france24--2020-12-18--How EU and US are trying to rein in tech giants

the European Union unveiled tough draft rules this week to rein in the biggest tech firms Tech giants have changed our daily lives but governments around the world are worried they are out of control .
Google , Apple , Facebook , Amazon and Microsoft -- dubbed the GAFAM -- are accused of not paying enough taxes , unfair competition , stealing media content and threatening democracy by spreading false information .
As the European Union unveils tough draft rules to rein them in and dozens of US states hit Google with antitrust suits , here is a global overview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 27-nation EU has not yet agreed to tax the digital giants , but some of its member states have forged ahead .
While France and Italy have imposed a three percent tax on their turnover , Austria is imposing a five percent tax on their advertising revenues and Spain a three percent charge on some activities .
Outside the EU , Britain has imposed a two percent tax on some digital services .
Beyond Europe , in 2016 India imposed a tax on online advertising , and Australia slapped a 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as streaming , downloading games and applications for mobile streaming , e-books and data storage .
These moves have not impressed the United States , the home of the so-called GAFAM .
The outgoing Trump administration has threatened customs duties in response .
Negotiations on a worldwide tax on multinationals led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development broke down in October .
The digital giants are regularly criticised for dominating the market by elbowing out rivals .
The EU slapped 8.25 billion euros ( $ 10 billion ) in fines on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the market via its Android system .
Microsoft was fined 561 million euros by the EU in 2013 for imposing its search engine Internet Explorer on users of Windows 7 .
Amazon and Apple are also being probed .
But the biggest potential change came on Tuesday when the bloc unveiled plans for mammoth fines of up to 10 percent of turnover on tech firms that break competition rules .
Those guilty of `` repeated breaches of law which endanger the security of European citizens '' risk being broken up or temporarily banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also seek to categorise the biggest online giants as `` gatekeepers '' , subjecting them to stricter rules to ensure they do not abuse their dominant positions to stop competitors getting a toehold .
A source told AFP that currently 10 titans would meet the gatekeeper threshold -- the GAFAM plus Snapchat , Samsung , Booking.com and Chinese giants Bytedance and Alibaba .
The US is also acting on competition concerns , with US federal and state antitrust enforcers filing cases against Facebook on December 9 to overturn its acquisitions of Instagram and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google with antitrust suits on Thursday accusing it of abusing its monopoly on internet search and advertising .
Tech giants are regularly criticised over how they gather and use personal data .
The EU has led the charge to rein them in with its 2018 General Data Protection Regulation , which has since become an international reference .
They must ask for consent when they collect personal information , be transparent about how the data will be used and allow users to delete the data , with failure to do so punishable by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe as well .
A US court fined Facebook $ 5 billion in May for failing to protect its users ' personal data .
Social networks are often accused of failing to rein in misinformation and hate speech .
The European Parliament and member states agreed last week to force platforms to remove terrorist content within one hour .
Several national laws have also attempted to tackle disinformation .
In Germany social networks can face up to 50 million euros in fines if they fail to respond to requests to withdraw posts with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same obligations for hate speech , terrorist propaganda and child pornography .
In France a political candidate or party can ask a court to stop the spread of false information before a national election .
In Kenya , publishing `` false , misleading or fictional information '' is punishable by a $ 50,000 fine and/or two years of prison .
These measures remain controversial , however , with critics saying they threaten freedom of speech .
GAFAM are accused by media outlets of making money from journalistic content without sharing the revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 imposed a form of copyright law called neighbouring rights that would allow outlets to demand compensation for use of their content on online platforms .
After initial resistance , Google signed agreements with French newspapers in November to pay for using their content , a world first .
In one of the most powerful moves to check the power of US digital giants , Australia also plans to compel the companies to pay media organisations when their platforms host their content or face millions of dollars in fines .

Paris (AFP) –
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Tech giants have changed our daily lives but governments around the world are worried they are out of control.
Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft -- dubbed the GAFAM -- are accused of not paying enough taxes, unfair competition, stealing media content and threatening democracy by spreading false information.
As the European Union unveils tough draft rules to rein them in and dozens of US states hit Google with antitrust suits, here is a global overview of the attempts to regulate the companies.
- Taxation -
The 27-nation EU has not yet agreed to tax the digital giants, but some of its member states have forged ahead.
While France and Italy have imposed a three percent tax on their turnover, Austria is imposing a five percent tax on their advertising revenues and Spain a three percent charge on some activities.
Outside the EU, Britain has imposed a two percent tax on some digital services.
Beyond Europe, in 2016 India imposed a tax on online advertising, and Australia slapped a 10 percent VAT rate on digital services such as streaming, downloading games and applications for mobile streaming, e-books and data storage.
These moves have not impressed the United States, the home of the so-called GAFAM. The outgoing Trump administration has threatened customs duties in response.
Negotiations on a worldwide tax on multinationals led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development broke down in October.
- Nobbling competition -
The digital giants are regularly criticised for dominating the market by elbowing out rivals.
The EU slapped 8.25 billion euros ($10 billion) in fines on Google between 2017 and 2019 for dominating the market via its Android system.
Microsoft was fined 561 million euros by the EU in 2013 for imposing its search engine Internet Explorer on users of Windows 7. Amazon and Apple are also being probed.
- Net closing -
But the biggest potential change came on Tuesday when the bloc unveiled plans for mammoth fines of up to 10 percent of turnover on tech firms that break competition rules.
Those guilty of "repeated breaches of law which endanger the security of European citizens" risk being broken up or temporarily banned from the EU.
The proposed changes also seek to categorise the biggest online giants as "gatekeepers", subjecting them to stricter rules to ensure they do not abuse their dominant positions to stop competitors getting a toehold.
A source told AFP that currently 10 titans would meet the gatekeeper threshold -- the GAFAM plus Snapchat, Samsung, Booking.com and Chinese giants Bytedance and Alibaba.
The US is also acting on competition concerns, with US federal and state antitrust enforcers filing cases against Facebook on December 9 to overturn its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
Dozens of US states hit Google with antitrust suits on Thursday accusing it of abusing its monopoly on internet search and advertising.
- Personal data -
Tech giants are regularly criticised over how they gather and use personal data.
The EU has led the charge to rein them in with its 2018 General Data Protection Regulation, which has since become an international reference.
They must ask for consent when they collect personal information, be transparent about how the data will be used and allow users to delete the data, with failure to do so punishable by heavy fines.
Sanctions exist outside of Europe as well. A US court fined Facebook $5 billion in May for failing to protect its users' personal data.
- Fake news and hate speech -
Social networks are often accused of failing to rein in misinformation and hate speech.
The European Parliament and member states agreed last week to force platforms to remove terrorist content within one hour.
Several national laws have also attempted to tackle disinformation.
In Germany social networks can face up to 50 million euros in fines if they fail to respond to requests to withdraw posts with false information. The German rule imposes the same obligations for hate speech, terrorist propaganda and child pornography.
In France a political candidate or party can ask a court to stop the spread of false information before a national election.
In Kenya, publishing "false, misleading or fictional information" is punishable by a $50,000 fine and/or two years of prison.
These measures remain controversial, however, with critics saying they threaten freedom of speech.
- Paying for content –
GAFAM are accused by media outlets of making money from journalistic content without sharing the revenue.
To solve this the EU in 2019 imposed a form of copyright law called neighbouring rights that would allow outlets to demand compensation for use of their content on online platforms.
After initial resistance, Google signed agreements with French newspapers in November to pay for using their content, a world first.
In one of the most powerful moves to check the power of US digital giants, Australia also plans to compel the companies to pay media organisations when their platforms host their content or face millions of dollars in fines.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-18--Year of athlete activist as sport embraces protests

