france24--2020-11-26--Turkish court jails more than 300 people for life over failed 2016 coup

Turkish special forces stand guard atop the Sincan Penal Institution near Ankara , on November 26 , 2020 .
A Turkish court jailed 337 former pilots and other suspects for life in one of the largest trials stemming from the bloody 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
Fethullah Gulen , a US-based Muslim preacher who was once an Erdogan ally , is accused of ordering the failed putsch .
Gulen , whose movement has been proscribed as a terrorist group by Ankara , strongly denies all charges .
A total of 251 people died and more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the defining moment of Erdogan 's rule and contemporary Turkish politics .
The country 's largest courtroom was packed with dozens of security personnel and lawyers and the presiding judge ordered one protesting defendant to `` Sit down ! ''
several times before reading the verdict .
He handed down multiple life sentences to disgruntled air force pilots who bombed the capital Ankara and civilians who orchestrated the coup attempt from inside the Akinci military base near the capital .
Court documents obtained by AFP showed 337 defendants handed life sentences for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempting to assassinate Erdogan .
Sixty suspects were given jail sentences of various lengths while 75 were acquitted .
The full verdict is expected to be officially published later Thursday .
`` Justice has been served , '' Ufuk Yegin , who represents a victims ' families association , told AFP .
`` We believe the punishments were given in accordance with existing laws . ''
The then chief of staff general Hulusi Akar -- now the defence minister -- and other top commanders were held hostage at the military base overnight before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 , 2016 .
F-16 fighter jets struck the parliament building , the road near the presidential palace and the headquarters of the special forces and the Ankara police .
Erdogan was on vacation in southern Turkey at the time .
The bombs killed 68 people in the capital and injured more than 200 .
Nine civilians also died trying to stop the plotters at the entrance to the base .
Gulen , Adil Oksuz -- a theology lecturer who officials claim was a key coordinator of what was happening on the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in absentia .
Oksuz was detained shortly after the coup bid but released later and is now on the run .
Thursday 's verdict culminates a trial that began in August 2017 involving a total of 475 suspects .
Businessman Kemal Batmaz , accused of assisting Oksuz , was among dozens of defendants handed multiple aggravated life sentences for playing leading roles in Erdogan 's attempted overthrow .
An aggravated life sentence has tougher terms of detention and replaced the death penalty after it was abolished in 2004 as part of Turkey 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The putsch bid was stamped out quickly , but its legacy still haunts Turkey .
A fierce government crackdown that followed has muzzled the media and seen tens of thousands arrested in nationwide raids .
More than 100,000 public sector employees , including teachers and judges , were sacked or suspended because of their suspected links to Gulen .
These arrests continue , although they are less sweeping .
Despite the large number of suspects , a separate coup-related trial is even bigger , focusing on the presidential guard 's activities and involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 289 trials into the failed overthrow of Erdogan are still under way , Anadolu reported .
More than 2,800 people have been jailed for life , with judges convicting nearly 4,500 suspects since July 2016 .

A Turkish court jailed 337 former pilots and other suspects for life in one of the largest trials stemming from the bloody 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkish special forces stand guard atop the Sincan Penal Institution near Ankara, on November 26, 2020.
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Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Muslim preacher who was once an Erdogan ally, is accused of ordering the failed putsch. Gulen, whose movement has been proscribed as a terrorist group by Ankara, strongly denies all charges.
A total of 251 people died and more than 2,000 were injured in what has turned into the defining moment of Erdogan's rule and contemporary Turkish politics.
The country's largest courtroom was packed with dozens of security personnel and lawyers and the presiding judge ordered one protesting defendant to "Sit down!" several times before reading the verdict.
He handed down multiple life sentences to disgruntled air force pilots who bombed the capital Ankara and civilians who orchestrated the coup attempt from inside the Akinci military base near the capital.
Court documents obtained by AFP showed 337 defendants handed life sentences for murder, violating the constitutional order and attempting to assassinate Erdogan.
Sixty suspects were given jail sentences of various lengths while 75 were acquitted.
The full verdict is expected to be officially published later Thursday.
'Justice has been served'
"Justice has been served," Ufuk Yegin, who represents a victims' families association, told AFP.
"We believe the punishments were given in accordance with existing laws."
The then chief of staff general Hulusi Akar -- now the defence minister -- and other top commanders were held hostage at the military base overnight before their rescue on the morning of July 16, 2016.
F-16 fighter jets struck the parliament building, the road near the presidential palace and the headquarters of the special forces and the Ankara police.
Erdogan was on vacation in southern Turkey at the time.
The bombs killed 68 people in the capital and injured more than 200. Nine civilians also died trying to stop the plotters at the entrance to the base.
Gulen, Adil Oksuz -- a theology lecturer who officials claim was a key coordinator of what was happening on the ground -- and four others are being tried in absentia.
Oksuz was detained shortly after the coup bid but released later and is now on the run.
2,500 life sentences
Thursday's verdict culminates a trial that began in August 2017 involving a total of 475 suspects.
Businessman Kemal Batmaz, accused of assisting Oksuz, was among dozens of defendants handed multiple aggravated life sentences for playing leading roles in Erdogan's attempted overthrow.
An aggravated life sentence has tougher terms of detention and replaced the death penalty after it was abolished in 2004 as part of Turkey's drive to join the European Union.
The putsch bid was stamped out quickly, but its legacy still haunts Turkey.
A fierce government crackdown that followed has muzzled the media and seen tens of thousands arrested in nationwide raids.
More than 100,000 public sector employees, including teachers and judges, were sacked or suspended because of their suspected links to Gulen.
These arrests continue, although they are less sweeping.
Despite the large number of suspects, a separate coup-related trial is even bigger, focusing on the presidential guard's activities and involving 521 suspects.
Ten of a total 289 trials into the failed overthrow of Erdogan are still under way, Anadolu reported.
More than 2,800 people have been jailed for life, with judges convicting nearly 4,500 suspects since July 2016.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-11-26--UN experts sound alarm over AI-enhanced racial profiling

An African American man was wrongly arrested in Detroit this year based on a flawed algorithm which identified him as a robbery suspect Countries must do more to combat racial profiling , UN rights experts said Thursday , warning that artificial intelligence programmes like facial recognition and predictive policing risked reinforcing the harmful practice .
Racial profiling is not new but the technologies once seen as tools for bringing more objectivity and fairness to policing appear in many places to be making the problem worse .
`` There is a great risk that ( AI technologies will ) reproduce and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discriminatory practices , '' Jamaican human rights expert Verene Shepherd told AFP .
She is one of the 18 independent experts who make up the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination ( CERD ) , which on Thursday published guidance on how countries worldwide should work to end racial profiling by law enforcement .
The committee , which monitors compliance by 182 signatory countries to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination , raised particular concern over the use of AI algorithms for so-called `` predictive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The systems have been touted to help make better use of limited police budgets , but research suggests it can increase deployments to communities which have already been identified , rightly or wrongly , as high-crime zones .
`` Such data will deepen the risk of over-policing in the same neighbourhood , which in turn may lead to more arrests , creating a dangerous feedback loop . ''
When artificial intelligence and algorithms use biased historical data , their profiling predictions will reflect that .
`` Bad data in , bad results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are concerned about what goes into making those assumptions and those predictions . ''
The CERD recommendations also take issue with the growing use of facial recognition and surveillance technologies in policing .
Shepherd said the committee had received a number of complaints about misidentification by such technologies , sometimes with dire consequences , but did not provide specific examples .
The issue came to the forefront with the wrongful arrest in Detroit earlier this year of an African American man , Robert Williams , based on a flawed algorithm which identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies show facial recognition systems developed in Western countries are far less accurate in distinguishing darker-skinned faces , perhaps because they rely on databases containing more white , male faces .
`` We have had complaints of such misidentification because of where the technologies are coming from , who is making them , and what samples they have in their system , '' Shepherd said .
CERD is calling for countries to regulate private companies that develop , sell or operate algorithmic profiling systems for law enforcement .
Countries have a responsibility to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights law , it said , stressing the importance of transparency in design and application .
The committee insisted the public should be informed when such systems are being used and told how they work , what data sets are being used and what safeguards are in place to prevent rights abuses .
The recommendations meanwhile go beyond the impact of new technologies , urging countries to introduce laws against all forms of racial discrimination by law enforcement .
She said 2020 -- a year marked by surging racial tensions in many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good time to present the new guidelines .
The committee , she said , `` hopes that the intensification and globalisation of Black Lives Matter ... and other campaigns calling for attention to discrimination against certain vulnerable groups will help ( underline ) the importance of the recommendations . ''

