france24--2020-01-23--Holocaust must not 'justify' division or hate, Macron says on 75th anniversary of Auschwitz liberati

Holocaust must not 'justify' division or hate, Macron says on 75th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation

French President Emmanuel Macron takes part in a wreath laying ceremony during the Fifth World Holocaust Forum at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem on January 23 , 2020 .
- World leaders travelled to Israel this week to mark 75 years since the Red Army liberated Auschwitz , the extermination camp where the Nazis killed over a million Jews .
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday told world leaders commemorating 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz that anti-Semitism is “ once again rearing its violent head ” but underscored that the Holocaust must not be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Addressing more than 40 world leaders at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Memorial Center in Jerusalem , Macron said that “ in our history , anti-Semitism always preceded the weakening of democracy ” .
But , he noted , `` no one has the right to invoke ( those killed by the Nazis ) to justify division or contemporary hatred '' .
The 42-year-old French leader spoke after Israel ’ s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President Mike Pence had both warned of perceived threats by Iran .
While Netanyahu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holocaust ” , he urged action against what he called `` the tyrants of Tehran '' , comparing the threat of the Islamic Republic with that once posed by Nazi Germany .
`` We have yet to see a unified and resolute stance against the most anti-Semitic regime on the planet , a regime that openly seeks to develop nuclear weapons and annihilate the one and only Jewish state , ” he said .
`` I call on all governments to join the vital effort of confronting Iran . ''
Pence struck a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ stand strong against the Islamic Republic of Iran '' , saying it is the only government in the world “ that denies the Holocaust as a matter of state policy '' .
Tehran denies accusations of anti-Semitism , insisting that while it opposes the Jewish state and supports the Palestinian cause , it has no problem with Jewish people , including its own Jewish minority .
Russian President Vladimir Putin , meanwhile , proposed a summit of leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to `` defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instability .
Thursday ’ s forum was the biggest international diplomatic gathering ever held in Israel , to remember the liberation of the World War II death camp where the Nazis killed more than 1.1 million people , most of them Jews .
‘ Industrial mass murder ’ Germany 's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that racist and anti-Semitic `` spirits of evil are emerging in a new guise '' .
The German head of state told the gathering he bowed `` in deepest sorrow '' at the memory of `` the industrial mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst crime in the history of humanity ... committed by my countrymen '' .
Looking at resurgent extremism and intolerance , he said , `` Of course , our age is a different age .
The words are not the same .
The perpetrators are not the same .
But it is the same evil . ''
`` The spirits of evil are emerging in a new guise , presenting their anti-Semitic , racist , authoritarian thinking as an answer for the future , a new solution to the problems of our age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the event in Jerusalem to pray for the dead and light a memorial torch .
Among them was Yona Amit , 81 , who as a child spent the war hiding from the Nazis and lost family members , including her cousin .
`` I exchanged shoes with him playing '' shortly before he was captured , she recalled .
`` They were straight away sent to Auschwitz .
And of course my cousin , with my shoes : straight away up in the chimneys , in the gas chambers , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that big mound of shoes in Auschwitz , my shoes are there .
I am here . ''
The ceremonies move on next Monday to the site in Poland of the Auschwitz camp , which was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on January 27 , 1945 .
( FRANCE 24 with AP , AFP )

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday told world leaders commemorating 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz that anti-Semitism is “once again rearing its violent head” but underscored that the Holocaust must not be used to "justify" hatred and division.
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Addressing more than 40 world leaders at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remebrance Center in Jerusalem, Macron said that “in our history, anti-Semitism always preceded the weakening of democracy”. But, he noted, "no one has the right to invoke (those killed by the Nazis) to justify division or contemporary hatred".
The 42-year-old French leader spoke after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President Mike Pence had both warned of perceived threats by Iran.
09:21
While Netanyahu said “there will not be another Holocaust”, he urged action against what he called "the tyrants of Tehran", comparing the threat of the Islamic Republic with that once posed by Nazi Germany.
"We have yet to see a unified and resolute stance against the most anti-Semitic regime on the planet, a regime that openly seeks to develop nuclear weapons and annihilate the one and only Jewish state,” he said. "I call on all governments to join the vital effort of confronting Iran."
Pence struck a similar chord, and urged the world to “stand strong against the Islamic Republic of Iran", saying it is the only government in the world “that denies the Holocaust as a matter of state policy".
Tehran denies accusations of anti-Semitism, insisting that while it opposes the Jewish state and supports the Palestinian cause, it has no problem with Jewish people, including its own Jewish minority.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, proposed a summit of leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to "defend peace" in the face of global instability.
Thursday’s forum was the biggest international diplomatic gathering ever held in Israel, to remember the liberation of the World War II death camp where the Nazis killed more than 1.1 million people, most of them Jews.
03:08
‘Industrial mass murder’
Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that racist and anti-Semitic "spirits of evil are emerging in a new guise".
The German head of state told the gathering he bowed "in deepest sorrow" at the memory of "the industrial mass murder of six million Jews, the worst crime in the history of humanity ... committed by my countrymen".
Looking at resurgent extremism and intolerance, he said, "Of course, our age is a different age. The words are not the same. The perpetrators are not the same. But it is the same evil."
"The spirits of evil are emerging in a new guise, presenting their anti-Semitic, racist, authoritarian thinking as an answer for the future, a new solution to the problems of our age."
02:08
About 100 Holocaust survivors were at the event in Jerusalem to pray for the dead and light a memorial torch.
Among them was Yona Amit, 81, who as a child spent the war hiding from the Nazis and lost family members, including her cousin.
"I exchanged shoes with him playing" shortly before he was captured, she recalled.
"They were straight away sent to Auschwitz. And of course my cousin, with my shoes: straight away up in the chimneys, in the gas chambers," she said.
"My shoes are in that big mound of shoes in Auschwitz, my shoes are there. I am here."
The ceremonies move on next Monday to the site in Poland of the Auschwitz camp, which was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on January 27, 1945.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP)
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france24--2020-01-23--Actress Annabella Sciorra unambiguously tells judges at trial that Weinstein raped her

Witness Annabella Sciorra departs after testifying in the case of film producer Harvey Weinstein at New York Criminal Court during his sexual assault trial in the Manhattan borough of New York City , New York , U.S. , January 23 , 2020 .
`` The Sopranos '' actress Annabella Sciorra fought back tears as she told a court Thursday that being raped by Harvey Weinstein left her feeling like she was having `` a seizure '' and caused her to self-harm .
In emotional testimony at Weinstein 's trial , Sciorra described him barging into her New York apartment late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking her while she was wearing a nightgown .
`` It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual .
I did n't really even know what was happening , '' the 59-year-old said .
Sciorra faced the jury as she held her hands above her head and clasped her wrists to demonstrate how Weinstein , then three times her weight , held her down on her bed and sexually assaulted her .
`` He got on top of me and he raped me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by lead prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon .
`` He put his penis inside of my vagina and he raped me , '' repeated Sciorra , the first of Weinstein 's accusers to take the stand in proceedings seen as key to the # MeToo movement .
Weinstein , 67 , avoided eye contact and gestured towards one of his lawyers as Sciorra told the New York state court that the former film producer then performed oral sex on her .
`` I did n't have very much fight left inside me at this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Sciorra , wearing a navy blue dress with long sleeves .
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping actress Jessica Mann .
He denies all allegations of non-consensual sex .
Sciorra , best known for her role as Gloria Trillo in American mob drama `` The Sopranos , '' gave evidence to support the prosecution 's case that Weinstein was a career sexual predator .
Her allegation is too old to be included on the charge sheet but the charge of predatory sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , requires prosecutors to prove he sexually assaulted at least two people .

"The Sopranos" actress Annabella Sciorra fought back tears as she told a court Thursday that being raped by Harvey Weinstein left her feeling like she was having "a seizure" and caused her to self-harm.
Witness Annabella Sciorra departs after testifying in the case of film producer Harvey Weinstein during his sexual assault trial at a New York Criminal Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City on January 23, 2020.
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In emotional testimony at Weinstein's trial, Sciorra described him barging into her New York apartment late at night in the early 1990s and attacking her while she was wearing a nightgown.
"It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual. I didn't really even know what was happening," the 59-year-old said.
Sciorra faced the jury as she held her hands above her head and clasped her wrists to demonstrate how Weinstein, then three times her weight, held her down on her bed and sexually assaulted her.
01:38 © Jessica Le Masurier
"He got on top of me and he raped me," she said, under questioning by lead prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon.
"He put his penis inside of my vagina and he raped me," repeated Sciorra, the first of Weinstein's accusers to take the stand in proceedings seen as key to the #MeToo movement.
Weinstein, 67, avoided eye contact and gestured towards one of his lawyers as Sciorra told the New York state court that the former film producer then performed oral sex on her.
"I didn't have very much fight left inside me at this point. My body just shut down," said Sciorra, wearing a navy blue dress with long sleeves.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping actress Jessica Mann. He denies all allegations of non-consensual sex.
Sciorra, best known for her role as Gloria Trillo in American mob drama "The Sopranos," gave evidence to support the prosecution's case that Weinstein was a career sexual predator.
Her allegation is too old to be included on the charge sheet but the charge of predatory sexual assault, which carries possible life imprisonment, requires prosecutors to prove he sexually assaulted at least two people.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-23--French pension reform: Striking lawyers face choice to ‘fight now or die later’