NBA teams and the league threw their weight behind the Black Lives Matter movement A wave of activism swept across the sporting world in 2020 as a new generation of increasingly confident athletes found their voices to champion social justice initiatives on an unprecedented scale .
From LeBron James spearheading an effort to boost voter turnout in US elections to Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford successfully pressuring the British government to provide free meals for schoolchildren , athletes immersed themselves in causes and campaigns as never before .
The killing of unarmed Black man George Floyd during his arrest by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a catalyst for change , prompting athletes from multiple sports to speak out against systemic racism and police brutality .
Los Angeles Lakers superstar James was among the first to condemn Floyd 's killing as protests erupted in all 50 American states .
`` Why Does n't America Love US !
!
!
!
!
?
?
?
?
TOO , '' James asked in one of several posts on social media .
James , a longtime civil rights and social justice activist , said Floyd 's death reinforced the validity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 , who was vilified for kneeling during pre-game renditions of the US national anthem as a way of protesting racial injustice .
In June , NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated bluntly that the league had been wrong not to listen to players who had protested systemic racism , but did not mention Kaepernick by name .
Kaepernick 's `` take the knee '' protest was adopted as a gesture of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement by athlete activists and demonstrators around the world .
When a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic gradually resumed , `` taking a knee '' and other displays of support of Black Lives Matter had become part of the established pre-game ritual , from European soccer leagues to North American sports .
In the United States , athlete activism looks to be here to stay .
The NBA wholeheartedly embraced social justice campaigns when the pandemic-interrupted 2019-2020 season resumed in Orlando in July , with players kneeling before each game during the US national anthem and `` Black Lives Matter '' emblazoned on each court .
NBA Players , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street protests after Floyd 's killing , wore jerseys with social justice messages when play resumed .
Similar initiatives were adopted by Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball while dozens of National Hockey League players also spoke out in support of Black Lives Matter .
In the conservative world of NASCAR , Black driver Bubba Wallace raced in a Black Lives Matter-themed car in June , and led ultimately successful calls for the sport to ban the Confederate flag -- viewed by many as a racist symbol -- from its venues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June following Floyd 's death , athlete activism surged again in August following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
The Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their NBA game three days after Blake 's shooting , a move that triggered similar walkouts in sports including soccer , women 's basketball and baseball .
The WTA and ATP tennis tours suspended play for a day as the boycott spread .
Japan 's Naomi Osaka wore different facemasks bearing the names of victims of racial injustice during her victorious US Open campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bodies across the globe to rethink their attitudes towards protests in ways that could have a lasting impact .
While protests by players have traditionally been frowned upon , 2020 witnessed a marked shift in perspective by some of sport 's most powerful ruling bodies .
When the prospect of disciplinary proceedings was raised against four players in Germany 's Bundesliga over their on-field messages of support for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter , football 's world governing body FIFA moved swiftly to soften its position .
Although FIFA had previously outlawed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal messages , it said organisers should now take a `` common sense '' approach and consider `` context '' before weighing sanctions .
FIFA President Gianni Infantino went further when commenting on the German cases .
`` For the avoidance of doubt , in a FIFA competition the recent demonstrations of players in Bundesliga matches would deserve an applause and not a punishment , '' he said .
`` We all must say no to racism and any form of discrimination .
We all must say no to violence .
Any form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee potentially put itself on a collision course with the International Olympic Committee ahead of next year 's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics by announcing it would no longer sanction athletes who demonstrate in `` support of racial and social justice for all human beings . ''
`` The silencing of athletes during the Games is in stark contrast to the importance of recognizing participants in the Games as humans first and athletes second , '' the USOPC 's council wrote in a December 10 statement .
`` Prohibiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Games , particularly those from historically underrepresented and minoritized groups , contributes to the dehumanization of athletes that is at odds with key Olympic and Paralympic values . ''
The new USOPC stance was in stark contrast to the organisation 's position in 2019 , when US fencer Race Imboden and hammer thrower Gwen Berry were reprimanded for protests on the medal podium at the Pan American Games in Lima .
The IOC meanwhile has yet to determine a clear policy on how it plans to deal with athlete protests at next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a century after US sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith were kicked out of the 1968 Mexico Games for their iconic Black Power salutes on the medal podium .
The IOC has said it will canvass opinion amongst athletes before making any changes to existing rules which expressly forbid protests .
Mexico '68 icon Carlos meanwhile looked on approvingly at 2020 's year of activism .
`` This is just the start of things to come .
We have their attention , '' he told NBC in September .

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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A wave of activism swept across the sporting world in 2020 as a new generation of increasingly confident athletes found their voices to champion social justice initiatives on an unprecedented scale.
From LeBron James spearheading an effort to boost voter turnout in US elections to Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford successfully pressuring the British government to provide free meals for schoolchildren, athletes immersed themselves in causes and campaigns as never before.
The killing of unarmed Black man George Floyd during his arrest by police in Minneapolis in May proved to be a catalyst for change, prompting athletes from multiple sports to speak out against systemic racism and police brutality.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar James was among the first to condemn Floyd's killing as protests erupted in all 50 American states. "Why Doesn't America Love US!!!!!????TOO," James asked in one of several posts on social media.
James, a longtime civil rights and social justice activist, said Floyd's death reinforced the validity of protests launched by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016, who was vilified for kneeling during pre-game renditions of the US national anthem as a way of protesting racial injustice.
In June, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated bluntly that the league had been wrong not to listen to players who had protested systemic racism, but did not mention Kaepernick by name.
Kaepernick's "take the knee" protest was adopted as a gesture of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement by athlete activists and demonstrators around the world.
When a global sporting calendar upended by the coronavirus pandemic gradually resumed, "taking a knee" and other displays of support of Black Lives Matter had become part of the established pre-game ritual, from European soccer leagues to North American sports.
- Here to stay -
In the United States, athlete activism looks to be here to stay.
The NBA wholeheartedly embraced social justice campaigns when the pandemic-interrupted 2019-2020 season resumed in Orlando in July, with players kneeling before each game during the US national anthem and "Black Lives Matter" emblazoned on each court. NBA Players, many of whom had taken part in street protests after Floyd's killing, wore jerseys with social justice messages when play resumed.
Similar initiatives were adopted by Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball while dozens of National Hockey League players also spoke out in support of Black Lives Matter.
In the conservative world of NASCAR, Black driver Bubba Wallace raced in a Black Lives Matter-themed car in June, and led ultimately successful calls for the sport to ban the Confederate flag -- viewed by many as a racist symbol -- from its venues.
While the first wave of protests crested in June following Floyd's death, athlete activism surged again in August following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their NBA game three days after Blake's shooting, a move that triggered similar walkouts in sports including soccer, women's basketball and baseball.
The WTA and ATP tennis tours suspended play for a day as the boycott spread. Japan's Naomi Osaka wore different facemasks bearing the names of victims of racial injustice during her victorious US Open campaign.
The upsurge in athlete activism forced sporting bodies across the globe to rethink their attitudes towards protests in ways that could have a lasting impact.
- 'Just the start' -
While protests by players have traditionally been frowned upon, 2020 witnessed a marked shift in perspective by some of sport's most powerful ruling bodies.
When the prospect of disciplinary proceedings was raised against four players in Germany's Bundesliga over their on-field messages of support for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter, football's world governing body FIFA moved swiftly to soften its position.
Although FIFA had previously outlawed players from displaying political, religious or personal messages, it said organisers should now take a "common sense" approach and consider "context" before weighing sanctions.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino went further when commenting on the German cases.
"For the avoidance of doubt, in a FIFA competition the recent demonstrations of players in Bundesliga matches would deserve an applause and not a punishment," he said.
"We all must say no to racism and any form of discrimination. We all must say no to violence. Any form of violence."
Most strikingly, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee potentially put itself on a collision course with the International Olympic Committee ahead of next year's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics by announcing it would no longer sanction athletes who demonstrate in "support of racial and social justice for all human beings."
"The silencing of athletes during the Games is in stark contrast to the importance of recognizing participants in the Games as humans first and athletes second," the USOPC's council wrote in a December 10 statement.
"Prohibiting athletes to freely express their views during the Games, particularly those from historically underrepresented and minoritized groups, contributes to the dehumanization of athletes that is at odds with key Olympic and Paralympic values."
The new USOPC stance was in stark contrast to the organisation's position in 2019, when US fencer Race Imboden and hammer thrower Gwen Berry were reprimanded for protests on the medal podium at the Pan American Games in Lima.
The IOC meanwhile has yet to determine a clear policy on how it plans to deal with athlete protests at next year's Olympics, more than half a century after US sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith were kicked out of the 1968 Mexico Games for their iconic Black Power salutes on the medal podium.
The IOC has said it will canvass opinion amongst athletes before making any changes to existing rules which expressly forbid protests.
Mexico '68 icon Carlos meanwhile looked on approvingly at 2020's year of activism. "This is just the start of things to come. We have their attention," he told NBC in September.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-18--Coronavirus pandemic: Virus-stricken Macron at presidential retreat with fever

President Emmanuel Macron rides out the coronavirus in a presidential retreat at Versailles .
While Macron routinely wears a mask @ @ @ @ @ rules , he hosted or took part in multiple group meals in the days before @ @ @ @

Coronavirus pandemic: Virus-stricken Macron at presidential retreat with fever
01:29
Video by: Yinka OYETADE
President Emmanuel Macron rides out the coronavirus in a presidential retreat at Versailles. While Macron routinely wears a mask and adheres to social distancing rules, he hosted or took part in multiple group meals in the days before testing positive Thursday.


france24--2020-12-18--Kurdistan protests: Iraqi authorities struggle to keep a lid on civil unrest

Kurdistan protests : Iraqi authorities struggle to keep a lid on civil unrest Authorities are trying to contain a growing @ @ @ @ @ violent demonstrations over unpaid salaries resulted in the deaths of 7 civilians .
FRANCE 24 @ @ @ @ @

Kurdistan protests: Iraqi authorities struggle to keep a lid on civil unrest
02:00
Video by: Jack HEWSON
Authorities are trying to contain a growing anger in Iraqi Kurdistan after violent demonstrations over unpaid salaries resulted in the deaths of 7 civilians. FRANCE 24's Jack Hewson reports.


france24--2020-12-19--Bolsonaro under fire over Brazil's troubled vaccine roll-out