Geneva (AFP) –
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Countries must do more to combat racial profiling, UN rights experts said Thursday, warning that artificial intelligence programmes like facial recognition and predictive policing risked reinforcing the harmful practice.
Racial profiling is not new but the technologies once seen as tools for bringing more objectivity and fairness to policing appear in many places to be making the problem worse.
"There is a great risk that (AI technologies will) reproduce and reinforce biases and aggravate or lead to discriminatory practices," Jamaican human rights expert Verene Shepherd told AFP.
She is one of the 18 independent experts who make up the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), which on Thursday published guidance on how countries worldwide should work to end racial profiling by law enforcement.
The committee, which monitors compliance by 182 signatory countries to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, raised particular concern over the use of AI algorithms for so-called "predictive policing" and "risk assessment".
The systems have been touted to help make better use of limited police budgets, but research suggests it can increase deployments to communities which have already been identified, rightly or wrongly, as high-crime zones.
- 'Dangerous feedback loop' -
"Historical arrest data about a neighbourhood may reflect racially biased policing practices," Shepherd warned.
"Such data will deepen the risk of over-policing in the same neighbourhood, which in turn may lead to more arrests, creating a dangerous feedback loop."
When artificial intelligence and algorithms use biased historical data, their profiling predictions will reflect that.
"Bad data in, bad results out," Shepherd said.
"We are concerned about what goes into making those assumptions and those predictions."
The CERD recommendations also take issue with the growing use of facial recognition and surveillance technologies in policing.
Shepherd said the committee had received a number of complaints about misidentification by such technologies, sometimes with dire consequences, but did not provide specific examples.
The issue came to the forefront with the wrongful arrest in Detroit earlier this year of an African American man, Robert Williams, based on a flawed algorithm which identified him as a robbery suspect.
Various studies show facial recognition systems developed in Western countries are far less accurate in distinguishing darker-skinned faces, perhaps because they rely on databases containing more white, male faces.
- 'Misidentification' -
"We have had complaints of such misidentification because of where the technologies are coming from, who is making them, and what samples they have in their system," Shepherd said.
"It is a real concern."
CERD is calling for countries to regulate private companies that develop, sell or operate algorithmic profiling systems for law enforcement.
Countries have a responsibility to ensure that such systems comply with international human rights law, it said, stressing the importance of transparency in design and application.
The committee insisted the public should be informed when such systems are being used and told how they work, what data sets are being used and what safeguards are in place to prevent rights abuses.
The recommendations meanwhile go beyond the impact of new technologies, urging countries to introduce laws against all forms of racial discrimination by law enforcement.
"Racial profiling precedes these technologies," Shepherd said.
She said 2020 -- a year marked by surging racial tensions in many parts of the world -- was a good time to present the new guidelines.
The committee, she said, "hopes that the intensification and globalisation of Black Lives Matter ... and other campaigns calling for attention to discrimination against certain vulnerable groups will help (underline) the importance of the recommendations."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-26--Australian leader 'thrilled' at Iran's release of academic after 2 years in jail

Australian leader 'thrilled ' at Iran 's release of academic after 2 years in jail Australia 's Prime Minister said @ @ @ @ @ relieved ' after Iran released in a prisoner swap a 33-year-old academic who was imprisoned @ @ @ @ @ on spying charges , but added it would take time for Kylie Moore-Gilbert to process @ @ @ @ @

Australian leader 'thrilled' at Iran's release of academic after 2 years in jail
00:57
Australia's Prime Minister said he's "thrilled and relieved' after Iran released in a prisoner swap a 33-year-old academic who was imprisoned for more than two years on spying charges, but added it would take time for Kylie Moore-Gilbert to process her 'horrible' ordeal.


france24--2020-11-26--Baby chimp gives hope for Guinea's famous ape tribe

Cogito ergo sum ?
A chimp at the Bioparco Zoo in Rome during a heatwave in August this year A dwindling tribe of chimpanzees in Guinea that leapt to prominence for uncanny abilities to use tools has a glimmer of hope after its last fertile female gave birth .
The tiny community of apes lives in a forest around the village of Bossou , in the far southeastern corner of the country .
Scientists have trekked to the remote location for decades to study the chimps ' remarkable use of tools .
They include the use of a stone hammer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most sophisticated act ever observed of humanity 's genetically closest relative .
But the number of chimps at Bossou has slumped to single figures .
The tribe is dying off and can not be replenished by neighbouring chimp communities because forest destruction has left it isolated .
But after years of sad decline , there has been good news , said Aly Gaspard Soumah , director of the Bossou Environmental Research Institute .
Guides last week spotted the group 's last fertile female , Fanle , clutching a tiny baby on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There 's no doubt about it , '' he said by phone .
`` Three days ago we were able to confirm the ( baby 's ) sex using binoculars , because they were in the trees at the time -- it 's a female . ''
The Bossou apes have a unique relationship with the village population .
The animals live in the wild but share the territory and its resources with the locals , who protect the chimps , believing them to be the reincarnation of their ancestors .
Bossou is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reserve , a UNESCO-listed site located on the borders with Ivory Coast and Liberia that rises above the surrounding savannah .
The famous apes live in a forest of 320 hectares ( 790 acres ) .
But they are cut off from other chimps , on the slopes of Mount Nimba , by deforestation .
Until 2003 , the number of Bossou chimps were relatively stable , with around 21 individuals , Soumah said .
But seven died of influenza in 2003 , and others passed away in the following years , leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ females before the latest birth .
Of these , three are aged over 60 , while the youngest is an eight-year-old male .
Fanle , aged in her 30s , is the last fertile female .
The big question now is about what to name her baby .
`` We are going to invite prominent figures , the local authorities , partners we work with , to find one for her , '' Soumah said .

Conakry (AFP) –
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A dwindling tribe of chimpanzees in Guinea that leapt to prominence for uncanny abilities to use tools has a glimmer of hope after its last fertile female gave birth.
The tiny community of apes lives in a forest around the village of Bossou, in the far southeastern corner of the country.
Scientists have trekked to the remote location for decades to study the chimps' remarkable use of tools.
They include the use of a stone hammer and anvil to crack open nuts -- the most sophisticated act ever observed of humanity's genetically closest relative.
But the number of chimps at Bossou has slumped to single figures.
The tribe is dying off and cannot be replenished by neighbouring chimp communities because forest destruction has left it isolated.
But after years of sad decline, there has been good news, said Aly Gaspard Soumah, director of the Bossou Environmental Research Institute.
Guides last week spotted the group's last fertile female, Fanle, clutching a tiny baby on her belly, Soumah told AFP.
"There's no doubt about it," he said by phone.
"Three days ago we were able to confirm the (baby's) sex using binoculars, because they were in the trees at the time -- it's a female."
The Bossou apes have a unique relationship with the village population.
The animals live in the wild but share the territory and its resources with the locals, who protect the chimps, believing them to be the reincarnation of their ancestors.
Bossou is part of the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, a UNESCO-listed site located on the borders with Ivory Coast and Liberia that rises above the surrounding savannah.
The famous apes live in a forest of 320 hectares (790 acres).
But they are cut off from other chimps, on the slopes of Mount Nimba, by deforestation.
Locals practice a traditional slash-and-burn form of agriculture.
Until 2003, the number of Bossou chimps were relatively stable, with around 21 individuals, Soumah said.
But seven died of influenza in 2003, and others passed away in the following years, leaving just three adult males and four adult females before the latest birth.
Of these, three are aged over 60, while the youngest is an eight-year-old male. Fanle, aged in her 30s, is the last fertile female.
The big question now is about what to name her baby.
"We are going to invite prominent figures, the local authorities, partners we work with, to find one for her," Soumah said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-26--London dodges toughest virus rules as England lockdown ends

Manchester is among major English cities where prolonged closures will continue London will escape the tightest restrictions once England 's national coronavirus lockdown ends next week , the government said Thursday , but major cities including Manchester and Birmingham face at least two more weeks of tough rules .
England will return to a regional tiered system when the national regulations end on December 2 , with those areas suffering the worst case rates entering the highest Tier 3 .
Most of the country , including the capital , will enter into Tier 2 , under which restaurants and many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Limited public attendance at performances and sporting events will also be allowed .
But prolonged closures will continue in major cities including Manchester , Birmingham , Newcastle , Leeds , Sheffield and Bristol .
`` I understand the impact these measures will have but they are necessary , '' Health Secretary Matt Hancock told parliament on Thursday , adding that the tiers would be reviewed in two weeks .
He was flanked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who emerged from two weeks of self-isolation on Thursday after coming into contact with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
The Tier 3 restrictions , which were in place before the latest measures , are not as stringent as national lockdown rules but will compound difficulties for already struggling businesses .
Restaurants and leisure facilities will have to remain shut , and residents are being urged not to travel to other parts of the country .
People from different households may not mix indoors in either Tier 2 or 3 .
Hancock said the national measures that came into force on November 5 had `` successfully turned the curve '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent and hospital admissions down seven percent nationally over the past week .
`` It is vital we safeguard the gains we have made , '' he said , noting that 16,570 people are still in hospital in England with Covid-19 .
The northwest city of Liverpool , where a pilot mass rapid testing programme has been launched , was in Tier 3 before the latest lockdown .
But it will move into Tier 2 after cases fell by two thirds .
Hancock attributed the fall to the testing scheme , which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government announced earlier this week that restrictions would be eased for five days around Christmas , but urged vigilance .
`` Hope is on the horizon but we still have further to go , '' said Hancock .
`` The end is in sight , we must n't give up now . ''
More than 56,000 people testing positive for the virus have died in the outbreak in Britain , the worst toll in Europe .

