs, has acknowledged having withheld income from the tax office.
While the tax settlement reduces the risk of a lawsuit, it does "enormous damage" to the reputation of the monarchy, which was already tarnished by other affairs involving the once-popular former king, said political consultant Euprepio Padula.
- Royal debate -
Prosecutors are also examining a Saudi high-speed rail contract that was won by a consortium of Spanish companies in 2011, seeking to establish whether the then-monarch was paid a commission.
According to Swiss daily La Tribune, the late Saudi king Abdullah deposited $100 million into a Swiss private bank in 2008 to which Juan Carlos had access, prompting suspicions it was a kickback for the contract which was awarded three years later.
Separately, prosecutors at Spain's Supreme Court announced in November that they had opened a preliminary investigation into the former king's business dealings following a report by the national anti-money laundering agency.
The prosecutor's office gave no further details.
A steady drip of revelations about the former king's love life and lavish lifestyle, combined with the 2018 conviction of his son-in-law for tax fraud and embezzlement, have severely tainted the monarchy.
The scandals have fuelled renewed criticism from far-left party Podemos, the junior partner in Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's minority coalition government.
Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias wrote recently in online newspaper Publico that there was a "growing debate" in Spain "over the usefulness of the monarchy".
The party has governed in coalition with the Socialists since January. It is the first time that an anti-monarchy party is in power since Spain returned to democracy in the 1970s.
- 'Not in danger' -
Podemos on Friday once again called for a parliamentary inquiry into the business activities of the former king.
These requests have always been rejected in the past with the votes against from the Socialists, and parties on the right which ferociously defend the monarchy.
After the former king's tax settlement was announced, Sanchez said during a TV interview that the monarchy "is not in danger".
Political consultant Padula said Juan Carlos' son, the current King Felipe VI, "should make a statement about this topic" to distance himself further from the former monarch.
Felipe already put an end to his father's palace allowance of nearly 200,000 euros per year and renounced his own inheritance in March.
Now that Juan Carlos has settled his tax bill, Spaniards are wondering if he will return to Spain for Christmas.
When asked, Sanchez said it was up to the palace to "comment on the possible return of the former king" who will celebrate his 83rd birthday on January 5.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--Iraq 'shrine factions' look to peel away from Hashed

Iraq 's Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force played an important role in the defeat of the Islamic State group but now a years-long struggle over allegiances and resources threatens to escalate into a dangerous split Around the corner from Iraq 's holiest shrines , a years-long struggle over allegiances and resources is coming to a head -- threatening a dangerous schism within a powerful state-sponsored security force .
The growing fissure pits the vast Iran-aligned wing of the Hashed al-Shaabi network against four factions linked to the shrines of Iraq 's twin holy cities , Karbala and Najaf .
Those factions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and comprising around 20,000 active fighters , held their first strategic planning meeting earlier this month .
Throughout the packed three days , spokesmen for the shrine groups leaned on two sources of legitimacy : a patriotic , `` Iraq-only '' discourse , and the blessing of the `` marjaiyah , '' Iraq 's Shiite spiritual leadership .
`` The Shrine Hashed are the origin of the broader Hashed , '' Hazem Sakhr , a spokesman for the four factions , told AFP .
`` We are committed to Iraqi law and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the prominent commander of the largest shrine group known as the Abbas Combat Division , struck a nationalistic , reformist tone .
`` The main reasons for establishing the Shrine Hashed is to serve our country , and to correct both its track record and trajectory , '' he said .
Ali al-Hamdani , who heads the 3,000-member Ali al-Akbar Brigade , said the meeting -- held in Najaf and Karbala -- was `` exclusively '' for the Shrine Hashed , setting their future apart from the rest .
Hamdi Malik , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the shrine groups were now publicly insisting on a separation .
`` They are escalating with this new conference , and want to accelerate that process , '' Malik told AFP .
The Hashed al-Shaabi network was formed in 2014 when Iraq 's top Shiite cleric , Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani , issued an edict urging citizens to fight the advancing Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group .
His call brought together already-existing paramilitary factions and new formations , including the Shrine Hashed .
But internal disputes emerged as early as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main fault lines .
Shrine factions began complaining that they were being starved of resources by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , the umbrella group 's deputy head .
Muhandis died in a US strike in January this year that also killed his friend , top Iranian general , Qasem Soleimani .
The Shrine Hashed had accused Muhandis of prioritising factions closer to Tehran in the distribution of military equipment and state-allocated salaries .
Malik said the tug-of-war was linked to a second , more profound split : a `` real ideological divide '' over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long provided support to armed groups in Iraq .
Those factions are even dubbed `` the loyalist Hashed '' for their perceived allegiance to Tehran over Baghdad .
At the meeting , spokesmen were careful not to specifically criticise Iran but repeatedly rejected what they characterised as external meddling .
`` Foreign intervention is dangerous .
The Shrine Hashed rejects all shapes and sizes it may come in , '' Sakhr said .
The 90-year-old Sistani , known to be wary of Iran 's influence , has not commented publicly on the meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead without his tacit approval , said Malik .
`` It 's important for Sistani , while he is alive and capable , that he puts his house in order , '' said Sajad Jiyad , a fellow at US think tank The Century Foundation .
Thirdly , shrine-linked groups have looked disdainfully at the Hashed 's dabbling in politics .
`` Sistani had given clear instructions that no Hashed member should participate in politics .
But pro-Iran factions in the Hashed created the Fatah alliance and took part in the 2018 parliamentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the second-largest number of seats and wields significant influence in both parliament and several government ministries .
With new elections set to be held in June 2021 , shrine factions have said they will stick to Sistani 's orders .
`` Our members are free to participate as voters but not as candidates , '' said Mushtaq Abbas Maan , the media head for Karbala 's Abbas shrine , which sponsors the factions .
While The Century Foundation 's Jiyad said he doubted armed conflict would erupt between the two wings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messy .
The Shrine Hashed still lack a legal or administrative framework to govern their forces outside the broader network 's by-laws , and government decrees linking them to the prime minister 's office have been slow to take hold .
At the conference , Maan appealed to the premier , who is Iraq 's commander-in-chief , to `` urgently '' bring shrine factions under his wing , thereby finalising their split from the wider network .
But shrine factions also fear that if they peel away , `` loyalist '' groups could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force and political influence , Malik said .
Their moves have already irked the Iran-linked Hashed , whose commanders declined AFP 's requests for comment .
But the sharp-tongued Qais al-Khazali , who heads a powerful Hashed faction known as Asaib Ahl al-Haq , told state media last month that a secession by shrine groups could prompt other wings to strike out on their own , too .
`` The Hashed will be divided into three .
That means the end of the Hashed , '' he warned .