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro , shown here with the country 's immunization mascot , has been accused of sabotaging his own government 's Covid-19 program by regularly speaking out against vaccines Brazil prides itself on its world-leading immunization experts , medical institutions and vaccine research , but President Jair Bolsonaro 's government has been accused of having a chaotic plan to inoculate against Covid-19 .
Bolsonaro finally launched a mass immunization campaign on Wednesday that aims to vaccinate 70 percent of the population within 16 months , but the president has been accused of repeatedly sabotaging his own program .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( $ 3.9 billion ) to buy vaccine doses in a country that has already lost more than 184,000 people to the coronavirus -- the second highest national total in the world .
Later that day , the government announced that daily deaths had risen above 1,000 for the first time since September .
Analysts say the country took too long to formulate an immunization plan , lacked a precise start date and has no clear vaccine purchase and distribution strategy .
Bolsonaro , who caught the virus in July and once described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' announced he would not be getting an injection himself .
And he mocked the potential side-effects of the vaccine type developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech , which has already been rolled out in the US and Britain .
`` In the Pfizer contract it 's very clear : 'we 're not responsible for any side effects . '
If you turn into a crocodile , it 's your problem , '' Bolsonaro said on Thursday .
`` If you become superhuman , if a woman starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man starts to speak with an effeminate voice , they will not have anything to do with it , '' he said , referring to the drug manufacturers .
It seems to be having an effect : according to a poll by Datafolha , the number of people prepared to be vaccinated from Covid-19 fell from 89 percent in August to 73 percent in December .
Bolsonaro said the vaccine would n't be mandatory , but the Supreme Court contradicted him -- adding though that no-one could be `` forced '' to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchase of 350 million doses of coronavirus vaccines for 2021 .
The figure includes 210 million of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that is largely made in Brazil by the Fiocruz institute , 70 million of Pfizer 's vaccine and another 42 million of the one produced by the international conglomerate Covaz .
However , none of those , nor the CoronaVac produced by Chinese laboratory Sinovac , which is being tested in Sao Paulo , have yet asked the regulatory agency Anvisa for emergency use authorization -- which they will need before they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of time with his denials , with his political battles with state governors over quarantine measures , with his campaign against the vaccine and it being mandatory , '' Jose David Urbaez , from the Brazilian Infectiology Society , told AFP .
`` To start a program like this you need to have negotiated with the pharmaceutical companies a long time ago '' and organized buying syringes , the cold chain and the human resources needed , he added .
For Luiz Gustavo de Almeida , a microbiologist at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first train '' of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines delivered to the US .
`` They 'll have to wait for the second train when the government will finally be able to acquire vaccines and that wo n't be until March , April or May 2021 .
Those who are n't priorities probably wo n't start receiving them until 2022 . ''
The government says it expects to vaccinate the most at-risk groups in four months -- once it has approval for a vaccine .
Bolsonaro is also embroiled in a public spat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joao Doria , who is expected to challenge him in the 2022 presidential election .
Doria has been pushing to start vaccinating his state from January 25 with CoronaVac , which has begun to be made locally by Sao Paulo 's Butantan Institute .
Bolsonaro , though , has consistently tried to discredit `` Doria 's Chinese vaccine '' even though his government is due to purchase millions of CoronaVac doses .
`` Traditionally in Brazil infectious diseases were always managed and coordinated centrally , with great results , '' said Urbaez .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when everyone , federal and state governments , agree ... Every backward step costs us weeks of immunizations . ''

Brasília (AFP) –
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Brazil prides itself on its world-leading immunization experts, medical institutions and vaccine research, but President Jair Bolsonaro's government has been accused of having a chaotic plan to inoculate against Covid-19.
Bolsonaro finally launched a mass immunization campaign on Wednesday that aims to vaccinate 70 percent of the population within 16 months, but the president has been accused of repeatedly sabotaging his own program.
On Thursday he released 20 billion reais ($3.9 billion) to buy vaccine doses in a country that has already lost more than 184,000 people to the coronavirus -- the second highest national total in the world.
Later that day, the government announced that daily deaths had risen above 1,000 for the first time since September.
Analysts say the country took too long to formulate an immunization plan, lacked a precise start date and has no clear vaccine purchase and distribution strategy.
Bolsonaro, who caught the virus in July and once described it as "a little cold," announced he would not be getting an injection himself.
And he mocked the potential side-effects of the vaccine type developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech, which has already been rolled out in the US and Britain.
"In the Pfizer contract it's very clear: 'we're not responsible for any side effects.' If you turn into a crocodile, it's your problem," Bolsonaro said on Thursday.
"If you become superhuman, if a woman starts to grow a beard or if a man starts to speak with an effeminate voice, they will not have anything to do with it," he said, referring to the drug manufacturers.
It seems to be having an effect: according to a poll by Datafolha, the number of people prepared to be vaccinated from Covid-19 fell from 89 percent in August to 73 percent in December.
Bolsonaro said the vaccine wouldn't be mandatory, but the Supreme Court contradicted him -- adding though that no-one could be "forced" to take it.
- 'Missed the train' -
The government is negotiating the purchase of 350 million doses of coronavirus vaccines for 2021.
The figure includes 210 million of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that is largely made in Brazil by the Fiocruz institute, 70 million of Pfizer's vaccine and another 42 million of the one produced by the international conglomerate Covaz.
However, none of those, nor the CoronaVac produced by Chinese laboratory Sinovac, which is being tested in Sao Paulo, have yet asked the regulatory agency Anvisa for emergency use authorization -- which they will need before they can start vaccinating.
"Bolsonaro has lost a lot of time with his denials, with his political battles with state governors over quarantine measures, with his campaign against the vaccine and it being mandatory," Jose David Urbaez, from the Brazilian Infectiology Society, told AFP.
"To start a program like this you need to have negotiated with the pharmaceutical companies a long time ago" and organized buying syringes, the cold chain and the human resources needed, he added.
For Luiz Gustavo de Almeida, a microbiologist at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil "missed the first train" of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines delivered to the US.
"They'll have to wait for the second train when the government will finally be able to acquire vaccines and that won't be until March, April or May 2021. Those who aren't priorities probably won't start receiving them until 2022."
The government says it expects to vaccinate the most at-risk groups in four months -- once it has approval for a vaccine.
- 'Disastrous results' -
Bolsonaro is also embroiled in a public spat over vaccines with Sao Paulo state governor Joao Doria, who is expected to challenge him in the 2022 presidential election.
Doria has been pushing to start vaccinating his state from January 25 with CoronaVac, which has begun to be made locally by Sao Paulo's Butantan Institute.
Bolsonaro, though, has consistently tried to discredit "Doria's Chinese vaccine" even though his government is due to purchase millions of CoronaVac doses.
"Traditionally in Brazil infectious diseases were always managed and coordinated centrally, with great results," said Urbaez.
"The national plan will only work when everyone, federal and state governments, agree... Every backward step costs us weeks of immunizations."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-19--Mali lost in transition as army expands its role after coup

A pro-junta rally , staged after the military forced out Mali 's unpopular president , Ibrahim Boubacar Keita , in August Hopes that soldiers behind Mali 's coup would swiftly restore civilian rule and tackle jihadism and ethnic violence are fading fast as the army expands its role .
Many in the large Sahel country hailed the August 18 putsch as the precursor of a `` new Mali '' -- a nation that would emerge stronger and more stable , its institutions better placed to confront the country 's many ills .
Young army officers toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his failures to roll back a jihadist insurgency and root out perceived corruption .
Threatened by international sanctions , the junta handed power to a caretaker institution which is supposed to last for up to 18 months until elections are held .
But disenchantment at the slow pace of reforms is growing , fuelled by anger that figures with army links dominate the body .
Political parties , swiftly ousted from the decision-making process , have almost unanimously denounced the methods of the military .
`` It would appear that this has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an expert on public law and governance .
Mali is `` a fragile country built like a house of cards , '' he said .
`` The junta had the possibility of consolidating the foundations , but they did not do it . ''
Nepotism and inaction remain .
Hospitals are overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases , while social discontent is mounting and many public service employees are on indefinite strike .
The number of jihadist attacks has declined but there is no evident connection with any political changes in Bamako , the southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islamists .
The latest controversy arose with the creation of the National Transition Council ( CNT ) , designed to take the place of parliament for the transition .
The criteria for appointing the 121 members of the CNT and even the true identity of some of those named remain obscure .
Others have been given seats without showing any prior interest .
Filmmaker Boubacar Sidibe is a victim of this .
He was a CNT candidate who was accepted , his name placed on file with his date of birth and profession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place at the inaugural session , a man with the same name introduced himself and stated that seat 101 was reserved for `` the military quota . ''
Sidibe was shown out .
`` We 're bringing to the table the same procedural irregularities that we denounced in the past , '' said Abdourhamane Ben Mamata Toure , former director of training at the National School of Administration , which has produced top civil servants .
`` We pre-programmed the failure of the reforms we want to carry out .
The most basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have already stumbled over it , '' he said .
The military now virtually has a stranglehold over the institutions of transition .
Among the coup leaders , Colonel Assimi Goita obtained a tailor-made role as powerful vice president of the transitional government ; Colonel Malick Diaw was promoted president of the CNT ; and Colonel Sadio Camara and Colonel Major Ismael Wague respectively took charge of the strategic ministries of defence and of reconciliation .
Thirteen of Mali 's 20 regional governors are now soldiers following a spate of nominations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane are civilians , but when the head of state recently disappeared for several days , speculation swirled that he had been sidelined or had even quit .
`` Today it 's Goita who makes all the choices .
Bah Ndaw is there to sign the decrees and that 's all , '' said governance expert Diawara .
Former justice minister Mamadou Ismaila Konate said people who protest at the militarisation of the regime `` have only themselves to blame '' .
`` We let Assimi Goita pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-quarters of the government and virtually all of the CNT . ''
`` Even the Queen of England and the Pope are not capable of appointing so many figures of the state , '' he observed .
A Western diplomat took a more measured view , saying : `` Those who condemn excessive militarisation forget that the transition was military from the start , and this did n't bother many people at the time . ''
Apart from the United States , which suspended all military assistance for the duration of the transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomatic note of the situation .
Many argue a case for pragmatism .
`` There are possibilities for reform , take advantage of them ! ''
suggested one diplomat .

