france24--2020-01-31--French PM Philippe to run for mayor in Le Havre

French PM Philippe to run for mayor in Le Havre French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Friday that he @ @ @ @ @ in the northern port city of Le Havre , while adding he would still seek @ @ @ @ @ President Emmanuel Macron continued to back him .
“ I have decided to be a @ @ @ @ @ in Le Havre , ” he told the local Paris-Normandie newspaper in an interview published @ @ @ @ @ ministers have dropped out of plans to stand as mayor in forthcoming local elections in @ @ @ @ @ avoid losing their ministerial positions .
Ministers have often had to choose between either a @ @ @ @ @ role or being a cabinet minister .

French PM Philippe to run for mayor in Le Havre
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Friday that he would stand in local elections in the northern port city of Le Havre, while adding he would still seek to remain as PM if President Emmanuel Macron continued to back him.
French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe arrives at a conference between representatives of the French state and social partners about the country's pensions system on January 30, 2020. © Alain Jocard, AFP
Text by: NEWS WIRES
Advertising Read more “I have decided to be a candidate for the mayoral elections in Le Havre,” he told the local Paris-Normandie newspaper in an interview published on Friday.
Other government ministers have dropped out of plans to stand as mayor in forthcoming local elections in March, in order to avoid losing their ministerial positions. Ministers have often had to choose between either a high-profile city mayor’s role or being a cabinet minister.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-31--Palestinians in Lebanon say Trump peace deal falls short

The so-called `` deal of the century '' that the US administration unveiled amid much criticism earlier this week has @ @ @ @ @ 450,000 Palestinians living in Lebanon—many of them in refugee camps .
Hoda was born in @ @ @ @ @ and has never seen her homeland , but the 65-year-old insists Palestine is her home @ @ @ @ @ furious '' about the deal , she said .
Under the proposal , some Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ return , but others would be offered citizenship in the surrounding Arab countries .
For @ @ @ @ @ that is a non-starter .
“ Lebanon isn ’ t our country , ” Hoda @ @ @ @ @ refugees here.
” US officials insist that Palestinians will be “ screwing up an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ t accept the deal , but to do so would mean giving up on a @ @ @ @ @

The so-called "deal of the century" that the US administration unveiled amid much criticism earlier this week has little to offer the estimated 450,000 Palestinians living in Lebanon—many of them in refugee camps.
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Hoda was born in a refugee camp in Lebanon and has never seen her homeland, but the 65-year-old insists Palestine is her home nevertheless. She is "furious" about the deal, she said.
Under the proposal, some Palestinian refugees would be allowed to return, but others would be offered citizenship in the surrounding Arab countries. For many Palestinians in Lebanon, that is a non-starter. “Lebanon isn’t our country,” Hoda said. “We are refugees here.”
US officials insist that Palestinians will be “screwing up an opportunity” if they don’t accept the deal, but to do so would mean giving up on a decades-long dream for Palestinians.
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france24--2020-01-31--The ‘Night of Solidarity’: The army of volunteers who count Paris’s homeless

Volunteers take part in the Night of Solidarity in Paris on January 30 , 2020 .
Every year , some 2,000 volunteers and state workers spend the night walking the streets of Paris to make a survey of the number of people sleeping rough in the French capital .
For those who give up their free time to contribute , it can be an eye opening experience .
The scheme , called “ Nuit de la Solidarité ” ( Night of Solidarity ) is now in its third year and was started as a way to keep track of Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them with better social services .
Volunteers work in small groups with an experienced team leader .
Each group has a designated area to survey , which often sees them working long into the night .
They record not only how many people sleeping rough they come across , but also information such as their gender , age and family situation using detailed questionnaires .
FRANCE 24 followed one team as they surveyed a section of the 15th arrondissement ( district ) in the south of Paris to find out how and why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task .
“ It was a powerful human experience , ” said volunteer Vincent Bernard .
“ You realise to what extent people in Paris live in really precarious situations . ''

Every year, some 2,000 volunteers and state workers spend the night walking the streets of Paris to make a survey of the number of people sleeping rough in the French capital. For those who give up their free time to contribute, it can be an eye opening experience.
Volunteers take part in the Night of Solidarity in Paris on January 30, 2020.
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The scheme, called “Nuit de la Solidarité” (Night of Solidarity) is now in its third year and was started as a way to keep track of Paris’s homeless in order to provide them with better social services.
Volunteers work in small groups with an experienced team leader. Each group has a designated area to survey, which often sees them working long into the night.
They record not only how many people sleeping rough they come across, but also information such as their gender, age and family situation using detailed questionnaires.
FRANCE 24 followed one team as they surveyed a section of the 15th arrondissement (district) in the south of Paris to find out how and why this army of volunteers undertakes this mammoth task.
“It was a powerful human experience,” said volunteer Vincent Bernard. “You realise to what extent people in Paris live in really precarious situations."
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france24--2020-01-30--France confirms sixth case of coronavirus infection as its citizens evacuate Wuhan

A laboratory operator wearing protective gear handles patients ’ samples in a laboratory of the National Reference Center for respiratory viruses at the Institut Pasteur in Paris , France on January 28 , 2020 .
France has confirmed a sixth case of infection by the new coronavirus from China , a French health official said on Thursday .
France confirmed its first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus on Friday , a fourth case on Tuesday and a fifth case on Wednesday .
Meanwhile , a jet carrying around 200 French citizens flew out of the virus-hit Chinese city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists on board the flight .
The French military aircraft is bound for southern France , where the passengers will undergo a 14-day quarantine , in case they are carrying the new coronavirus .
The United States and Japan have already carried out airlifts from Wuhan for their citizens .
A second US flight is planned in the coming days .
Britain also plans to evacuate around 200 of its citizens on Friday and Australia and New Zealand are among others organising similar operations .
The European Commission has said it is planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Beijing has taken extreme steps to stop the spread of the virus , effectively quarantining more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province , including thousands of foreigners .
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared a global emergency over the virus , which has also spread to more than 15 other countries .
China 's death toll from the virus rose to 212 on Friday as hardest-hit Hubei province reported 42 new fatalities .

France has confirmed a sixth case of infection by the new coronavirus from China, a French health official said on Thursday.
A laboratory operator wearing protective gear handles patients’ samples in a laboratory of the National Reference Center for respiratory viruses at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France on January 28, 2020.
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France confirmed its first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus on Friday, a fourth case on Tuesday and a fifth case on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a jet carrying around 200 French citizens flew out of the virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan on Friday, according to AFP journalists on board the flight.
The French military aircraft is bound for southern France, where the passengers will undergo a 14-day quarantine, in case they are carrying the new coronavirus.
The United States and Japan have already carried out airlifts from Wuhan for their citizens. A second US flight is planned in the coming days.
Britain also plans to evacuate around 200 of its citizens on Friday and Australia and New Zealand are among others organising similar operations.
The European Commission has said it is planning a flight to evacuate more European nationals.
Beijing has taken extreme steps to stop the spread of the virus, effectively quarantining more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province, including thousands of foreigners.
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared a global emergency over the virus, which has also spread to more than 15 other countries.
China's death toll from the virus rose to 212 on Friday as hardest-hit Hubei province reported 42 new fatalities.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-31--UK hands businessman Djouhri, at heart of Sarkozy's Libyan finance scandal, to French authorities

A businessman at the heart of a probe into alleged Libyan financing of French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy 's 2007 election campaign was handed over to authorities in Paris Thursday after being extradited from the UK , judicial sources said .
Alexandre Djouhri , 60 , was originally arrested at Heathrow airport in January 2018 under a European warrant issued by French judges on charges of embezzlement of public funds and corruption .
French investigators are examining his alleged involvement in the 2008 sale of a villa in the French Alps valued at 1.3 million euros ( $ 1.4 million ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 10 million euros .
A Libyan investment fund managed by Bashir Saleh , the ex-chief of staff of Libya 's deposed leader Moamer Kadhafi , bought the property , and Djouhri is suspected of being its true owner , according to a London court ruling last year that ordered his extradition to France .
He is also accused of paying 500,000 euros to Sarkozy aide Claude Gueant `` so that he would use his position to make various interventions to assist Mr Djouhri in his business affairs '' .
After a two-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January agreed to hand Djouhri over to France .
His lawyer later said that Djouhri intended to return to France to `` vigorously contest '' the proceedings .
Investigators also suspect Djouhri of helping Saleh get out of France in early 2012 , in a private jet headed for Niger , as he faced a Libyan arrest warrant a few months after Kadhafi 's overthrow .
The businessman claims he is the victim of a `` judicial trap '' .