London (AFP) –
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London will escape the tightest restrictions once England's national coronavirus lockdown ends next week, the government said Thursday, but major cities including Manchester and Birmingham face at least two more weeks of tough rules.
England will return to a regional tiered system when the national regulations end on December 2, with those areas suffering the worst case rates entering the highest Tier 3.
Most of the country, including the capital, will enter into Tier 2, under which restaurants and many leisure facilities will be allowed to reopen.
Limited public attendance at performances and sporting events will also be allowed.
But prolonged closures will continue in major cities including Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield and Bristol.
"I understand the impact these measures will have but they are necessary," Health Secretary Matt Hancock told parliament on Thursday, adding that the tiers would be reviewed in two weeks.
He was flanked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who emerged from two weeks of self-isolation on Thursday after coming into contact with an MP who tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Tier 3 restrictions, which were in place before the latest measures, are not as stringent as national lockdown rules but will compound difficulties for already struggling businesses.
Restaurants and leisure facilities will have to remain shut, and residents are being urged not to travel to other parts of the country.
People from different households may not mix indoors in either Tier 2 or 3.
Hancock said the national measures that came into force on November 5 had "successfully turned the curve" of infection rates.
Cases were down 19 percent and hospital admissions down seven percent nationally over the past week.
"It is vital we safeguard the gains we have made," he said, noting that 16,570 people are still in hospital in England with Covid-19.
The northwest city of Liverpool, where a pilot mass rapid testing programme has been launched, was in Tier 3 before the latest lockdown.
But it will move into Tier 2 after cases fell by two thirds.
Hancock attributed the fall to the testing scheme, which the government hopes to roll out nationwide.
The government announced earlier this week that restrictions would be eased for five days around Christmas, but urged vigilance.
"Hope is on the horizon but we still have further to go," said Hancock. "The end is in sight, we mustn't give up now."
More than 56,000 people testing positive for the virus have died in the outbreak in Britain, the worst toll in Europe.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-26--Would you open your home to a refugee?

Would you open your home to a refugee?

Would you open your home to a refugee ?
Immigration lawyer Daniel Tostado talks about his work running a refugee @ @ @ @ @ help fill the need to house them .

Would you open your home to a refugee?
05:29
Immigration lawyer Daniel Tostado talks about his work running a refugee shelter and how Parisians can help fill the need to house them.


france24--2020-11-27--Iraqi Kurds look on as Israel befriends old Arab foes

In this file photo from September 16 , 2017 Iraqi Kurds wave Israeli and Kurdish flags at an event urging people to vote in an independence referendum in Arbil , the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq Decades ago , Iraq 's Kurds and Israel shared a common enemy and what felt like being targeted in parallel persecutions .
Today , Iraqi Kurds -- long accused of cosy ties with the Jewish state -- are watching on as Israel befriends historically hostile Arab countries .
Just weeks after signing US-sponsored normalisation deals with Israel , Bahraini officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the United Arab Emirates are docking at Haifa .
It has been a speedy turnaround for the Arab countries that had long sworn to isolate and boycott Israel until it makes peace with the Palestinians .
And it 's long overdue for many in northern Iraq 's autonomous Kurdish region , who said they had always been demonised as Israeli `` agents '' during their own struggle for independence .
`` It 's good Arab countries are normalising with Israel , '' said Himdad Najat , a 38-year-old English language teacher in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he pointed out , `` there 's an emotional link between Kurds and Jews because of the injustices we both lived . ''
Kurds make up sizeable communities in Iraq , Iran , Syria and Turkey but have long faced persecution in those countries and do not have a state of their own .
Jews had also faced centuries of ill-treatment and did not have their own state until Israel was created in 1948 .
When fearful Jews fled Iraq for Israel in the 20th and 21st centuries , they often did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'The sooner , the better ' - As Arab hostility toward Israel intensified , the new state tried to reach out to non-Arab communities in the Middle East .
It found an opening with Iraq 's Kurds who , like Israel , were opposed to the central government in Baghdad .
Israel then sought to provide humanitarian and military aid to Kurds who were chafing under strongman Saddam Hussein 's brutal military campaigns in the north throughout the 1980s and 1990s .
In 2017 , Israel backed a controversial independence referendum in northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the United States opposed the vote .
Ahead of the referendum , Kurdish activist Nabaz Rashad was enthusiastically campaigning in favour of independence .
Many of his Arab friends across Iraq and other countries criticised his efforts , saying a Kurdish state would establish a `` second Israel in the Middle East '' .
Now , 35-year-old Rashad looks at the wave of `` normalisation '' deals with bitterness .
Still , he hoped it could bring stability to the Middle East , a region torn apart by conflict for decades .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives me hope when I see a new country is recognised or born , '' he said .
`` It makes us feel hopeful that one day Kurds will have their own state . ''
- 'Best days in the past ' - Iraqi Kurdistan is already ruled as an autonomous region , has its own security forces and manages its own land borders with neighbouring Iran , Turkey and Syria .
Rebwar Babakye , an MP who heads the foreign relations committee in the Iraqi Kurdish parliament , said Iraq should normalise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The sooner the better , '' he told AFP .
`` It could help Arab countries develop scientific and academic research through exchange programmes , as Israel is the leading country in the area when it comes to scientific and technology research . ''
The Kurdish region can not do it alone because Baghdad manages foreign policy but , Babakye said , `` if an Israeli embassy opens in Baghdad tomorrow , the next day their consulate will be open in Arbil '' .
Despite their historic links , rapprochement between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said analyst Hiwa Othman .
For years , the Kurds sought to leverage their connection to Israel to get access to a world superpower , the United States .
`` Today , the US is in Arbil and Kurds do not need a middleman -- so they do not need to have a political relationship with Israel , '' Othman told AFP .
He added that , far more than Bahrain or the UAE , Iraq 's Kurds have to also manage sensitive ties with Ankara -- and Tehran -- which both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both Kurdish independence and Israel .
Israel may assess that ties to the Kurds pale in comparison to the big diplomatic fish it has already netted , said Bilal Wahab of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy .
`` Now that Israel has normalised with the UAE and Bahrain , and with Sudan on the way , they are looking at Saudi -- not at the Kurds , '' said Wahab .
`` The better days of that relationship are in the past , not the future . ''

Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) –
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Decades ago, Iraq's Kurds and Israel shared a common enemy and what felt like being targeted in parallel persecutions.
Today, Iraqi Kurds -- long accused of cosy ties with the Jewish state -- are watching on as Israel befriends historically hostile Arab countries.
Just weeks after signing US-sponsored normalisation deals with Israel, Bahraini officials are visiting Tel Aviv and cargo ships from the United Arab Emirates are docking at Haifa.
It has been a speedy turnaround for the Arab countries that had long sworn to isolate and boycott Israel until it makes peace with the Palestinians.
And it's long overdue for many in northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, who said they had always been demonised as Israeli "agents" during their own struggle for independence.
"It's good Arab countries are normalising with Israel," said Himdad Najat, a 38-year-old English language teacher in the regional capital of Arbil.
But, he pointed out, "there's an emotional link between Kurds and Jews because of the injustices we both lived."
Kurds make up sizeable communities in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey but have long faced persecution in those countries and do not have a state of their own.
Jews had also faced centuries of ill-treatment and did not have their own state until Israel was created in 1948.
When fearful Jews fled Iraq for Israel in the 20th and 21st centuries, they often did so through the Kurdish region.
- 'The sooner, the better' -
As Arab hostility toward Israel intensified, the new state tried to reach out to non-Arab communities in the Middle East.
It found an opening with Iraq's Kurds who, like Israel, were opposed to the central government in Baghdad.
Israel then sought to provide humanitarian and military aid to Kurds who were chafing under strongman Saddam Hussein's brutal military campaigns in the north throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2017, Israel backed a controversial independence referendum in northern Iraq, even as Arbil's allies including the United States opposed the vote.
Ahead of the referendum, Kurdish activist Nabaz Rashad was enthusiastically campaigning in favour of independence.
Many of his Arab friends across Iraq and other countries criticised his efforts, saying a Kurdish state would establish a "second Israel in the Middle East".
Now, 35-year-old Rashad looks at the wave of "normalisation" deals with bitterness.
"It's pure hypocrisy," he told AFP.
Still, he hoped it could bring stability to the Middle East, a region torn apart by conflict for decades.
"Besides, as a Kurd it gives me hope when I see a new country is recognised or born," he said.
"It makes us feel hopeful that one day Kurds will have their own state."
- 'Best days in the past' -
Iraqi Kurdistan is already ruled as an autonomous region, has its own security forces and manages its own land borders with neighbouring Iran, Turkey and Syria.
Rebwar Babakye, an MP who heads the foreign relations committee in the Iraqi Kurdish parliament, said Iraq should normalise ties with Israel to boost regional peace.
"The sooner the better," he told AFP. "It could help Arab countries develop scientific and academic research through exchange programmes, as Israel is the leading country in the area when it comes to scientific and technology research."
The Kurdish region cannot do it alone because Baghdad manages foreign policy but, Babakye said, "if an Israeli embassy opens in Baghdad tomorrow, the next day their consulate will be open in Arbil".
Despite their historic links, rapprochement between Israel and Iraq's Kurds remains unlikely, said analyst Hiwa Othman.
For years, the Kurds sought to leverage their connection to Israel to get access to a world superpower, the United States.
"Today, the US is in Arbil and Kurds do not need a middleman -- so they do not need to have a political relationship with Israel," Othman told AFP.
He added that, far more than Bahrain or the UAE, Iraq's Kurds have to also manage sensitive ties with Ankara -- and Tehran -- which both wield considerable sway in Arbil and oppose both Kurdish independence and Israel.
Israel may assess that ties to the Kurds pale in comparison to the big diplomatic fish it has already netted, said Bilal Wahab of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
"Now that Israel has normalised with the UAE and Bahrain, and with Sudan on the way, they are looking at Saudi -- not at the Kurds," said Wahab.
"The better days of that relationship are in the past, not the future."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-27--Texans stay hot with Thanksgiving day victory over struggling Lions