French lawyers are keeping up the pressure against the French government ’ s proposed overhaul to the pension system .
Lawyers in the impoverished Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis have been striking since January 6 – postponing all court hearings despite the possible effects on some of their vulnerable clients .
It is 9:15am on January 21 and the concrete hall of the High Court in the town of Bobigny in the Seine-Saint-Denis department is almost empty .
It has been two weeks since the lawyers here voted for a total strike to defend their current pension plan .
Extended at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has received much public support .
Seine-Saint-Denis is often referred to as simply , `` the 93 '' .
This district in the northeastern suburb of Paris is one of the smallest and poorest departments in France .
It is widely known as a left-wing stronghold and the French Communist Party maintain a strong local presence .
Being one of Seine-Saint-Denis ' 600 lawyers requires real commitment .
`` The Bobigny district court is a humane court , where we encounter astonishing situations , ” says the president of the Seine-Saint-Denis Bar Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working there for 30 years .
“ This creates a sense of solidarity between us , which explains why calls to strike are being respected.
” The Bobigny High Court is the second-largest court in France and the biggest for children .
It is located in the most underprivileged departments of France : 70 % of the population is eligible for legal aid .
The income for lawyers who have chosen to practise here is also among the lowest in France .
`` People think we lawyers are rich .
But what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – after paying charges , fees and office expenses – rarely exceeds €1,500 , '' explained Anne Erminy , a lawyer in Bobigny and a voluntary public defender at the juvenile court .
After 24 years at the bar , Erminy finds herself thinking more regularly about quitting , as do many of her colleagues .
'We know the costs' Following the example of the other legal bars in France , lawyers of the 93 are ramping up their protest movement .
Their methods of dissent range from traditional protest marches and banners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official robes , producing viral videos , staging flash mobs and even performing the haka .
The strikers mobilise to fight for their pensions and postpone hearings every day .
They have been very successful in Bobigny , where judges there have agreed to postpone 80 % to 90 % of correctional cases and 100 % of those in the juvenile court ( tribunal pour enfants or TPE ) .
This hardline approach poses difficulties for those arriving for their day in court .
Myriam Baghouli spends her days walking the corridors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons for the strike to families waiting for a trial that will now not take place .
`` We are not on strike because we want to be on strike .
We know very well what it costs , physically and psychologically , to the people who have had their trial postponed , '' the lawyer , a specialist in juvenile cases and an active member of the SAF French lawyers ’ union , told FRANCE 24 .
For Baghouli , who grew up in the 93 and has been a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no question of working anywhere else .
`` My robe is a cloak of justice .
If I 'd wanted to practice merger-acquisition law ( a particularly lucrative practice ) , I would n't have signed up here , '' she says .
In other words , to be one of the lawyers whose income exceeds the median of €40,000 , you have to practice elsewhere .
The lawyers are , of course , aware of the potential repercussions for clients from postponing cases .
Gabet has many such examples .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to plead for his release ; the vulnerable worker who will have to wait two more years in the hope of receiving compensation from an industrial tribunal ; the woman who needs a restraining order for an abusive spouse ; or the foreigner who has gambled his entry into the country on successfully obtaining a court hearing , now cancelled .
`` Almost all the lawyers at the Bobigny bar are on strike and this forces them to ask themselves ethical questions .
In these courtrooms , we plead many vital cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's up to everyone to make their own decisions in good conscience , '' said Gabet .
But the lawyers of the 93 are determined to persist with their fight .
However , they do recognise the need to explain their position , especially to those who are suffering most from the fact that cases are being postponed due to the strike .
Clients alone in front of judge In the `` Zapi '' court ( or The Waiting Zone for Pending Cases ) at Charles de Gaulle airport , the files @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions for entry into France are under examination .
`` The only possible outcome for many of them is to be sent back to their country , '' said Baghouli .
On January 21 , only three people are due to appear in this court .
One of them was due to use a court-appointed lawyer – when unable to obtain their own lawyer , the accused can get help from a lawyer appointed by the president of the bar .
As a result of the strikes , one woman on trial will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the judge .
But the strikers have not completely abandoned her to her fate .
Even though they are refusing to plead cases , they have studied the specifics of this case and explained to the client the necessary arguments for her defence .
`` She was fully briefed – presented with the points of conclusion , the arguments to be put forward and the invalidity of the procedure .
But it is true that , ultimately , she will have to argue alone , '' said Catherine Herrero , coordinator for such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , the detained asked to be returned to her country of origin .
While being reasonably accommodating at Bobigny , the judges are beginning to worry about `` stockpiles building up '' and intricate cases on the not-too-distant horizon .
`` I have applications coming in requesting continued detention .
Are n't you setting up an emergency cell ? ''
a worried judge asked the strikers in the corridors of the High Court .
This is an option being debated , but the lawyers will not consider it at the moment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike .
We do n't have a choice – we have to fight now or die later .
If we do n't make it to the end , what 's the point of all this ?
” asked Baghouli , who said she does n't imagine stopping the protests until the total withdrawal of the pension reform plans .
To convince the judges to continue to support their fight , Baghouli presented a powerful argument .
`` This proposed reform project will have a direct impact on the functioning of the Bobigny High @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The doubling of our subscription costs will force us to either absorb it by getting rid of our official commission or to increase our fees , which would in turn make them impossible for the general public in Seine-Saint-Denis '' , she told the judge sitting in courtroom number 6 .
And her reasoning is endorsed by Gabat , the Bar Association president .
“ If we have to double our contributions as planned in the pension reform plan , many will no longer be able to make a living from their profession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If there is no longer a local lawyer in Seine-Saint-Denis to represent them , in cases of divorce or industrial tribunal or the placement of minors , who will defend them ? ''