Najaf (Iraq) (AFP) –
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Around the corner from Iraq's holiest shrines, a years-long struggle over allegiances and resources is coming to a head -- threatening a dangerous schism within a powerful state-sponsored security force.
The growing fissure pits the vast Iran-aligned wing of the Hashed al-Shaabi network against four factions linked to the shrines of Iraq's twin holy cities, Karbala and Najaf.
Those factions, dubbed "the Shrine Hashed" and comprising around 20,000 active fighters, held their first strategic planning meeting earlier this month.
Throughout the packed three days, spokesmen for the shrine groups leaned on two sources of legitimacy: a patriotic, "Iraq-only" discourse, and the blessing of the "marjaiyah," Iraq's Shiite spiritual leadership.
"The Shrine Hashed are the origin of the broader Hashed," Hazem Sakhr, a spokesman for the four factions, told AFP.
"We are committed to Iraqi law and the marjaiyah's orders."
Maytham al-Zaidi, the prominent commander of the largest shrine group known as the Abbas Combat Division, struck a nationalistic, reformist tone.
"The main reasons for establishing the Shrine Hashed is to serve our country, and to correct both its track record and trajectory," he said.
Ali al-Hamdani, who heads the 3,000-member Ali al-Akbar Brigade, said the meeting -- held in Najaf and Karbala -- was "exclusively" for the Shrine Hashed, setting their future apart from the rest.
Hamdi Malik, a London-based expert on Shiite factions, said the shrine groups were now publicly insisting on a separation.
"They are escalating with this new conference, and want to accelerate that process," Malik told AFP.
- Three fault lines -
The Hashed al-Shaabi network was formed in 2014 when Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, issued an edict urging citizens to fight the advancing Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group.
His call brought together already-existing paramilitary factions and new formations, including the Shrine Hashed.
But internal disputes emerged as early as 2016, with Malik pointing to three main fault lines.
Shrine factions began complaining that they were being starved of resources by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the umbrella group's deputy head.
Muhandis died in a US strike in January this year that also killed his friend, top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani.
The Shrine Hashed had accused Muhandis of prioritising factions closer to Tehran in the distribution of military equipment and state-allocated salaries.
Malik said the tug-of-war was linked to a second, more profound split: a "real ideological divide" over ties to neighbouring Iran, which had long provided support to armed groups in Iraq.
Those factions are even dubbed "the loyalist Hashed" for their perceived allegiance to Tehran over Baghdad.
At the meeting, spokesmen were careful not to specifically criticise Iran but repeatedly rejected what they characterised as external meddling.
"Foreign intervention is dangerous. The Shrine Hashed rejects all shapes and sizes it may come in," Sakhr said.
The 90-year-old Sistani, known to be wary of Iran's influence, has not commented publicly on the meeting -- but it would not have gone ahead without his tacit approval, said Malik.
"It's important for Sistani, while he is alive and capable, that he puts his house in order," said Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at US think tank The Century Foundation.
- 'End of the Hashed' -
Thirdly, shrine-linked groups have looked disdainfully at the Hashed's dabbling in politics.
"Sistani had given clear instructions that no Hashed member should participate in politics. But pro-Iran factions in the Hashed created the Fatah alliance and took part in the 2018 parliamentary elections," Malik said.
Fatah won the second-largest number of seats and wields significant influence in both parliament and several government ministries.
With new elections set to be held in June 2021, shrine factions have said they will stick to Sistani's orders.
"Our members are free to participate as voters but not as candidates," said Mushtaq Abbas Maan, the media head for Karbala's Abbas shrine, which sponsors the factions.
While The Century Foundation's Jiyad said he doubted armed conflict would erupt between the two wings, he said a divorce would likely be messy.
The Shrine Hashed still lack a legal or administrative framework to govern their forces outside the broader network's by-laws, and government decrees linking them to the prime minister's office have been slow to take hold.
At the conference, Maan appealed to the premier, who is Iraq's commander-in-chief, to "urgently" bring shrine factions under his wing, thereby finalising their split from the wider network.
But shrine factions also fear that if they peel away, "loyalist" groups could monopolise the Hashed's budget, fighting force and political influence, Malik said.
Their moves have already irked the Iran-linked Hashed, whose commanders declined AFP's requests for comment.
But the sharp-tongued Qais al-Khazali, who heads a powerful Hashed faction known as Asaib Ahl al-Haq, told state media last month that a secession by shrine groups could prompt other wings to strike out on their own, too.
"The Hashed will be divided into three. That means the end of the Hashed," he warned.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--New exile for Eritrean refugees fleeing Ethiopia