A businessman at the heart of a probe into alleged Libyan financing of French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign was handed over to authorities in Paris Thursday after being extradited from the UK, judicial sources said.
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Alexandre Djouhri, 60, was originally arrested at Heathrow airport in January 2018 under a European warrant issued by French judges on charges of embezzlement of public funds and corruption.
French investigators are examining his alleged involvement in the 2008 sale of a villa in the French Alps valued at 1.3 million euros ($1.4 million) at the "inflated price" of about 10 million euros.
A Libyan investment fund managed by Bashir Saleh, the ex-chief of staff of Libya's deposed leader Moamer Kadhafi, bought the property, and Djouhri is suspected of being its true owner, according to a London court ruling last year that ordered his extradition to France.
He is also accused of paying 500,000 euros to Sarkozy aide Claude Gueant "so that he would use his position to make various interventions to assist Mr Djouhri in his business affairs".
After a two-year legal battle, a British court in January agreed to hand Djouhri over to France.
His lawyer later said that Djouhri intended to return to France to "vigorously contest" the proceedings.
Investigators also suspect Djouhri of helping Saleh get out of France in early 2012, in a private jet headed for Niger, as he faced a Libyan arrest warrant a few months after Kadhafi's overthrow.
The businessman claims he is the victim of a "judicial trap".
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-31--Republicans in Trump impeachment trial harp on whistleblower's identity

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) addresses a news conference with Senators Dick Durbin ( D-IL ) and Mazie Hirono ( D-HI ) prior to the resumption of the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , U.S. , January 30 , 2020 .
U.S. Senate Republicans on Thursday tried to shift the focus of President Donald Trump 's impeachment trial to the unnamed government official whose whistleblower complaint about Trump 's dealings with Ukraine spurred the drive to remove him from office .
As the trial headed toward a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquittal by the Republican-controlled Senate , Democrats accused the president 's allies of trying to intimidate other government employees from reporting wrongdoing when they see it .
`` You are threatening not just this whistleblower , but the entire system , '' said Democratic Representative Adam Schiff , who is acting as the lead prosecutor in the trial .
The trial was approaching a climactic vote that could determine whether senators will hear from witnesses like former national security adviser John Bolton .
John Barrasso , the Senate 's third-ranking Republican , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back the Democratic effort for witnesses .
A final vote to acquit Trump or remove him from office is likely in coming days , according to Senate aides who spoke on condition of anonymity .
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump in December , formally accusing him of abusing his power for pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival , Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden .
The House also charged Trump with obstruction of Congress .
Trump 's acquittal would allow him to claim vindication just as the Democratic Party holds its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election in Iowa on Monday .
Trump will hold a rally in the state on Thursday night .
Trying to unmask the whistleblower Trump and some other Republicans have pressed for months to unmask the intelligence official who filed the report and have tried to paint that person as a partisan figure working with Democrats to destroy Trump 's presidency .
The government has provided security to the whistleblower in response to security threats , according to the person 's lawyers .
On Thursday , the issue boiled to the surface again when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is presiding over the trial , refused to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul that included the name of a person that right-wing media have accused of being the whistleblower .
Paul is one of several Republicans , including Trump , who have posted social-media links to some of those news articles .
`` The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted , '' Roberts said .
He had rejected a similar question the day before .
Paul said his question , which asked whether that person worked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeach Trump , was not meant to unmask the whistleblower .
`` My question 's not about the whistleblower .
My question 's about two people who are friends , '' he told reporters .
`` This question was really framed and intended to expose the identity of the whistleblower and subject that whistleblower to retaliation , '' Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters .
Bradley P. Moss , a lawyer whose firm represents the whistleblower , called the Republican effort `` a stain on the legacy of this constitutional republic . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to present closing arguments before the Senate moves to the question of whether to call witnesses , which could inflict political damage on the president as he seeks re-election .
Possible testimony from Bolton is of particular interest after a report - which he has not denied - that he planned to say in an upcoming book that Trump told him he wanted to freeze $ 391 million in U.S. military aid for Ukraine until it investigated the Bidens .
Democrats need to persuade at least four Republican senators to vote with them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100-seat chamber , an effort Schumer has called an uphill fight .
If the vote on whether to allow witnesses is 50-50 , Roberts could step in to break the tie .
But there is so little precedent for impeachment trials - this is only the third of a president in U.S. history - that Senate aides said there was no way to know exactly what would occur .
If Roberts declines to break a tie , the vote deadlock would mean a defeat for Democrats .
Schiff proposed that both sides conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate returns to normal business .
But there was no sign his plea was being considered by Republicans .

U.S. Senate Republicans on Thursday tried to shift the focus of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial to the unnamed government official whose whistleblower complaint about Trump's dealings with Ukraine spurred the drive to remove him from office.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) addresses a news conference with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) prior to the resumption of the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2020.
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As the trial headed toward a possible weekend conclusion and Trump's likely acquittal by the Republican-controlled Senate, Democrats accused the president's allies of trying to intimidate other government employees from reporting wrongdoing when they see it.
"You are threatening not just this whistleblower, but the entire system," said Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who is acting as the lead prosecutor in the trial.
The trial was approaching a climactic vote that could determine whether senators will hear from witnesses like former national security adviser John Bolton.
John Barrasso, the Senate's third-ranking Republican, told reporters that Republicans were likely to beat back the Democratic effort for witnesses.
A final vote to acquit Trump or remove him from office is likely in coming days, according to Senate aides who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump in December, formally accusing him of abusing his power for pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The House also charged Trump with obstruction of Congress.
Trump's acquittal would allow him to claim vindication just as the Democratic Party holds its first nominating contest for the Nov. 3 election in Iowa on Monday. Trump will hold a rally in the state on Thursday night.
Trying to unmask the whistleblower
Trump and some other Republicans have pressed for months to unmask the intelligence official who filed the report and have tried to paint that person as a partisan figure working with Democrats to destroy Trump's presidency.
The government has provided security to the whistleblower in response to security threats, according to the person's lawyers.
On Thursday, the issue boiled to the surface again when U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, refused to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul that included the name of a person that right-wing media have accused of being the whistleblower. Paul is one of several Republicans, including Trump, who have posted social-media links to some of those news articles.
"The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted," Roberts said. He had rejected a similar question the day before.
Paul said his question, which asked whether that person worked with a member of Schiff's staff to impeach Trump, was not meant to unmask the whistleblower.
"My question's not about the whistleblower. My question's about two people who are friends," he told reporters.
Democrats disagreed.
"This question was really framed and intended to expose the identity of the whistleblower and subject that whistleblower to retaliation," Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters.
Bradley P. Moss, a lawyer whose firm represents the whistleblower, called the Republican effort "a stain on the legacy of this constitutional republic."
Closing arguments, and climactic vote
On Friday, each side is expected to present closing arguments before the Senate moves to the question of whether to call witnesses, which could inflict political damage on the president as he seeks re-election.
Possible testimony from Bolton is of particular interest after a report - which he has not denied - that he planned to say in an upcoming book that Trump told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in U.S. military aid for Ukraine until it investigated the Bidens.
Democrats need to persuade at least four Republican senators to vote with them to assure a majority vote in the 100-seat chamber, an effort Schumer has called an uphill fight.
If the vote on whether to allow witnesses is 50-50, Roberts could step in to break the tie. But there is so little precedent for impeachment trials - this is only the third of a president in U.S. history - that Senate aides said there was no way to know exactly what would occur.
If Roberts declines to break a tie, the vote deadlock would mean a defeat for Democrats.
Schiff proposed that both sides conduct closed-door witness depositions for a week while the Senate returns to normal business.
But there was no sign his plea was being considered by Republicans.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-03--UK's Johnson: ‘No need’ for EU rules for post-Brexit trade deal

The European Union and Britain clashed over a post-Brexit trade deal on Monday with Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisting he need not sign up to the bloc 's rules and Brussels warning of tariffs and quotas unless he did .
Britain wants to negotiate a trade deal by the end of 2020 , though EU leaders say the further Britain diverges from their rules the less access it will have to the EU market .
Speaking just over two days since Brexit , Johnson cast Britain as the `` supercharged '' superman of free trade , and while it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a race to the bottom , he said there was no need to accept EU rules .
`` There is no need for a free trade agreement to involve accepting EU rules on competition policy , subsidies , social protection , the environment or anything similar , any more than the EU should be obliged to accept UK rules , '' Johnson said .
The choice for Britain , Johnson said , was between a deal like Canada has with the EU or a much more distant deal like Australia .
He spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Naval College at Greenwich , where grand 18th Century paintings celebrate Britain 's prosperity and naval power .
The European Union wants an ambitious zero-tariffs and zero-quotas trade deal with Britain but this will be conditional on open and fair competition between the UK and the 27-nation bloc it quit last week , the EU 's Brexit negotiator said .
Michel Barnier , unveiling the European Commission 's mandate for talks with Britain on their future relationship , said there should be a level playing field over the long term on social , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can not accuse us of a lack of ambition , '' he told a news conference in Brussels .
`` First and foremost , we will defend the interests of the union , its citizens and its businesses . ''
`` We 'll continue to prepare for a situation where no deal is being arrived at .
We certainly do n't want that to happen .
We 'll work to avoid that , but if we ca n't manage a deal by the end of the year there will be a cliff-edge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some areas where they ’ ll be no other solution .
I ’ m thinking about trade and fisheries here , '' Barnier added .
The more that the EU and Britain have common standards , the higher the quality of access for Britain to the European single market , he said .
Barnier said a free trade agreement must include a deal on fisheries that would give reciprocal assess to waters and conditions on these must be established by July 1 , 2020 .
`` We are ready to offer all this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be strong competition between the UK , our immediate neighbour , and the EU in the future , '' he said .
A 33-page draft mandate for negotiations released as Barnier spoke had one section in bold , and that read : `` the envisaged partnership must ensure open and fair competition , encompassing robust commitments to ensure a level playing field '' .
The partnership should ensure `` common high standards '' in state aid , competition , state-owned enterprises , labour and environmental standards and `` relevant tax matters '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sees a role for the Court of Justice of the European Union , for example in the case of a dispute .
Trade talks will begin in March .
After criticising his predecessor Theresa May 's approach in negotiating a divorce deal with the EU , Johnson is striking a much tougher tone .
At the moment , much of EU-Australia trade runs along basic World Trade Organization rules , though there are specific agreements for certain goods .
Australia is in the process of negotiating a trade deal with the EU , @ @