French lawyers are keeping up the pressure against the French government’s proposed overhaul to the pension system. Lawyers in the impoverished Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis have been striking since January 6 – postponing all court hearings despite the possible effects on some of their vulnerable clients.
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It is 9:15am on January 21 and the concrete hall of the High Court in the town of Bobigny in the Seine-Saint-Denis department is almost empty. It has been two weeks since the lawyers here voted for a total strike to defend their current pension plan. Extended at least until January 29, the movement has received much public support.
Seine-Saint-Denis is often referred to as simply, "the 93". This district in the northeastern suburb of Paris is one of the smallest and poorest departments in France. It is widely known as a left-wing stronghold and the French Communist Party maintain a strong local presence.
Being one of Seine-Saint-Denis' 600 lawyers requires real commitment. "The Bobigny district court is a humane court, where we encounter astonishing situations,” says the president of the Seine-Saint-Denis Bar Association, Frédéric Gabet, who has been working there for 30 years. “This creates a sense of solidarity between us, which explains why calls to strike are being respected.”
Lawyers of the bar of the 93 demonstrate against the pension reform in front of the Bobigny court, January 21, 2020. © Sarah Leduc / France 24
The Bobigny High Court is the second-largest court in France and the biggest for children. It is located in the most underprivileged departments of France: 70% of the population is eligible for legal aid.
The income for lawyers who have chosen to practise here is also among the lowest in France.
"People think we lawyers are rich. But what is left at the end of the month – after paying charges, fees and office expenses – rarely exceeds €1,500," explained Anne Erminy, a lawyer in Bobigny and a voluntary public defender at the juvenile court. After 24 years at the bar, Erminy finds herself thinking more regularly about quitting, as do many of her colleagues.
'We know the costs'
Following the example of the other legal bars in France, lawyers of the 93 are ramping up their protest movement. Their methods of dissent range from traditional protest marches and banners to the more original – discarding their official robes, producing viral videos, staging flash mobs and even performing the haka.
The strikers mobilise to fight for their pensions and postpone hearings every day. They have been very successful in Bobigny, where judges there have agreed to postpone 80% to 90% of correctional cases and 100% of those in the juvenile court (tribunal pour enfants or TPE).
This hardline approach poses difficulties for those arriving for their day in court. Myriam Baghouli spends her days walking the corridors of the TPE, trying to explain the reasons for the strike to families waiting for a trial that will now not take place.
The controversial pension reform project provides for the abolition of special schemes in favour of a universal system. It will therefore lead to the disappearance of the stand-alone scheme for lawyers.
Freelance lawyers fear that their contributions will increase. With the proposed new method of calculation, they could double. Lawyers currently contribute only 14% of their income, which could rise to 28%. At present, their minimum retirement pension is set at €1,450 per month. This would fall to €1,000 in the future scheme.
Confronting this tension, Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet has proposed that lawyers should keep a fund "specific to their profession". The government has also made proposals in the form of a 33 percent allowance applied to the gross income base for lawyers, in order to cushion the increase in contributions.
"We are not on strike because we want to be on strike. We know very well what it costs, physically and psychologically, to the people who have had their trial postponed," the lawyer, a specialist in juvenile cases and an active member of the SAF French lawyers’ union, told FRANCE 24.
For Baghouli, who grew up in the 93 and has been a member of the Bobigny bar for 11 years, there is no question of working anywhere else. "My robe is a cloak of justice. If I'd wanted to practice merger-acquisition law (a particularly lucrative practice), I wouldn't have signed up here," she says.
In other words, to be one of the lawyers whose income exceeds the median of €40,000, you have to practice elsewhere.
The lawyers are, of course, aware of the potential repercussions for clients from postponing cases. Gabet has many such examples. He describes a prisoner who is desperate to plead for his release; the vulnerable worker who will have to wait two more years in the hope of receiving compensation from an industrial tribunal; the woman who needs a restraining order for an abusive spouse; or the foreigner who has gambled his entry into the country on successfully obtaining a court hearing, now cancelled.
"Almost all the lawyers at the Bobigny bar are on strike and this forces them to ask themselves ethical questions. In these courtrooms, we plead many vital cases. But this is an autonomous profession and it's up to everyone to make their own decisions in good conscience," said Gabet.
But the lawyers of the 93 are determined to persist with their fight. However, they do recognise the need to explain their position, especially to those who are suffering most from the fact that cases are being postponed due to the strike.
Striking lawyers from Seine-Saint-denis protest at the court in Bobigny against the pension reform, January 21 2020. © Sarah Leduc / France 24
Clients alone in front of judge
In the "Zapi" court (or The Waiting Zone for Pending Cases) at Charles de Gaulle airport, the files of foreigners who do not meet the conditions for entry into France are under examination. "The only possible outcome for many of them is to be sent back to their country," said Baghouli.
On January 21, only three people are due to appear in this court. One of them was due to use a court-appointed lawyer – when unable to obtain their own lawyer, the accused can get help from a lawyer appointed by the president of the bar.
As a result of the strikes, one woman on trial will now find herself alone in front of the judge. But the strikers have not completely abandoned her to her fate. Even though they are refusing to plead cases, they have studied the specifics of this case and explained to the client the necessary arguments for her defence.
"She was fully briefed – presented with the points of conclusion, the arguments to be put forward and the invalidity of the procedure. But it is true that, ultimately, she will have to argue alone," said Catherine Herrero, coordinator for such cases at the Zapi.
In this case, the detained asked to be returned to her country of origin.
‘Fight now or die later’
While being reasonably accommodating at Bobigny, the judges are beginning to worry about "stockpiles building up" and intricate cases on the not-too-distant horizon. "I have applications coming in requesting continued detention. Aren't you setting up an emergency cell?" a worried judge asked the strikers in the corridors of the High Court.
This is an option being debated, but the lawyers will not consider it at the moment. "This has to be a hard strike. We don't have a choice – we have to fight now or die later. If we don't make it to the end, what's the point of all this?” asked Baghouli, who said she doesn't imagine stopping the protests until the total withdrawal of the pension reform plans.
To convince the judges to continue to support their fight, Baghouli presented a powerful argument.
"This proposed reform project will have a direct impact on the functioning of the Bobigny High Court,” she said. “The doubling of our subscription costs will force us to either absorb it by getting rid of our official commission or to increase our fees, which would in turn make them impossible for the general public in Seine-Saint-Denis", she told the judge sitting in courtroom number 6.
And her reasoning is endorsed by Gabat, the Bar Association president. “If we have to double our contributions as planned in the pension reform plan, many will no longer be able to make a living from their profession. Firms will simply disappear."
"If there is no longer a local lawyer in Seine-Saint-Denis to represent them, in cases of divorce or industrial tribunal or the placement of minors, who will defend them?"
This piece is an adaptation by Sophie Gorman from the original in French.
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france24--2020-01-23--Libya's neighbours meet in Algiers in bid to diffuse crisis

Libya 's neighbours came together Thursday in Algiers as part of international efforts to find a political settlement to a crisis that threatens regional stability .
The meeting , organised at Algeria 's initiative , began mid-morning with statements from each of the participants and continued behind closed doors , an AFP journalist said .
It brought together foreign ministers from Tunisia , Egypt and Chad , as well as diplomats from Sudan and Niger .
Mali sent a representative while Morocco was absent from the talks .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas , who was set to brief the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international summit in Berlin , is also attending .
Several African countries had complained of being left out of the so-called Berlin process , during which world leaders committed to ending all foreign meddling in Libya and upholding a weapons embargo .
But the outcome of the efforts remains uncertain .
Fayez al-Sarraj , head of the Tripoli-based UN-recognised Government of National Accord , and his rival Khalifa Haftar , who controls eastern Libya , refused to meet in Berlin and are not participating in the Algeria talks .
`` The current situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Algeria 's Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum told Thursday 's meeting .
He said neighbouring countries had a role to play in fostering dialogue between the Libyan parties to `` put an end to the bloody clashes and avoid leading the country towards the unknown '' .
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune , who attended the Berlin summit , said Wednesday : `` There are statements from Sarraj , statements from Haftar 's side , which indicate that the only power capable of settling the problem is Algeria . ''
The Algiers meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libya 's warring parties to reach a long-term deal paving the way for a political process aimed at ending the conflict .
Algeria shares a border of almost 1,000 kilometres ( 620 miles ) with Libya , which has been rocked by violence since the 2011 toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi by NATO-backed insurgents .
Mitiga , the Libyan capital 's only operational airport , closed again Wednesday evening after threats from pro-Haftar forces .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , who supports Sarraj 's GNA , is expected in Algiers Sunday .
@ @ @

Libya's neighbours came together Thursday in Algiers as part of international efforts to find a political settlement to a crisis that threatens regional stability.
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The meeting, organised at Algeria's initiative, began mid-morning with statements from each of the participants and continued behind closed doors, an AFP journalist said.
It brought together foreign ministers from Tunisia, Egypt and Chad, as well as diplomats from Sudan and Niger. Mali sent a representative while Morocco was absent from the talks.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who was set to brief the meeting on the results of Sunday's international summit in Berlin, is also attending.
Several African countries had complained of being left out of the so-called Berlin process, during which world leaders committed to ending all foreign meddling in Libya and upholding a weapons embargo.
But the outcome of the efforts remains uncertain.
Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the Tripoli-based UN-recognised Government of National Accord, and his rival Khalifa Haftar, who controls eastern Libya, refused to meet in Berlin and are not participating in the Algeria talks.
"The current situation in Libya cannot withstand an escalation," Algeria's Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum told Thursday's meeting.
He said neighbouring countries had a role to play in fostering dialogue between the Libyan parties to "put an end to the bloody clashes and avoid leading the country towards the unknown".
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who attended the Berlin summit, said Wednesday: "There are statements from Sarraj, statements from Haftar's side, which indicate that the only power capable of settling the problem is Algeria."
The Algiers meeting came as the UN Security Council urged Libya's warring parties to reach a long-term deal paving the way for a political process aimed at ending the conflict.
Algeria shares a border of almost 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) with Libya, which has been rocked by violence since the 2011 toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi by NATO-backed insurgents.
Mitiga, the Libyan capital's only operational airport, closed again Wednesday evening after threats from pro-Haftar forces.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supports Sarraj's GNA, is expected in Algiers Sunday.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-23--Jean Paul Gaultier bids farewell to the catwalk

Famous for Madonna 's cone bras , blue and white stripy T-shirts , saintly models and corsets , `` L @ @ @ @ @ French fashion Jean Paul Gaultier is retiring from the catwalk .
His final haute couture @ @ @ @ @ years of his career , took place this week in Paris .
Fashion writers Susie @ @ @ @ @ to Eve Jackson about the end of a fashion era .

Jean Paul Gaultier bids farewell to the catwalk
12:15 ENCORE! © France 24
Famous for Madonna's cone bras, blue and white stripy T-shirts, saintly models and corsets, "L’Enfant terrible" of French fashion Jean Paul Gaultier is retiring from the catwalk. His final haute couture show, which marked 50 years of his career, took place this week in Paris. Fashion writers Susie Lau and Alice Pfeiffer speak to Eve Jackson about the end of a fashion era.


france24--2020-01-23--Has police brutality increased in France?

Until recently , allegations of police brutality in France remained largely contained to the `` banlieues '' , the suburbs @ @ @ @ @ the issue has gained prominence since the Yellow Vest protest movement kicked off in October @ @ @ @ @ have been seriously injured in clashes with police , dozens of them maimed for life @ @ @ @ @ policing and crowd control techniques under scrutiny .
But are things really worse than before @ @ @ @ @ look .