Eritrean refugee Kheder Adam , fled Ethiopia 's Tigray conflict , saying soldiers attacked the camp in which he had been living with his wife and children Among the thousands of people fleeing the five-week-old conflict in Ethiopia 's Tigray region are a few dozen men , women and children from Eritrea , one of the world 's most authoritarian states .
They were already living as refugees in Tigray , which had long been a safe haven for them during years of conflict and repression in Eritrea .
But when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed 's government launched a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Eritrean refugees ' illusion of safety was shattered as violence escalated around their camps .
`` Suddenly soldiers came to our camp and they started shooting , '' Kheder Adam told AFP in a Sudanese refugee camp .
`` The situation was very serious .
There was a lot gunfire . ''
Kheder and his family had originally settled in one of the refugee camps in the Sheraro area of Tigray near the Eritrean border around two years ago , he said .
For years , Ethiopia and Eritrea had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2018 , Abiy took power , ending years of political dominance by the Tigray People 's Liberation Front -- sworn enemies of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki .
Abiy and Afwerki signed a historic peace agreement that same year , winning the Ethiopian leader the Nobel Peace Prize .
After the dramatic shift in alliances , Abiy 's forces launched their operation in Tigray on November 4 , Eritreans who had long benefitted from protection in Ethiopia appear to have become a target .
Since then , a few Eritrean refugees have managed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meanwhile , has expressed fears for the safety for those still in Tigray , home to some 96,000 Eritrean refugees living in four refugee camps .
Kheder , 30 , who was separated by the recent violence from his wife and two children , aged three and one , was among several Eritrean refugees interviewed by AFP at a reception centre for new arrivals from Ethiopia in Hamdayit on the eastern Sudanese border .
`` Some of the soldiers were Eritreans , some of them were ( Ethiopian ) federal soldiers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the camp in Tigray .
`` They were shooting at all people .
All -- women , men , children , '' he said .
His comments were echoed Friday by a US State Department spokesperson -- though the Ethiopian government , a US ally , has denied the claim .
`` I feel worried and sad to be a refugee again .
There I was a refugee , and here I am also a refugee .
It 's really difficult , '' said Kheder .
He cited Eritrea 's notorious policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason why he fled his home country in the first place .
`` They forced us '' to undergo a mandatory national service in Eritrea , he said .
`` That 's why we decided to go to Ethiopia . ''
The Eritrean regime once used its war against Ethiopia to justify its system of universal conscription .
But the system remains in place despite the fact that the war ended in the year 2000 , followed by the peace agreement in 2018 .
Rights groups say Eritrea 's national service often extends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or perceived disobedience leads to jail and torture .
Along with some three dozen other Eritreans , Kheder has found shelter in Hamdayit reception camp , with camp authorities keeping them separate from Ethiopian refugees .
According to camp manager Yaaqoub Mohammad , the Eritreans , like the Ethiopians , are safe in Sudan .
But he worries for the Eritreans still in Tigray , after what he describes , citing the refugees themselves , as `` an attack '' on refugee camps in Sheraro .
`` The survivors fled to save their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach Sudan , while we do n't know where the others are , '' Mohammad says .
On Friday , UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said he was `` deeply alarmed about the safety and well-being of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia '' caught in the conflict in Tigray .
`` Over the last month we have received an overwhelming number of disturbing reports of Eritrean refugees in Tigray being killed , abducted and forcibly returned to Eritrea , '' he added in a statement .
Prior to the conflict , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Eritrean refugees in the camps in Ethiopia .
But most UNHCR staff have since been evacuated out of concern for their safety , and Ethiopia has restricted access to Tigray .
Speaking to AFP in Gedaref , a Sudanese town near the camps , UNHCR 's principal emergency coordinator Andrew Mbogori said Eritrean refugees find themselves in an especially difficult situation in Tigray .
`` You can imagine , you are a refugee in a country and then this country conflict erupts so you find yourself in double trouble , '' Mbogori @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of difficulties '' .
Seated on a bench under the blazing midday sun with fellow Eritrean refugees , Shishay Yacoubay , a 46-year-old with a short goatee , says he arrived in Hamdayit just days afer violence erupted in Tigray .
Like Kheder , he does not know where his wife and four children are , though he believes they may still be at Hitsats camp near Sheraro in Tigray , where they lived .
Shishay also said Eritreans were among those firing at the camp .
`` We were living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiers came and started to fire at civilians , '' Shishay told AFP through a translator .
`` So after that I fled the camp , separated from my family . ''
On Friday , the United States said it believed Eritrean forces had entered Tigray and urged their withdrawal .
`` We are aware of credible reports of Eritrean military involvement in Tigray and view this as a grave development , '' a State Department spokesperson said .
But Ethiopian ambassador to the US Fitsum Arega denied this , saying in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough and it becomes the truth ! ''
If confirmed , the presence of Eritrean soldiers in Tigray would represent a major shift in a conflict that has already pushed nearly 50,000 people from Tigray into Sudan , according to UN figures .
With Ethiopian-Eritrean relations restored , it may be that Eritrea no longer wants Ethiopia to host any dissidents or deserters , according to William Davison , senior analyst for Ethiopia with the International Crisis Group think tank .
`` Some of the Eritrean refugees who ended up in Ethiopia would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he told AFP .
`` It could be that the Eritrean government wants to punish them for leaving the military ... Because of improving relations , the Eritrean government has gained more ability to influence the Ethiopian government not to be a host for dissidents . ''
Speaking to AFP from her home in Sweden , Swedish-Eritrean journalist Meron Estefanos also believes draft evaders are being targeted .
`` The demographics in the camps , with a lot of people ( evading ) the Eritrean national service , makes them a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is monitoring the conflict through a network of Eritrean contacts .
Rahwa , a 19-year-old Eritrean woman with a red cotton print scarf over her hair and black khol eyeliner , says she arrived in Ethiopia in early 2020 .
She was with a group of women and children inside a grim concrete shelter -- a small improvement on the straw and wood makeshift shelters and tents that tens of thousands of Ethiopians have made their temporary homes in Sudan 's camps .
`` My parents are still in Eritrea and they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said through a translator .
`` But I do n't want to .
If I go back , things will not be good for me , '' added the young woman , who AFP is identifying only by her first name due to concerns for her safety .
Because she dropped out of school , she would be automatically drafted into the military , she said .

Hamdayit (Sudan) (AFP) –
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Among the thousands of people fleeing the five-week-old conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region are a few dozen men, women and children from Eritrea, one of the world's most authoritarian states.
They were already living as refugees in Tigray, which had long been a safe haven for them during years of conflict and repression in Eritrea.
But when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government launched a military operation against Tigray's ruling party, the Eritrean refugees' illusion of safety was shattered as violence escalated around their camps.
"Suddenly soldiers came to our camp and they started shooting," Kheder Adam told AFP in a Sudanese refugee camp. "The situation was very serious. There was a lot gunfire."
Kheder and his family had originally settled in one of the refugee camps in the Sheraro area of Tigray near the Eritrean border around two years ago, he said.
For years, Ethiopia and Eritrea had been officially in a state of war.
In 2018, Abiy took power, ending years of political dominance by the Tigray People's Liberation Front -- sworn enemies of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.
Abiy and Afwerki signed a historic peace agreement that same year, winning the Ethiopian leader the Nobel Peace Prize.
After the dramatic shift in alliances, Abiy's forces launched their operation in Tigray on November 4, Eritreans who had long benefitted from protection in Ethiopia appear to have become a target.
Since then, a few Eritrean refugees have managed to escape to Sudan.
The UN, meanwhile, has expressed fears for the safety for those still in Tigray, home to some 96,000 Eritrean refugees living in four refugee camps.
- 'Refugee again' -
Kheder, 30, who was separated by the recent violence from his wife and two children, aged three and one, was among several Eritrean refugees interviewed by AFP at a reception centre for new arrivals from Ethiopia in Hamdayit on the eastern Sudanese border.
"Some of the soldiers were Eritreans, some of them were (Ethiopian) federal soldiers," said Kheder, of the attack on the camp in Tigray.
"They were shooting at all people. All -- women, men, children," he said.
His comments were echoed Friday by a US State Department spokesperson -- though the Ethiopian government, a US ally, has denied the claim.
"I feel worried and sad to be a refugee again. There I was a refugee, and here I am also a refugee. It's really difficult," said Kheder.
He cited Eritrea's notorious policy of universal, indefinite conscription as one reason why he fled his home country in the first place.
"They forced us" to undergo a mandatory national service in Eritrea, he said. "That's why we decided to go to Ethiopia."
The Eritrean regime once used its war against Ethiopia to justify its system of universal conscription.
But the system remains in place despite the fact that the war ended in the year 2000, followed by the peace agreement in 2018.
Rights groups say Eritrea's national service often extends for years and any act of desertion or perceived disobedience leads to jail and torture.
- 'Safe' in Sudan -
Along with some three dozen other Eritreans, Kheder has found shelter in Hamdayit reception camp, with camp authorities keeping them separate from Ethiopian refugees.
According to camp manager Yaaqoub Mohammad, the Eritreans, like the Ethiopians, are safe in Sudan.
But he worries for the Eritreans still in Tigray, after what he describes, citing the refugees themselves, as "an attack" on refugee camps in Sheraro.
"The survivors fled to save their lives. Some of them were able to reach Sudan, while we don't know where the others are," Mohammad says.
On Friday, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said he was "deeply alarmed about the safety and well-being of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia" caught in the conflict in Tigray.
"Over the last month we have received an overwhelming number of disturbing reports of Eritrean refugees in Tigray being killed, abducted and forcibly returned to Eritrea," he added in a statement.
Prior to the conflict, UNHCR and other aid agencies provided aid for Eritrean refugees in the camps in Ethiopia.
But most UNHCR staff have since been evacuated out of concern for their safety, and Ethiopia has restricted access to Tigray.
Speaking to AFP in Gedaref, a Sudanese town near the camps, UNHCR's principal emergency coordinator Andrew Mbogori said Eritrean refugees find themselves in an especially difficult situation in Tigray.
"You can imagine, you are a refugee in a country and then this country conflict erupts so you find yourself in double trouble," Mbogori said, adding they were "encountering a lot of difficulties".
- 'Living peacefully' -
Seated on a bench under the blazing midday sun with fellow Eritrean refugees, Shishay Yacoubay, a 46-year-old with a short goatee, says he arrived in Hamdayit just days afer violence erupted in Tigray.
Like Kheder, he does not know where his wife and four children are, though he believes they may still be at Hitsats camp near Sheraro in Tigray, where they lived.
Shishay also said Eritreans were among those firing at the camp.
"We were living peacefully. But suddenly Eritreans and federal soldiers came and started to fire at civilians," Shishay told AFP through a translator. "So after that I fled the camp, separated from my family."
On Friday, the United States said it believed Eritrean forces had entered Tigray and urged their withdrawal.
"We are aware of credible reports of Eritrean military involvement in Tigray and view this as a grave development," a State Department spokesperson said.
But Ethiopian ambassador to the US Fitsum Arega denied this, saying in a tweet: "Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth!"
- Dissidents, deserters -
If confirmed, the presence of Eritrean soldiers in Tigray would represent a major shift in a conflict that has already pushed nearly 50,000 people from Tigray into Sudan, according to UN figures.
With Ethiopian-Eritrean relations restored, it may be that Eritrea no longer wants Ethiopia to host any dissidents or deserters, according to William Davison, senior analyst for Ethiopia with the International Crisis Group think tank.
"Some of the Eritrean refugees who ended up in Ethiopia would have been conscripted Eritrean soldiers who deserted," he told AFP.
"It could be that the Eritrean government wants to punish them for leaving the military... Because of improving relations, the Eritrean government has gained more ability to influence the Ethiopian government not to be a host for dissidents."
Speaking to AFP from her home in Sweden, Swedish-Eritrean journalist Meron Estefanos also believes draft evaders are being targeted.
"The demographics in the camps, with a lot of people (evading) the Eritrean national service, makes them a target," said Estefanos, who is monitoring the conflict through a network of Eritrean contacts.
Rahwa, a 19-year-old Eritrean woman with a red cotton print scarf over her hair and black khol eyeliner, says she arrived in Ethiopia in early 2020.
She was with a group of women and children inside a grim concrete shelter -- a small improvement on the straw and wood makeshift shelters and tents that tens of thousands of Ethiopians have made their temporary homes in Sudan's camps.
"My parents are still in Eritrea and they want me to go back," Rahwa said through a translator.
"But I don't want to. If I go back, things will not be good for me," added the young woman, who AFP is identifying only by her first name due to concerns for her safety.
Because she dropped out of school, she would be automatically drafted into the military, she said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--'Finally, it came': Morocco's Jews toast Israel deal