The European Union and Britain clashed over a post-Brexit trade deal on Monday with Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisting he need not sign up to the bloc's rules and Brussels warning of tariffs and quotas unless he did.
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Britain wants to negotiate a trade deal by the end of 2020, though EU leaders say the further Britain diverges from their rules the less access it will have to the EU market.
Speaking just over two days since Brexit, Johnson cast Britain as the "supercharged" superman of free trade, and while it would not seek to undermine the bloc with a race to the bottom, he said there was no need to accept EU rules.
"There is no need for a free trade agreement to involve accepting EU rules on competition policy, subsidies, social protection, the environment or anything similar, any more than the EU should be obliged to accept UK rules," Johnson said.
01:24
The choice for Britain, Johnson said, was between a deal like Canada has with the EU or a much more distant deal like Australia.
He spoke in the Painted Hall at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, where grand 18th Century paintings celebrate Britain's prosperity and naval power.
WATCH LIVE: PM @BorisJohnson sets out his vision for unleashing Britain's potential https://t.co/Qip1y4mUbC — UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) February 3, 2020
Ambitious deal
The European Union wants an ambitious zero-tariffs and zero-quotas trade deal with Britain but this will be conditional on open and fair competition between the UK and the 27-nation bloc it quit last week, the EU's Brexit negotiator said.
Michel Barnier, unveiling the European Commission's mandate for talks with Britain on their future relationship, said there should be a level playing field over the long term on social, state aid and environmental standards.
"You cannot accuse us of a lack of ambition," he told a news conference in Brussels. "First and foremost, we will defend the interests of the union, its citizens and its businesses."
"We'll continue to prepare for a situation where no deal is being arrived at. We certainly don't want that to happen. We'll work to avoid that, but if we can't manage a deal by the end of the year there will be a cliff-edge on many fronts.
"There will some areas where they’ll be no other solution. I’m thinking about trade and fisheries here," Barnier added.
The more that the EU and Britain have common standards, the higher the quality of access for Britain to the European single market, he said.
Barnier said a free trade agreement must include a deal on fisheries that would give reciprocal assess to waters and conditions on these must be established by July 1, 2020.
"We are ready to offer all this even though we know that there will be strong competition between the UK, our immediate neighbour, and the EU in the future," he said.
A 33-page draft mandate for negotiations released as Barnier spoke had one section in bold, and that read: "the envisaged partnership must ensure open and fair competition, encompassing robust commitments to ensure a level playing field".
The partnership should ensure "common high standards" in state aid, competition, state-owned enterprises, labour and environmental standards and "relevant tax matters", it said.
The draft mandate also sees a role for the Court of Justice of the European Union, for example in the case of a dispute.
Trade talks will begin in March. After criticising his predecessor Theresa May's approach in negotiating a divorce deal with the EU, Johnson is striking a much tougher tone.
At the moment, much of EU-Australia trade runs along basic World Trade Organization rules, though there are specific agreements for certain goods. Australia is in the process of negotiating a trade deal with the EU, however.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-03--Bernie vs Biden: two septuagenarians lead Democratic field ahead of Iowa caucus

He ’ s the oldest candidate in the White House race , but Bernie Sanders has managed , yet again , to energise young voters with polls showing him running neck and neck with former US vice president Joe Biden in the Iowa caucus .
But the first test of the US presidential race is known for throwing up surprises .
As the first vote in the 2020 Democratic race to challenge US President Donald Trump kicks off in the Midwestern state of Iowa Monday , Sanders has emerged as a candidate on the rise , with the 78-year-old Vermont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in several polls .
Biden and Sanders were tied at 25 percent as the first choice nominee , according to a CBS News poll conducted by YouGov released Sunday .
Pete Buttigieg , the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , came in third with 21 percent while Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren ranked fourth with 16 percent .
The results largely match other polls conducted in the key state .
Sanders had a double-digit lead with people under the age of 35 in some polls .
Those voters formed the core @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are still “ feeling the Bern ” this year .
The self-proclaimed socialist ’ s supporters are being rallied by social media to attend the caucuses , whereas older voters , who are more likely to favour Biden , are less likely to turn up .
Sanders also stands a good chance of winning the upcoming primary in New Hampshire , where , as the senator of a neighbouring state , the veteran politician is a local .
Biden , a moderate with decades of Washington experience , is under pressure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as centrist Democrats fret about how to deal with the rise of Sanders .
'Maybe we need a dangerous communist' At a Sanders campaign rally Sunday , supporters listened enthusiastically as the candidate went through his policy priorities and explained what ’ s at stake in the 2020 elections .
“ This might be the election that is the most consequential in modern American history .
What we are talking about is the future of American democracy , ” he said .
Sanders promised he would defeat Trump and unite people together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of us , not just the 1 percent.
” Josiah Sutton , a 22-year-old history student at Lincoln College , is helping the Sanders campaign in Iowa .
He says a lot of young people in the service industry are backing the Vermont senator because he is addressing trade union issues .
When asked for his response to critics who call Sanders a “ dangerous communist , ” Sutton replied , “ Maybe we need a ‘ dangerous communist ’ .
We ’ ve been in a dangerous capitalist situation for too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press operator from Columbus , Ohio , spends most of his days on the factory floor but he ’ s taken time out to come to Iowa and canvas for Sanders .
Breathless and passionate , he explained Sanders ’ s revolutionary appeal : “ I believe that we need to build a working-class movement in America .
I think we need to live up to the original precept that our country was set up on , which is a democracy for everybody by everybody not just special interests , lobbyists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies .
“ If that means he ’ s for the working people of the US , for unions , for people like me and my family , and immigrants - we need to go from the bottom up and that is how we all rise .
Not a system that creates wealth for just the 1 percent , where most income goes to them and not to us , the real people who work here .
We ’ re gon na take Iowa , we ’ re gon na take South Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidency , ” said Birch .
At a Sanders field office in Des Moines , a sign reading “ IA loves Bernie ” adorns the wall .
Volunteers mill around exchanging canvassing techniques to convince voters to caucus for Sanders .
Cidney Macmillan , a 35-year-old business analyst from Iowa , is canvassing for Sanders .
He ’ s been trying to convince people who are on the fence to come and support the candidate .
Cidney supported Sanders in the last electoral cycle as well .
“ This year more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of progressive people .
In my opinion , Bernie brought that out .
Progressives seem to like Bernie , Warren and [ Andrew ] Yang .
I feel Bernie ’ s the right guy , he ’ s been on the right side of history for the last 30 , 40 years .
He ’ s been trying to break up the big corporations , trying to fight for nature .
For me the most important thing is breaking up banks , corporations .
There ’ s a lot of money in politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big banks , oil companies , the finance sector , pharmaceuticals , they are able to lobby and get a lot of different things that help them out but don ’ t benefit 95 percent of the population.
” Macmillan thinks it will even be possible to convince Trump supporters to convert to Sanders as he is an ‘ anti-establishment ’ figure .
Biden is ‘ the only one who can bring both sides back together ’ A crowd of about a thousand people gathered to hear Joe Biden at a middle school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atmosphere felt flat before Biden appeared but picked up once he got on stage and flashed his smile .
“ The next president is going to inherit a country divided and a world in disarray , ” Biden said , “ There ’ s no time for on-the-job training.
” Marshall Orsini , an attorney from West Des Moines , told FRANCE 24 that he will caucus for Biden on Monday evening .
“ He said himself we need a president who can start from day one .
I want a certain level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think he ’ ll be able to pull in both the disillusioned and disenfranchised and the other side as well , and I think Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are going to have a hard time doing that .
He ’ s got a better chance of beating Trump.
” The former vice president has a way of looking right into the eyes of audience members .
He took time to greet all of those jostling to shake his hand , staying true to his reputation for having a personal touch .
James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stayed on after Biden ’ s speech to shake the candidate ’ s hand , explained why he is supporting him .
“ The main reason , besides his experience , is because we are so divided right now and we need to deal with the racial divide .
The election of Barack Obama brought racial prejudice back to the surface and right now Biden is the only one who can bring both sides back together.
” At the end of his rally , Biden told FRANCE 24 , “ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have to do .
I can unite the country.
” The majority of Democratic voters FRANCE 24 spoke with said that if Biden ultimately gets the nomination they will back him against Trump .
But Rafaela Pres , a 20-year-old Warren supporter who travelled from Kansas to see her candidate , told FRANCE 24 that she does not think young people will support Biden .
“ He has some good points but I don ’ t really think he ’ s the Democrat of the day anymore , '' she explained .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has gone viral , which features a young man in a tie-dye T-shirt doing the `` Running Man '' dance and chanting , `` Please don ’ t make me vote for Joe Biden . ''
The popularity of the video reflects a sentiment felt by many young Democrats in Iowa and across the United States .