Has police brutality increased in France?
06:34 FRENCH CONNECTIONS © FRANCE 24
Until recently, allegations of police brutality in France remained largely contained to the "banlieues", the suburbs outside big cities. But the issue has gained prominence since the Yellow Vest protest movement kicked off in October 2018. Hundreds of people have been seriously injured in clashes with police, dozens of them maimed for life. This has brought French policing and crowd control techniques under scrutiny. But are things really worse than before? We take a closer look.


france24--2020-01-24--France braces for 'Black Friday' as Macron’s government formally unveils pension reforms

French hardline unions have called for a day of industrial action and mass demonstrations Friday as President Emmanuel Macron ’ s plan to reform the country ’ s unwieldly pension system is presented to his cabinet .
After a brief respite from a seven-week strike that extended over the Christmas period , French unions called for major shutdowns and demonstrations to show their “ determination ” to halt Macron ’ s pension reform plan .
The call came as French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe presents the new plan instituting a `` universal system '' of point-based pensions to the cabinet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Assembly , France ’ s lower house , where debates will begin February 17 .
Demonstrators held torch-lit protests in Paris Thursday evening ahead of a “ Black Friday ” of strikes and shutdowns .
France ’ s hardline CGT union 's leader , Philippe Martinez , warned that opposition to the pension reform “ has not weakened ” in an interview with the Public Sénat TV station , with polls showing that 61 percent of French people are calling for the reform to be withdrawn .
The CFE-CGC confederation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` take ( a ) break '' after Friday 's mobilisation .
`` Our members are difficult to mobilise on a long-term basis , they have responsibilities and are not asking for economic activity to be too disrupted , '' said senior CFE-CGC official Gérard Mardiné .
Friday is the 51st day of France ’ s longest strike in 40 years and unions hope there will be enough protesters in the streets to force the government to back down .

France’s hardleft trade unions on Friday threatened industrial action for months to come, as they searched for a way to force President Emmanuel Macron to ditch the biggest overhaul of the country’s pension system since World War II.
Protesters march in Marseille, France, on January 24, 2020, as part as a nationwide multi-sector strike against the French government's pensions overhaul.
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After a brief respite from a seven-week strike that extended over the Christmas period, French unions called for major shutdowns and demonstrations on Friday to show their “determination” to halt Macron’s pension reform plan.
The call came as Prime Minister Edouard Philippe presented the new plan instituting a “universal system” of point-based pensions to the cabinet Friday, before it is sent to the National Assembly, France’s lower house, where debates will begin February 17.
The unions on Friday brought thousands of protesters into the streets for a seventh day of nationwide demonstrations, which took place as their large-scale protests have been petering out and they are increasingly resorting to wildcat actions to cause disruption.
“Our determination remains intact,” Yves Veyrier, head of the Force Ouvrière union, told reporters ahead of a street march in Paris. “We have weeks, months, of protest ahead of us.”
On Thursday evening, demonstrators held torch-lit protests in Paris ahead of a “Black Friday” of strikes and shutdowns.
Reforms needed to create flexible job market, says Macron
France’s hardline CGT union's leader, Philippe Martinez, warned that opposition to the pension reform “has not weakened” in an interview with the Public Sénat TV station, with polls showing that 61 percent of French people are calling for the reform to be withdrawn.
The CFE-CGC confederation of trade unions however declared it wanted to “take (a) break” after Friday’s mobilisation. “Our members are difficult to mobilise on a long-term basis, they have responsibilities and are not asking for economic activity to be too disrupted,” said senior CFE-CGC official Gérard Mardiné.
Macron wants to streamline the existing setup of 42 different pension schemes, each with their own levels of contributions and benefits, into a single system that gives every pensioner the same rights for each euro contributed.
The myriad special benefits deter job mobility, says Macron, for whom the reform is central to a drive to create a more flexible labour market.
'We Shall Overcome' say protesters
Trade union opponents say the reform will require people to work longer for a full pension.
"I still believe in our fight," said one protester in Paris who identified herself as Karine and carried a banner reading 'We Shall Overcome'.
Walkouts at power plants left electricity generation reduced by 6.4 percent of available capacity, according to grid operator data. Power demand is outstripping supply due to cold weather, leaving France a net importer of electricity from its neighbours.
French Prime Minister Philippe insists the pension reform must result in a balanced pension budget by 2027.
Under pressure from the unions, he has withdrawn a proposal to raise the retirement age for a full pension by two years to 64. But unions must now find another way to balance the pension books or the provision will be added back in before the bill is due to be voted into law this summer.
Friday is the 51st day of France’s longest strike in 40 years and unions hope there will be enough protesters in the streets to force the government to back down.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-24--Loudspeakers blast ‘No, no America!’ as Baghdad protesters demand US troops quit Iraq

Hundreds of supporters of an influential , radical Shi'ite cleric gathered Friday in central Baghdad for a rally to demand that American troops leave the country amid heightened tensions after a US drone strike earlier this month killed a top Iranian general in the Iraqi capital .
Since mid-morning on the Muslim day of prayers , loudspeakers blasted “ No , no America !
” at a central square in the Iraqi capital .
A child held up a poster reading , “ Death to America .
Death to Israel ” .
Roads and bridges leading to the heavily fortified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's government and home to several foreign embassies , including the US Embassy , were blocked off by concrete barriers .
Iraqi security forces stood guard , blocking access to the gates to the zone .
There was a heavy security presence as the protesters , mostly hailing from the capital but also Iraq 's southern provinces , walked on foot to an assembly point in Baghdad 's Jadriya neighborhood , waving Iraqi flags and wearing symbolic white shrouds .
Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr , whose party won the most number of seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had called for a “ million-man ” demonstration to demand the withdrawal of American troops following the US drone strike near Baghdad 's airport that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , an attack that sparked the ire of Iraqi officials from across the political spectrum .
Friday 's rally is supported by mainstream Shi'ite parties , including al-Sadr 's political rival Hadi al-Ameri , who heads the Fatah bloc in parliament , as well as the Popular Mobilization Units , an umbrella group comprised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran-backed groups .
In response to a public outcry over the US airstrike , Iraq 's parliament passed a non-binding resolution this month calling on the government to expel foreign troops from the country .
Kurdish and most Sunni lawmakers boycotted the vote .
“ The American forces should leave , ” said an 18-year-old protester , Amer Saad .
“ I am ready to fight against the Americans if Moqtada al-Sadr asks us.
” Police and militiamen of the Popular Mobilization Units also closed off roads leading to the protest site , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Baghdad .

Waving national flags and banners denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump, tens of thousands of Iraqis marched peacefully through Baghdad on Friday to demand the ouster of U.S. troops from their country in a protest organized by a populist Shiite cleric.
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Later Friday night, two anti-government protesters were shot and killed by security forces in separate demonstrations a few kilometers (miles) from where the big anti-U.S. rally had taken place, two medical officials and one security official said.
The rally by followers of Muqtada al-Sadr and Iranian-backed militias came amid heightened tensions following a U.S. drone strike earlier this month that killed a top Iranian general in the Iraqi capital, fanning anti-U.S. sentiment.
There were no official estimates of the turnout and organizers gave varying figures, but it clearly fell short of the “million-man” march that had been called for by al-Sadr.
Officials and experts said the rally was the cleric's attempt to capitalize on brewing anti-American feeling and show he had the upper hand among Iraqis as political elites wrangle over who should be the next prime minister.
Large crowds gathered on the Muslim day of prayer as loudspeakers blasted, “No, no America!” at a central square. Some of al-Sadr's followers were shrouded in white capes to symbolize the fact that they were ready to die for the cause.
“Hey Trump! We will not allow you to turn Iraq into a battlefield,” read one banner. A child held up a poster reading, “Death to America. Death to Israel.”
Apparently seeking to show control, his supporters did not clash with the heavy security presence or target the separate, anti-government protests in neighboring Tahrir Square, a possibility feared by activists.
New government 'long overdue'
In his weekly Friday sermon, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, called on political parties stop stalling and move the talks forward.
“The formation of the new government is constitutionally long overdue, it is necessary for the various parties concerned to cooperate,” al-Sistani said in a sermon delivered via a representative,“it is an important step toward resolving the current crisis.”
Roads and bridges leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq's government and home to several foreign diplomatic compounds including the U.S. Embassy, were barricaded by concrete barriers. Iraqi security forces stood guard, blocking access to the gates of the zone.
The protesters, mostly Shiites from the capital but also from Iraq's southern provinces, walked to an assembly point in the Jadriya neighborhood.
Al-Sadr, whose party won the most seats in the May 2018 parliamentary elections, had called the rally to demand the withdrawal of American troops following the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike near Baghdad's airport that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The killing drew the ire of Iraqi officials from across the political spectrum.
According to U.S. military officials, rather than draw down, Americans have poured 20,000 additional troops in the Middle East to counter what Washington describes as an escalating threat from Iran. There are about 5,200 U.S. troops in Iraq, where they help train and assist Iraqi forces in the fight against the Islamic State group.
Iran has long sought the withdrawal of American forces from neighboring Iraq, but the U.S. strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad has added new impetus to the effort.
In a statement Friday, al-Sadr called for canceling existing security agreements, closing U.S. military bases, ending the work of American security companies and shutting off access to Iraqi airspace.
If the conditions are met, “the resistance will temporarily stop until the last soldier leaves Iraq,” al-Sadr said, referring to American troops.
01:39
Al-Sadr, whose followers fought U.S. troops after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to oust dictator Saddam Hussein, derives political capital from his ability to call on supporters to clog streets and paralyze all movement in Baghdad.The rally came at a critical time as rival political blocs are jockeying over the selection of a prime minister to replace outgoing Adel Abdul-Mahdi. It was supported by mainstream Shiite parties, including that of al-Sadr's political rival Hadi al-Ameri, who heads the Fatah bloc in parliament, as well as the Popular Mobilization Units, an umbrella group comprised of an array of militias, including Iran-backed groups.
Al-Sadr “proved once again he can amass the crowds to take them to the street, cleverly prevented any targeting of protesters in Tahrir Square,” tweeted Farhad Alaadin, head of the Iraqi Advisory Council and a former presidential adviser.
In response to a public outcry over the U.S. airstrike that killed Soleimani and al-Muhandis, parliament passed a nonbinding resolution calling on the government to expel foreign troops. Kurdish and most Sunni lawmakers boycotted the vote.
“The American forces should leave,” said an 18-year-old protester, Amer Saad. “I am ready to fight against the Americans if Muqtada al-Sadr asks us.”
Police and militiamen of the Popular Mobilization Units also closed off roads leading to the protest site, in both the Karada and Jadriya neighborhoods.
2 anti-government protesters killed
A different set of protesters in Tahrir Square, who have been carrying out separate demonstrations since October critical of government corruption, high unemployment and Iranian influence in Iraqi politics, carefully watched al-Sadr's anti-U.S. rally, but no confrontation took place.
They remained at their sit-in tents in the square, where they have been camped out for months, after Friday's anti-U.S. demonstration ended.
After nightfall, two of the anti-government protesters were shot and killed and at least 26 were wounded when security forces opened fire with live ammunition to disperse the crowds, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The protesters had clashed with the forces near a key highway that connects areas east of the Tigris River and has been a focus of recent violence.
“I am not against the Sadrist movement's demonstrations today, but if Muqtada asks for the exit of the Americans and nonintervention, he should raise the same slogan against Iranian interference, to be honest,” anti-government protester Yahya Mohammed said earlier in the day of the anti-U.S. crowds..
In neighboring Iran, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the Baghdad march was a “countdown" to expelling U.S. forces. “It indicated that Iraqi people are the flagship on the path of expelling the U.S. from the region,” he said.
Cleric Mohammad Hassan Abutorabifard who led Friday prayers in the Iranian capital, Tehran, told worshipers that Iraqis at the rally “stood by Iranians" following Soleimani's killing.
"The legitimacy of the West-appointed puppet rulers in the region has totally collapsed," he said.
(AP)
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france24--2020-01-24--China expands transport lockdowns and scraps New Year festivities as virus toll rises