Bamako (AFP) –
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Hopes that soldiers behind Mali's coup would swiftly restore civilian rule and tackle jihadism and ethnic violence are fading fast as the army expands its role.
Many in the large Sahel country hailed the August 18 putsch as the precursor of a "new Mali" -- a nation that would emerge stronger and more stable, its institutions better placed to confront the country's many ills.
Young army officers toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita after weeks of protests sparked largely by his failures to roll back a jihadist insurgency and root out perceived corruption.
Threatened by international sanctions, the junta handed power to a caretaker institution which is supposed to last for up to 18 months until elections are held.
But disenchantment at the slow pace of reforms is growing, fuelled by anger that figures with army links dominate the body.
Political parties, swiftly ousted from the decision-making process, have almost unanimously denounced the methods of the military.
"It would appear that this has been manipulation," said Boubacar Diawara, an expert on public law and governance.
Mali is "a fragile country built like a house of cards," he said. "The junta had the possibility of consolidating the foundations, but they did not do it."
Nepotism and inaction remain. Hospitals are overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases, while social discontent is mounting and many public service employees are on indefinite strike.
The number of jihadist attacks has declined but there is no evident connection with any political changes in Bamako, the southern capital far from territory frequented by armed Islamists.
The latest controversy arose with the creation of the National Transition Council (CNT), designed to take the place of parliament for the transition.
— Programmed for failure? —
The criteria for appointing the 121 members of the CNT and even the true identity of some of those named remain obscure. Others have been given seats without showing any prior interest.
Filmmaker Boubacar Sidibe is a victim of this.
He was a CNT candidate who was accepted, his name placed on file with his date of birth and profession. But when he sat in his place at the inaugural session, a man with the same name introduced himself and stated that seat 101 was reserved for "the military quota." Sidibe was shown out.
"We're bringing to the table the same procedural irregularities that we denounced in the past," said Abdourhamane Ben Mamata Toure, former director of training at the National School of Administration, which has produced top civil servants.
"We pre-programmed the failure of the reforms we want to carry out. The most basic principle is that of trust, and we have already stumbled over it," he said.
The military now virtually has a stranglehold over the institutions of transition.
Among the coup leaders, Colonel Assimi Goita obtained a tailor-made role as powerful vice president of the transitional government; Colonel Malick Diaw was promoted president of the CNT; and Colonel Sadio Camara and Colonel Major Ismael Wague respectively took charge of the strategic ministries of defence and of reconciliation.
Thirteen of Mali's 20 regional governors are now soldiers following a spate of nominations in November.
— 'Military from the start' —
Mali's transitional president Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane are civilians, but when the head of state recently disappeared for several days, speculation swirled that he had been sidelined or had even quit.
"Today it's Goita who makes all the choices. Bah Ndaw is there to sign the decrees and that's all," said governance expert Diawara.
Former justice minister Mamadou Ismaila Konate said people who protest at the militarisation of the regime "have only themselves to blame".
"We let Assimi Goita pick the president, the prime minister, three-quarters of the government and virtually all of the CNT."
"Even the Queen of England and the Pope are not capable of appointing so many figures of the state," he observed.
A Western diplomat took a more measured view, saying: "Those who condemn excessive militarisation forget that the transition was military from the start, and this didn't bother many people at the time."
Apart from the United States, which suspended all military assistance for the duration of the transition, Mali's foreign partners have taken diplomatic note of the situation. Many argue a case for pragmatism.
"There are possibilities for reform, take advantage of them!" suggested one diplomat.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-19--China offers to work with Biden, warns of new 'McCarthyism'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi , seen on a November 2020 visit to Seoul , has appealed for cooperation with US President-elect Joe Biden China 's top diplomat on Friday offered cooperation on key priorities of President-elect Joe Biden , warning that Beijing 's many US critics were creating an atmosphere of `` McCarthyism '' and ignoring common interests .
Taking aim at the hawkish approach of President Donald Trump , Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced hope for a return of talks and `` mutual trust '' between the world 's two largest economic powers after Biden takes over on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that US policy toward China return to objectivity and sensibility as early as possible , '' Wang said in a virtual address to the New York-based Asia Society .
Wang said that China saw `` space for cooperation '' with Biden on three of the four issues he has identified as immediate priorities -- Covid-19 , economic recovery and climate change .
Biden 's fourth stated priority is racial equity .
On the pandemic , Wang said Beijing and Washington could collaborate in manufacturing vaccines and assisting third countries .
`` We hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences through dialogue , '' Wang said .
The Trump administration says that decades of US engagement have failed with China , accusing Beijing of rampantly stealing intellectual property , widespread espionage and coercion of other nations through its blitz of infrastructure projects .
In recent months , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has terminated Chinese-funded exchange programs for Americans and tightened visa rules for Chinese students as well as members of the Communist Party and their families , likely affecting hundreds of millions of people .
`` We see McCarthyism resurging and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , referring to the witch hunt for communists purported to be in the US government led by Republican senator Joe McCarthy following World War II .
Wang accused unnamed senior US officials of `` irresponsible presumption of guilt and emotional lashing-out . ''
`` They ignore the vast common interests and room for cooperation between the two countries and insist that China is a main threat , '' Wang said .
`` This is like misaligning the buttons on clothing .
They get things wrong at the very beginning . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tapering off its tough stance on China as it enters its final month .
On Friday , the Commerce Department said it was imposing restrictions on 77 entities that will need special clearance to receive advanced US technology .
The targeted entities include two prominent universities -- the Beijing Institute of Technology , which allegedly sought to secure US items to benefit China 's military , and Tianjin University , which was accused of stealing trade secrets .
Four companies were also targeted for assisting China 's drive to map citizens ' DNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to control minorities , especially Uighur Muslims .
`` China 's corrupt and bullying behavior both inside and outside its borders harms US national security interests , undermines the sovereignty of our allies and partners , and violates the human rights and dignity of ethnic and religious minority groups , '' Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said .
Pompeo separately marked the anniversary of the discovery of the first Covid-19 case in Wuhan to highlight the initial silencing of doctors who sounded alarm over the illness that has since killed more than 1.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of continuing to obstruct an investigation into the virus by the World Health Organization , from which Trump has ordered a US withdrawal .
`` It is also peddling vaccines that lack essential data on safety and efficacy , due to a fundamental disregard for transparency and accountability regarding results from clinical trials , '' Pompeo said as the United States began mass vaccinations developed after intense Western research .
`` Both actions put Chinese citizens , and the world , at risk , '' Pompeo said .
Biden , who invested significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , has broadly agreed that Beijing poses a global challenge and has called for a tougher response on human rights .
But he is expected to take a less bellicose tone than Trump , with his nominee for secretary of state , Antony Blinken , speaking of potential cooperation on climate change and the pandemic .

Washington (AFP) –
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China's top diplomat on Friday offered cooperation on key priorities of President-elect Joe Biden, warning that Beijing's many US critics were creating an atmosphere of "McCarthyism" and ignoring common interests.
Taking aim at the hawkish approach of President Donald Trump, Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced hope for a return of talks and "mutual trust" between the world's two largest economic powers after Biden takes over on January 20.
"It is important that US policy toward China return to objectivity and sensibility as early as possible," Wang said in a virtual address to the New York-based Asia Society.
Wang said that China saw "space for cooperation" with Biden on three of the four issues he has identified as immediate priorities -- Covid-19, economic recovery and climate change. Biden's fourth stated priority is racial equity.
On the pandemic, Wang said Beijing and Washington could collaborate in manufacturing vaccines and assisting third countries.
"We hope that we will expand cooperation and manage differences through dialogue," Wang said.
The Trump administration says that decades of US engagement have failed with China, accusing Beijing of rampantly stealing intellectual property, widespread espionage and coercion of other nations through its blitz of infrastructure projects.
In recent months, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has terminated Chinese-funded exchange programs for Americans and tightened visa rules for Chinese students as well as members of the Communist Party and their families, likely affecting hundreds of millions of people.
"We see McCarthyism resurging and jeopardizing normal international exchanges," Wang said, referring to the witch hunt for communists purported to be in the US government led by Republican senator Joe McCarthy following World War II.
Wang accused unnamed senior US officials of "irresponsible presumption of guilt and emotional lashing-out."
"They ignore the vast common interests and room for cooperation between the two countries and insist that China is a main threat," Wang said.
"This is like misaligning the buttons on clothing. They get things wrong at the very beginning."
- New curbs on technology -
The Trump administration has shown no sign of tapering off its tough stance on China as it enters its final month.
On Friday, the Commerce Department said it was imposing restrictions on 77 entities that will need special clearance to receive advanced US technology.
The targeted entities include two prominent universities -- the Beijing Institute of Technology, which allegedly sought to secure US items to benefit China's military, and Tianjin University, which was accused of stealing trade secrets.
Four companies were also targeted for assisting China's drive to map citizens' DNA, a campaign that activists say is used to control minorities, especially Uighur Muslims.
"China's corrupt and bullying behavior both inside and outside its borders harms US national security interests, undermines the sovereignty of our allies and partners, and violates the human rights and dignity of ethnic and religious minority groups," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.
Pompeo separately marked the anniversary of the discovery of the first Covid-19 case in Wuhan to highlight the initial silencing of doctors who sounded alarm over the illness that has since killed more than 1.6 million people worldwide.
He accused China of continuing to obstruct an investigation into the virus by the World Health Organization, from which Trump has ordered a US withdrawal.
"It is also peddling vaccines that lack essential data on safety and efficacy, due to a fundamental disregard for transparency and accountability regarding results from clinical trials," Pompeo said as the United States began mass vaccinations developed after intense Western research.
"Both actions put Chinese citizens, and the world, at risk," Pompeo said.
Biden, who invested significant time in diplomacy with China as vice president, has broadly agreed that Beijing poses a global challenge and has called for a tougher response on human rights.
But he is expected to take a less bellicose tone than Trump, with his nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, speaking of potential cooperation on climate change and the pandemic.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-19--US authorizes Moderna as second Covid-19 vaccine