Houston Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson celebrates a touchdown during the second half of a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on American Thanksgiving Day DeShaun Watson threw for four touchdowns and 318 yards as the red-hot Houston Texans kept their playoff hopes alive with a 41-25 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Thursday .
Will Fuller finished with two touchdown catches and a total of 171 yards , while defensive end JJ Watt returned an interception for a TD for the Texans , who have won three of their last four games .
`` We wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and defense , '' said Watson .
`` It was fun .
We are ready to get home to have some celebrations .
`` We plan on feeding off this .
We got Indy next week and we are ready to go . ''
The game was one of two played on US Thanksgiving , one of the most important days on the American gridiron calendar .
In the other matchup , Antonio Gibson ran for three touchdowns , and Washington moved into first place in the hapless NFC East Division with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AT & T Stadium .
The NFL 's showcase day was marred by the postponement of the marquee evening contest between the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore after several Ravens ' players were diagnosed with the coronavirus this week , resulting in an angry response from the Steelers ' organization .
The Ravens ' outbreak now means that seven players are on the Covid-19 injury list , which indicates a player has tested positive or is considered a `` high-risk '' close contact with an infected person .
Running backs Mark Ingram and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list .
The addition of defensive end Jihad Ward to the list on Thursday means that Sunday 's game is also in jeopardy .
Texans ' Tyrell Adams racked up a season-high 17 tackles , and Duke Johnson rushed for 80 yards and also scored a touchdown in the win at Ford Field .
Detroit 's Matthew Stafford passed for 295 yards and one touchdown , while Adrian Peterson gained 55 yards on 15 carries and scored twice for the Lions , who dropped to 4-7 on the season .
Lions coach Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about his job security .
`` My focus every day is on the guys in that locker room and working as hard as I can to help them be successful , '' Patricia said .
Tampa Bay faced one of the NFL 's stingiest defenses in their last outing , but the Buccaneers will shift gears in week 12 and face one of the league 's most explosive offences .
The marquee quarterback matchup of Chiefs ' Patrick Mahomes and Bucs ' Tom Brady on Sunday could result in plenty of fireworks as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mahomes is coming off a 35-31 win over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday , while Brady had an uncharacteristically subpar performance in his last outing , a 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams .
`` We 've built chemistry with bringing the same guys back , year-in and year-out , so we know where each other is on that football field , '' Mahomes said .
League MVP candidate Mahomes leads the Chiefs ' offense , along with one of his favorite targets : tight end Travis Kelce , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yards .
Despite some of his recent struggles , Brady is still an iconic quarterback capable of explosive plays .
He 's gone zero-for-nine in his last four games on passing attempts of more than 20 yards , but he 's not the type of quarterback to stay in a funk very long .
`` We 've got guys open , we 've just missed them , '' Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said .
`` And there are times when coverage dictates you go to that guy .
I think we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deep ball in our game plan . ''
The Chiefs-Buccaneers game is the only one that showcases teams with winning records .
The remainder of the games features teams that are looking to play the role of spoiler .
In another key matchup , the Green Bay Packers will seek to extend their lead in the NFC North to three games when they face the Chicago Bears .

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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DeShaun Watson threw for four touchdowns and 318 yards as the red-hot Houston Texans kept their playoff hopes alive with a 41-25 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Thursday.
Will Fuller finished with two touchdown catches and a total of 171 yards, while defensive end JJ Watt returned an interception for a TD for the Texans, who have won three of their last four games.
"We wanted to show we can have an explosive offence and defense," said Watson. "It was fun. We are ready to get home to have some celebrations.
"We plan on feeding off this. We got Indy next week and we are ready to go."
The game was one of two played on US Thanksgiving, one of the most important days on the American gridiron calendar.
In the other matchup, Antonio Gibson ran for three touchdowns, and Washington moved into first place in the hapless NFC East Division with a 41-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
The NFL's showcase day was marred by the postponement of the marquee evening contest between the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore after several Ravens' players were diagnosed with the coronavirus this week, resulting in an angry response from the Steelers' organization.
The Ravens' outbreak now means that seven players are on the Covid-19 injury list, which indicates a player has tested positive or is considered a "high-risk" close contact with an infected person.
Running backs Mark Ingram and JK Dobbins are among those on the list. The addition of defensive end Jihad Ward to the list on Thursday means that Sunday's game is also in jeopardy.
- Mahomes vs Brady -
Texans' Tyrell Adams racked up a season-high 17 tackles, and Duke Johnson rushed for 80 yards and also scored a touchdown in the win at Ford Field.
Detroit's Matthew Stafford passed for 295 yards and one touchdown, while Adrian Peterson gained 55 yards on 15 carries and scored twice for the Lions, who dropped to 4-7 on the season.
Lions coach Matt Patricia was bombarded with questions from reporters about his job security.
"My focus every day is on the guys in that locker room and working as hard as I can to help them be successful," Patricia said.
Tampa Bay faced one of the NFL's stingiest defenses in their last outing, but the Buccaneers will shift gears in week 12 and face one of the league's most explosive offences.
The marquee quarterback matchup of Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Bucs' Tom Brady on Sunday could result in plenty of fireworks as the NFL's playoff races heat up.
Mahomes is coming off a 35-31 win over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, while Brady had an uncharacteristically subpar performance in his last outing, a 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
"We've built chemistry with bringing the same guys back, year-in and year-out, so we know where each other is on that football field," Mahomes said.
League MVP candidate Mahomes leads the Chiefs' offense, along with one of his favorite targets: tight end Travis Kelce, who ranks third among receivers with 896 total yards.
Despite some of his recent struggles, Brady is still an iconic quarterback capable of explosive plays. He's gone zero-for-nine in his last four games on passing attempts of more than 20 yards, but he's not the type of quarterback to stay in a funk very long.
"We've got guys open, we've just missed them," Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. "And there are times when coverage dictates you go to that guy. I think we can do a better job of utilizing the deep ball in our game plan."
The Chiefs-Buccaneers game is the only one that showcases teams with winning records. The remainder of the games features teams that are looking to play the role of spoiler.
In another key matchup, the Green Bay Packers will seek to extend their lead in the NFC North to three games when they face the Chicago Bears.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-27--Without Christmas, Italian ski resorts fear disaster

The pandemic has taken a huge toll on Italy 's ski industry -- not least 2006 Olympic venue Sestriere With their sports shops , hotels and restaurants closed due to coronavirus restrictions , Italy 's main ski resorts already resemble ghost towns .
And hope of reopening for Christmas is fading fast .
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned this week there is the risk of a new wave of infections , while German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for all EU resorts to be closed until January 10 .
In the alpine village of Sestriere , one of the hosts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giovanni Brasso normally employs 350 full-time staff in his ski lift operating company .
But he fears that if they do not open for Christmas , they may not reopen at all this season .
`` We take 45 percent of all the season 's revenue over the Christmas holiday .
If you take that away , we ca n't go on , '' he told AFP .
`` I am very bitter because I 'm convinced the ski stations could reopen safely , by taking the necessary measures , '' like they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they could work with Italian police to ensure skiers wear masks and keep their distance from each other .
The industry is still recovering from the abrupt end to last year 's season caused when coronavirus swept Italy , sparking a national lockdown .
At the Lago Losetta hotel , on the edge of a little lake of the same name , owner Gianfranco Martin says closing until January 10 would be `` a disaster '' , losing him 60 percent of his annual turnover .
`` We are very concerned , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , himself an Olympic silver medallist .
Sestriere is also suffering from a lack of snow , a problem that could be , and has been in the past , resolved with cannons firing artificial snow .
But at a cost of 500,000 euros ( $ 590,000 ) , according to Martin , it would be a major investment with no guarantee of a return .
Apres-ski is also an attraction of a holiday on the slopes , but all that has stopped with new restrictions against Covid-19 , which has surged again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 .
Massimo Fontana , whose Igloo bar and restaurant is a popular spot , with big wooden tables and fur-covered stools overlooking the pistes , is trying to stay upbeat .
`` From an economic viewpoint , it 's a horrifying loss .
But if we want to get out of this situation ( the pandemic ) , we have to find a compromise , '' he said .
Merkel 's call for a Europe-wide solution might be better than a country-by-country approach , he said .
`` We might receive some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , still in the restricted `` red '' zone , the village of Cervinia has been allowed to keep some of its slopes and ski lifts open for athletes -- one of the few to do so in Europe .
This partial reopening involves `` a big economic sacrifice '' , based of the expectation of business as usual over Christmas , said Matteo Zanetti , who runs the local ski lift company .
Closing over the holidays would require `` significant support '' from the government , he said .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erjon Tola , an Albanian Olympic athlete who is also a ski instructor , is already finding it tough .
For two months during the spring , he earned nothing , living on 600 euros a month in government hand-outs .
`` It 's a critical situation , '' he said .
`` It 's so unfair that we 're closed , '' added Gianlorenzo Vaudagnotto , who runs two ski shops .
`` Skiing is not like being in a nightclub -- you 're alone , and in the fresh air .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we could all be open . ''
He said one of the hardest things was not knowing : `` We wait , we 've got nothing to do . ''