China will take stricter and more targeted measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus , state television reported citing a state council meeting on virus control on Friday .
The virus has killed 25 people and infected more than 800 , with public transport suspensions in 10 cities , temples shutting , and the rapid construction of a new hospital to treat those infected .
The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) on Thursday declared the new coronavirus an emergency for China but stopped short of declaring the epidemic of international concern .
Health authorities fear the infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Year , when hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad during week-long holidays , which began on Friday .
There were 830 confirmed cases and 25 people had died as of Thursday , according to the National Health Commission .
Most cases are in the central Chinese city of Wuhan , where the virus is believed to have originated in a market which traded in illegal wildlife .
Rail stations were shut , although trains were allowed to pass through the city , flights were suspended , and there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the city .
Wuhan , a city of 11 million people and a major transport hub , is in a virtual lockdown .
Neighbouring Huanggang , a city of about 7 million people , has announced similar measures .
“ We ’ re seeing the full strength of the Chinese authorities on display here with the effort to try and contain this coronavirus , ” said FRANCE 24 ’ s Charles Pellegrin , reporting from Beijing Friday .
“ All these festivities for the Lunar New Year have been cancelled , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings where sometimes hundreds of thousands of people gather in parks near temples to eat , get together and watch dragon dances .
These are moments that really mark the New Year , the passing of time .
Those are cancelled in Wuhan but also in other places like the capital , Beijing .
Another strong symbol is the fact that the Forbidden City in the heart of the capital will be shut in the holiday period .
“ That would be like closing the Louvre during the Christmas period , ” Pellegrin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000-bed hospital to treat those infected , the official Changjiang Daily reported on Friday .
Building machinery , including 35 diggers and 10 bulldozers , arrived at the site on Thursday night , with the aim to get the new facility ready by Monday .
Preliminary research suggested that in the most recent stage of its evolution , the Wuhan virus was passed on to humans from snakes .
Non-fatal cases have also been detected in Thailand , Vietnam , Singapore , Japan , South Korea , Taiwan and the US , prompting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Wuhan .
‘ This is an emergency in China ’ The WHO said on Thursday that it was a `` bit too early '' to give the outbreak an official designation of a `` public health emergency of international concern '' ( PHEIC ) .
Such a designation would require countries to step up the international response .
`` Make no mistake , though , this is an emergency in China , '' said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus .
`` It has not yet become a global health emergency .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The previously unknown virus , which has no cure and can spread through respiratory transmission , has created alarm because there are a number of unknowns .
It is too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads .
Symptoms include fever , difficulty breathing and coughing .
Three research teams are to start work on developing potential vaccines , the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said .
The plan is to have at least one potential vaccine in clinical trials by June .
Some experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous as the 2002-03 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) that killed nearly 800 people , and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS ) , which has killed more than 700 people since 2012 .
`` I ’ m not scared .
It isn ’ t as serious as everyone is making out .
I ’ ve come back from the United States and I don ’ t think it is that bad , '' a rail passenger told Reuters as he alighted from a train at Macheng , the station just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said how long the shutdowns of the cities will last .
While sweeping measures are typical of China 's Communist Party-led government , large-scale quarantines are rare around the world , even in deadly epidemics , because of concerns about infringing on people 's liberties .
And the effectiveness of such measures is unclear .
Jonathan Ball , a professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham in Britain , said the lockdowns appear to be justified scientifically .
“ Until there 's a better understanding of what the situation is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing to do , ” he said .
“ Anything that limits people 's travels during an outbreak would obviously work.
” But Ball cautioned that any such quarantine should be strictly time-limited .
He added : “ You have to make sure you communicate effectively about why this is being done .
Otherwise you will lose the goodwill of the people.
” The coronavirus family includes the common cold as well as viruses that cause more serious illnesses , such as the SARS outbreak that spread from China to more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East respiratory syndrome , which is thought to have originated from camels .
The first cases in the Wuhan outbreak late last month were connected to a seafood market , and experts suspect transmission began from wild animals sold there .
The market is closed for investigation .
( FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS )

China will take stricter and more targeted measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, state television reported, citing a state council meeting on virus control on Friday. The virus has killed 26 people and infected more than 800, with public transport suspensions in 10 cities, temples shutting, and the rapid construction of a new hospital to treat those infected.
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday declared the new coronavirus an emergency for China but stopped short of declaring the epidemic of international concern.
Health authorities fear the infection rate could accelerate over the Lunar New Year, when hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad during week-long holidays, which began on Friday.
There were 830 confirmed cases and 26 people had died as of Thursday, according to the National Health Commission. Most cases are in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated in a market which traded in illegal wildlife.
Rail stations were shut, although trains were allowed to pass through the city, flights were suspended, and there were checkpoints on main roads in and out of the city.
Wuhan, a city of 11 million people and a major transport hub, is in a virtual lockdown.
Neighbouring Huanggang, a city of about 7 million people, has announced similar measures.
“We’re seeing the full strength of the Chinese authorities on display here with the effort to try and contain this coronavirus,” said FRANCE 24’s Charles Pellegrin, reporting from Beijing Friday. “All these festivities for the Lunar New Year have been cancelled, including things like temple fairs, which are gatherings where sometimes hundreds of thousands of people gather in parks near temples to eat, get together and watch dragon dances. These are moments that really mark the New Year, the passing of time. Those are cancelled in Wuhan but also in other places like the capital, Beijing. Another strong symbol is the fact that the Forbidden City in the heart of the capital will be shut in the holiday period.
“That would be like closing the Louvre during the Christmas period,” Pellegrin said.
03:26
Wuhan is building a new 1,000-bed hospital to treat those infected, the official Changjiang Daily reported on Friday.
Building machinery, including 35 diggers and 10 bulldozers, arrived at the site on Thursday night, with the aim to get the new facility ready by Monday.
Preliminary research suggested that in the most recent stage of its evolution, the Wuhan virus was passed on to humans from snakes.
Non-fatal cases have also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US, prompting several airlines to suspend flights to and from Wuhan.
‘This is an emergency in China’
The WHO said on Thursday that it was a "bit too early" to give the outbreak an official designation of a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC). Such a designation would require countries to step up the international response.
"Make no mistake, though, this is an emergency in China," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"It has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one," he said.
01:41
The previously unknown virus, which has no cure and can spread through respiratory transmission, has created alarm because there are a number of unknowns. It is too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads.
Symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing and coughing.
Three research teams are to start work on developing potential vaccines, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said. The plan is to have at least one potential vaccine in clinical trials by June.
Some experts believe the new virus is not as dangerous as the 2002-03 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that killed nearly 800 people, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which has killed more than 700 people since 2012.
"I’m not scared. It isn’t as serious as everyone is making out. I’ve come back from the United States and I don’t think it is that bad," a rail passenger told Reuters as he alighted from a train at Macheng, the station just before Wuhan.
01:27
Lockdowns should be 'strictly time-limited'
Chinese officials have not said how long the shutdowns of the cities will last. While sweeping measures are typical of China's Communist Party-led government, large-scale quarantines are rare around the world, even in deadly epidemics, because of concerns about infringing on people's liberties. And the effectiveness of such measures is unclear.
Jonathan Ball, a professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham in Britain, said the lockdowns appear to be justified scientifically.
“Until there's a better understanding of what the situation is, I think it's not an unreasonable thing to do,” he said. “Anything that limits people's travels during an outbreak would obviously work.”
But Ball cautioned that any such quarantine should be strictly time-limited. He added: “You have to make sure you communicate effectively about why this is being done. Otherwise you will lose the goodwill of the people.”
The coronavirus family includes the common cold as well as viruses that cause more serious illnesses, such as the SARS outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries, as well as Middle East respiratory syndrome, which is thought to have originated from camels.
The first cases in the Wuhan outbreak late last month were connected to a seafood market, and experts suspect transmission began from wild animals sold there. The market is closed for investigation.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-01-23--Week in Review: Auschwitz remembered, hacktivism and Jean-Paul Gaultier takes a final bow