A Moroccan Jewish woman buys pastry at `` Madame Khal '' -- a kosher bakery in the western Moroccan port city of Casablanca Casablanca 's `` Madame Fhal '' bakery is famed for its delicious kosher bread , but in its busy queue there was only one thing on people 's lips -- a deal between Morocco and Israel .
`` Everyone is talking about it , whether it 's our Jewish clients , who make up half of our customers , or Muslims , '' said Kevin Fhal , the 36-year-old grandson of the founder of this baking institution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arab nation this year to agree to normalise relations with Israel , following the United Arab Emirates , Bahrain and Sudan .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said liaison offices would be reopened in Tel Aviv and Rabat , which Morocco closed in 2000 at the start of the second Palestinian uprising , and establish full diplomatic relations `` as rapidly as possible '' .
Morocco confirmed the deal , saying King Mohammed VI had told outgoing US President Donald Trump his country had agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel `` with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of the rush for Madame Fhal 's special bread baked according to religious requirements ahead of Shabbat , Judaism 's holy day of rest , said it was a moment to celebrate .
`` Since the normalisation announced by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain , we had to be on the list .
Finally , it came , '' said Fhal , who is especially eager for direct flights to Israel to begin .
As customers waited for their fresh bread , one lady in her 40s described how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deal .
`` The entire Jewish community in Morocco was in joy , '' said the woman , who asked not to be named .
`` This is a very strong and very courageous gesture on the part of King Mohammed VI , '' she said , adding that the deal `` will have a positive impact on Moroccans in general , not only for Jews . ''
But she said it also worried her .
In Muslim-majority Morocco , the Jewish community -- once the largest in North Africa -- has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a million in the 1950s down to less than 3,000 today .
`` I 'm afraid that protests will break out , that a rift will be created between the communities , that misunderstandings will prevail , '' she said .
But a worker in the store smoothed over concerns .
`` We have had very cordial relations for a very long time , '' said the man in his 60s .
`` We have never had any problems .
We work together with the greatest respect . ''
At the Amsellem butchery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's district with the last Jewish stores , owner Jacques Bitton said he did `` not stop receiving calls from Moroccans -- Jews and Muslims -- all satisfied with this decision '' .
Bitton said he was `` very happy '' at the development of relations between his country and the Jewish state .
`` I have family in Israel , a first cousin who is in the government , '' said Bitton .
`` I spoke with him ; he was ecstatic . ''
In Israel , there are some 700,000 Jews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have kept strong links with the kingdom , including celebrating its culinary and musical traditions .
Most Moroccan Jews left with their families in the early 1950s , after Israel declared its independence .
But while some Jews in Morocco look forward to visiting Israel , others are eager to make the trip in return .
While Morocco has allowed in Israeli travellers for several years , the deal will now aid travel with direct flights .
For Avraham Avizemer , a Jewish man born in Casablanca but now living in the Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a historic announcement .
`` It is a great day , '' he said , saying Jews born in Morocco -- and their children and grandchildren -- can `` return to the land where our ancestors lived for over 2,000 years . ''
Avizemer , who left Casablanca as a toddler and is now in his 70s , has visited Morocco over 400 times in recent years , importing Moroccan products to Israel , as well as organising tourist trips and writing books on Moroccan Jews .
As many as 70,000 Jews of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , visit Morocco each year , either for tourism , or pilgrimage for religious festivals .
`` Relations between Morocco and Israel took place behind the scenes , '' said Fanny Mergui , a Moroccan Jew who was a Zionist youth leader in the 1960s .
`` It was a kind of forbidden love , formalised today , '' said Mergui , who describes herself as a Palestinian activist .