Sestriere (Italy) (AFP) –
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With their sports shops, hotels and restaurants closed due to coronavirus restrictions, Italy's main ski resorts already resemble ghost towns. And hope of reopening for Christmas is fading fast.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned this week there is the risk of a new wave of infections, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for all EU resorts to be closed until January 10.
In the alpine village of Sestriere, one of the hosts of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, Giovanni Brasso normally employs 350 full-time staff in his ski lift operating company.
But he fears that if they do not open for Christmas, they may not reopen at all this season.
"We take 45 percent of all the season's revenue over the Christmas holiday. If you take that away, we can't go on," he told AFP.
"I am very bitter because I'm convinced the ski stations could reopen safely, by taking the necessary measures," like they do in Switzerland.
According to him, they could work with Italian police to ensure skiers wear masks and keep their distance from each other.
- Disaster -
The industry is still recovering from the abrupt end to last year's season caused when coronavirus swept Italy, sparking a national lockdown.
At the Lago Losetta hotel, on the edge of a little lake of the same name, owner Gianfranco Martin says closing until January 10 would be "a disaster", losing him 60 percent of his annual turnover.
"We are very concerned, and very pessimistic," said Martin, himself an Olympic silver medallist.
Sestriere is also suffering from a lack of snow, a problem that could be, and has been in the past, resolved with cannons firing artificial snow.
But at a cost of 500,000 euros ($590,000), according to Martin, it would be a major investment with no guarantee of a return.
Apres-ski is also an attraction of a holiday on the slopes, but all that has stopped with new restrictions against Covid-19, which has surged again, taking Italy's death toll past 50,000.
Massimo Fontana, whose Igloo bar and restaurant is a popular spot, with big wooden tables and fur-covered stools overlooking the pistes, is trying to stay upbeat.
"From an economic viewpoint, it's a horrifying loss. But if we want to get out of this situation (the pandemic), we have to find a compromise," he said.
Merkel's call for a Europe-wide solution might be better than a country-by-country approach, he said. "We might receive some support."
- Fresh air -
Some 200 kilometres north, still in the restricted "red" zone, the village of Cervinia has been allowed to keep some of its slopes and ski lifts open for athletes -- one of the few to do so in Europe.
This partial reopening involves "a big economic sacrifice", based of the expectation of business as usual over Christmas, said Matteo Zanetti, who runs the local ski lift company.
Closing over the holidays would require "significant support" from the government, he said. "The economic damage would be huge."
Erjon Tola, an Albanian Olympic athlete who is also a ski instructor, is already finding it tough.
For two months during the spring, he earned nothing, living on 600 euros a month in government hand-outs. "It's a critical situation," he said.
"It's so unfair that we're closed," added Gianlorenzo Vaudagnotto, who runs two ski shops.
"Skiing is not like being in a nightclub -- you're alone, and in the fresh air. And by managing the situation properly, we could all be open."
He said one of the hardest things was not knowing: "We wait, we've got nothing to do."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-27--Four candidates vie to lead Brazil's biggest cities

The current mayor of Sao Paulo Bruno Covas ( pictured November 15 , 2020 ) was slammed with a nasty list of personal and professional crises soon after taking office A cancer survivor , a `` rabble-rouser , '' an Evangelical pastor and `` the happiest man in the world . ''
No , it 's not the set-up for a joke : it 's the cast of candidates running for mayor in Brazil 's biggest cities , Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro , as the country holds municipal runoff elections Sunday tipped to give a preview of where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is up for reelection .
The current mayor of Brazil 's biggest city and economic capital , Covas , 40 , was thrust into office when then-mayor Joao Doria stepped down in 2018 to run for governor of Sao Paulo state .
Covas , his previously low-profile deputy , soon got slammed with a nasty list of personal and professional crises : a cancer diagnosis , one of the world 's worst coronavirus outbreaks in his city , and his own case of Covid-19 to boot .
Chemotherapy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which spread to his liver and lymphatic system -- has made him lose his hair and grow thin .
But he has kept at his job .
He even moved into city hall , installing a bed in his office when the pandemic led him to impose citywide stay-at-home measures .
The grandson of political heavyweight Mario Covas , a founder of the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party ( PSDB ) -- to which he belongs -- Covas has a powerful backer in his former boss , now-Governor Doria , a top contender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call him a `` radical '' and a `` rabble-rouser . ''
Admirers call him the new face of the Brazilian left .
Boulos , 38 , is a leader of the Homeless Workers ' Movement ( MTST ) , a group known for organizing squatter invasions of abandoned buildings .
The charismatic young activist came from behind in the first round on November 15 to beat both Bolsonaro 's candidate and a leftist rival from the more-established Workers ' Party ( PT ) of ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva .
Progressives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Socialism and Liberty Party ( PSOL ) can revive the Brazilian left , which has been battered by Lula 's jailing on corruption charges and the 2016 impeachment of his successor , Dilma Rousseff -- the events that paved the way for Bolsonaro 's rise .
Crivella , 63 , Rio 's current mayor , is an Evangelical bishop in one of Brazil 's biggest mega-churches , the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God ( IURD ) , which was founded by his uncle .
A Bolsonaro ally , he rode to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage with the scandal-plagued left , but has proved to be an awkward fit for a city known for its beaches , nightlife and decadent carnival .
No sooner had he taken office than he committed the sin of snubbing `` King Momo , '' the portly and jovial `` ruler '' of carnival , by failing to hand over the key to the city to him as tradition would have it .
Critics accuse Crivella of dodging the carnival festivities each year and trying to `` kill '' the legendary party by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also suffered over his management of floods and landslides that regularly hit the city , and for allegations his church was used to launder embezzled money .
Paes , 51 , was Rio mayor from 2009 to 2016 , presiding over both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics .
`` I 'm the happiest man in the world because I 'm the mayor of Rio , '' he was fond of saying .
A carnival enthusiast who embraces Rio 's laid-back style , he is the polar opposite of Crivella .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ period for Rio , though there has been criticism in retrospect of unkept promises and white elephants left over from the World Cup and Olympics .
Still , Paes , who is running for the right-wing Democrats ( DEM ) , looks set to win in a landslide over Crivella , who he says `` does n't understand this city . ''

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) –
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A cancer survivor, a "rabble-rouser," an Evangelical pastor and "the happiest man in the world."
No, it's not the set-up for a joke: it's the cast of candidates running for mayor in Brazil's biggest cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, as the country holds municipal runoff elections Sunday tipped to give a preview of where Brazilian politics is headed two years before far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is up for reelection.
- Sao Paulo -
Bruno Covas, survivor:
The current mayor of Brazil's biggest city and economic capital, Covas, 40, was thrust into office when then-mayor Joao Doria stepped down in 2018 to run for governor of Sao Paulo state.
Covas, his previously low-profile deputy, soon got slammed with a nasty list of personal and professional crises: a cancer diagnosis, one of the world's worst coronavirus outbreaks in his city, and his own case of Covid-19 to boot.
Chemotherapy for the cancer in his upper stomach -- which spread to his liver and lymphatic system -- has made him lose his hair and grow thin.
But he has kept at his job. He even moved into city hall, installing a bed in his office when the pandemic led him to impose citywide stay-at-home measures.
The grandson of political heavyweight Mario Covas, a founder of the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) -- to which he belongs -- Covas has a powerful backer in his former boss, now-Governor Doria, a top contender to challenge Bolsonaro in 2022.
Guilherme Boulos, "radical rabble-rouser":
Opponents call him a "radical" and a "rabble-rouser." Admirers call him the new face of the Brazilian left.
Boulos, 38, is a leader of the Homeless Workers' Movement (MTST), a group known for organizing squatter invasions of abandoned buildings.
The charismatic young activist came from behind in the first round on November 15 to beat both Bolsonaro's candidate and a leftist rival from the more-established Workers' Party (PT) of ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Progressives are now hoping Boulos and his upstart Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) can revive the Brazilian left, which has been battered by Lula's jailing on corruption charges and the 2016 impeachment of his successor, Dilma Rousseff -- the events that paved the way for Bolsonaro's rise.
First-round score: Covas 33 percent, Boulos 20 percent
Latest poll numbers: Covas 48 percent, Boulos 37 percent (Ibope)
- Rio de Janeiro -
Marcelo Crivella, "carnival killer":
Crivella, 63, Rio's current mayor, is an Evangelical bishop in one of Brazil's biggest mega-churches, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (IURD), which was founded by his uncle.
A Bolsonaro ally, he rode to victory in 2016 on a wave of outrage with the scandal-plagued left, but has proved to be an awkward fit for a city known for its beaches, nightlife and decadent carnival.
No sooner had he taken office than he committed the sin of snubbing "King Momo," the portly and jovial "ruler" of carnival, by failing to hand over the key to the city to him as tradition would have it.
Critics accuse Crivella of dodging the carnival festivities each year and trying to "kill" the legendary party by cutting its public funding.
His popularity has also suffered over his management of floods and landslides that regularly hit the city, and for allegations his church was used to launder embezzled money.
Eduardo Paes, "happiest man in the world":
Paes, 51, was Rio mayor from 2009 to 2016, presiding over both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
"I'm the happiest man in the world because I'm the mayor of Rio," he was fond of saying.
A carnival enthusiast who embraces Rio's laid-back style, he is the polar opposite of Crivella.
His administration was seen as a golden period for Rio, though there has been criticism in retrospect of unkept promises and white elephants left over from the World Cup and Olympics.
Still, Paes, who is running for the right-wing Democrats (DEM), looks set to win in a landslide over Crivella, who he says "doesn't understand this city."
First-round score: Paes 37 percent, Crivella 22 percent
Latest poll numbers: Paes 53 percent, Crivella 28 percent (Ibope)
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-27--Brazil elects mayors, with eyes on presidential race