From left : French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier bows out after 50 years on the catwalks , the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and French lawyers strike against pension reforms .
FRANCE 24 commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz , takes a look at the demise of hacktivism and pays tribute to French fashion icon Jean-Paul Gaultier , who this week bid adieu to the catwalk with a final show .
'Their main weapon is fear ' : Human rights observers accuse Lebanese security forces of abuses Lebanon ’ s new cabinet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the country 's tenacious protest movement has n't seemed to lose momentum .
With the country ’ s security forces now accused of using excessive violence against demonstrators , including the misuse of teargas and rubber bullets , FRANCE 24 took an inside look at their increasingly tough tactics .
French pension reform : Striking lawyers face choice to ‘ fight now or die later ’ French lawyers are keeping up the pressure against the French government ’ s proposed overhaul to the pension system .
Lawyers in the impoverished Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 6 – postponing all court hearings despite the possible effects on some of their vulnerable clients .
Bernard Arnault : France ’ s ‘ wolf-in-cashmere ’ billionaire On Friday , French luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault briefly topped Amazon ’ s Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world .
Now relegated back to second wealthiest , Arnault remains the richest person in Europe .
France ’ s bioethics reform bill reaches the Senate floor on Tuesday , three months after lower-house lawmakers passed the controversial legislation .
The bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators in committee , could yet change , with lesbian couples and single women , who are poised to gain legal access to medically assisted reproduction , potentially seeing social security coverage for the procedure withdrawn .
A brief history of impeachment : From Johnson to Trump Donald Trump , whose trial in the Senate began this week , is just the third US president to be impeached , while another came famously close .
From Andrew Johnson in 1868 to Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton , we take a look back at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
Can Europe , caught scrapping or napping , mend its credibility at Berlin talks on Libya ?
A flurry of recent geostrategic gains by Turkey and Russia in Libya have underscored Europe ’ s failure to tackle a deadly crisis at its doorstep .
Sunday ’ s conference on Libya in Berlin gives the European Union the chance to seize a diplomatic opportunity .
But for that , Europe must overcome its divisions and crippling competitions .
'The Last Ones ' : Listening to survivors of the concentration camps FRANCE 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Auschwitz with `` The Last Ones '' , a series of portraits of the camp 's last survivors by documentary film-maker Sophie Nahum .
More than 40 world leaders , including Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron , attended ceremonies at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem , which held a commemoration on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz .
Holocaust survivor Dita Kraus : 'For children , Auschwitz was less horrible than for adults' As the world marks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Auschwitz , FRANCE 24 's Jerusalem correspondent sat down with Dita Kraus , a survivor of the Nazi concentration camp in Poland .
A recent report has found that hacktivist attacks have been virtually eliminated since 2015 .
This is due to a worldwide crackdown on hackers and the disintegration of the Anonymous hacking collective .
A former hacker tells us more .
Until recently , allegations of police brutality in France remained largely contained to the `` banlieues '' , the suburbs outside big cities .
But the issue has gained prominence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off in October 2018 .
Hundreds of people have been seriously injured in clashes with police , dozens of them maimed for life .
This has brought French policing and crowd-control techniques under scrutiny .
But are things really worse than before ?
We take a closer look .
In October 2019 , the World Trade Organization ruled in favour of the United States in a long-running dispute over airplane subsidies , giving Washington the green light to impose tariffs on $ 7.5 billion worth of EU goods .
Top of the list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report on the negative impact the tariffs are now having on American importers of French wine , as well as on consumers .
Famous for Madonna 's cone bras , blue and white stripy T-shirts , and saintly models and corsets , the enfant terrible of French fashion Jean-Paul Gaultier is retiring from the catwalk .
His final haute couture show , which marked 50 years of his career , took place this week in Paris .
Fashion writers Susie Lau and Alice Pfeiffer speak to Eve Jackson about the end of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region has an astonishing concentration of belfries , many of them listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites .
These stone towers were built in the Middle Ages to mark the civic independence of towns from local lords .
Like churches , they punctuate the daily lives of residents and tell the story of the region .
Paris Fashion Week has surpassed its own personal best this season , with some 60 men 's fashion shows over six days from a variety of international brands .
On days one and two , three labels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designer Walter Van Beirendonck and his rejection of political correctness ; the French collective Etudes Studio , which drew inspiration from the films `` Fantastic Planet '' and `` Terminator 2 '' ; and Israeli designer Hed Mayner , who delved into the Arte Povera movement for his looks .

Week in Review
FRANCE 24 commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, takes a look at the demise of hacktivism and pays tribute to French fashion icon Jean-Paul Gaultier, who this week bid adieu to the catwalk with a final show.
From left: French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier bows out after 50 years on the catwalks, the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and French lawyers strike against pension reforms.
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ARTICLES
'Their main weapon is fear': Human rights observers accuse Lebanese security forces of abuses
Lebanon’s new cabinet met for the first time on Wednesday, but the country's tenacious protest movement hasn't seemed to lose momentum. With the country’s security forces now accused of using excessive violence against demonstrators, including the misuse of teargas and rubber bullets, FRANCE 24 took an inside look at their increasingly tough tactics.
French pension reform: Striking lawyers face choice to ‘fight now or die later’
French lawyers are keeping up the pressure against the French government’s proposed overhaul to the pension system. Lawyers in the impoverished Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis have been striking since January 6 – postponing all court hearings despite the possible effects on some of their vulnerable clients.
French lawyers are protesting the government's pension reform plan © Sarah LEDUC, FRANCE 24
Bernard Arnault: France’s ‘wolf-in-cashmere’ billionaire
On Friday, French luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault briefly topped Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world. Now relegated back to second wealthiest, Arnault remains the richest person in Europe.
LVMH Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bernard Arnault presents the group's annual results at the LVMH headquarters in Paris, January 29, 2019. AFP - ERIC PIERMONT
France's controversial bioethics bill reaches Senate amid continuing outcry
France’s bioethics reform bill reaches the Senate floor on Tuesday, three months after lower-house lawmakers passed the controversial legislation. The bill, which has been considerably amended by senators in committee, could yet change, with lesbian couples and single women, who are poised to gain legal access to medically assisted reproduction, potentially seeing social security coverage for the procedure withdrawn.
A brief history of impeachment: From Johnson to Trump
Donald Trump, whose trial in the Senate began this week, is just the third US president to be impeached, while another came famously close. From Andrew Johnson in 1868 to Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, we take a look back at the history of impeachment in the United States.
From left to right: ANdrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. © France 24
Can Europe, caught scrapping or napping, mend its credibility at Berlin talks on Libya?
A flurry of recent geostrategic gains by Turkey and Russia in Libya have underscored Europe’s failure to tackle a deadly crisis at its doorstep. Sunday’s conference on Libya in Berlin gives the European Union the chance to seize a diplomatic opportunity. But for that, Europe must overcome its divisions and crippling competitions.
VIDEO REPORTS
'The Last Ones': Listening to survivors of the concentration camps
FRANCE 24 commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with "The Last Ones", a series of portraits of the camp's last survivors by documentary film-maker Sophie Nahum.
A series of portraits of the world's last remaining survivors of the Holocaust © FRANCE 24 screengrab
In Jerusalem, Yad Vashem preserves the memory of Holocaust victims
More than 40 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron, attended ceremonies at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, which held a commemoration on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz.
The Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, where ceremonies for the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation are to take place. © FRANCE 24 screen grab
SHOWS
THE INTERVIEW
Holocaust survivor Dita Kraus: 'For children, Auschwitz was less horrible than for adults'
As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, FRANCE 24's Jerusalem correspondent sat down with Dita Kraus, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camp in Poland.
Dita Kraus © FRANCE 24
TECH 24
A look inside the ‘hacktivist’ world
A recent report has found that hacktivist attacks have been virtually eliminated since 2015. This is due to a worldwide crackdown on hackers and the disintegration of the Anonymous hacking collective. A former hacker tells us more.
FRENCH CONNECTIONS
Has police brutality increased in France?
Until recently, allegations of police brutality in France remained largely contained to the "banlieues", the suburbs outside big cities. But the issue has gained prominence since the Yellow Vest protest movement kicked off in October 2018. Hundreds of people have been seriously injured in clashes with police, dozens of them maimed for life. This has brought French policing and crowd-control techniques under scrutiny. But are things really worse than before? We take a closer look.
FOCUS
Trade war: Will French wine exports turn sour?
In October 2019, the World Trade Organization ruled in favour of the United States in a long-running dispute over airplane subsidies, giving Washington the green light to impose tariffs on $7.5 billion worth of EU goods. Top of the list was French wine. Our US correspondents report on the negative impact the tariffs are now having on American importers of French wine, as well as on consumers.
ENCORE!
Jean Paul Gaultier bids farewell to the catwalk
Famous for Madonna's cone bras, blue and white stripy T-shirts, and saintly models and corsets, the enfant terrible of French fashion Jean-Paul Gaultier is retiring from the catwalk. His final haute couture show, which marked 50 years of his career, took place this week in Paris. Fashion writers Susie Lau and Alice Pfeiffer speak to Eve Jackson about the end of a fashion era.
French designer Jean Paul Gaultier acknowledges the audience at the end of his Spring/Summer 2008 Haute Couture collection show in Paris on January 23, 2008. © François Guillot, AFP
YOU ARE HERE
Discovering the belfries of northern France
France's northern Hauts-de-France region has an astonishing concentration of belfries, many of them listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These stone towers were built in the Middle Ages to mark the civic independence of towns from local lords. Like churches, they punctuate the daily lives of residents and tell the story of the region.
FASHION
Art, counterculture and science fiction inspire men's fashion for winter 2020
Paris Fashion Week has surpassed its own personal best this season, with some 60 men's fashion shows over six days from a variety of international brands. On days one and two, three labels turned heads among the press: Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck and his rejection of political correctness; the French collective Etudes Studio, which drew inspiration from the films "Fantastic Planet" and "Terminator 2"; and Israeli designer Hed Mayner, who delved into the Arte Povera movement for his looks.
Paris Fashion Week © MEDIATV
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france24--2020-01-24--Sudanese people mobilize to save starving lions in a Khartoum zoo