He’s the oldest candidate in the White House race, but Bernie Sanders has managed, yet again, to energise young voters with polls showing him running neck and neck with former US vice president Joe Biden in the Iowa caucuses. But the first test of the US presidential race is known for throwing up surprises.
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As the first vote in the 2020 Democratic race to challenge US President Donald Trump kicks off in the Midwestern state of Iowa Monday, Sanders has emerged as a candidate on the rise, with the 78-year-old Vermont senator tied with Biden, 77, in several polls.
Biden and Sanders were tied at 25 percent as the first choice nominee, according to a CBS News poll conducted by YouGov released Sunday.
Pete Buttigieg, the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, came in third with 21 percent while Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren ranked fourth with 16 percent.
03:07
The results largely match other polls conducted in the key state.
The two frontrunners represent two separate wings of the party: Sanders the progressive wing, and Biden the moderate establishment wing.
Sanders had a double-digit lead with people under the age of 35 in some polls. Those voters formed the core base of his support in 2016 and they are still “feeling the Bern” this year.
The self-proclaimed socialist’s supporters are being rallied by social media to attend the caucuses, whereas older voters, who are more likely to favour Biden, are less likely to turn up.
Sanders also stands a good chance of winning the upcoming primary in New Hampshire, where, as the senator of a neighbouring state, the veteran politician is a local.
Biden, a moderate with decades of Washington experience, is under pressure to put up a strong performance in Iowa, as centrist Democrats fret about how to deal with the rise of Sanders.
'Maybe we need a dangerous communist'
At a Sanders campaign rally Sunday, supporters listened enthusiastically as the candidate went through his policy priorities and explained what’s at stake in the 2020 elections. “This might be the election that is the most consequential in modern American history. What we are talking about is the future of American democracy,” he said.
Sanders promised he would defeat Trump and unite people together “around an agenda that works for all of us, not just the 1 percent.”
Josiah Sutton, a 22-year-old history student at Lincoln College, is helping the Sanders campaign in Iowa. He says a lot of young people in the service industry are backing the Vermont senator because he is addressing trade union issues. When asked for his response to critics who call Sanders a “dangerous communist,” Sutton replied, “Maybe we need a ‘dangerous communist’. We’ve been in a dangerous capitalist situation for too long.”
Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders campaigns at Lincoln College in Indianapolis, Iowa. © Jessica Le Masurier
Tyler Birch, 26, a press operator from Columbus, Ohio, spends most of his days on the factory floor but he’s taken time out to come to Iowa and canvas for Sanders.
Breathless and passionate, he explained Sanders’s revolutionary appeal: “I believe that we need to build a working-class movement in America. I think we need to live up to the original precept that our country was set up on, which is a democracy for everybody by everybody not just special interests, lobbyists, big banks, pharma and the insurance companies.
“If that means he’s for the working people of the US, for unions, for people like me and my family, and immigrants - we need to go from the bottom up and that is how we all rise. Not a system that creates wealth for just the 1 percent, where most income goes to them and not to us, the real people who work here. We’re gonna take Iowa, we’re gonna take South Carolina, we’re gonna take the presidency,” said Birch.
A Bernie Sander's campaign field office in Des Moines, Iowa, February 3rd 2020. © Jessica Le Masurier
At a Sanders field office in Des Moines, a sign reading “IA loves Bernie” adorns the wall. Volunteers mill around exchanging canvassing techniques to convince voters to caucus for Sanders.
Cidney Macmillan, a business analyst from Iowa who is campaigning for Bernie Sanders, February 2nd 2020. © Jessica Le Masurier
Cidney Macmillan, a 35-year-old business analyst from Iowa, is canvassing for Sanders. He’s been trying to convince people who are on the fence to come and support the candidate. Cidney supported Sanders in the last electoral cycle as well.
“This year more than others, there’s a lot of progressive people. In my opinion, Bernie brought that out. Progressives seem to like Bernie, Warren and [Andrew] Yang. I feel Bernie’s the right guy, he’s been on the right side of history for the last 30, 40 years. He’s been trying to break up the big corporations, trying to fight for nature. For me the most important thing is breaking up banks, corporations. There’s a lot of money in politics. A lot of that comes from big banks, oil companies, the finance sector, pharmaceuticals, they are able to lobby and get a lot of different things that help them out but don’t benefit 95 percent of the population.”
Macmillan thinks it will even be possible to convince Trump supporters to convert to Sanders as he is an ‘anti-establishment’ figure.
Biden is ‘the only one who can bring both sides back together’
A crowd of about a thousand people gathered to hear Joe Biden at a middle school in Des Moines on Sunday.
The atmosphere felt flat before Biden appeared but picked up once he got on stage and flashed his smile. Biden appeared somewhat frail, compared to the younger candidates in the race, and used notes as a prompt for his speech.
Democratic candidate Joe Biden at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa. © Jessica Le Masurier
“The next president is going to inherit a country divided and a world in disarray,” Biden said, “There’s no time for on-the-job training.”
Marshall Orsini, an attorney from West Des Moines, told FRANCE 24 that he will caucus for Biden on Monday evening. “He said himself we need a president who can start from day one. I want a certain level of statesmanship in a president. I think he’ll be able to pull in both the disillusioned and disenfranchised and the other side as well, and I think Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are going to have a hard time doing that. He’s got a better chance of beating Trump.”
The former vice president has a way of looking right into the eyes of audience members. He took time to greet all of those jostling to shake his hand, staying true to his reputation for having a personal touch.
James A. Benzoni, an immigration attorney who supports Joe Biden, at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, February 2nd 2020. © Jessica Le Masurier, France 24
James A. Benzoni, an immigration attorney who stayed on after Biden’s speech to shake the candidate’s hand, explained why he is supporting him. “The main reason, besides his experience, is because we are so divided right now and we need to deal with the racial divide. The election of Barack Obama brought racial prejudice back to the surface and right now Biden is the only one who can bring both sides back together.”
At the end of his rally, Biden told FRANCE 24, “I’m the best candidate because I know what we have to do. I can unite the country.”
The majority of Democratic voters FRANCE 24 spoke with said that if Biden ultimately gets the nomination they will back him against Trump.
But Rafaela Perez, a 20-year-old Warren supporter who travelled from Kansas to see her candidate, told FRANCE 24 that she does not think young people will support Biden. “He has some good points but I don’t really think he’s the Democrat of the day anymore," she explained.
'Please don't make me vote for Joe Biden' video on TikTok. © Jessica Le Masurier
Perez then showed FRANCE 24 a video that has gone viral, which features a young man in a tie-dye T-shirt doing the "Running Man" dance and chanting, "Please don’t make me vote for Joe Biden." The popularity of the video reflects a sentiment felt by many young Democrats in Iowa and across the United States.
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france24--2020-02-03--Coronavirus death toll spikes to over 360 in China, exceeding SARS fatalities