A man votes using his fingerprint to sign at a polling station in Igarape Miri , Para state , Brazil during the first round of municipal elections amid the new coronavirus pandemic on November 15 , 2020 Brazil votes Sunday in municipal runoff elections marked by the coronavirus pandemic that will give a preview of where its political players stand going into 2022 , when far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is up for reelection .
Bolsonaro upended Brazilian politics when he stormed to victory in the 2018 presidential race , but the so-called `` Tropical Trump '' looks more vulnerable after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when just a handful of the candidates he endorsed won .
`` As Trump would say , 'He supported a bunch of losers , ' '' said political scientist David Fleischer of the University of Brasilia .
As a result of that and other factors -- including Donald Trump 's own election loss in the US -- Bolsonaro `` is n't in too good shape for 2022 , '' Fleischer told AFP .
The second-round vote -- in which 57 cities will decide their mayors , including Brazil 's biggest , Sao @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture of the political state of play in Latin America 's largest economy and where the top challenges to Bolsonaro may come from .
In Sao Paulo , Brazil 's economic capital , centrist incumbent Bruno Covas faces leftist challenger Guilherme Boulos , a leader of the Homeless Workers ' Movement ( MTST ) .
Covas , 40 , won the first round with 33 percent to 20 percent for Boulos , and had an eight-point lead going into the runoff , according to polling firm Datafolha .
But Boulos , 38 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Liberty Party ( PSOL ) , has momentum .
He came from behind in the first round to beat both Bolsonaro 's candidate and a leftist rival from the more-established Workers ' Party ( PT ) .
Young and charismatic , he is being called the new face of the Brazilian left , which is still reeling from the 2016 impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and the jailing of ex-president and PT founder Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on corruption charges .
However , Covas , a cancer survivor , has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doria , his predecessor and mentor , a top contender to challenge Bolsonaro for the presidency .
In Rio de Janeiro , Brazil 's second city , opinion polls indicate incumbent Mayor Marcelo Crivella , an Evangelical pastor and Bolsonaro ally , is set to lose in a landslide to ex-mayor Eduardo Paes of the right-wing Democrats ( DEM ) .
Other races to watch include the northeastern city of Recife -- scene of a literal family feud on the left between cousins Joao Campos of the center-left Brazilian Socialist Party ( PSB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- and the southern city of Porto Alegre .
There , another rising left-wing star , Manuela D'Avila of the Communist Party of Brazil , faces centrist candidate Sebastiao Melo , in a city rocked by violent protests last week after two white security guards killed a black customer at a supermarket .
The elections bear the indelible imprint of the pandemic , which has killed more people in Brazil than any country except the United States .
Local governments in Brazil , like state governments , have extensive power in health policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic .
Due to the health crisis , the elections were postponed by six weeks , and the campaign between the first and second rounds halved to two weeks .
Analysts said that likely weakened candidates such as Boulos , whose poll numbers were rising .
The pandemic and resulting economic crisis also contributed to the poor showing for Bolsonaro 's candidates , analysts say .
Of the 13 candidates he endorsed for mayor , just two won , with two more reaching the runoff -- Crivella and police reserve captain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fortaleza .
Bolsonaro , who currently has no political party , managed to get just nine of the 45 city council candidates he backed elected .
`` Traditional parties to the center and center-right reclaimed the space they had lost to Bolsonaro and the far-right , '' said Marjorie Marona , a political scientist at the Federal University of Minas Gerais .
The message from the first-round vote appears to be that `` Bolsonaro is n't the phenomenon people thought he was , '' said political analyst Michael Mohallem of the Getulio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading is right , he 's going to have a hard time winning reelection . ''

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) –
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Brazil votes Sunday in municipal runoff elections marked by the coronavirus pandemic that will give a preview of where its political players stand going into 2022, when far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is up for reelection.
Bolsonaro upended Brazilian politics when he stormed to victory in the 2018 presidential race, but the so-called "Tropical Trump" looks more vulnerable after the first-round municipal vote on November 15, when just a handful of the candidates he endorsed won.
"As Trump would say, 'He supported a bunch of losers,'" said political scientist David Fleischer of the University of Brasilia.
As a result of that and other factors -- including Donald Trump's own election loss in the US -- Bolsonaro "isn't in too good shape for 2022," Fleischer told AFP.
The second-round vote -- in which 57 cities will decide their mayors, including Brazil's biggest, Sao Paulo -- will now give a clearer picture of the political state of play in Latin America's largest economy and where the top challenges to Bolsonaro may come from.
- Emerging contenders -
In Sao Paulo, Brazil's economic capital, centrist incumbent Bruno Covas faces leftist challenger Guilherme Boulos, a leader of the Homeless Workers' Movement (MTST).
Covas, 40, won the first round with 33 percent to 20 percent for Boulos, and had an eight-point lead going into the runoff, according to polling firm Datafolha.
But Boulos, 38, who is running for the upstart Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), has momentum.
He came from behind in the first round to beat both Bolsonaro's candidate and a leftist rival from the more-established Workers' Party (PT).
Young and charismatic, he is being called the new face of the Brazilian left, which is still reeling from the 2016 impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and the jailing of ex-president and PT founder Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on corruption charges.
However, Covas, a cancer survivor, has a powerful backer in Sao Paulo governor Joao Doria, his predecessor and mentor, a top contender to challenge Bolsonaro for the presidency.
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's second city, opinion polls indicate incumbent Mayor Marcelo Crivella, an Evangelical pastor and Bolsonaro ally, is set to lose in a landslide to ex-mayor Eduardo Paes of the right-wing Democrats (DEM).
Other races to watch include the northeastern city of Recife -- scene of a literal family feud on the left between cousins Joao Campos of the center-left Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) and Marilia Arraes of the PT -- and the southern city of Porto Alegre.
There, another rising left-wing star, Manuela D'Avila of the Communist Party of Brazil, faces centrist candidate Sebastiao Melo, in a city rocked by violent protests last week after two white security guards killed a black customer at a supermarket.
- Bolsonaro bruised -
The elections bear the indelible imprint of the pandemic, which has killed more people in Brazil than any country except the United States.
Local governments in Brazil, like state governments, have extensive power in health policy -- including in deciding how to respond to the pandemic.
Due to the health crisis, the elections were postponed by six weeks, and the campaign between the first and second rounds halved to two weeks.
Analysts said that likely weakened candidates such as Boulos, whose poll numbers were rising.
The pandemic and resulting economic crisis also contributed to the poor showing for Bolsonaro's candidates, analysts say.
Of the 13 candidates he endorsed for mayor, just two won, with two more reaching the runoff -- Crivella and police reserve captain Wagner Sousa Gomes in the northeastern city of Fortaleza.
Bolsonaro, who currently has no political party, managed to get just nine of the 45 city council candidates he backed elected.
Traditional conservative parties, meanwhile, emerged stronger.
"Traditional parties to the center and center-right reclaimed the space they had lost to Bolsonaro and the far-right," said Marjorie Marona, a political scientist at the Federal University of Minas Gerais.
The message from the first-round vote appears to be that "Bolsonaro isn't the phenomenon people thought he was," said political analyst Michael Mohallem of the Getulio Vargas Foundation.
"If that initial reading is right, he's going to have a hard time winning reelection."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-27--Covid-19 dampens holiday cheer for Black small businesses

Kim Prince , owner of Hotville Chicken in Los Angeles , opened the restaurant in December 2019 , months before the onset of Covid-19 restrictions It 's been a rough year for Black-owned small businesses in the United States , and the latest surge in coronavirus cases suggests a festive season without much celebration .
`` Black Friday '' normally kicks off the holiday shopping season the morning after Thanksgiving .
But rising coronavirus cases have prompted fresh restrictions in Los Angeles and elsewhere .
The new rules mean Hotville Chicken , a south Los Angeles restaurant specializing in `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shut its outdoor eating space after already closing the dining room .
`` It 's going to hurt , '' said owner Kim Prince , who expects the business should pull through with pickup and delivery .
Many stores like `` One of a Kind Hats '' are still open , but struggling .
`` It 's really slow , '' said owner Meeka Robinson Davis , who estimates sales of her custom-made hats are down about 70 percent because her cliental no longer needs items for church , weddings or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
They 're not going anywhere . ''
At least three businesses on Davis ' block have shuttered as she turns to personal savings and grant funds to stay afloat .
Between March 1 and August 31 , 163,735 businesses on Yelp closed across the US , with about 60 percent permanently shut , the website said in September .
Non-white businesses have been hit harder .
An August Federal Reserve of New York paper said Black small businesses fell by 41 compared with a 17 percent drop in white-owned businesses .
Factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health toll of coronavirus among communities of color and weaker banking relationships that positioned Black companies unfavorably for federal small business supports , according to the Fed paper .
`` COVID-19 has exacerbated these issues and businesses in the hardest hit communities have witnessed huge disparities in access to federal relief funds and a higher rate of business closures , '' said Claire Kramer Mills , assistant vice president at the New York Fed .
Pinning down the total number of Los Angeles casualties is difficult , because some companies have relocated or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Rouzan III , chief executive of the non-profit Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation ( VSEDC ) in Los Angeles .
`` Not until the dust settles with Covid will we see the full effect , but we know there 's going to be some serious damage , '' he said .
`` When you look at Covid , we have n't even peaked yet . ''
Some companies have been able to pivot their businesses through growing e-commerce sales .
Eso Won Books maintained online orders when the store shut in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salary cuts , said co-owner James Fugate .
But the store received an unexpected burst of demand in June after author Ibram Kendi mentioned the shop in a radio interview in the wake of racial justice protests following the killing of George Floyd .
That prompted thousands of online orders as texts on antiracism and Black history rose on the best-seller list , boosting the bookstore that has been a fixture in the Black community for years .
Fugate said sales have ebbed somewhat since June but remain relatively high .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you like to sell , '' Fugate said , adding that he is `` praying '' for restaurants and other businesses that are under duress .
E-commerce sales are less of an opportunity at One of a Kind , which focuses on made-to-order items and caters to shoppers who want to see the merchandise up close , Davis said .
The company managed to offset a fraction of the sales hit by making and selling fabric masks .
To cover rent , Davis has tapped six months of emergency savings she had set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success with local grant programs and obtained funding under the federal Paycheck Protection program .
The company also has in reserve a Small Business Administration loan of $ 27,000 , but Davis is hoping not to use it .
`` I do n't want to be stuck in debt , '' said Davis .
Large US banks , which have a spotty history in lending to Black consumers and communities , have unveiled new ventures to support Black businesses and non-white communities .
But Rouzan has been focusing on getting more corporate donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 500,000 sum from Netflix .
VSEDC 's website lists 30 Black-owned businesses that are receiving increments between $ 5,000 and $ 25,000 from the Netflix pot , including restaurants , hair salons , child care companies and physical therapy companies .
`` We are totally focused on grant opportunities , '' he said .
`` The last thing these businesses need right now is to take on more debt . ''