Moderna 's two-dose regimen is now the second Covid-19 vaccine to be deployed in a Western country , after the first , developed by Pfizer and BioNTech The United States on Friday authorized Moderna 's Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use , paving the way for six million doses of a second vaccine to soon begin shipping across the hardest-hit country in the world .
Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) chief Stephen Hahn said : `` With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of Covid-19 , the FDA has taken another crucial step in the fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congratulations , the Moderna vaccine is now available ! ''
tweeted President Donald Trump .
The US is the first nation to authorize the two-dose regimen from Moderna , now the second vaccine to be deployed in a Western country after the first , developed by Pfizer and BioNTech .
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved by Britain on December 2 , followed by several other countries including the US last week .
Less-vetted shots have also been rolled out in China and Russia .
Meharry Medical College President James Hildreth , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the FDA to discuss approval matters , said Thursday it was a `` remarkable achievement '' to have developed and authorized the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within the space of a year .
Together , they offer a glimmer of light at the end of the pandemic 's long tunnel .
The United States alone has seen more than 310,000 people die from coronavirus infections and is in the midst of a brutal winter surge , with nearly 115,000 people hospitalized , according to the Covid Tracking Project .
Millions of doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as this weekend from cold-storage sites outside Memphis and Louisville , overseen by logistics firm McKesson .
From there they will be delivered to sites around the country via partnerships with FedEx and UPS .
Moderna has several other drugs under development , but has never before seen any authorized .
The decade-old , Massachusetts-based biotech company received $ 2.5 billion in federal funding for its efforts and co-developed the vaccine with scientists at the National Institutes of Health .
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are based on cutting-edge mRNA ( messenger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been shown to be highly effective , protecting about 95 percent of people against Covid-19 compared to a placebo .
They have also been found to have no serious safety issues in clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people each .
The most commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site , tiredness , headache , muscle pain , chills , joint pain , swollen lymph nodes in the same arm as the injection , nausea and vomiting , and fever .
But there have now been a handful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant allergic reactions after receiving the Pfizer vaccine , and the FDA has said it will remain vigilant in its monitoring .
Both vaccines come with warnings for people who have histories of allergic reactions to their ingredients to avoid having them .
The FDA will also be on the lookout to see whether both vaccines may in extremely rare cases be linked to Bell 's Palsy , a relatively mild and temporary facial paralysis condition .
There were a handful of such cases in the clinical trials , but not enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people may have diminished immune reaction , and said there was not enough data to say whether there were any particular risks associated to giving the vaccine to pregnant people .
Both of the vaccines work by giving human cells the instructions to make a surface protein of the coronavirus , which simulates an infection and trains the immune system for when it encounters the real virus .
They each differ in the formulation of the fatty particles used to deliver the mRNA , which allows Moderna 's vaccine to be kept in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unlike Pfizer 's , which must be stored at -90 degrees Celsius .
Moderna carried out a clinical trial of more than 30,000 people , roughly half of whom were given the product and the other half a placebo , with neither recipients nor their health care providers knowing who was in each group .
It has proposed to `` unblind '' the whole study and offer placebo recipients the vaccine , a plan criticized by some experts who say scientists will be deprived of valuable data , and some people will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others in their priority group .
The US has paid for 200 million doses , enough to vaccinate 100 million people .
Moderna proposes to ship 20 million this month and 80 million more in the first quarter of 2021 , with the remaining 100 million in the second quarter .

Washington (AFP) –
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The United States on Friday authorized Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, paving the way for six million doses of a second vaccine to soon begin shipping across the hardest-hit country in the world.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Stephen Hahn said: "With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of Covid-19, the FDA has taken another crucial step in the fight against this global pandemic."
"Congratulations, the Moderna vaccine is now available!" tweeted President Donald Trump.
The US is the first nation to authorize the two-dose regimen from Moderna, now the second vaccine to be deployed in a Western country after the first, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved by Britain on December 2, followed by several other countries including the US last week. Less-vetted shots have also been rolled out in China and Russia.
Meharry Medical College President James Hildreth, who was part of a panel of experts convened by the FDA to discuss approval matters, said Thursday it was a "remarkable achievement" to have developed and authorized the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within the space of a year.
Together, they offer a glimmer of light at the end of the pandemic's long tunnel.
The United States alone has seen more than 310,000 people die from coronavirus infections and is in the midst of a brutal winter surge, with nearly 115,000 people hospitalized, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
Millions of doses will now start shipping out as early as this weekend from cold-storage sites outside Memphis and Louisville, overseen by logistics firm McKesson.
From there they will be delivered to sites around the country via partnerships with FedEx and UPS.
- Cutting-edge technology -
Moderna has several other drugs under development, but has never before seen any authorized.
The decade-old, Massachusetts-based biotech company received $2.5 billion in federal funding for its efforts and co-developed the vaccine with scientists at the National Institutes of Health.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are based on cutting-edge mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) technology, and both have been shown to be highly effective, protecting about 95 percent of people against Covid-19 compared to a placebo.
They have also been found to have no serious safety issues in clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people each.
The most commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes in the same arm as the injection, nausea and vomiting, and fever.
But there have now been a handful of people around the world who developed significant allergic reactions after receiving the Pfizer vaccine, and the FDA has said it will remain vigilant in its monitoring.
Both vaccines come with warnings for people who have histories of allergic reactions to their ingredients to avoid having them.
The FDA will also be on the lookout to see whether both vaccines may in extremely rare cases be linked to Bell's Palsy, a relatively mild and temporary facial paralysis condition.
There were a handful of such cases in the clinical trials, but not enough to attribute causality.
The FDA said immunocompromised people may have diminished immune reaction, and said there was not enough data to say whether there were any particular risks associated to giving the vaccine to pregnant people.
- Placebo dilemma -
Both of the vaccines work by giving human cells the instructions to make a surface protein of the coronavirus, which simulates an infection and trains the immune system for when it encounters the real virus.
They each differ in the formulation of the fatty particles used to deliver the mRNA, which allows Moderna's vaccine to be kept in long term storage at -20 degrees Celsius, unlike Pfizer's, which must be stored at -90 degrees Celsius.
Moderna carried out a clinical trial of more than 30,000 people, roughly half of whom were given the product and the other half a placebo, with neither recipients nor their health care providers knowing who was in each group.
It has proposed to "unblind" the whole study and offer placebo recipients the vaccine, a plan criticized by some experts who say scientists will be deprived of valuable data, and some people will end up getting the vaccine ahead of others in their priority group.
The US has paid for 200 million doses, enough to vaccinate 100 million people.
Moderna proposes to ship 20 million this month and 80 million more in the first quarter of 2021, with the remaining 100 million in the second quarter.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-19--US authorises Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use

FILE PHOTO : Vials with a sticker reading , `` COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only '' and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken October 31 , 2020 .
Moderna Inc 's coronavirus vaccine on Friday became the second to receive emergency use authorisation ( EUA ) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , welcome news to a nation with a staggering COVID-19 death toll of over 307,000 lives lost .
The FDA announced the authorisation the day after the agency 's panel of outside experts endorsed its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulatory authorisation in the world for Moderna 's vaccine and validation of its messenger RNA technology .
It came less than a year after the first COVID-19 case was identified in the United States .
The biotech company has worked with the U.S. government to prepare for the distribution of 5.9 million shots as early as this weekend .
The FDA decision is based on results from a late-stage study of 30,000 volunteers that found the vaccine was nearly 95 % effective at preventing illness from COVID-19 with no serious safety concerns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE that has been put into the arms of thousands of U.S. healthcare workers this week in a massive nationwide rollout .
`` With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of COVID-19 , the FDA has taken another crucial step in the fight against this global pandemic that is causing vast numbers of hospitalisations and deaths in the United States each day , ” FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn , M.D , said in a statement .
Moderna 's shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations , such as rural hospitals .
The vaccine needs to be stored and shipped frozen , but does not require the ultra-cold temperatures of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot .
Once thawed , the Moderna vaccine can be kept at typical refrigerator temperatures .
It is administered in two shots 28 days apart .
Moderna has deals with the U.S. government to provide 20 million doses this year and a total of 200 million doses by the end of June 2021 .