After our Observer posted photos of the starving , skeletal lions being kept at a park in Khartoum on January 18 , social media was swamped with calls for the authorities to act .
People reacted with shock and horror after Osman Salih , a computer engineer who lives and works in Khartoum , posted photos of five starving lions – four females and a male – being kept at a local park along with the hashtag # Sudananimalrescue .
`` Detaining wild animals , providing them with no care or food.. .
, please act urgently on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al-Qureshi Park .
They have been reduced to a shadow of their former selve On January 20 , Salih announced that one of the female lions , who was sick and starving , had died on January 20 .
From the first moment that I saw her , I knew that she was in very bad health .
She was brought to a clinic on Monday morning but they weren ’ t able to save her , she was too sick .
The other females are doing better now that they have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was starving as well , but he wasn ’ t as sick as the females .
These are the photos that were posted on Facebook and Twitter on January 18 that prompted the authorities to act : On Saturday afternoon , I brought my son to the park for the first time and I was really surprised to see that there were animals there .
When I saw the lions in a corner of this little zoo , I was extremely shocked .
Their cages were filthy and stank .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even the water was dirty .
The lions had been reduced to skeletons ; they could barely move .
I asked one of the keepers why the animals hadn ’ t been fed , and he said that they didn ’ t have any money to buy them food and , even if they did , they no longer had a vehicle to transport it .
When I said that I wanted to help , that I had time and money , he told me that it wasn ’ t as simple as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proper authorizations .
I was really angry so I immediately posted the photos that I had taken of the lions to social media .
By the end of the day , they had gone viral .
The next morning , I was able to meet with both park officials and government officials in charge of animal protection .
I told them about the huge response that I had gotten on social media and just how many people were ready to help .
In fact , about a hundred people came to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos .
Soon after I posted the photos , a veterinary team came to take care of the lions and they made a list of the medicine that they needed to start taking urgently .
We were able to get food organized for them through donations from volunteers and the help of several slaughterhouses .
Because of inflation , people in Sudan can barely buy food for themselves , let alone meat [ Editor ’ s note : Inflation is at 60 % according to the last official figures ] .
Salih now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check on the lions .
He says that he hopes the movement to support these lions will lead to concrete measures to protect wild animals in Sudan :

SUDAN
Our Observer Osman Salih took this photo of the starving lions in the Khartoum zoo.
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After our Observer posted photos of the starving, skeletal lions being kept at a park in Khartoum on January 18, social media was swamped with calls for the authorities to act.
People reacted with shock and horror after Osman Salih, a computer engineer who lives and works in Khartoum, posted photos of five starving lions – four females and a male – being kept at a local park along with the hashtag #Sudananimalrescue.
Détenir des animaux sauvages, ne leur apporter ni soin, ni nourriture... Mr @SudanPMHamdok, merci d’intervenir en urgence pour les lions captifs du Khartoum’s Al-Qureshi Park, ils ne sont plus que l'ombre d'eux-mêmes. #SudanAnimalRescue ???? Ashraf Shazly pic.twitter.com/bzuTKzpNHV One Voice (@onevoiceanimal) January 20, 2020
"Detaining wild animals, providing them with no care or food... Mr @SudanPMHamdok, please act urgently on behalf of the captive lions in Khartoum’s Al-Qureshi Park. They have been reduced to a shadow of their former selves. #SudanAnimalRescue"
On January 20, Salih announced that one of the female lions, who was sick and starving, had died on January 20.
From the first moment that I saw her, I knew that she was in very bad health. She was brought to a clinic on Monday morning but they weren’t able to save her, she was too sick. The other females are doing better now that they have been taking medication. The male is okay. He was starving as well, but he wasn’t as sick as the females.
These are the photos that were posted on Facebook and Twitter on January 18 that prompted the authorities to act:
On Saturday afternoon, I brought my son to the park for the first time and I was really surprised to see that there were animals there. When I saw the lions in a corner of this little zoo, I was extremely shocked. Their cages were filthy and stank. They didn’t have any food. Even the water was dirty. The lions had been reduced to skeletons; they could barely move. I asked one of the keepers why the animals hadn’t been fed, and he said that they didn’t have any money to buy them food and, even if they did, they no longer had a vehicle to transport it. When I said that I wanted to help, that I had time and money, he told me that it wasn’t as simple as that and that I’d need the proper authorizations. I was really angry so I immediately posted the photos that I had taken of the lions to social media. By the end of the day, they had gone viral. The next morning, I was able to meet with both park officials and government officials in charge of animal protection. I told them about the huge response that I had gotten on social media and just how many people were ready to help. In fact, about a hundred people came to the zoo the day that I posted the photos. Soon after I posted the photos, a veterinary team came to take care of the lions and they made a list of the medicine that they needed to start taking urgently. We were able to get food organized for them through donations from volunteers and the help of several slaughterhouses. Because of inflation, people in Sudan can barely buy food for themselves, let alone meat [Editor’s note: Inflation is at 60% according to the last official figures].
Salih now goes to the zoo every day to check on the lions. He says that he hopes the movement to support these lions will lead to concrete measures to protect wild animals in Sudan:
We need help from experts. I’m currently in contact with several foreign NGOs who specialize in this kind of emergency situation. I hope that this campaign will raise enough money and support to create a public zoo in Sudan with the proper means to care for these animals.
"People need to take back control of animal protection services”
Khalid Osman Hiwytalla is the directer of the Sudan Wildlife Research Center. He says that there isn’t an adequate system for protecting wild animals in Sudan:
The problem is that animal protection falls under the responsibility of the police and the Ministry of the Interior and it just isn’t a priority for them. There used to be a large public zoo in Khartoum – it was one of the biggest in Africa. However, it was closed and a luxury hotel was built in its place. People need to take back control of animal protection services.
Article by Pierre Hamdi (@PierreHamdi)


france24--2020-01-24--Parties in Trump impeachment trial clash over relevance of the Bidens' Ukraine dealings