China 's death toll from a new coronavirus jumped above 360 on Monday , surpassing the number of fatalities from its SARS crisis two decades ago , with dozens of people dying in the epicentre 's quarantined ground zero .
The 57 confirmed new deaths was the single-biggest increase since the new coronavirus was detected late last year in the central city of Wuhan , where it is believed to have jumped from animals at a market into humans .
The virus has since spread to more than 24 countries , despite many governments imposing unprecedented travel bans on people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organization has declared the crisis a global health emergency , and the first foreign death from the virus was reported in the Philippines on Sunday .
In China , all but one of the 57 new deaths were reported Monday in Wuhan and the rest of Hubei province , most of which has been under lockdown for almost two weeks to stop people from leaving and transmitting the virus .
The national death toll reached 361 , exceeding the 349 mainland fatalities from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) outbreak of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathogen similar to the new coronavirus and also originating in China , killed 774 people - with most of the other deaths in Hong Kong .
Stock markets plunge The virus is also having an increasingly heavy economic impact , shutting down businesses across China , curbing international travel and impacting production lines of major international brands .
Stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen plunged by nearly 9 percent on Monday morning as investors returned from a Lunar New Year holiday that had been extended to stop people travelling around China .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the standards of China 's notoriously volatile share markets , indicating deep concern over the economic impact of the epidemic .
Markets in the world 's second-biggest economy had closed on January 24 for the week-long Lunar New Year holiday , but in that time the viral epidemic that started in Wuhan has spread globally .
They were scheduled to reopen on Friday but the government extended the holiday to help deal with the virus .
Stock markets worldwide have sunk as major corporate names froze or scaled back their Chinese operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavily on the country .
New ‘ Fire God Mountain ’ hospital completed China sent medical workers and equipment Monday to its just-completed , 1,000-bed hospital for treating victims of the virus that has caused more than 17,300 infections at home and abroad .
About 1,400 military medics will treat patients at the hospital , dubbed `` Fire God Mountain '' , according to state media .
However , with the death toll surging in Wuhan and elsewhere in Hubei province , it was not immediately clear what overall impact the hospital would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A second hospital with 1,500 beds is under construction .
Medical teams from the People 's Liberation Army continued to arrive in Wuhan to relieve the city 's overwhelmed health workers and to work at the new hospital , located in the countryside far from the city center .
Footage shown by state broadcaster CCTV showed prefabricated wards equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and ventilation systems .
Leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said additional hospital space was crucial to stopping the spread of new infections .
“ The lack of hospital rooms forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is extremely dangerous .
So having additional ( beds ) available is a great improvement , ” Zhong told CCTV 's 24-hour news channel .
Zhong played a major role in overcoming China 's 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS , a coronavirus from the same family as the current pathogen .
Eastern Wenzhou city under lockdown In a worrying signal about the virus already spreading in significant numbers to other parts of China , the eastern industrial city of Wenzhou was on Sunday placed under a similar lockdown to Wuhan .
Roads in Wenzhou @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the east , were closed and its nine million people were ordered to stay indoors .
Only one resident per household in Wenzhou is allowed to go out every two days to buy necessities , authorities announced .
International travel bans as disease spreads The first person to die overseas from the virus was a 44-year-old man from Wuhan who travelled to the Philippines , the World Health Organization said .
The G7 countries - Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , the United Kingdom and the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
They will discuss a joint response , Germany 's Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Sunday .
The US , Australia , New Zealand and Israel have banned foreign nationals from visiting if they have been in China recently , and they have also warned their own citizens against travelling there .
Mongolia , Russia and Nepal have closed their land borders .

China's death toll from a new coronavirus jumped above 360 on Monday, surpassing the number of fatalities from its SARS crisis two decades ago, with dozens of people dying in the epicentre's quarantined ground zero.
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The 57 confirmed new deaths was the single-biggest increase since the new coronavirus was detected late last year in the central city of Wuhan, where it is believed to have jumped from animals at a market into humans.
The virus has since spread to more than 24 countries, despite many governments imposing unprecedented travel bans on people coming from China.
The World Health Organization has declared the crisis a global health emergency, and the first foreign death from the virus was reported in the Philippines on Sunday.
03:27
In China, all but one of the 57 new deaths were reported Monday in Wuhan and the rest of Hubei province, most of which has been under lockdown for almost two weeks to stop people from leaving and transmitting the virus.
The national death toll reached 361, exceeding the 349 mainland fatalities from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2002-03.
SARS, caused by a pathogen similar to the new coronavirus and also originating in China, killed 774 people - with most of the other deaths in Hong Kong.
Stock markets plunge
The virus is also having an increasingly heavy economic impact, shutting down businesses across China, curbing international travel and impacting production lines of major international brands.
Stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen plunged by nearly 9 percent on Monday morning as investors returned from a Lunar New Year holiday that had been extended to stop people travelling around China.
The scale of the plunge was remarkable even by the standards of China's notoriously volatile share markets, indicating deep concern over the economic impact of the epidemic.
Markets in the world's second-biggest economy had closed on January 24 for the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, but in that time the viral epidemic that started in Wuhan has spread globally. They were scheduled to reopen on Friday but the government extended the holiday to help deal with the virus.
Stock markets worldwide have sunk as major corporate names froze or scaled back their Chinese operations, threatening global supply chains that depend heavily on the country.
New ‘Fire God Mountain’ hospital completed
China sent medical workers and equipment Monday to its just-completed, 1,000-bed hospital for treating victims of the virus that has caused more than 17,300 infections at home and abroad.
About 1,400 military medics will treat patients at the hospital, dubbed "Fire God Mountain", according to state media.
However, with the death toll surging in Wuhan and elsewhere in Hubei province, it was not immediately clear what overall impact the hospital would have on the virus spreading elsewhere.
A second hospital with 1,500 beds is under construction.
Medical teams from the People's Liberation Army continued to arrive in Wuhan to relieve the city's overwhelmed health workers and to work at the new hospital, located in the countryside far from the city center. Footage shown by state broadcaster CCTV showed prefabricated wards equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and ventilation systems.
Leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said additional hospital space was crucial to stopping the spread of new infections.
“The lack of hospital rooms forced sick people to return home, which is extremely dangerous. So having additional (beds) available is a great improvement,” Zhong told CCTV's 24-hour news channel.
Zhong played a major role in overcoming China's 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, a coronavirus from the same family as the current pathogen.
Eastern Wenzhou city under lockdown
In a worrying signal about the virus already spreading in significant numbers to other parts of China, the eastern industrial city of Wenzhou was on Sunday placed under a similar lockdown to Wuhan.
Roads in Wenzhou, 800 kilometres (500 miles) to the east, were closed and its nine million people were ordered to stay indoors.
Only one resident per household in Wenzhou is allowed to go out every two days to buy necessities, authorities announced.
International travel bans as disease spreads
The first person to die overseas from the virus was a 44-year-old man from Wuhan who travelled to the Philippines, the World Health Organization said.
The G7 countries - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States - have all confirmed cases of the virus.
They will discuss a joint response, Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Sunday.
The US, Australia, New Zealand and Israel have banned foreign nationals from visiting if they have been in China recently, and they have also warned their own citizens against travelling there.
Mongolia, Russia and Nepal have closed their land borders.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
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france24--2020-02-03--Islamic State group claims responsibility for south London attack

The Islamic State ( IS ) group said Monday that a man who stabbed two people in a busy south London street the day before was one of its fighters .
`` The attacker in the Streatham area in south London yesterday is an IS fighter , and he carried out the attack in response to a call to target nationals '' of countries belonging to the global anti-IS coalition , the IS group 's propaganda arm said in a statement released through the Telegram messaging application .
The claim came as British police on Monday searched two sites , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Bishop 's Stortford , north of the capital near London Stansted Airport .
The assailant has been identified as 20-year-old Sudesh Amman by British media .
He was wearing a fake suicide vest at the time of the attack on a busy shopping street in south London Sunday .
Amman was shot dead by the police after stabbing and injuring two people .
Amman was recently freed early from prison after serving part of his sentence for a string of Islamist-related terror offences - namely the possession and distribution of terrorist documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May 2018 on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack .
He was jailed for three years and four months in December 2018 for 13 separate offences .
As part of what police said was a `` proactive counter-terrorism surveillance operation '' , armed officers were following him on foot following his release .
Early release from prison Sunday 's incident came just over two months after a similar incident when armed police shot dead a convicted terrorist on early release near London Bridge in the heart of the city .
He had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prisoner rehabilitation conference .
In the latest case , the attacker had been staying in a nearby hostel for newly-released prisoners , according to British media .
He stole a knife from a cheap goods store , then attacked a woman , then a man further up the high road , before being gunned down .
Eyewitness video footage showed him writhing on the pavement outside a pharmacy as plain-clothes armed police officers pointed hand-held weapons at him and urged passersby to get to safety .
Amman had a dark vest with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I 'm still shocked , '' said Karker Tahir , who works in a barber 's shop on the winding high street .
`` He was running and he was shot .
Police keep saying to him , 'Do n't move ' .
`` He was alive , on the floor , a few minutes .
I can see him moving his head . ''
Tahir said the police told him and his customers to leave through a back exit in case Amman 's vest exploded .
( FRANCE 24 with AFP @

The Islamic State (IS) group said Monday that a man who stabbed two people in a busy south London street the day before was one of its fighters.
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"The attacker in the Streatham area in south London yesterday is an IS fighter, and he carried out the attack in response to a call to target nationals" of countries belonging to the global anti-IS coalition, the IS group's propaganda arm said in a statement released through the Telegram messaging application.
The claim came as British police on Monday searched two sites, one address in south London and one in Bishop's Stortford, north of the capital near London Stansted Airport.
The assailant has been identified as 20-year-old Sudesh Amman by British media. He was wearing a fake suicide vest at the time of the attack on a busy shopping street in south London Sunday. Amman was shot dead by the police after stabbing and injuring two people.
Amman was recently freed early from prison after serving part of his sentence for a string of Islamist-related terror offences - namely the possession and distribution of terrorist documents.
He had been arrested in London in May 2018 on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. He was jailed for three years and four months in December 2018 for 13 separate offences.
As part of what police said was a "proactive counter-terrorism surveillance operation", armed officers were following him on foot following his release.
Early release from prison
Sunday's incident came just over two months after a similar incident when armed police shot dead a convicted terrorist on early release near London Bridge in the heart of the city. He had stabbed two people to death after attending a prisoner rehabilitation conference.
In the latest case, the attacker had been staying in a nearby hostel for newly-released prisoners, according to British media.
He stole a knife from a cheap goods store, then attacked a woman, then a man further up the high road, before being gunned down.
Eyewitness video footage showed him writhing on the pavement outside a pharmacy as plain-clothes armed police officers pointed hand-held weapons at him and urged passersby to get to safety.
Amman had a dark vest with silver canisters strapped to his body.
"I'm still shocked," said Karker Tahir, who works in a barber's shop on the winding high street. "He was running and he was shot. Police keep saying to him, 'Don't move'.
"He was alive, on the floor, a few minutes. I can see him moving his head."
Tahir said the police told him and his customers to leave through a back exit in case Amman's vest exploded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-02-03--Bianca Jagger: Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega 'is a traitor' to the Sandinista revolution