Moderna Inc's coronavirus vaccine on Friday became the second to receive emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, welcome news to a nation with a staggering COVID-19 death toll of over 307,000 lives lost.
FILE PHOTO: Vials with a sticker reading, "COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only" and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020.
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The FDA announced the authorisation the day after the agency's panel of outside experts endorsed its use.
The decision marks the first regulatory authorisation in the world for Moderna's vaccine and validation of its messenger RNA technology. It came less than a year after the first COVID-19 case was identified in the United States.
The biotech company has worked with the U.S. government to prepare for the distribution of 5.9 million shots as early as this weekend.
03:41
The FDA decision is based on results from a late-stage study of 30,000 volunteers that found the vaccine was nearly 95% effective at preventing illness from COVID-19 with no serious safety concerns.
The authorization follows an EUA granted for a similar vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE that has been put into the arms of thousands of U.S. healthcare workers this week in a massive nationwide rollout.
"With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of COVID-19, the FDA has taken another crucial step in the fight against this global pandemic that is causing vast numbers of hospitalisations and deaths in the United States each day,” FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D, said in a statement.
Moderna's shot is expected to be used in harder-to-reach locations, such as rural hospitals. The vaccine needs to be stored and shipped frozen, but does not require the ultra-cold temperatures of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot.
Once thawed, the Moderna vaccine can be kept at typical refrigerator temperatures. It is administered in two shots 28 days apart.
Moderna has deals with the U.S. government to provide 20 million doses this year and a total of 200 million doses by the end of June 2021.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-12-18--US imposes sanctions on Venezuela election firm

A poll worker waits for voters in Caracas on December 6 , 2020 for parliamentary elections boycotted by the opposition and widely criticized internationally The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on a biometrics company that assisted voting in Venezuela 's parliamentary elections , which President Donald Trump 's administration says were rigged .
Ex-Cle C.A.
, the Venezuelan subsidiary of a company by a similar name in Argentina , has `` millions of dollars of contracts '' with President Nicolas Maduro 's government , which Washington and most Western and Latin American nations consider illegitimate , US officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US adversaries , the Treasury Department said Ex-Cle C.A .
bought thousands of voting machines from China , flew them into Venezuela through Iran and paid via the Russian financial system .
Maduro 's reliance on Ex-Cle C.A .
and Chinese company CEIEC `` to rig the electoral processes should leave no doubt that the December 6 legislative elections were fraudulent and do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said .
US officials did not assert cheating in the tabulation of the votes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the polls were unfair , with Maduro in control of a new electoral council .
The opposition boycotted the vote and lost control of the National Assembly , the only branch of government not in Maduro 's control .
The Venezuelan president slammed the US sanctions .
Pompeo imposed `` stupid sanctions like the idiot that he is , as he is on his way out , against the company and the businessmen who manufactured the machines so that the people of Venezuela could vote , '' Maduro said .
Ex-Cle has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to implement a biometric security system , according to the company 's website .
The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on two company executives , one Venezuelan and the other a dual Argentine and Italian national , freezing any assets they hold in the United States .
Trump has alleged with no evidence that US elections in which he lost were rigged , with his legal team sharing a debunked conspiracy theory of Venezuelan involvement .

Washington (AFP) –
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The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on a biometrics company that assisted voting in Venezuela's parliamentary elections, which President Donald Trump's administration says were rigged.
Ex-Cle C.A., the Venezuelan subsidiary of a company by a similar name in Argentina, has "millions of dollars of contracts" with President Nicolas Maduro's government, which Washington and most Western and Latin American nations consider illegitimate, US officials said.
In a who's who of US adversaries, the Treasury Department said Ex-Cle C.A. bought thousands of voting machines from China, flew them into Venezuela through Iran and paid via the Russian financial system.
Maduro's reliance on Ex-Cle C.A. and Chinese company CEIEC "to rig the electoral processes should leave no doubt that the December 6 legislative elections were fraudulent and do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
US officials did not assert cheating in the tabulation of the votes, but a number of international observers said the polls were unfair, with Maduro in control of a new electoral council.
The opposition boycotted the vote and lost control of the National Assembly, the only branch of government not in Maduro's control.
The Venezuelan president slammed the US sanctions.
Pompeo imposed "stupid sanctions like the idiot that he is, as he is on his way out, against the company and the businessmen who manufactured the machines so that the people of Venezuela could vote," Maduro said.
Ex-Cle has also operated in Panama, winning a contract to implement a biometric security system, according to the company's website.
The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on two company executives, one Venezuelan and the other a dual Argentine and Italian national, freezing any assets they hold in the United States.
Trump has alleged with no evidence that US elections in which he lost were rigged, with his legal team sharing a debunked conspiracy theory of Venezuelan involvement.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-18--Wasps see off 14-man Montpellier to top Champions Cup pool

Alfie Barbeary was the star man for Wasps as they beat Montpellier to top their Champions Cup pool Wasps moved top of European Champions Cup Pool A on Friday after a hard-fought 33-14 win over Montpellier put the English side in a strong position to qualify for next year 's quarter-finals .
Two tries from Alfie Barbeary helped Wasps to their bonus point victory at the Ricoh Arena , which came against a Montpellier side who were on the back foot from the seventh minute when Henry Immelman was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Wasps ' scrum-half Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their first two games , while Top 14 side Montpellier are bottom of the 12-team pool after their second straight loss and can kiss goodbye their chances of making the last eight draw .
A point behind Wasps are La Rochelle , who were one of three French sides -- alongside Pool B teams Lyon and Toulouse -- to be handed a 28-0 win for their matches this weekend after they were cancelled because of Covid-19 cases in their opponents ' squads .
Leinster can join Wasps on 10 points when they host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missed early penalty attempts Wasps took the lead in the 23rd minute when Barbeary crashed over the line following fine play on the left flank from Tom Cruse which took the hosts close to the line .
They then went 12-0 ahead when Montpellier fluffed possession near the Wasps ' line and the ball eventually found James Gaskell , who ran through unopposed for a try which was converted by Jimmy Gopperth .
With the British side looking like they were going to run away with the match , Montpellier 's Alex Lozowski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intercepted a pass and raced through for a try .
That try was converted to take the two sides to 12-7 at the break .
Montpellier took a shock lead shortly after the break when Yvan Reilhac 's try was converted to make it 14-12 , but in the 50th minute Paolo Odogwu 's converted try restored Wasps ' five-point lead .
Barbeary gave Wasps breathing space and a bonus point with his second try of the game just after the hour mark , when he powered over under the stick to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added a fifth try with seconds remaining and then converted it himself to make the win a heavier one than a spirited Montpellier side deserved .
Wasps ' win was the only match of the night after Toulon pulled out of their match against Scarlets , scheduled for Friday , because coronavirus `` sanitary conditions were not met '' .
The French club made the decision despite organisers being `` satisfied '' it was safe to play the game , and the match was postponed by organisers EPCR .

Coventry (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
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Wasps moved top of European Champions Cup Pool A on Friday after a hard-fought 33-14 win over Montpellier put the English side in a strong position to qualify for next year's quarter-finals.
Two tries from Alfie Barbeary helped Wasps to their bonus point victory at the Ricoh Arena, which came against a Montpellier side who were on the back foot from the seventh minute when Henry Immelman was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Wasps' scrum-half Will Porter.
Wasps have 10 points from their first two games, while Top 14 side Montpellier are bottom of the 12-team pool after their second straight loss and can kiss goodbye their chances of making the last eight draw.
A point behind Wasps are La Rochelle, who were one of three French sides -- alongside Pool B teams Lyon and Toulouse -- to be handed a 28-0 win for their matches this weekend after they were cancelled because of Covid-19 cases in their opponents' squads.
Leinster can join Wasps on 10 points when they host Northampton on Saturday.
After both sides missed early penalty attempts Wasps took the lead in the 23rd minute when Barbeary crashed over the line following fine play on the left flank from Tom Cruse which took the hosts close to the line.
They then went 12-0 ahead when Montpellier fluffed possession near the Wasps' line and the ball eventually found James Gaskell, who ran through unopposed for a try which was converted by Jimmy Gopperth.
With the British side looking like they were going to run away with the match, Montpellier's Alex Lozowski scored against his old team when he intercepted a pass and raced through for a try.
That try was converted to take the two sides to 12-7 at the break.
Montpellier took a shock lead shortly after the break when Yvan Reilhac's try was converted to make it 14-12, but in the 50th minute Paolo Odogwu's converted try restored Wasps' five-point lead.
Barbeary gave Wasps breathing space and a bonus point with his second try of the game just after the hour mark, when he powered over under the stick to allow Gopperth to easily convert.
Charlie Atkinson added a fifth try with seconds remaining and then converted it himself to make the win a heavier one than a spirited Montpellier side deserved.
Wasps' win was the only match of the night after Toulon pulled out of their match against Scarlets, scheduled for Friday, because coronavirus "sanitary conditions were not met".
The French club made the decision despite organisers being "satisfied" it was safe to play the game, and the match was postponed by organisers EPCR.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-18--Saints quarterback Brees set for return against Chiefs