Democrats worked methodically at U.S. President Donald Trump 's impeachment trial on Thursday to dismantle his long-standing allegation that Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden acted improperly toward Ukraine while vice president .
On the second day of their arguments for Trump 's removal from office , Democratic House of Representatives members argued that Biden did nothing wrong and was only carrying out official U.S. policy when he pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor , Victor Shokin , because of corruption concerns .
Trump and his allies maintain that Biden wanted Shokin out in order to head off an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where his son Hunter served as a director .
Democrats said no evidence supported that allegation .
House managers spent Thursday focusing on the charge that Trump abused his office by pressing Ukraine to investigate the Bidens purely for political gain .
They argued that Trump pushed the Ukrainian government to probe Biden and his son because he was worried about facing the former vice president in November 's election .
Biden is the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination .
`` If we allow this gross abuse of power to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – free rein – to abuse his control of U.S. foreign policy for personal interest , and so would any other future president , '' U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia said on the Senate floor .
`` And then this president , and all presidents , become above the law . ''
Democrats contend senators should convict Trump on two charges brought by the Democratic-led House – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
But the Senate , which is controlled by Trump 's fellow Republicans , remains unlikely to do so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ him from office .
The U.S. Constitution sets out the impeachment process for removing a president who commits `` high crimes and misdemeanors . ''
Trump 's legal team has argued that the House charges were invalid because impeachable offenses must represent a specific violation of criminal law .
Trump condemned the proceedings as `` unfair & corrupt '' in a Twitter post on Thursday .
The charges against Trump arise from his request in a July 25 phone call last year that Ukraine investigate Biden on unsubstantiated corruption allegations and the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the matter .
Trump also asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate a discredited theory beneficial to Russia that Ukraine worked with Democrats to hurt Trump in the 2016 U.S. election .
Trump temporarily withheld $ 391 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine , which Democrats say was leverage for his demands .
Trump 's lawyers quickly argued that by bringing up the Bidens , Democrats had made their conduct a relevant subject for the rest of the trial .
`` They opened the door .
They opened the door and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sekulow , a personal lawyer for the president and a member of his defense team , told reporters at the Capitol .
`` So we will address the appropriate issues as defense lawyers would . ''
Added Republican Senator Ted Cruz : `` Hunter Biden is not only relevant , he is now critical . ''
But Sekulow said Trump 's team was not yet focused on whether new witnesses will be called , a matter the Senate will take up after senators have a chance to submit questions to both sides next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin their defense of the president on Saturday , after House Democrats finish their opening arguments .
Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said House managers on Friday would focus on the charge that Trump unlawfully obstructed Congress by keeping key administration officials from testifying and by refusing requests for documents .
As the arguments again went deep into the evening , Republican senators continued to complain the House presentation had become repetitive and that they were looking forward to the president 's defense .
Democrats countered by saying Republicans had blocked their attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional witnesses and documents .
Signs emerged on the second day of arguments that the Democratic case was losing some of the public 's attention .
There were empty seats in the gallery overlooking the Senate floor .
Television ratings were down .
About 8.9 million viewers watched the first day of arguments on Wednesday , falling short of the roughly 11 million who watched on Tuesday , according to Nielsen ratings data .
Senators also showed increasing signs of restlessness , with many wandering to the rear of the chamber where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smartphones .
Speaking on the Senate floor , Garcia poured cold water on a conspiracy theory offered by some Trump defenders that Ukraine , not Russia , had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election .
`` If this sounds far-fetched and crazy , it should , because it is , '' the lawmaker said .
U.S. intelligence agencies and former Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that Russia used a campaign of hacking and social media propaganda to interfere in the election to sow discord in the United States and boost Trump 's candidacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied meddling in the election .
The Democrats displayed a November quote from Russian President Vladimir Putin saying : `` Thank God nobody is accusing us anymore of interfering in the U.S. elections .
Now they 're accusing Ukraine . ''

Democrats worked methodically at U.S. President Donald Trump's impeachment trial on Thursday to dismantle his long-standing allegation that Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden acted improperly toward Ukraine while vice president.
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On the second day of their arguments for Trump's removal from office, Democratic House of Representatives members argued that Biden did nothing wrong and was only carrying out official U.S. policy when he pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor, Victor Shokin, because of corruption concerns.
Trump and his allies maintain that Biden wanted Shokin out in order to head off an investigation into a natural gas company, Burisma, where his son Hunter served as a director. Democrats said no evidence supported that allegation.
House managers spent Thursday focusing on the charge that Trump abused his office by pressing Ukraine to investigate the Bidens purely for political gain.
They argued that Trump pushed the Ukrainian government to probe Biden and his son because he was worried about facing the former vice president in November's election. Biden is the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.
"If we allow this gross abuse of power to continue, this president would have free rein – free rein – to abuse his control of U.S. foreign policy for personal interest, and so would any other future president," U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia said on the Senate floor. "And then this president, and all presidents, become above the law."
Democrats contend senators should convict Trump on two charges brought by the Democratic-led House – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
But the Senate, which is controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, remains unlikely to do so. A two-thirds majority is needed to remove him from office.
The U.S. Constitution sets out the impeachment process for removing a president who commits "high crimes and misdemeanors." Trump's legal team has argued that the House charges were invalid because impeachable offenses must represent a specific violation of criminal law.
Trump condemned the proceedings as "unfair & corrupt" in a Twitter post on Thursday.
The Democrat House would not give us lawyers, or not one witness, but now demand that the Republican Senate produce the witnesses that the House never sought, or even asked for? They had their chance, but pretended to rush. Most unfair & corrupt hearing in Congressional history! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2020
The charges against Trump arise from his request in a July 25 phone call last year that Ukraine investigate Biden on unsubstantiated corruption allegations and the president's actions to impede a House inquiry into the matter.
Trump also asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate a discredited theory beneficial to Russia that Ukraine worked with Democrats to hurt Trump in the 2016 U.S. election. Trump temporarily withheld $391 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine, which Democrats say was leverage for his demands.
'Opened the door'
Trump's lawyers quickly argued that by bringing up the Bidens, Democrats had made their conduct a relevant subject for the rest of the trial.
"They opened the door. They opened the door and it's now relevant," Jay Sekulow, a personal lawyer for the president and a member of his defense team, told reporters at the Capitol. "So we will address the appropriate issues as defense lawyers would."
Added Republican Senator Ted Cruz: "Hunter Biden is not only relevant, he is now critical."
But Sekulow said Trump's team was not yet focused on whether new witnesses will be called, a matter the Senate will take up after senators have a chance to submit questions to both sides next week.
Trump's lawyers are likely to begin their defense of the president on Saturday, after House Democrats finish their opening arguments.
Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said House managers on Friday would focus on the charge that Trump unlawfully obstructed Congress by keeping key administration officials from testifying and by refusing requests for documents.
As the arguments again went deep into the evening, Republican senators continued to complain the House presentation had become repetitive and that they were looking forward to the president's defense.
Democrats countered by saying Republicans had blocked their attempts to bring new evidence to light through additional witnesses and documents.
Signs emerged on the second day of arguments that the Democratic case was losing some of the public's attention. There were empty seats in the gallery overlooking the Senate floor.
Television ratings were down. About 8.9 million viewers watched the first day of arguments on Wednesday, falling short of the roughly 11 million who watched on Tuesday, according to Nielsen ratings data.
Senators also showed increasing signs of restlessness, with many wandering to the rear of the chamber where they could make phone calls and check their smartphones.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Garcia poured cold water on a conspiracy theory offered by some Trump defenders that Ukraine, not Russia, had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.
"If this sounds far-fetched and crazy, it should, because it is," the lawmaker said.
U.S. intelligence agencies and former Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that Russia used a campaign of hacking and social media propaganda to interfere in the election to sow discord in the United States and boost Trump's candidacy against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Moscow has denied meddling in the election.
The Democrats displayed a November quote from Russian President Vladimir Putin saying: "Thank God nobody is accusing us anymore of interfering in the U.S. elections. Now they're accusing Ukraine."
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-23--Actress Annabella Sciorra unambiguously tells court that Weinstein raped her

Witness Annabella Sciorra departs after testifying in the case of film producer Harvey Weinstein during his sexual assault trial at a New York Criminal Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City on January 23 , 2020 .
`` The Sopranos '' actress Annabella Sciorra fought back tears as she told a court Thursday that being raped by Harvey Weinstein left her feeling like she was having `` a seizure '' and caused her to self-harm .
In emotional testimony at Weinstein 's trial , Sciorra described him barging into her New York apartment late at night in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was wearing a nightgown .
`` It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual .
I did n't really even know what was happening , '' the 59-year-old said .
Sciorra faced the jury as she held her hands above her head and clasped her wrists to demonstrate how Weinstein , then three times her weight , held her down on her bed and sexually assaulted her .
`` He got on top of me and he raped me , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illuzzi-Orbon .
`` He put his penis inside of my vagina and he raped me , '' repeated Sciorra , the first of Weinstein 's accusers to take the stand in proceedings seen as key to the # MeToo movement .
Weinstein , 67 , avoided eye contact and gestured towards one of his lawyers as Sciorra told the New York state court that the former film producer then performed oral sex on her .
`` I did n't have very much fight left inside me at this point .
My body just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing a navy blue dress with long sleeves .
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping actress Jessica Mann .
He denies all allegations of non-consensual sex .
Sciorra , best known for her role as Gloria Trillo in American mob drama `` The Sopranos , '' gave evidence to support the prosecution 's case that Weinstein was a career sexual predator .
Her allegation is too old to be included on the charge sheet but the charge of predatory sexual assault , which carries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove he sexually assaulted at least two people .