france24--2020-09-12--Palestinians decry normalised Bahrain-Israel relations as a ‘stab in the back’

Israel ’ s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ( left ) and Bahrain 's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa ( right ) on September 11 , 2020 , agreed to normalise diplomatic relations between the two countries .
The Palestinian cause on Friday said it had once again been stabbed in the back by what it had previously considered a trusted ally after Bahrain followed in the United Arab Emirates ’ s footsteps and announced it was normalising diplomatic ties with Israel .
Iran and Turkey , both Israel foes , strongly condemned the move .
The Bahrain-Israel deal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington on Friday , immediately stirred Palestinian anger .
It ’ s “ a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people ” like the UAE-Israel deal announced last month , a top official from the Palestinian Authority told AFP .
At a summit of the 22-member Arab League this week , foreign ministers failed to back a Palestinian push to condemn last month ’ s US-brokered normalisation deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates .
“ May you never be sold out by your ‘ friends ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi after the UAE-Israel deal was announced in August .
With the accord set to be signed on Tuesday at the White House , the Emirates will become only the third Arab country , after Egypt and Jordan decades ago , to establish full relations with the Jewish state .
In a statement Trump tweeted about the Bahrain-Israel deal , he revealed Tuesday ’ s signing ceremony would also be attended by Bahraini officials .
The UAE has defended its move in part as a way of halting Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annexation of settlements in parts of the occupied West Bank .
The Israel-UAE deal “ suspended ” those annexation plans—but Netanyahu has insisted they are not off the table in the long run .
Despite this , the Palestinians ’ traditional Arab allies have either welcomed or silently endorsed the normalisation agreement with the US and Israel voicing hope more Arab states would follow suit .
“ The leadership is very upset , ” said Sari Nusseibeh , a former top official with the Palestine Liberation Organisation .
“ But I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past about the Arab world in general .
Palestinians have always complained that the Arab world has not stood behind them as they should have.
” The Palestinian cause had already become less central as the region has been rocked by the Arab Spring upheavals , the Syria war and the bloody reign of the Islamic State jihadist group .
At the same time , hostility has deepened between US ally Saudi Arabia and Iran , its Shiite Muslim rival which supports proxy forces from Syria to Lebanon .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Arab world—disputes , revolutions , civil wars , tensions between different Arab countries , ” said Palestinian analyst Ghassan Khatib .
“ Palestinians are now paying the price for the deterioration in Arab unity.
” Ramallah maintains the validity of the so-called “ Arab consensus ” and rejects the notion that it is isolated .
That consensus has long held that Arab states will only normalise ties if Israel meets a number of conditions .
One demand is for Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital , and a third to find a just solution for the millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants .
“ We hope that the Arab countries will remain committed to this consensus , ” said Jibril Rajoub , a senior Palestinian official , “ adding that straying from it “ will lead to nothing ” .
“ Those who are violating the Arab consensus ... will be isolated ” in the long term , he warned .
One Western diplomat , speaking on condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the moment “ the Palestinians don ’ t really have a way out , they are stuck ” .
“ They are also stuck because of those who want to support their cause , whether it is Turkey or Iran.
” Iran already has relations with armed Islamist groups in the Gaza Strip , such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad , and slightly cooler ties with the Palestinian Authority .
“ The rulers of Bahrain will from now on be partners to the crimes of the Zionist regime as a constant threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world of Islam , ” Iran ’ s foreign ministry said in a statement .
Iran accused its arch foe Israel of “ decades of violence , slaughter , war , terror and bloodshed in oppressed Palestine and the region ” .
The Palestinian cause has also received backing from Turkey , a regional power increasingly at odds with Israel and which militarily backs a rival faction in the Libya war to the UAE and Egypt .
Ankara late Friday said it was “ concerned ” by the development , and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The step will be a fresh blow to efforts to defend the Palestinian cause and will further embolden Israel to continue its illegal practices toward Palestine and its attempts to make the occupation of Palestinian territories permanent , ” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement .