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is slated to return against the Kansas City Chiefs after missing four games with broken ribs and a punctured lung Drew Brees will start at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints in their NFL clash with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs , Saints coach Sean Payton confirmed on Friday .
`` Our plan is to play him , our plan is to start him , '' Payton said of Brees , the veteran signal-caller who has missed four games with broken ribs and a punctured lung .
The Saints won three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under center , securing a playoff berth .
They can cinch their fourth straight NFC South divisional title with a victory over the Chiefs or a loss by Tampa Bay .
Brees came off injured reserve on Wednesday , when Payton said the QB still had `` a ways to go . ''
On Friday the Saints said Brees had been able to take part in every practice .
`` He 's looked good , '' Payton said .
`` He feels good .
We were encouraged at the start of the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt as he went through a full practice week , and he 's done a good job .
`` We would n't be playing him if he was n't healthy and able to function and feeling good and recovered . ''

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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Drew Brees will start at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints in their NFL clash with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Saints coach Sean Payton confirmed on Friday.
"Our plan is to play him, our plan is to start him," Payton said of Brees, the veteran signal-caller who has missed four games with broken ribs and a punctured lung.
The Saints won three of four contests with backup Taysom Hill starting under center, securing a playoff berth.
They can cinch their fourth straight NFC South divisional title with a victory over the Chiefs or a loss by Tampa Bay.
Brees came off injured reserve on Wednesday, when Payton said the QB still had "a ways to go."
On Friday the Saints said Brees had been able to take part in every practice.
"He's looked good," Payton said. "He feels good. We were encouraged at the start of the week. We wanted to see how it felt as he went through a full practice week, and he's done a good job.
"We wouldn't be playing him if he wasn't healthy and able to function and feeling good and recovered."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-18--Top-ranked Ko grabs LPGA Tour Championship lead

Ko Jin-young of South Korea on the way to the 36-hole lead in the LPGA Tour Championship in Naples , Florida World number one Ko Jin-young fired five birdies in a five-under-par 67 on Friday to seize a one-stroke lead over Kim Sei-young and Lexi Thompson in the LPGA Tour Championship .
South Korea 's Ko , playing just her fourth LPGA event of the pandemic-disrupted season , had a 36-hole total of nine-under par 135 .
With a $ 1.1 million winner 's prize on offer , Ko could end up topping the 2020 money list with a victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was n't even assured a place in the Tour Championship until she tied for second in the US Women 's Open last week .
However , she was trying to focus on her game , rather than the trophy or the fact that one of her closest pursuers , Kim , is also chasing her for the world number one ranking .
`` World ranking , my opinion is it 's just ( doing ) little things to play golf , '' she said .
`` So if I play good I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If not and then she plays good she can do it ... it does n't really matter . ''
The second-placed duo comprised the last two winners of the season-ending event at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples , Florida : 2019 champion Kim and 2018 winner Thompson .
Kim signed for a second-round 69 while overnight leader Thompson , seeking a first victory of 2020 , carded a 71 .
Ko , three adrift to start the day , gained steam with birdies at the sixth and 10th , then picked up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holes with birdies at the 14th , 15th and 17th .
She drained a birdie bomb at the 15th for a share of the lead and was alone in front after a birdie at the par-five 17th .
`` I want to go bogey-free ( the ) next two days , so I 'm looking forward the weekend , '' she said .
Kim got off to a sizzling start , with four birdies in the first five holes pushing her to nine-under before bogeys at the seventh and ninth .
She tapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefly gave her the solo lead on eight-under , but she could n't find another birdie as Ko edged ahead .
Thompson , seven-under to start the day , made a promising start with a birdie at the second , but stalled with bogeys at the third and ninth .
She was back in contention with birdies at 14 and 15 , and maintained her momentum with a superb up and down from a tough lie in the bunker at 17 .
Australian Hannah Green , whose two LPGA titles include the 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birdies with one bogey in a four-under 67 that put her in solo fourth on 137 .
`` I did hole a really nice putt on the first , which is always nice , '' Green said .
`` Over the last couple weeks I 've kind of struggled with my consistency in putting , so I made a birdie on four and then five and holed some long putts -- which kind of felt like it 's been a while since I holed that length of putt , '' added the Aussie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall in .
Half a dozen players shared fifth on 138 , a group headed by American Nelly Korda who notched seven birdies in a six-under 66 .
New Zealand 's Lydia Ko fired the round of the day with a bogey-free seven-under 65 for 139 .

Miami (AFP) –
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World number one Ko Jin-young fired five birdies in a five-under-par 67 on Friday to seize a one-stroke lead over Kim Sei-young and Lexi Thompson in the LPGA Tour Championship.
South Korea's Ko, playing just her fourth LPGA event of the pandemic-disrupted season, had a 36-hole total of nine-under par 135.
With a $1.1 million winner's prize on offer, Ko could end up topping the 2020 money list with a victory despite making so few starts. She wasn't even assured a place in the Tour Championship until she tied for second in the US Women's Open last week.
However, she was trying to focus on her game, rather than the trophy or the fact that one of her closest pursuers, Kim, is also chasing her for the world number one ranking.
"World ranking, my opinion is it's just (doing) little things to play golf," she said. "So if I play good I can do world ranking No. 1 still. If not and then she plays good she can do it ... it doesn't really matter."
The second-placed duo comprised the last two winners of the season-ending event at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida: 2019 champion Kim and 2018 winner Thompson.
Kim signed for a second-round 69 while overnight leader Thompson, seeking a first victory of 2020, carded a 71.
Ko, three adrift to start the day, gained steam with birdies at the sixth and 10th, then picked up three strokes in the space of four holes with birdies at the 14th, 15th and 17th.
She drained a birdie bomb at the 15th for a share of the lead and was alone in front after a birdie at the par-five 17th.
"I want to go bogey-free (the) next two days, so I'm looking forward the weekend," she said.
Kim got off to a sizzling start, with four birdies in the first five holes pushing her to nine-under before bogeys at the seventh and ninth.
She tapped in a birdie putt at 14 that briefly gave her the solo lead on eight-under, but she couldn't find another birdie as Ko edged ahead.
Thompson, seven-under to start the day, made a promising start with a birdie at the second, but stalled with bogeys at the third and ninth.
She was back in contention with birdies at 14 and 15, and maintained her momentum with a superb up and down from a tough lie in the bunker at 17.
Australian Hannah Green, whose two LPGA titles include the 2019 Women's PGA Championship, fired five birdies with one bogey in a four-under 67 that put her in solo fourth on 137.
"I did hole a really nice putt on the first, which is always nice," Green said.
"Over the last couple weeks I've kind of struggled with my consistency in putting, so I made a birdie on four and then five and holed some long putts -- which kind of felt like it's been a while since I holed that length of putt," added the Aussie, who watched one from 35 feet fall in.
Half a dozen players shared fifth on 138, a group headed by American Nelly Korda who notched seven birdies in a six-under 66.
New Zealand's Lydia Ko fired the round of the day with a bogey-free seven-under 65 for 139.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-18--Dortmund's Moukoko becomes Bundesliga's youngest goalscorer

Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko , 16 , celebrates after becoming the youngest goal-scorer in Bundesliga history on Friday Youssoufa Moukoko @ @ @ @ @ Bundesliga history on Friday when he hit the net for Borussia Dortmund at Union Berlin @ @ @ @ @ days .
Having earlier hit the woodwork in Berlin , Moukoko leapt into the air @ @ @ @ @ an equaliser after Liverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi had given Union the lead early in the @ @ @ @ @ the previous record of Leverkusen 's Florian Wirtz , who was 17 years , 34 @ @ @ @ @ Bayern Munich in June .
This is the third record Moukoko has claimed in the @ @ @ @ @ the Champions League 's youngest player in early December , coming off the bench in @ @ @ @ @ Petersburg with Dortmund through to the last 16 where they face Sevilla .
He also @ @ @ @ @ Bundesliga history on November 21 -- the day after his 16th birthday .

Berlin (AFP) –
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Youssoufa Moukoko became the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history on Friday when he hit the net for Borussia Dortmund at Union Berlin aged 16 years and 28 days.
Having earlier hit the woodwork in Berlin, Moukoko leapt into the air in celebration after firing home an equaliser after Liverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi had given Union the lead early in the second half.
Moukoko breaks the previous record of Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, who was 17 years, 34 days when he scored against Bayern Munich in June.
This is the third record Moukoko has claimed in the last month.
He became the Champions League's youngest player in early December, coming off the bench in the win at Zenit St Petersburg with Dortmund through to the last 16 where they face Sevilla.
He also became the youngest player in Bundesliga history on November 21 -- the day after his 16th birthday.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-18--Oscars museum delayed again as pandemic grips Los Angeles

The museum 's orb-like structure -- designed by Renzo Piano `` as if it were floating '' to symbolize `` the fantasy and magic of the movies '' -- is connected by sky bridges to a converted department store housing galleries The long-awaited opening of Los Angeles ' Oscars museum was postponed again Friday due to the pandemic , with officials saying its scheduled April debut would be `` irresponsible '' as the city grapples with record coronavirus cases .
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures , dedicated to the magic of movies and set to host iconic Hollywood treasures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oz '' ruby slippers to Dracula 's cape , has been beset by delays .
It had been set to finally open April 30 , the week after the Academy 's flagship event -- the Oscars -- but will now welcome visitors from September 30 .
President Bill Kramer said in a statement that the museum was `` ready and eager to welcome visitors in the spring , '' but `` with the current surge of Covid-19 , it would be irresponsible to maintain an April opening . ''
`` We know a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and when it does , the Academy Museum will be ready to offer our visitors the remarkable experience we have all been wanting . ''
California has emerged as the latest epicenter in the US Covid-19 outbreak , reporting more than 52,000 new cases Wednesday .
Even as vaccinations began this week , intensive care units have run out of beds at multiple hospitals across southern California .
Los Angeles health officials estimate about one in 80 county residents are currently infected .
All indoor Los Angeles museums are closed due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home '' order in effect until at least December 28 .
The Oscars themselves were postponed by eight weeks to April 25 , after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered movie theaters and wreaked havoc on Hollywood 's release calendar .
The futuristic Academy museum contains a 1,000-seat theater inside a seemingly-suspended glass , steel and concrete orb designed by Renzo Piano , connected by sky bridges to a converted department store housing the main galleries -- and the recently installed 25-foot ( 7.5-meter ) shark model used in `` Jaws . ''
`` Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for all of us , as we look ahead to opening our doors on September 30 , '' said museum chair and Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos .

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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The long-awaited opening of Los Angeles' Oscars museum was postponed again Friday due to the pandemic, with officials saying its scheduled April debut would be "irresponsible" as the city grapples with record coronavirus cases.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, dedicated to the magic of movies and set to host iconic Hollywood treasures from Judy Garland's "Wizard of Oz" ruby slippers to Dracula's cape, has been beset by delays.
It had been set to finally open April 30, the week after the Academy's flagship event -- the Oscars -- but will now welcome visitors from September 30.
President Bill Kramer said in a statement that the museum was "ready and eager to welcome visitors in the spring," but "with the current surge of Covid-19, it would be irresponsible to maintain an April opening."
"We know a new day is coming for us all, and when it does, the Academy Museum will be ready to offer our visitors the remarkable experience we have all been wanting."
California has emerged as the latest epicenter in the US Covid-19 outbreak, reporting more than 52,000 new cases Wednesday.
Even as vaccinations began this week, intensive care units have run out of beds at multiple hospitals across southern California.
Los Angeles health officials estimate about one in 80 county residents are currently infected.
All indoor Los Angeles museums are closed due to Covid restrictions, with a regional "stay-at-home" order in effect until at least December 28.
The Oscars themselves were postponed by eight weeks to April 25, after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered movie theaters and wreaked havoc on Hollywood's release calendar.
The futuristic Academy museum contains a 1,000-seat theater inside a seemingly-suspended glass, steel and concrete orb designed by Renzo Piano, connected by sky bridges to a converted department store housing the main galleries -- and the recently installed 25-foot (7.5-meter) shark model used in "Jaws."
"Now it's just a matter of patience, for all of us, as we look ahead to opening our doors on September 30," said museum chair and Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-18--Somalia suicide bombing misses PM but kills several top commanders

Somalia ’ s Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble ( right ) , was due to address a rally in the city when the suicide bomber detonated a deadly explosion .
At least 10 people were killed on Friday in a town in Somalia ’ s semi autonomous state of Galmudug when a suicide bomber detonated a device at a rally due to be addressed by the country ’ s prime minister , a security official said .
Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble was on his way to address the rally at a stadium in Galkayo , a town in central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had gathered to welcome him before the explosion , Galmudug state security ministry said in a post on its Facebook page .
“ Over 10 people died in the blast including three senior military officials , soldiers and civilians , ” Major Mohamed Abdirahman , a military officer , told Reuters from Galkayo .
Over 20 people were injured , he added .
Senior officials at the site included General Abdiasis Abdullahi Qooje who was commander of a battalion based in Galmudug , Somali state radio SONNA reported .
He said the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al Qaeda-allied Islamist group al Shabaab , claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was “ targeting the apostate prime minister who was visiting the town.
” Among those killed , al Shabaab ’ s military operations spokesman , Abdiasis Abu Musab , told Reuters , some were U.S.-trained .
The group has been fighting for more than a decade to topple the Horn of Africa ’ s central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of sharia law .
Farah Ali , a resident of Galkayo who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone interview the stadium was packed with a huge crowd before the blast .
“ I counted seven dead people including soldiers and civilians and over a dozen injured , ” he said .

At least 10 people were killed on Friday in a town in Somalia’s semi autonomous state of Galmudug when a suicide bomber detonated a device at a rally due to be addressed by the country’s prime minister, a security official said.
Somalia’s Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble (right), was due to address a rally in the city when the suicide bomber detonated a deadly explosion.
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Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble was on his way to address the rally at a stadium in Galkayo, a town in central Somalia where many residents and security forces had gathered to welcome him before the explosion, Galmudug state security ministry said in a post on its Facebook page.
“Over 10 people died in the blast including three senior military officials, soldiers and civilians,” Major Mohamed Abdirahman, a military officer, told Reuters from Galkayo. Over 20 people were injured, he added.
Senior officials at the site included General Abdiasis Abdullahi Qooje who was commander of a battalion based in Galmudug, Somali state radio SONNA reported.
He said the death toll may rise.
Somalia’s al Qaeda-allied Islamist group al Shabaab, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was “targeting the apostate prime minister who was visiting the town.”
Among those killed, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, told Reuters, some were U.S.-trained.
The group has been fighting for more than a decade to topple the Horn of Africa’s central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of sharia law.
Farah Ali, a resident of Galkayo who witnessed the bombing, told Reuters in a phone interview the stadium was packed with a huge crowd before the blast.
“I counted seven dead people including soldiers and civilians and over a dozen injured,” he said.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-12-18--Ligue 1 leaders Lille sold to investment fund

Gerard Lopez , right , took over Lille from Michel Seydoux in 2017 and leaves the club top of the league and deeply in debt Gerard Lopez has sold Ligue 1 leaders Lille to Callisto , a subsidiary of the Merlyn Partners investment fund , a source close to the club told AFP on Friday .
The new owners have installed Olivier Letang , a 48-year-old former sporting director at Paris Saint-Germain and president of Rennes , as CEO .
They finished 11th in the table that season , dropped to 17th the following year but have since finished second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the league after 15 matches and have progressed from the group stages of the Champions League for only the second time , the previous occasion was in 2006 .
`` I have achieved my goal and I believe that it is now time for a new owner to take over and for me to concentrate on other sporting endeavours , '' said Lopez in a statement issued by the club .
Lopez also leaves the club deeply in debt .
He borrowed more than 225 million euros ( 275 million dollars ) from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
He was pushed towards the exit by the American investment fund , to which he had repaid less than half of this sum .
`` Given the recent difficulties in Ligue 1 and in particular the uncertainty surrounding the TV rights contract for the French championship , it is important that the LOSC is owned by a reputable owner with recognised financial strength such as Merlyn , '' Lopez said .
Luxembourg-based Merlyn said in the statement that it focused on `` long-term '' investments in European assets .
It said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly reduced and new equity will be injected into the club . ''
Merlyn said it had hired Letang as CEO because it wanted `` to build a new , experienced and strong leadership within the club . ''
Under Letang , Rennes beat PSG in the French Cup final in 2019 for their first trophy in 48 years .
When Letang left the club in February , saying it was against his wishes , Rennes were third in Ligue 1 .
They ended the coronavirus-curtailed season still in third , their highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second division midfielder who was described by former colleagues as a workaholic and an unyielding but highly competent boss .
He has a reputation for feuding with the coaches he hires .
`` My intention is for the club to reach its full potential and I will ensure that LOSC is well managed from a sporting and financial point of view , '' Letang said in the Lille statement .

Lille (France) (AFP) –
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Gerard Lopez has sold Ligue 1 leaders Lille to Callisto, a subsidiary of the Merlyn Partners investment fund, a source close to the club told AFP on Friday.
The new owners have installed Olivier Letang, a 48-year-old former sporting director at Paris Saint-Germain and president of Rennes, as CEO.
Lopez, a Spanish-Luxembourgish businessman, bought Lille from Michel Seydoux in January 2017.
They finished 11th in the table that season, dropped to 17th the following year but have since finished second and fourth.
This season they lead the league after 15 matches and have progressed from the group stages of the Champions League for only the second time, the previous occasion was in 2006.
"I have achieved my goal and I believe that it is now time for a new owner to take over and for me to concentrate on other sporting endeavours," said Lopez in a statement issued by the club.
Lopez also leaves the club deeply in debt.
He borrowed more than 225 million euros (275 million dollars) from Elliott Management during his first months in office. He was pushed towards the exit by the American investment fund, to which he had repaid less than half of this sum.
"Given the recent difficulties in Ligue 1 and in particular the uncertainty surrounding the TV rights contract for the French championship, it is important that the LOSC is owned by a reputable owner with recognised financial strength such as Merlyn," Lopez said.
Luxembourg-based Merlyn said in the statement that it focused on "long-term" investments in European assets.
It said Lille's "outstanding debt will be significantly reduced and new equity will be injected into the club."
Merlyn said it had hired Letang as CEO because it wanted "to build a new, experienced and strong leadership within the club."
Under Letang, Rennes beat PSG in the French Cup final in 2019 for their first trophy in 48 years. When Letang left the club in February, saying it was against his wishes, Rennes were third in Ligue 1. They ended the coronavirus-curtailed season still in third, their highest top-flight finish.
He is a former second division midfielder who was described by former colleagues as a workaholic and an unyielding but highly competent boss. He has a reputation for feuding with the coaches he hires.
"My intention is for the club to reach its full potential and I will ensure that LOSC is well managed from a sporting and financial point of view," Letang said in the Lille statement.
© 2020 AFP