Casablanca (Morocco) (AFP) –
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Casablanca's "Madame Fhal" bakery is famed for its delicious kosher bread, but in its busy queue there was only one thing on people's lips -- a deal between Morocco and Israel.
"Everyone is talking about it, whether it's our Jewish clients, who make up half of our customers, or Muslims," said Kevin Fhal, the 36-year-old grandson of the founder of this baking institution.
Morocco on Thursday became the fourth Arab nation this year to agree to normalise relations with Israel, following the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said liaison offices would be reopened in Tel Aviv and Rabat, which Morocco closed in 2000 at the start of the second Palestinian uprising, and establish full diplomatic relations "as rapidly as possible".
Morocco confirmed the deal, saying King Mohammed VI had told outgoing US President Donald Trump his country had agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel "with minimal delay".
Fhal, speaking in the middle of the rush for Madame Fhal's special bread baked according to religious requirements ahead of Shabbat, Judaism's holy day of rest, said it was a moment to celebrate.
"Since the normalisation announced by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, we had to be on the list. Finally, it came," said Fhal, who is especially eager for direct flights to Israel to begin.
- 'Greatest respect' -
As customers waited for their fresh bread, one lady in her 40s described how people had reacted to the news of the deal.
"The entire Jewish community in Morocco was in joy," said the woman, who asked not to be named.
"This is a very strong and very courageous gesture on the part of King Mohammed VI," she said, adding that the deal "will have a positive impact on Moroccans in general, not only for Jews."
But she said it also worried her.
In Muslim-majority Morocco, the Jewish community -- once the largest in North Africa -- has dwindled from more than a quarter of a million in the 1950s down to less than 3,000 today.
"I'm afraid that protests will break out, that a rift will be created between the communities, that misunderstandings will prevail," she said.
But a worker in the store smoothed over concerns.
"We have had very cordial relations for a very long time," said the man in his 60s.
"We have never had any problems. We work together with the greatest respect."
At the Amsellem butchery, another culinary institution in central Casablanca's district with the last Jewish stores, owner Jacques Bitton said he did "not stop receiving calls from Moroccans -- Jews and Muslims -- all satisfied with this decision".
Bitton said he was "very happy" at the development of relations between his country and the Jewish state.
"I have family in Israel, a first cousin who is in the government," said Bitton. "I spoke with him; he was ecstatic."
In Israel, there are some 700,000 Jews of Moroccan origin -- many of whom have kept strong links with the kingdom, including celebrating its culinary and musical traditions.
Most Moroccan Jews left with their families in the early 1950s, after Israel declared its independence.
- 'Forbidden love' -
But while some Jews in Morocco look forward to visiting Israel, others are eager to make the trip in return.
While Morocco has allowed in Israeli travellers for several years, the deal will now aid travel with direct flights.
For Avraham Avizemer, a Jewish man born in Casablanca but now living in the Israeli coastal town of Caesarea, it was a historic announcement.
"It is a great day," he said, saying Jews born in Morocco -- and their children and grandchildren -- can "return to the land where our ancestors lived for over 2,000 years."
Avizemer, who left Casablanca as a toddler and is now in his 70s, has visited Morocco over 400 times in recent years, importing Moroccan products to Israel, as well as organising tourist trips and writing books on Moroccan Jews.
As many as 70,000 Jews of Moroccan origin, many living in Israel, visit Morocco each year, either for tourism, or pilgrimage for religious festivals.
"Relations between Morocco and Israel took place behind the scenes," said Fanny Mergui, a Moroccan Jew who was a Zionist youth leader in the 1960s.
"It was a kind of forbidden love, formalised today," said Mergui, who describes herself as a Palestinian activist.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--Flamenco artist's show 'a balm' for pandemic-weary souls

Cortes ( L ) wants his new act to encourage people back into theatres Music and dance as a healing balm for pandemic-weary souls is what Spain 's Joaquin Cortes had in mind for his new show that opens this Christmas ahead of a global tour .
After a year away from the stage , the legendary flamenco artist who has been dancing for nearly four decades , returns to the spotlight on December 23 when his new show debuts at Madrid 's WiZink auditorium .
`` Culture is both necessary and vital for everyone , and dance and music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told AFP between rehearsals in the Spanish capital .
Acutely aware of the damage caused to the arts by the pandemic which has cancelled countless shows , tours and concerts , Cortes wants his new act to encourage people back into theatres .
The idea is to show that `` it 's safe , that people have to get out and watch shows , '' said the 51-year-old who was born into a gypsy family in the southern city of Cordoba .
`` Just like when you go to the supermarket or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a lot safer , '' he said , referring to restrictions on numbers in theatres and the mandatory use of masks .
`` We have to move forward , life goes on , '' said this UNESCO goodwill ambassador who was nominated for his support for and defence of Roma culture .
Entitled `` Esencia '' ( `` Essence '' ) , the new show fuses flamenco with jazz dance and salsa , with music composed by Cortes and well-known flamenco musicians the Carbonell brothers .
The idea was to fuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through my global travels '' over a decades-long career that began when he was admitted to Spain 's National Ballet at the age of 14 .
`` It 's the maturing of an artist ... your own fragrance , your own essence , your life , your way of expressing the many things you 've absorbed that comes out in your dance and the way you express yourself as choreographer , as creator , '' said Cortes , known for fusing flamenco with classical and contemporary dance .
The plan is to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March or April , although he admits much will depend on the rollout of anti-Covid vaccines .
Produced entirely on his own without any third-party backing , `` Esencia '' will see him performing alongside artists like flamenco singer Estrella Morente .
`` For me returning to the stage is very important , I cut my teeth on a stage .
The stage is my bedroom , it 's my fantasy world , '' he says .
`` I 'm looking forward to getting back because for me , it 's essential .
@

Madrid (AFP) –
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Music and dance as a healing balm for pandemic-weary souls is what Spain's Joaquin Cortes had in mind for his new show that opens this Christmas ahead of a global tour.
After a year away from the stage, the legendary flamenco artist who has been dancing for nearly four decades, returns to the spotlight on December 23 when his new show debuts at Madrid's WiZink auditorium.
"Culture is both necessary and vital for everyone, and dance and music are medicine for the soul," he told AFP between rehearsals in the Spanish capital.
Acutely aware of the damage caused to the arts by the pandemic which has cancelled countless shows, tours and concerts, Cortes wants his new act to encourage people back into theatres.
The idea is to show that "it's safe, that people have to get out and watch shows," said the 51-year-old who was born into a gypsy family in the southern city of Cordoba.
"Just like when you go to the supermarket or in the metro and nothing happens, it's a lot safer," he said, referring to restrictions on numbers in theatres and the mandatory use of masks.
"We have to move forward, life goes on," said this UNESCO goodwill ambassador who was nominated for his support for and defence of Roma culture.
Entitled "Esencia" ("Essence"), the new show fuses flamenco with jazz dance and salsa, with music composed by Cortes and well-known flamenco musicians the Carbonell brothers.
- 'My fantasy world' -
The idea was to fuse "everything I've learned and experienced through my global travels" over a decades-long career that began when he was admitted to Spain's National Ballet at the age of 14.
"It's the maturing of an artist... your own fragrance, your own essence, your life, your way of expressing the many things you've absorbed that comes out in your dance and the way you express yourself as choreographer, as creator," said Cortes, known for fusing flamenco with classical and contemporary dance.
The plan is to take the show around the world starting in March or April, although he admits much will depend on the rollout of anti-Covid vaccines.
Produced entirely on his own without any third-party backing, "Esencia" will see him performing alongside artists like flamenco singer Estrella Morente.
"For me returning to the stage is very important, I cut my teeth on a stage. The stage is my bedroom, it's my fantasy world," he says.
"I'm looking forward to getting back because for me, it's essential."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--Switzerland imposes new Covid-19 curfew to stem rising cases

Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga adjusts a disposable protective face mask at the end of a press conference on new measures against the Covid 19 pandemic on December 11 , 2020 .
Switzerland announced Friday that all shops , bars and restaurants must close from 7:00 pm in order to fight a resurgent coronavirus that is now stirring political and cultural tensions .
The Alpine country , which will apply the new rules from Saturday until January 22 , has some of the worst per capita infection rates in Europe and the government fears the situation could spin out of control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exponential increase , '' President Simonetta Sommaruga told a press conference in the capital Bern .
`` Our hospitals and our health workers are being stretched to the limit . ''
In March , during the first wave of infections , Switzerland was not hit as hard by Covid-19 deaths and did not impose as strict a lockdown as some other European states .
It eased off those measures in stages , and many praised the Swiss handling of the crisis , with the emphasis placed on individual responsibility .
But relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and government responses have come under fire since a new wave hit in the last three months .
`` Initially , it was a health crisis , '' Pierre Ruetschi , head of the Swiss Press Club , wrote in the Tribune de Geneve newspaper .
`` Very quickly it became economic .
That 's normal .
Now , it is also cultural , linguistic , political . ''
From just three new cases recorded on June 1 , infections rose slowly but steadily before rocketing in October , when cases , hospitalisations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
The second wave initially hit the French-speaking west and the Italian-speaking south hardest .
With the government having handed the reins to the regional authorities , those cantons imposed measures to control the virus .
The virus burden then shifted towards the German-speaking majority -- and cantons which were in no rush to act despite the government 's repeated pleadings .
Many in the Francophone cantons , which were beginning to loosen their restrictions , feel they are now paying the price for a lack of action in the German-speaking areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in approach , `` the Federal Council has created real chaos , '' Marco Chiesa , leader of the right-wing populist Swiss People 's Party -- the biggest in the lower house of parliament -- told public broadcaster RTS .
With a population of 8.6 million , Switzerland is logging around 5,000 new cases and 100 deaths a day -- a base level Health Minister Alain Berset said was far too high to start from if infections begin to double again .
Even so , the new measures are not as strict as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have the virus more under control can extend the closing time until 11:00pm , conditions permitting .
All regions can extend it until 1:00am on the nights of December 24 and 31 .
Some 372,329 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Switzerland , while 5,378 have died since the first outbreak .

Switzerland announced Friday that all shops, bars and restaurants must close from 7:00 pm in order to fight a resurgent coronavirus that is now stirring political and cultural tensions.
Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga adjusts a disposable protective face mask at the end of a press conference on new measures against the Covid 19 pandemic on December 11, 2020.
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The Alpine country, which will apply the new rules from Saturday until January 22, has some of the worst per capita infection rates in Europe and the government fears the situation could spin out of control over Christmas.
"We're witnessing an exponential increase," President Simonetta Sommaruga told a press conference in the capital Bern. "Our hospitals and our health workers are being stretched to the limit."
In March, during the first wave of infections, Switzerland was not hit as hard by Covid-19 deaths and did not impose as strict a lockdown as some other European states.
It eased off those measures in stages, and many praised the Swiss handling of the crisis, with the emphasis placed on individual responsibility.
But relations among Switzerland's linguistic groups have frayed and government responses have come under fire since a new wave hit in the last three months.
"Initially, it was a health crisis," Pierre Ruetschi, head of the Swiss Press Club, wrote in the Tribune de Geneve newspaper. "Very quickly it became economic. That's normal. Now, it is also cultural, linguistic, political."
From just three new cases recorded on June 1, infections rose slowly but steadily before rocketing in October, when cases, hospitalisations and deaths began doubling from week to week.
'Real chaos'
The second wave initially hit the French-speaking west and the Italian-speaking south hardest.
With the government having handed the reins to the regional authorities, those cantons imposed measures to control the virus.
The virus burden then shifted towards the German-speaking majority -- and cantons which were in no rush to act despite the government's repeated pleadings.
Many in the Francophone cantons, which were beginning to loosen their restrictions, feel they are now paying the price for a lack of action in the German-speaking areas.
With its stepping out and stepping in approach, "the Federal Council has created real chaos," Marco Chiesa, leader of the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party -- the biggest in the lower house of parliament -- told public broadcaster RTS.
With a population of 8.6 million, Switzerland is logging around 5,000 new cases and 100 deaths a day -- a base level Health Minister Alain Berset said was far too high to start from if infections begin to double again.
Even so, the new measures are not as strict as in other European countries.
Those regions which have the virus more under control can extend the closing time until 11:00pm, conditions permitting.
All regions can extend it until 1:00am on the nights of December 24 and 31.
Some 372,329 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Switzerland, while 5,378 have died since the first outbreak.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-12-12--Global climate summit promises ambitious plans for 5th anniversary of Paris Agreement

A little cardbord Eiffel tower with a flag reading `` make Paris real '' is part of an installation set up by environmental activists of Fridays for Future in front of Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on December 11 , 2020 , to mark the 5th anniversary of the Paris climate agreement .
Global leaders are due to announce more ambitious plans to combat global warming on Saturday , on the fifth anniversary of the signing of the landmark Paris Agreement .
The Climate Ambition Summit , being held online , comes as the United Nations warns current commitments to tackle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain , the UN and France are co-hosting the summit , which Prime Minister Boris Johnson will open at 1400 GMT and which will be live-streamed at climateambitionsummit2020.org .
China 's President Xi Jinping and France 's Emmanuel Macron are among the heads of state taking part , with speaking slots handed to leaders of countries that submitted the most ambitious plans .
These include Honduras , and Guatemala , which were both recently hit by hurricanes , as well as India , which is battling increasingly erratic weather patterns and air pollution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include Tim Cook , the chief executive of Apple , which has committed to making its whole supply chain carbon neutral by 2030 .
But major economies including Australia , Brazil and South Africa are absent .
Australia has not committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 and has been accused of setting targets that are too weak .
Speakers will deliver short video messages , with organisers saying they will announce `` new and ambitious climate change commitments '' and there will be `` no space for general statements '' .
The 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take action to limit temperature rises to `` well below '' 2.0 Celsius above pre-industrial levels and try to limit them to 1.5C .
But the UN warned this week that under current commitments , the Earth is still on course for a `` catastrophic temperature rise '' of more than 3.0C this century .
It warned this will create a crisis that will `` dwarf the impacts of Covid-19 '' and has said current pledges to cut emissions to meet the Paris accord were `` woefully inadequate '' .
Greenpeace called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UN 's climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow , Scotland , next November -- a `` moment of accountability for leaders '' .
Under the Paris deal 's `` ratchet '' mechanism , countries are required to submit renewed emissions cutting plans - termed Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs - every five years .
The deadline for this is December 31 .
Countries are set to announce efforts to reduce national emissions , long-term strategies and financial commitments to support the most vulnerable .
More than 110 countries have committed to becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world 's biggest polluter , announced in September it plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 .
The summit comes as EU leaders on Friday committed to the goal of reducing emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels .
Britain -- out of the EU since January -- this month announced it would seek to reduce emissions by 68 percent over the same period .
Johnson has presented plans for a `` green industrial revolution '' creating up to 250,000 jobs .
And before the summit opened , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas .
The last five years have been the warmest on record , according to the World Meteorological Organization , a UN agency , with concern at rising numbers of wildfires , storms and flooding .
The UN has said that the drop in emissions due to the global coronavirus pandemic is too small to halt the rising temperatures .
The United States , the world 's second-largest polluter after China , left the Paris Agreement under President Donald Trump who questioned the accepted science behind climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kerry plans immediately to re-enter the accord and President-elect Joe Biden has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 .