People who supported the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua need to realise that President Daniel Ortega `` is a traitor and @ @ @ @ @ so says Nicaraguan social and human rights advocate Bianca Jagger as she supports a new @ @ @ @ @ Paris .
The documentary , `` Nicaragua , a land free to live in '' @ @ @ @ @ at the heart of the 2018 insurrection there as anger against Ortega boiled over .
@ @ @ @ @ one are vital for people to understand what is happening in the country , as @ @ @ @ @ Rodriguez Moya for showing events from the perspective of those at the heart of the @ @ @ @ @ be shown tonight in Paris at the Maison de l ’ Amérique Latine on Boulevard @ @ @ @ @ evening at the Salle Lombard de L ’ École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales @ @ @ @ @ on the player to watch the full interview with Jagger and Moya .

People who supported the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua need to realise that President Daniel Ortega "is a traitor and a murderous dictator" - so says Nicaraguan social and human rights advocate Bianca Jagger as she supports a new film being shown here in Paris.
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The documentary, "Nicaragua, a land free to live in", gives voice to those at the heart of the 2018 insurrection there as anger against Ortega boiled over.
Jagger says films like this one are vital for people to understand what is happening in the country, as she praises its director Daniel Rodriguez Moya for showing events from the perspective of those at the heart of the protests.
The film will be shown tonight in Paris at the Maison de l’Amérique Latine on Boulevard Saint-Germain, and on Tuesday evening at the Salle Lombard de L’École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales on Boulevard Raspail.
Click on the player to watch the full interview with Jagger and Moya.
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france24--2020-02-03--Iran no longer sharing evidence on Ukraine airliner crash with Kiev after audio leak

Iran is no longer sharing evidence from the investigation into the Ukraine airliner crash that killed 176 people with Kiev after audio from the investigation was leaked by Ukrainian media , the director in charge of accident investigations at Iran 's Civil Aviation Organization was quoted as saying on Monday .
The audio file was part of the evidence given to Ukrainian experts as part of the joint investigative team 's examination of the crash .
`` The technical investigation team of the Ukrainian airline crash , in a strange move , published the secret audio file of the communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was flying at the same time as the Ukrainian plane , '' Iran 's Hassan Rezaifar said , according to the semi-official Mehr news agency .
`` This action by the Ukrainians led to us not sharing any more evidence with them . ''
‘ Dear engineer , it was an explosion ’ The announcement followed a leaked recording of an exchange between an Iranian air-traffic controller and an Iranian pilot purporting to show that authorities immediately knew a missile had downed a Ukrainian jetliner after takeoff from Tehran , despite days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the recording 's authenticity in a report aired by a Ukrainian television channel on Sunday night .
In Tehran on Monday , Rezaifar acknowledged the recording was legitimate and said that it was handed over to Ukrainian officials .
After the January 8 air disaster , Iran ’ s civilian government maintained for days that it did n't know the country ’ s Revolutionary Guard , answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , had shot down the aircraft .
The downing of the jetliner came just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing US forces in retaliation for an earlier US drone strike that killed the Guard 's top general , Qassem Soleimani , in Baghdad .
A transcript of the recording , published by the Ukrainian 1+1 TV channel , contains a conversation in Farsi between an air-traffic controller and a pilot reportedly flying a Fokker 100 jet for Iran ’ s Aseman Airlines from Iran ’ s southern city of Shiraz to Tehran .
“ A series of lights like ... yes , it is missile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls out to the controller .
“ No , how many miles ?
Where ?
” the controller asks .
The pilot responds that he saw the light near the city of Payam , near where the Guard ’ s Tor M-1 anti-aircraft missile was launched .
The controller says nothing has been reported to them , but the pilot remains insistent .
“ It is the light of missile , ” the pilot says .
“ Don ’ t you see anything anymore ?
” the controller asks .
“ Dear engineer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw a very big light there , I don ’ t really know what it was , ” the pilot responds .
The controller then tries to contact the Ukrainian jetliner , but unsuccessfully .
‘ The Iranian side knew ’ Publicly accessible flight-tracking radar information suggests the Aseman Airlines aircraft , flight No .
3768 , was close enough to Tehran to see the blast .
Iranian civil aviation authorities for days insisted it wasn ’ t a missile that brought down the Ukrainian plane , even after Canadian Prime Minister Justin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed it had been shot down .
Iranian officials should have immediately had access to the air-traffic control recordings and Zelensky told 1+1 that “ the recording , indeed , shows that the Iranian side knew from the start that our plane was shot down by a missile , they were aware of this at the moment of the shooting ” .
Ukraine 's president repeated his demands to decode the plane 's flight recorders in Kiev - something Iranian officials had promised last month but later backtracked on .
On Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to participate in the decoding effort , but Zelensky insisted on bringing the so-called “ black boxes ” back to Kiev .
“ It is very important for us , '' he said .
Iranian authorities , however , have condemned the publication of the recording as “ unprofessional ” , saying it was part of a confidential report .

Iran is no longer sharing evidence from the investigation into the Ukraine airliner crash that killed 176 people with Kiev after audio from the investigation was leaked by Ukrainian media, the director in charge of accident investigations at Iran's Civil Aviation Organization was quoted as saying on Monday.
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The audio file was part of the evidence given to Ukrainian experts as part of the joint investigative team's examination of the crash.
"The technical investigation team of the Ukrainian airline crash, in a strange move, published the secret audio file of the communications of a pilot of a plane that was flying at the same time as the Ukrainian plane," Iran's Hassan Rezaifar said, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.
"This action by the Ukrainians led to us not sharing any more evidence with them."
‘Dear engineer, it was an explosion’
The announcement followed a leaked recording of an exchange between an Iranian air-traffic controller and an Iranian pilot purporting to show that authorities immediately knew a missile had downed a Ukrainian jetliner after takeoff from Tehran, despite days of denials by the Islamic Republic.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the recording's authenticity in a report aired by a Ukrainian television channel on Sunday night.
In Tehran on Monday, Rezaifar acknowledged the recording was legitimate and said that it was handed over to Ukrainian officials.
After the January 8 air disaster, Iran’s civilian government maintained for days that it didn't know the country’s Revolutionary Guard, answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had shot down the aircraft. The downing of the jetliner came just hours after the Revolutionary Guard launched a ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing US forces in retaliation for an earlier US drone strike that killed the Guard's top general, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad.
A transcript of the recording, published by the Ukrainian 1+1 TV channel, contains a conversation in Farsi between an air-traffic controller and a pilot reportedly flying a Fokker 100 jet for Iran’s Aseman Airlines from Iran’s southern city of Shiraz to Tehran.
“A series of lights like...yes, it is missile, is there something?” the pilot calls out to the controller.
“No, how many miles? Where?” the controller asks.
The pilot responds that he saw the light near the city of Payam, near where the Guard’s Tor M-1 anti-aircraft missile was launched. The controller says nothing has been reported to them, but the pilot remains insistent.
“It is the light of missile,” the pilot says.
“Don’t you see anything anymore?” the controller asks.
“Dear engineer, it was an explosion. We saw a very big light there, I don’t really know what it was,” the pilot responds.
The controller then tries to contact the Ukrainian jetliner, but unsuccessfully.
‘The Iranian side knew’
Publicly accessible flight-tracking radar information suggests the Aseman Airlines aircraft, flight No. 3768, was close enough to Tehran to see the blast.
Iranian civil aviation authorities for days insisted it wasn’t a missile that brought down the Ukrainian plane, even after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US officials began saying they believed it had been shot down.
Iranian officials should have immediately had access to the air-traffic control recordings and Zelensky told 1+1 that “the recording, indeed, shows that the Iranian side knew from the start that our plane was shot down by a missile, they were aware of this at the moment of the shooting”.
Ukraine's president repeated his demands to decode the plane's flight recorders in Kiev - something Iranian officials had promised last month but later backtracked on. On Monday, Ukrainian investigators were to travel to Tehran to participate in the decoding effort, but Zelensky insisted on bringing the so-called “black boxes” back to Kiev.
“It is very important for us," he said.
Iranian authorities, however, have condemned the publication of the recording as “unprofessional”, saying it was part of a confidential report.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-03--Syrian government shelling kills Turkish troops in Idlib, Ankara says, prompting retaliatory strike