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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It's been a rough year for Black-owned small businesses in the United States, and the latest surge in coronavirus cases suggests a festive season without much celebration.
"Black Friday" normally kicks off the holiday shopping season the morning after Thanksgiving. But rising coronavirus cases have prompted fresh restrictions in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
The new rules mean Hotville Chicken, a south Los Angeles restaurant specializing in "Nashville-style" spicy dishes, will have to shut its outdoor eating space after already closing the dining room.
"It's going to hurt," said owner Kim Prince, who expects the business should pull through with pickup and delivery.
Many stores like "One of a Kind Hats" are still open, but struggling.
"It's really slow," said owner Meeka Robinson Davis, who estimates sales of her custom-made hats are down about 70 percent because her cliental no longer needs items for church, weddings or other gatherings.
"Where are people going? They're not going anywhere."
At least three businesses on Davis' block have shuttered as she turns to personal savings and grant funds to stay afloat.
Between March 1 and August 31, 163,735 businesses on Yelp closed across the US, with about 60 percent permanently shut, the website said in September.
Non-white businesses have been hit harder. An August Federal Reserve of New York paper said Black small businesses fell by 41 compared with a 17 percent drop in white-owned businesses.
Factors behind this difference include the more severe health toll of coronavirus among communities of color and weaker banking relationships that positioned Black companies unfavorably for federal small business supports, according to the Fed paper.
"COVID-19 has exacerbated these issues and businesses in the hardest hit communities have witnessed huge disparities in access to federal relief funds and a higher rate of business closures," said Claire Kramer Mills, assistant vice president at the New York Fed.
- E-commerce pivot -
Pinning down the total number of Los Angeles casualties is difficult, because some companies have relocated or scaled back to bare bones, said Joe Rouzan III, chief executive of the non-profit Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation (VSEDC) in Los Angeles.
"Not until the dust settles with Covid will we see the full effect, but we know there's going to be some serious damage," he said. "When you look at Covid, we haven't even peaked yet."
Some companies have been able to pivot their businesses through growing e-commerce sales.
Eso Won Books maintained online orders when the store shut in March, leading to reduced revenues that necessitated salary cuts, said co-owner James Fugate.
But the store received an unexpected burst of demand in June after author Ibram Kendi mentioned the shop in a radio interview in the wake of racial justice protests following the killing of George Floyd.
That prompted thousands of online orders as texts on antiracism and Black history rose on the best-seller list, boosting the bookstore that has been a fixture in the Black community for years.
Fugate said sales have ebbed somewhat since June but remain relatively high.
"It's been an incredible summer for books you like to sell," Fugate said, adding that he is "praying" for restaurants and other businesses that are under duress.
- Grants, not loans -
E-commerce sales are less of an opportunity at One of a Kind, which focuses on made-to-order items and caters to shoppers who want to see the merchandise up close, Davis said.
The company managed to offset a fraction of the sales hit by making and selling fabric masks.
To cover rent, Davis has tapped six months of emergency savings she had set aside. She also has had some success with local grant programs and obtained funding under the federal Paycheck Protection program.
The company also has in reserve a Small Business Administration loan of $27,000, but Davis is hoping not to use it.
"I don't want to be stuck in debt," said Davis.
Large US banks, which have a spotty history in lending to Black consumers and communities, have unveiled new ventures to support Black businesses and non-white communities.
But Rouzan has been focusing on getting more corporate donations for grant programs, such as a $500,000 sum from Netflix.
VSEDC's website lists 30 Black-owned businesses that are receiving increments between $5,000 and $25,000 from the Netflix pot, including restaurants, hair salons, child care companies and physical therapy companies.
"We are totally focused on grant opportunities," he said. "The last thing these businesses need right now is to take on more debt."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-27--Sao Paulo's first black trans councilwoman defies barriers

Erika Hilton , the first Black trans woman to be elected to Sao Paulo 's city council As she steps into the staid chamber of Sao Paulo 's city council , the first black trans woman elected to the municipal legislature is well aware of the dangers before her .
`` Brazil is a racist , homophobic and transphobic country , and I 'm all that in one , '' says Erika Hilton .
The 27-year-old activist-turned-politician is paying her first-ever visit to the chamber she was elected to in a landslide on November 15 , a breakthrough vote for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the most votes of any woman in Brazil in the election , whose second round will be held Sunday to decide the mayoral winners in 57 cities holding runoffs .
Running for the left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party ( PSOL ) , she broke into the top 10 most-voted candidates nationwide , the only woman to make the list .
Her win would have been historic in any year , but it was especially symbolic coming in the first elections since President Jair Bolsonaro surged to victory in 2018 with a far-right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his critics .
Hilton says her election shows `` we are making gains against 'Bolsonarism . '
'' But she is quick to add : `` This is still a country full of paradoxes . ''
As a case in point , she mentions the brutal killing of a black customer by two white security guards at a supermarket in the southern city of Porto Alegre , just four days after her own trailblazing election .
`` That was the most despicable expression of structural racism , institutional racism , and of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slavery , '' she told AFP , after leading a protest on Sao Paulo 's main avenue , her fist raised , to chants of `` Black lives matter ! ''
Slender and striking , with a large afro , Hilton speaks in rapid-fire sentences and has an uncanny ability to command a crowd .
But she shows a less serious side on her first visit to the city council chambers , pausing to take selfies and test the speaker 's podium .
It was an unlikely trip to get here for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slum and whose Christian fundamentalist family kicked her out of the house .
As a homeless adolescent , she turned to prostitution and survived on the streets for years , until her mother had a change of heart and renewed their ties .
With her mother 's support , Hilton finished her education and got involved in the LGBTI-rights movement .
In 2018 , she was elected to the Sao Paulo state legislature for a `` collective seat '' shared with other leftist women .
The same election brought Bolsonaro to the presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target for an emboldened far-right , she says .
She received numerous death threats -- serious cause for concern in Brazil , where 124 trans people were murdered last year , one of the highest numbers in the world .
The LGBTI community is still scarred by the brutal 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco , a black lesbian activist to whom Hilton has been compared .
Hilton admits that makes her afraid .
But she is not backing down .
Nor are her fellow activists .
Two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transgender or transvestite candidates ran in the municipal elections , and 30 were elected , according to the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals ( ANTRA ) .
Hilton calls that a `` slap in the face for the political system '' -- even if progress is slow .
`` We had 388 years of slavery ( in Brazil ) , which has been followed by nearly 140 years of fake abolition , and we are still a work in progress .
We 're still fighting for our humanity , '' she says @

Sao Paulo (AFP) –
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As she steps into the staid chamber of Sao Paulo's city council, the first black trans woman elected to the municipal legislature is well aware of the dangers before her.
"Brazil is a racist, homophobic and transphobic country, and I'm all that in one," says Erika Hilton.
The 27-year-old activist-turned-politician is paying her first-ever visit to the chamber she was elected to in a landslide on November 15, a breakthrough vote for Latin America's biggest city.
Hilton won the most votes of any woman in Brazil in the election, whose second round will be held Sunday to decide the mayoral winners in 57 cities holding runoffs.
Running for the left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), she broke into the top 10 most-voted candidates nationwide, the only woman to make the list.
Her win would have been historic in any year, but it was especially symbolic coming in the first elections since President Jair Bolsonaro surged to victory in 2018 with a far-right ideology condemned as racist and homophobic by his critics.
Hilton says her election shows "we are making gains against 'Bolsonarism.'"
But she is quick to add: "This is still a country full of paradoxes."
As a case in point, she mentions the brutal killing of a black customer by two white security guards at a supermarket in the southern city of Porto Alegre, just four days after her own trailblazing election.
"That was the most despicable expression of structural racism, institutional racism, and of how much Brazil still bears the inheritance of slavery," she told AFP, after leading a protest on Sao Paulo's main avenue, her fist raised, to chants of "Black lives matter!"
- Unlikely rise -
Slender and striking, with a large afro, Hilton speaks in rapid-fire sentences and has an uncanny ability to command a crowd.
But she shows a less serious side on her first visit to the city council chambers, pausing to take selfies and test the speaker's podium.
It was an unlikely trip to get here for a young woman who grew up in a slum and whose Christian fundamentalist family kicked her out of the house.
As a homeless adolescent, she turned to prostitution and survived on the streets for years, until her mother had a change of heart and renewed their ties.
With her mother's support, Hilton finished her education and got involved in the LGBTI-rights movement.
In 2018, she was elected to the Sao Paulo state legislature for a "collective seat" shared with other leftist women.
The same election brought Bolsonaro to the presidency, and left Hilton feeling like a target for an emboldened far-right, she says.
She received numerous death threats -- serious cause for concern in Brazil, where 124 trans people were murdered last year, one of the highest numbers in the world.
The LGBTI community is still scarred by the brutal 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco, a black lesbian activist to whom Hilton has been compared.
Hilton admits that makes her afraid. But she is not backing down. Nor are her fellow activists.
Two years after Bolsonaro upended Brazilian politics, 294 transgender or transvestite candidates ran in the municipal elections, and 30 were elected, according to the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (ANTRA).
Hilton calls that a "slap in the face for the political system" -- even if progress is slow.
"We had 388 years of slavery (in Brazil), which has been followed by nearly 140 years of fake abolition, and we are still a work in progress. We're still fighting for our humanity," she says.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-27--Small is beautiful: Gaza's toned-down Covid-era weddings