Speaking at the opening of a virtual summit on Saturday marking five years since the Paris climate deal was signed, UN chief Antonio Guterres called on governments to declare a "state of climate emergency".
Five years after Paris accord, UN chief Antonio Guterres calls on nations to declare a "state of climate emergency".
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UN chief Antonio Guterres called on governments Saturday to declare a "state of climate emergency" and make good on their promises to slash carbon pollution as they recover from the pandemic.
Speaking at the opening of the Climate Ambition summit, held online to mark five years since the Paris climate deal, Guterres warned that nations' current commitments were "far from enough" to limit temperature rises to 1.5C degrees Celsius.
"If we don't change course, we may be headed for a catastrophic temperature rise of more than 3.0 degrees this century," he said.
02:01
"That is why today, I call on all leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached," he added.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, China's President Xi Jinping and France's Emmanuel Macron are among leaders taking part in the virtual summit.
More than 75 heads of state are expected to announce renewed emissions cutting targets or signal great intent to help the most vulnerable nations deal with increasingly frequent climate disasters.
The Paris deal enjoined nations to limit warming to "well below" 2C (3.6 Farenheit) through sweeping cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.
But progress has stalled even in the face of growing public anger over the state of the planet and a string of scientific reports warning of the dangers of inaction.
01:19
The UN says emissions must fall 7.6 percent annually through 2030 to keep the 1.5C temperature cap in play.
In 2020, as the pandemic brought lockdowns and restrictions on movement, emissions fell a record seven percent, the UN said this week.
Yet Guterres said governments were missing the chance to green their economic recoveries.
He said G20 nations -- responsible for the lion's share of carbon pollution -- were spending 50 percent more in their rescue packages on sectors linked to fossil fuels than to low-carbon energy.
"This is unacceptable. We cannot use these resources to lock in policies that burden future generations with a mountain of debt on a broken planet," he said via video-link.
Guterres urged countries that had already announced net-zero targets to make good on their promises and to accelerate emissions cuts in line with the science.
"Every country, city, financial institution and company needs to adopt plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050 -- and start executing them now, including by providing clear short-term targets," he added.
07:02
(AFP)
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france24--2020-12-12--California to bring antitrust lawsuit against Google

Google has been accused of abusing its market dominance to stifle competition California will join the US government and 11 other states in bringing lawsuits against Google for abusing its market dominance , the state 's top prosecutor said Friday .
`` Google 's market dominance leaves consumers and small businesses with little choice when it comes to internet search engines , '' Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement .
`` By using exclusionary agreements to dominate the market , Google has stifled competition and rigged the advertising market . ''
The US Justice Department and 11 states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google for pursuing an illegal monopoly in its search functions and in its advertising research services .
Google , founded in 1998 and headquartered in California , has often been accused of abusing its power to exclude competitors .
It is the default search engine on many devices , and its Chrome web browser and mobile operating system Android dominate the market .
The US Justice Department also accuses it of forcing consumers and advertisers to use its services on Android devices on apps that can not be deleted , such as Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission ( FTC ) and prosecutors representing 48 states and territories also announced they had filed a complaint against Facebook for abusing its market dominance .

Washington (AFP) –
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California will join the US government and 11 other states in bringing lawsuits against Google for abusing its market dominance, the state's top prosecutor said Friday.
"Google's market dominance leaves consumers and small businesses with little choice when it comes to internet search engines," Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
"By using exclusionary agreements to dominate the market, Google has stifled competition and rigged the advertising market."
The US Justice Department and 11 states in October brought a civil case against Google for pursuing an illegal monopoly in its search functions and in its advertising research services.
Google, founded in 1998 and headquartered in California, has often been accused of abusing its power to exclude competitors.
It is the default search engine on many devices, and its Chrome web browser and mobile operating system Android dominate the market.
The US Justice Department also accuses it of forcing consumers and advertisers to use its services on Android devices on apps that cannot be deleted, such as Google Maps.
On Wednesday the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and prosecutors representing 48 states and territories also announced they had filed a complaint against Facebook for abusing its market dominance.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--Chile awaits total eclipse of the sun as Covid restrictions rise

Asronomers preparing telescopes to observe the total eclipse of the sun from the Silla Observatory in the Atacama desert in July 2019 Chileans will turn their eyes to the sky on Monday to admire a total eclipse of the sun , but unlike last year 's phenomenon their numbers will be severely reduced by coronavirus restrictions .
Some 300,000 people turned out in July 2019 in the Atacama desert in Chile 's north , home to several observatories .
On Monday it will be the turn of the Araucania region in the south that is home to the Mapuche indigenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to do so will be severely hampered by the latest measures announced on Thursday by the government , restricting the movement of people outside of the Santiago metropolitan area after a spike in positive virus cases .
To observe the phenomenon , when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun , entirely blocking the latter , one needs to be in the exact 90-kilometer long area that will enjoy the full effect .
And they will only have two minutes , nine seconds at around 1:00 pm ( 1600 GMT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the backdrop of the Villarrica volcano -- one of the most active in the country .
The eclipse will then cross the imposing Andes mountain range to be visible also in Argentina , notably in the popular tourist destination of Bariloche .
It will then disappear over the southern Atlantic .
`` A two-minute night during which nature changes , '' is how Chilean astronomer Jose Maza described the moment the daytime sky turns violet before surrendering to obscurity and revealing stars and planets such as Jupiter , Saturn and Venus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the temperature falls around five degrees ( Celsius ) and the wind picks up , so if people are n't under shelter they 'll feel a bit cold , '' he added .
Every year there are two total eclipses of the sun but depending on the time of day or year they may not be visible .
While last year 's took place at dusk , this time it will be in the middle of the day .
`` At midday the phenomenon will be high in the sky and the eclipse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Maza .
After last year 's mass gathering in the Atacama desert , the Araucania region was expecting a tourism bonanza but Covid put paid to that .
There have been more than 560,000 positive cases in Chile among the 18 million population , with almost 15,700 deaths .
Authorities are worried that social gatherings during the holiday season could spark a spate of new virus focal points .
Strict controls have been announced for the areas where the total eclipse will be seen , with free movement banned both the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eagerly anticipated by the Mapuche indigenous community that is the largest in the south of Chile .
They have a strong traditional relationship with nature and the cosmos and even believe that an eclipse -- called `` lan antu '' in the Mapuzungun language -- signals the `` temporary death of the sun , '' Juan Nanculef told AFP .
`` They noticed that after the sun is covered up there were social conflicts , scarcity , the land produced less , the crops were poor , the earth was weakened , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture .
They believed that an evil force , the `` Wekufu '' , was attacking the sun and trying to extinguish it .
Eclipses are seen as generators of change by the Mapuche , whose territory before European colonization spanned parts of southern Chile and Argentina .
`` The primitive peoples venerated the sun like a God , they already knew that we owe everything we are to the sun , '' said Maza .
`` Without the sun , everything dies on Earth , absolutely everything . ''