A Turkish military convoy of tanks and armoured vehicles passes through the Syrian town of Dana , east of the Turkish-Syrian border in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib , on February 2 , 2020 .
At least four Turkish soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in `` intensive shelling '' in the northwestern region of Idlib on Monday by Syrian government forces , Turkey 's National Defense Ministry said .
A Turkish retaliation killed six Syrian soldiers , according to a monitor group .
The ministry said the shelling in Syria 's Idlib province took place despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkish forces that were sent to the province as reinforcements .
It said Turkish forces responded to the attack .
The incident comes amid a Syrian government offensive into the country 's last rebel stronghold , located in Idlib and parts of the nearby Aleppo region .
Turkish troops are deployed in some of those rebel-held areas to monitor an earlier cease-fire that was agreed to but that has since collapsed .
Responding to the Syrian shelling , Turkey launched an immediate counterattack .
The Turkish strike on regime positions south of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime fighters , the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called it an `` ongoing operation '' , and said that 30 to 35 Syrian forces were killed in the counterattack .
He urged regime ally Russia not to stand in the way of Ankara 's response .
`` I want to especially tell the Russian authorities that our interlocutor here is not you but the ( Syrian ) regime , and do not stand in our way , '' Erdogan told reporters .
The clash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Turkish soldiers who are based in parts of Syria 's north and northwest where Ankara backs a host of rebel groups .
It risks a serious escalation in a region that has come under heightened attacks by Damascus and Moscow in recent weeks , displacing hundreds of thousands of people .
Erdogan last week warned that Ankara would use military force against Damascus if any of its positions in Idlib were threatened by attacks .
Turkey has 12 observation posts in the region as part of its deal with Russia to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday reported that Turkey 's military sent reinforcements to the region to bolster the forces stationed at the posts .
( FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP )

At least four Turkish soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in "intensive shelling" in the northwestern region of Idlib on Monday by Syrian government forces, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said. A Turkish retaliation killed six Syrian soldiers, according to a monitor group.
A Turkish military convoy of tanks and armoured vehicles passes through the Syrian town of Dana, east of the Turkish-Syrian border in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, on February 2, 2020.
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The ministry said the shelling in Syria's Idlib province took place despite prior notification of the coordinates of the Turkish forces that were sent to the province as reinforcements. It said Turkish forces responded to the attack.
The incident comes amid a Syrian government offensive into the country's last rebel stronghold, located in Idlib and parts of the nearby Aleppo region. Turkish troops are deployed in some of those rebel-held areas to monitor an earlier cease-fire that was agreed to but that has since collapsed.
Responding to the Syrian shelling, Turkey launched an immediate counterattack. The Turkish strike on regime positions south of the flashpoint town of Saraqeb wounded another 20 regime fighters, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
02:36
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called it an "ongoing operation", and said that 30 to 35 Syrian forces were killed in the counterattack.
He urged regime ally Russia not to stand in the way of Ankara's response. "I want to especially tell the Russian authorities that our interlocutor here is not you but the (Syrian) regime, and do not stand in our way," Erdogan told reporters.
Rare confrontation
The clash is a rare confrontation between Syrian forces and Turkish soldiers who are based in parts of Syria's north and northwest where Ankara backs a host of rebel groups.
It risks a serious escalation in a region that has come under heightened attacks by Damascus and Moscow in recent weeks, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
01:42
Erdogan last week warned that Ankara would use military force against Damascus if any of its positions in Idlib were threatened by attacks.
Turkey has 12 observation posts in the region as part of its deal with Russia to prevent a Syrian government offensive.
Turkish media on Sunday reported that Turkey's military sent reinforcements to the region to bolster the forces stationed at the posts.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
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france24--2020-02-03--Kansas City Chiefs beat San Francisco 49ers to end 50-year Super Bowl drought

The Kansas City Chiefs ' Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman celebrate after their team 's Super Bowl victory at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami , Florida , U.S. on February 2 , 2020 .
The Kansas City Chiefs ended a half-century Super Bowl drought with a dramatic 31-20 comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday to write a breathtaking finish to the National Football League 's 100th season .
With the Chiefs trailing 20-10 in the fourth quarter , quarterback Patrick Mahomes engineered three touchdown drives in just over five minutes , hitting Travis Kelce and Damien Williams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead .
Williams raced 38 yards for the clinching score , sparking wild celebration for long-suffering Chiefs fans who had not seen their team hoist the Lombardi trophy since their victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV .
San Francisco had looked well on their way to a first Super Bowl in 25 years , holding a 10-point advantage and with time running down , but few leads are ever safe from Mahomes and the explosive Chiefs offense .
In the divisional playoffs , the Chiefs fought back from 24-0 down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erased a 10-0 Tennessee Titans advantage in the AFC championship .
The 24-year-old Mahomes becomes the second-youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl adding to his credentials as the NFL 's next superstar .
Chiefs coach Andy Reid , who had more career regular-season wins ( 207 ) than any coach without a Super Bowl , finally got the elusive championship .

The Kansas City Chiefs ended a half-century Super Bowl drought with a dramatic 31-20 comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday to write a breathtaking finish to the National Football League's 100th season.
The Kansas City Chiefs' Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman celebrate after their team's Super Bowl victory at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, U.S. on February 2, 2020.
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With the Chiefs trailing 20-10 in the fourth quarter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes engineered three touchdown drives in just over five minutes, hitting Travis Kelce and Damien Williams with short touchdown passes to take the lead.
Williams raced 38 yards for the clinching score, sparking wild celebration for long-suffering Chiefs fans who had not seen their team hoist the Lombardi trophy since their victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
San Francisco had looked well on their way to a first Super Bowl in 25 years, holding a 10-point advantage and with time running down, but few leads are ever safe from Mahomes and the explosive Chiefs offense.
In the divisional playoffs, the Chiefs fought back from 24-0 down to beat the Houston Texans and then erased a 10-0 Tennessee Titans advantage in the AFC championship.
The 24-year-old Mahomes becomes the second-youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl adding to his credentials as the NFL's next superstar.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who had more career regular-season wins (207) than any coach without a Super Bowl, finally got the elusive championship.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-02--France to send 600 more troops to Africa's Sahel

France will deploy 600 more soldiers in the fight against Islamists militants in Africa ’ s Sahel , south of the Sahara , French Defence Minister Florence Parly said on Sunday .
The reinforcements would mostly be sent to the area between Mali , Burkina Faso and Niger , Parly said in a statement .
Another part would join the G5 Sahel forces .
Parly added that Chad “ should soon deploy an additional battalion ” within the joint force of the G5 Sahel , which brings together Mauritania , Mali , Burkina Faso , Niger and Chad in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the epicenter of the fight against jihadist groups , including the Islamic State group in the Grand Sahara ( ISIS-GS ) .
“ The reinforcement ... should allow us to increase the pressure against the ISIS-GS ... We will leave no space for those who want to destabilise the Sahel , ” she added .
France already has 4,500 soldiers stationed in the Europe-sized region as part of Operation Barkhane , supporting poorly-equipped , impoverished local armies that in 2017 launched a joint anti-jihadist G5 Sahel force .
Despite the French presence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Mali , the conflict that erupted in the north of that country in 2012 has since spread to its neighbours , especially Burkina Faso and Niger .
Jihadist fighters have recently stepped up their campaign against military and civilian targets .
UN chief Antonio Guterres warned last month that `` terrorist groups are gaining ground '' .
> > Mission impossible for France in the Sahel ?
The death of 13 French soldiers in a helicopter accident in Mali on November 25 underlined the challenges France 's armed forces face in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the effectiveness of its military allies in this vast region to the south of the Sahara Desert .
It was the largest single loss of life for the country ’ s military forces since 1983 .
France launched military operations in January 2013 after Mali asked it to help regain territory seized by Islamist extremists who had hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in the country ’ s northern desert regions the previous year .
The French military succeeded in this initial task but the jihadist insurgency has since spread throughout Mali and across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