Palestinian groom Mohammed Ahmed Ashour ( C ) dances with male relatives and friends while waiting for his bride during his wedding ceremony amid the COVID-19 pandemic , in Gaza City To the sound of drums and flutes , a freshly coiffed Palestinian groom dances with his brothers , cousins and friends , anxiously waiting for his veiled bride to arrive in her shimmering gown .
It might have been a normal Gaza wedding , except for the venue -- not a luxurious seaside hall , but a narrow alley in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City .
Welcome to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are small because of strict crowd limits , they are held outdoors , and they finish early to beat the curfews .
And they are a whole lot cheaper than usual .
`` I 'm not entirely happy because I would have preferred to celebrate it in a wedding hall , '' said the groom , Mohammed Ahmed Ashour , wearing a blazer and burgundy tie .
But for his family , the 24-year-old merchant told AFP between dances , the pared-down nuptials have also brought welcome savings at a time of economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enclave are usually extravagant affairs , held in large halls that dot the Mediterranean coastline .
Despite staggering poverty and unemployment rates of around 50 percent even before the pandemic , many Gazans spend several thousand dollars on weddings .
This year the virus has further impacted the economy in the strip , which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007 , and is currently spreading rapidly across Gaza .
In recent weeks infections have multiplied and `` the situation is getting out of control , '' warned Doctor Ahmad al-Jadba of Gaza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of coronavirus , the Islamist group Hamas that runs the strip , like authorities elsewhere , has banned large indoor gatherings .
Families have been forced to hold smaller weddings in less-than-fairytale settings -- like alleys and backyards -- but saved bundles in the process .
Ashour said these days many couples opt for scaled-back daytime nuptials which take `` a little over an hour '' .
Once the Ashours ' wedding was over , the musicians -- three percussionists and a player of the traditional reed flute called a ney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They had more performances booked for the next day , as their small , travelling business is now thriving .
A few days later they were in Jabaliya , a town in the north of the strip , for the wedding of Ahmed Omar Khallah , a 28-year-old postman .
Khallah said that for him , too , the timing is good : `` There is no work , no money , but we have saved a lot by marrying now , '' he told AFP .
He was picking up his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al-Hour al-Ayn '' , an Islamic expression referring to the beautiful eyes of the women of paradise .
Its proprietor , Fadwi , confirmed that `` many young couples prefer to get married during the corona period because the costs are lower .
They do n't have to rent wedding halls or pay for large buffets . ''
Fadwi has changed his business hours to accommodate the new routine as Hamas police patrols enforce the night-time curfews .
`` We now start work around 7:00 am , '' he said , `` because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5:00 pm '' .

Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) –
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To the sound of drums and flutes, a freshly coiffed Palestinian groom dances with his brothers, cousins and friends, anxiously waiting for his veiled bride to arrive in her shimmering gown.
It might have been a normal Gaza wedding, except for the venue -- not a luxurious seaside hall, but a narrow alley in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City.
Welcome to Gaza's new pandemic-era weddings: they are small because of strict crowd limits, they are held outdoors, and they finish early to beat the curfews.
And they are a whole lot cheaper than usual.
"I'm not entirely happy because I would have preferred to celebrate it in a wedding hall," said the groom, Mohammed Ahmed Ashour, wearing a blazer and burgundy tie.
But for his family, the 24-year-old merchant told AFP between dances, the pared-down nuptials have also brought welcome savings at a time of economic hardship.
Weddings in the Palestinian coastal enclave are usually extravagant affairs, held in large halls that dot the Mediterranean coastline.
Despite staggering poverty and unemployment rates of around 50 percent even before the pandemic, many Gazans spend several thousand dollars on weddings.
This year the virus has further impacted the economy in the strip, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007, and is currently spreading rapidly across Gaza.
In recent weeks infections have multiplied and "the situation is getting out of control," warned Doctor Ahmad al-Jadba of Gaza City's Shifa hospital.
- 'One-hour weddings' -
To contain the spread of coronavirus, the Islamist group Hamas that runs the strip, like authorities elsewhere, has banned large indoor gatherings.
Families have been forced to hold smaller weddings in less-than-fairytale settings -- like alleys and backyards -- but saved bundles in the process.
Ashour said these days many couples opt for scaled-back daytime nuptials which take "a little over an hour".
Once the Ashours' wedding was over, the musicians -- three percussionists and a player of the traditional reed flute called a ney -- headed home before the evening curfew.
They had more performances booked for the next day, as their small, travelling business is now thriving.
A few days later they were in Jabaliya, a town in the north of the strip, for the wedding of Ahmed Omar Khallah, a 28-year-old postman.
Khallah said that for him, too, the timing is good: "There is no work, no money, but we have saved a lot by marrying now," he told AFP.
He was picking up his bride from a beauty salon called "Al-Hour al-Ayn", an Islamic expression referring to the beautiful eyes of the women of paradise.
Its proprietor, Fadwi, confirmed that "many young couples prefer to get married during the corona period because the costs are lower. They don't have to rent wedding halls or pay for large buffets."
Fadwi has changed his business hours to accommodate the new routine as Hamas police patrols enforce the night-time curfews.
"We now start work around 7:00 am," he said, "because people only get married in ceremonies until 5:00 pm".
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-27--Ishant Sharma out of Australia series as Kohli blasts 'confusing' messages

India captain Virat Kohli is unhappy about a 'lack of clarity ' over the injured Rohit Sharma India suffered a blow Friday with fast bowler Ishant Sharma ruled out of their Test series against Australia , as skipper Virat Kohli blasted a lack of clarity over the fate of star opener Rohit Sharma .
Ishant has been struggling with a side strain picked up during the Indian Premier League , and while he has recovered officials said he was not match fit .
`` While he 's building up his workload in order to achieve Test match fitness , Ishant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Border-Gavaskar Trophy , '' the Indian cricket board said in a statement .
Senior batsman Rohit hurt his hamstring last month and will have another assessment on December 11 , six days before the opening day-night Test in Adelaide .
Complicating matters was his father falling ill in Mumbai , which delayed Rohit 's arrival at India 's National Cricket Academy to begin his rehab .
Kohli said the way the matter had been handled was `` very confusing '' and that both players should be in Australia to complete their recoveries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chances of both of them playing Test matches , '' he said in video comments from his hotel room in Sydney ahead of the opening one-dayer against Australia on Friday .
Kohli , who has been undergoing a mandatory 14-day quarantine along with the rest of the India squad , said he was expecting Rohit to be on the plane to Australia with everyone else .
`` We had no information whatsoever on the reason why he 's not travelling with us , '' said the skipper , who will return home after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first child .
`` And after that , the only other information officially we 've received by mail is that he 's in the NCA and he 's been assessed and he 'll be further assessed on December 11 .
`` So from the time that the selection meeting happened to the IPL finishing and now when this email came about his assessment in the NCA , there 's been no information .
`` There 's been a lack of clarity and we 've been playing the waiting game on this issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideal at all .
So it 's been very confusing and there 's been a lot of uncertainty and a lack of clarity around the situation . ''
India play four Tests against Australia in Adelaide , Melbourne , Sydney and Brisbane following their six-match limited overs series .

Sydney (AFP) –
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India suffered a blow Friday with fast bowler Ishant Sharma ruled out of their Test series against Australia, as skipper Virat Kohli blasted a lack of clarity over the fate of star opener Rohit Sharma.
Ishant has been struggling with a side strain picked up during the Indian Premier League, and while he has recovered officials said he was not match fit.
"While he's building up his workload in order to achieve Test match fitness, Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," the Indian cricket board said in a statement.
Senior batsman Rohit hurt his hamstring last month and will have another assessment on December 11, six days before the opening day-night Test in Adelaide.
Complicating matters was his father falling ill in Mumbai, which delayed Rohit's arrival at India's National Cricket Academy to begin his rehab.
Kohli said the way the matter had been handled was "very confusing" and that both players should be in Australia to complete their recoveries.
"It definitely would have increased the chances of both of them playing Test matches," he said in video comments from his hotel room in Sydney ahead of the opening one-dayer against Australia on Friday.
Kohli, who has been undergoing a mandatory 14-day quarantine along with the rest of the India squad, said he was expecting Rohit to be on the plane to Australia with everyone else.
"We had no information whatsoever on the reason why he's not travelling with us," said the skipper, who will return home after the opening Test for the birth of his first child.
"And after that, the only other information officially we've received by mail is that he's in the NCA and he's been assessed and he'll be further assessed on December 11.
"So from the time that the selection meeting happened to the IPL finishing and now when this email came about his assessment in the NCA, there's been no information.
"There's been a lack of clarity and we've been playing the waiting game on this issue for a while now which is not ideal at all. So it's been very confusing and there's been a lot of uncertainty and a lack of clarity around the situation."
India play four Tests against Australia in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane following their six-match limited overs series.
© 2020 AFP