Santiago (AFP) –
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Chileans will turn their eyes to the sky on Monday to admire a total eclipse of the sun, but unlike last year's phenomenon their numbers will be severely reduced by coronavirus restrictions.
Some 300,000 people turned out in July 2019 in the Atacama desert in Chile's north, home to several observatories.
On Monday it will be the turn of the Araucania region in the south that is home to the Mapuche indigenous community to observe the eclipse.
Their ability to do so will be severely hampered by the latest measures announced on Thursday by the government, restricting the movement of people outside of the Santiago metropolitan area after a spike in positive virus cases.
To observe the phenomenon, when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, entirely blocking the latter, one needs to be in the exact 90-kilometer long area that will enjoy the full effect.
And they will only have two minutes, nine seconds at around 1:00 pm (1600 GMT) to see the eclipse, framed by the backdrop of the Villarrica volcano -- one of the most active in the country.
The eclipse will then cross the imposing Andes mountain range to be visible also in Argentina, notably in the popular tourist destination of Bariloche.
It will then disappear over the southern Atlantic.
- 'Two-minute night' -
"A two-minute night during which nature changes," is how Chilean astronomer Jose Maza described the moment the daytime sky turns violet before surrendering to obscurity and revealing stars and planets such as Jupiter, Saturn and Venus.
"At the moment of the eclipse the temperature falls around five degrees (Celsius) and the wind picks up, so if people aren't under shelter they'll feel a bit cold," he added.
Every year there are two total eclipses of the sun but depending on the time of day or year they may not be visible.
While last year's took place at dusk, this time it will be in the middle of the day.
"At midday the phenomenon will be high in the sky and the eclipse will be much more visible," said Maza.
After last year's mass gathering in the Atacama desert, the Araucania region was expecting a tourism bonanza but Covid put paid to that.
There have been more than 560,000 positive cases in Chile among the 18 million population, with almost 15,700 deaths.
Authorities are worried that social gatherings during the holiday season could spark a spate of new virus focal points.
Strict controls have been announced for the areas where the total eclipse will be seen, with free movement banned both the day before and after.
- The sun's battle -
The event is eagerly anticipated by the Mapuche indigenous community that is the largest in the south of Chile.
They have a strong traditional relationship with nature and the cosmos and even believe that an eclipse -- called "lan antu" in the Mapuzungun language -- signals the "temporary death of the sun," Juan Nanculef told AFP.
"They noticed that after the sun is covered up there were social conflicts, scarcity, the land produced less, the crops were poor, the earth was weakened," said Nanculef, an expert on Mapuche culture.
They believed that an evil force, the "Wekufu", was attacking the sun and trying to extinguish it.
Eclipses are seen as generators of change by the Mapuche, whose territory before European colonization spanned parts of southern Chile and Argentina.
"The primitive peoples venerated the sun like a God, they already knew that we owe everything we are to the sun," said Maza.
"Without the sun, everything dies on Earth, absolutely everything."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-12--Peru suspends clinical trials of Chinese Covid vaccine

Peru 's clinical trials for the vaccine , developed by Chinese drug giant Sinopharm , were due to conclude this week , after testing around 12,000 people Peru has temporarily suspended clinical trials of a Covid vaccine made by Chinese drug giant Sinopharm after detecting neurological problems in one of its test volunteers .
The National Institute of Health said Friday that it had decided to interrupt the trial after a volunteer had difficulty moving their arms , according to local media .
`` Several days ago we signaled , as we are required , to the regulatory authorities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) presented neurological symptoms which could correspond to a condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome , '' said chief researcher German Malaga in comments to the press .
Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare and non-contagious disorder which affects the movement of the arms and legs .
Peru declared a temporary health emergency in five regions in June last year following multiple cases .
In the 1970s a campaign to innoculate Americans against a supposedly devastating strain of swine flu ground to a halt after some 450 of those vaccinated developed the syndrome , which can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials for the Sinopharm vaccine were due to conclude this week , after testing around 12,000 people .
If they are successful -- which wo n't be known until mid-2021 -- the Peruvian government was expected to buy up to 20 million doses to inoculate two-thirds of its population .
60,000 across the globe have already taken the Sinopharm vaccine , including volunteers in Argentina , Russia and Saudi Arabia .
Peru has one of the world 's highest per capita death rate from the virus , which as of Friday had caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has hit the South American country 's economy hard , with GDP plunging more than 30 percent in the second quarter .

Lima (AFP) –
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Peru has temporarily suspended clinical trials of a Covid vaccine made by Chinese drug giant Sinopharm after detecting neurological problems in one of its test volunteers.
The National Institute of Health said Friday that it had decided to interrupt the trial after a volunteer had difficulty moving their arms, according to local media.
"Several days ago we signaled, as we are required, to the regulatory authorities that one of our participants (in trials) presented neurological symptoms which could correspond to a condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome," said chief researcher German Malaga in comments to the press.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare and non-contagious disorder which affects the movement of the arms and legs. Peru declared a temporary health emergency in five regions in June last year following multiple cases.
In the 1970s a campaign to innoculate Americans against a supposedly devastating strain of swine flu ground to a halt after some 450 of those vaccinated developed the syndrome, which can also cause paralysis.
Peru's clinical trials for the Sinopharm vaccine were due to conclude this week, after testing around 12,000 people.
If they are successful -- which won't be known until mid-2021 -- the Peruvian government was expected to buy up to 20 million doses to inoculate two-thirds of its population.
60,000 across the globe have already taken the Sinopharm vaccine, including volunteers in Argentina, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Peru has one of the world's highest per capita death rate from the virus, which as of Friday had caused 36,499 deaths and 979,111 infections.
The pandemic has hit the South American country's economy hard, with GDP plunging more than 30 percent in the second quarter.
© 2020 AFP