France will deploy 600 more soldiers in the fight against Islamists militants in Africa’s Sahel, south of the Sahara, French Defence Minister Florence Parly said on Sunday.
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The reinforcements would mostly be sent to the area between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Parly said in a statement. Another part would join the G5 Sahel forces.
Parly added that Chad “should soon deploy an additional battalion” within the joint force of the G5 Sahel, which brings together Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in the three borders zone. It’s the epicenter of the fight against jihadist groups, including the Islamic State group in the Grand Sahara (ISIS-GS).
“The reinforcement ... should allow us to increase the pressure against the ISIS-GS... We will leave no space for those who want to destabilise the Sahel,” she added.
France already has 4,500 soldiers stationed in the Europe-sized region as part of Operation Barkhane, supporting poorly-equipped, impoverished local armies that in 2017 launched a joint anti-jihadist G5 Sahel force.
Despite the French presence and a 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping force dubbed MINUSMA in Mali, the conflict that erupted in the north of that country in 2012 has since spread to its neighbours, especially Burkina Faso and Niger.
Jihadist fighters have recently stepped up their campaign against military and civilian targets. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned last month that "terrorist groups are gaining ground".
>> Mission impossible for France in the Sahel?
The death of 13 French soldiers in a helicopter accident in Mali on November 25 underlined the challenges France's armed forces face in the Sahel amid intensifying insurgent attacks and doubts about the effectiveness of its military allies in this vast region to the south of the Sahara Desert.
It was the largest single loss of life for the country’s military forces since 1983.
France launched military operations in January 2013 after Mali asked it to help regain territory seized by Islamist extremists who had hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in the country’s northern desert regions the previous year.
The French military succeeded in this initial task but the jihadist insurgency has since spread throughout Mali and across the border to Niger and Burkina Faso.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-02--Philippines reports first coronavirus death outside China as toll tops 300

A vendor shows the only type of face mask they have available as people scramble to buy masks in a medical supply store after the Philippine government confirmed the first coronavirus death in Manila , Philippines , January 31 , 2020 .
The Philippines on Sunday reported the first overseas death from the growing epidemic of a coronavirus that originated in China , where new confirmed infections jumped by a daily record to top 14,000 cases .
The Philippines Department of Health said a 44-year-old man from Wuhan city in central Hubei province , the epicentre of the outbreak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was the first death out of more than 130 cases reported in around two dozen other countries and regions outside of mainland China .
The man who died was a companion of a 38-year-old Chinese woman , also from Wuhan , who was the first and only other person to test positive for the virus in the Philippines .
Both patients arrived in the Philippines via Hong Kong on Jan. 21 .
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China had reached 304 as of the end of Saturday , state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s National Health Commission .
All the new deaths in China and most of the new infections of the flu-like coronavirus on Saturday were in Hubei .
China is facing mounting isolation as other countries introduce travel curbs , airlines suspend flights and governments evacuate their citizens , risking worsening a slowdown in the world ’ s second-largest economy .
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern , but said global trade and travel restrictions are not needed .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus spreading by ramping up border controls .
Singapore and the United States announced measures on Friday to ban foreign nationals who have recently been in China from entering their territories , and Australia followed suit on Saturday .
Russia introduced visa restrictions and will start evacuating Russian citizens on Monday and Tuesday , Interfax and TASS news agencies reported .
The Philippines expanded its travel ban to include all foreigners coming from China , widening an earlier restriction that covered only those from Hubei .
New Zealand and Vietnam also barred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Vietnam saying it would halt all flights to and from China .
Taiwan is asking its diplomats to talk to governments where Taiwanese airlines fly to ensure more flights are not cut off due the island ’ s inclusion by the WHO as part of China due to the coronavirus outbreak .
More than 100 Germans and family members landed in Frankfurt on Saturday after being evacuated from Wuhan .
Around 250 Indonesians were being evacuated from Hubei .
Japan plans to send another chartered plane mid-week or later to bring back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the foreign ministry said on Sunday .
Japan also confirmed an additional three cases of the new coronavirus among an earlier batch of evacuees , including one who initially tested negative , the health ministry said , bringing the country ’ s total to 20 cases .
U.S. health officials on Saturday confirmed an eighth case of the coronavirus in the United States , and the Pentagon said it would provide housing for people arriving from overseas who might need to be quarantined .
The country has introduced mandatory quarantine for citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride-hailing application Uber Technologies Inc said it suspended 240 accounts of users in Mexico who may recently have come in contact with someone possibly infected with the virus .
There are no confirmed cases in Mexico yet .
The number of deaths in Hubei from the outbreak had risen to 294 as of the end of Feb. 1 , with a total 9,074 cases , the majority in the capital Wuhan , where the virus is thought to have emerged late last year in a market illegally trading wildlife .
New confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One death was reported in the city , about 60 km ( 37 miles ) east of Wuhan .
China ’ s environment ministry on Saturday urged local governments to step up disposal of medical and urban wastewater to prevent the spread of the virus .
Local authorities in quarantined areas must disinfect faeces and sewage , the ministry also said .
Genetic traces of the coronavirus were found in the faeces of some patients , said the health authority of Shenzhen , one of the most populous cities in China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last week , with roads sealed off and public transport shut down .
The province extended its Lunar New Year holiday break to Feb. 13 in a bid to contain the outbreak .
But some people are leaving Hubei on foot over a bridge spanning the Yangtze river , entering Jiujiang city in neighbouring Jiangxi province .
Lu Yuejin , a 50-year-old farmer from a village on the Hubei side of the bridge , was trying to gain passage for her leukaemia-stricken daughter on Saturday .
`` Please , take my daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go past ... please , just let my daughter go past , '' Lu pleaded with the police .
Eventually , Lu and her daughter were both allowed through and an ambulance was called to pick them up .

The Philippines on Sunday reported the first overseas death from the growing epidemic of a coronavirus that originated in China, where new confirmed infections jumped by a daily record to top 14,000 cases.
A vendor shows the only type of face mask they have available as people scramble to buy masks in a medical supply store after the Philippine government confirmed the first coronavirus death in Manila, Philippines, January 31, 2020.
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The Philippines Department of Health said a 44-year-old man from Wuhan city in central Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, had died after developing severe pneumonia. It was the first death out of more than 130 cases reported in around two dozen other countries and regions outside of mainland China.
The man who died was a companion of a 38-year-old Chinese woman, also from Wuhan, who was the first and only other person to test positive for the virus in the Philippines. Both patients arrived in the Philippines via Hong Kong on Jan. 21.
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China had reached 304 as of the end of Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV said on Sunday, citing the country’s National Health Commission.
All the new deaths in China and most of the new infections of the flu-like coronavirus on Saturday were in Hubei.
01:05
China is facing mounting isolation as other countries introduce travel curbs, airlines suspend flights and governments evacuate their citizens, risking worsening a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy.
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, but said global trade and travel restrictions are not needed.
However, some countries are responding to fears of the virus spreading by ramping up border controls. Singapore and the United States announced measures on Friday to ban foreign nationals who have recently been in China from entering their territories, and Australia followed suit on Saturday.
Russia introduced visa restrictions and will start evacuating Russian citizens on Monday and Tuesday, Interfax and TASS news agencies reported.
The Philippines expanded its travel ban to include all foreigners coming from China, widening an earlier restriction that covered only those from Hubei.
New Zealand and Vietnam also barred foreigners who have been in China, with Vietnam saying it would halt all flights to and from China.
Taiwan is asking its diplomats to talk to governments where Taiwanese airlines fly to ensure more flights are not cut off due the island’s inclusion by the WHO as part of China due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Nations continue to evacuate citizens from China.
More than 100 Germans and family members landed in Frankfurt on Saturday after being evacuated from Wuhan. Around 250 Indonesians were being evacuated from Hubei.
Japan plans to send another chartered plane mid-week or later to bring back Japanese nationals who are still in Hubei, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.
Japan also confirmed an additional three cases of the new coronavirus among an earlier batch of evacuees, including one who initially tested negative, the health ministry said, bringing the country’s total to 20 cases.
U.S. health officials on Saturday confirmed an eighth case of the coronavirus in the United States, and the Pentagon said it would provide housing for people arriving from overseas who might need to be quarantined. The country has introduced mandatory quarantine for citizens arriving from Hubei.
In Mexico, ride-hailing application Uber Technologies Inc said it suspended 240 accounts of users in Mexico who may recently have come in contact with someone possibly infected with the virus.
There are no confirmed cases in Mexico yet.
Province in lockdown
The number of deaths in Hubei from the outbreak had risen to 294 as of the end of Feb. 1, with a total 9,074 cases, the majority in the capital Wuhan, where the virus is thought to have emerged late last year in a market illegally trading wildlife.
New confirmed cases also surged by 276 in nearby Huanggang. One death was reported in the city, about 60 km (37 miles) east of Wuhan.
China’s environment ministry on Saturday urged local governments to step up disposal of medical and urban wastewater to prevent the spread of the virus.
Local authorities in quarantined areas must disinfect faeces and sewage, the ministry also said.
Genetic traces of the coronavirus were found in the faeces of some patients, said the health authority of Shenzhen, one of the most populous cities in China.
Hubei has been under virtual quarantine for the last week, with roads sealed off and public transport shut down. The province extended its Lunar New Year holiday break to Feb. 13 in a bid to contain the outbreak.
But some people are leaving Hubei on foot over a bridge spanning the Yangtze river, entering Jiujiang city in neighbouring Jiangxi province.
Lu Yuejin, a 50-year-old farmer from a village on the Hubei side of the bridge, was trying to gain passage for her leukaemia-stricken daughter on Saturday.
"Please, take my daughter. I don’t need to go past... please, just let my daughter go past," Lu pleaded with the police.
Eventually, Lu and her daughter were both allowed through and an ambulance was called to pick them up.
(REUTERS)
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