It said the move was contrary to the commitments under the Arab Peace Initiative—which calls for Israel ’ s complete withdrawal from the Palestinian territories occupied after 1967 -- and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Despite the reactions , Palestinian analyst Ghassan Khatib said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey , Iran and also Qatar , which is deeply at odds with other major Gulf powers .
“ It ’ s not wise for the Palestinians to be caught within the regional tensions and competition between regional superpowers , ” he said .
“ If you side with Iran , you ’ ll lose Saudi Arabia .
If you side with Turkey , you ’ ll lose someone else .
“ It ’ s better for the Palestinians to keep a safe distance from these different regional superpowers .
”

The Palestinian cause on Friday said it had once again been stabbed in the back by what it had previously considered a trusted ally after Bahrain followed in the United Arab Emirates’s footsteps and announced it was normalising diplomatic ties with Israel. Iran and Turkey, both Israel foes, strongly condemned the move.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (right) on September 11, 2020, agreed to normalise diplomatic relations between the two countries.
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The Bahrain-Israel deal, announced by US President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, immediately stirred Palestinian anger. It’s “a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people” like the UAE-Israel deal announced last month, a top official from the Palestinian Authority told AFP.
At a summit of the 22-member Arab League this week, foreign ministers failed to back a Palestinian push to condemn last month’s US-brokered normalisation deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
“May you never be sold out by your ‘friends’,” read one bitter tweet by senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi after the UAE-Israel deal was announced in August.
With the accord set to be signed on Tuesday at the White House, the Emirates will become only the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan decades ago, to establish full relations with the Jewish state.
In a statement Trump tweeted about the Bahrain-Israel deal, he revealed Tuesday’s signing ceremony would also be attended by Bahraini officials.
The UAE has defended its move in part as a way of halting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed annexation of settlements in parts of the occupied West Bank.
The Israel-UAE deal “suspended” those annexation plans—but Netanyahu has insisted they are not off the table in the long run.
Despite this, the Palestinians’ traditional Arab allies have either welcomed or silently endorsed the normalisation agreement with the US and Israel voicing hope more Arab states would follow suit.
02:17
‘Deteriorating Arab unity’
“The leadership is very upset,” said Sari Nusseibeh, a former top official with the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
“But I don’t think they are more upset than in the past about the Arab world in general. Palestinians have always complained that the Arab world has not stood behind them as they should have.”
The Palestinian cause had already become less central as the region has been rocked by the Arab Spring upheavals, the Syria war and the bloody reign of the Islamic State jihadist group.
At the same time, hostility has deepened between US ally Saudi Arabia and Iran, its Shiite Muslim rival which supports proxy forces from Syria to Lebanon.
“There have been all kinds of problems in the Arab world—disputes, revolutions, civil wars, tensions between different Arab countries,” said Palestinian analyst Ghassan Khatib.
“Palestinians are now paying the price for the deterioration in Arab unity.”
Ramallah maintains the validity of the so-called “Arab consensus” and rejects the notion that it is isolated.
That consensus has long held that Arab states will only normalise ties if Israel meets a number of conditions.
One demand is for Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967.
Another is to agree to a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, and a third to find a just solution for the millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
“We hope that the Arab countries will remain committed to this consensus,” said Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official, “adding that straying from it “will lead to nothing”.
“Those who are violating the Arab consensus ... will be isolated” in the long term, he warned.
Choosing sides?
One Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared the view that at the moment “the Palestinians don’t really have a way out, they are stuck”.
“They are also stuck because of those who want to support their cause, whether it is Turkey or Iran.”
Iran already has relations with armed Islamist groups in the Gaza Strip, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and slightly cooler ties with the Palestinian Authority.
“The rulers of Bahrain will from now on be partners to the crimes of the Zionist regime as a constant threat to the security of the region and the world of Islam,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iran accused its arch foe Israel of “decades of violence, slaughter, war, terror and bloodshed in oppressed Palestine and the region”.
The Palestinian cause has also received backing from Turkey, a regional power increasingly at odds with Israel and which militarily backs a rival faction in the Libya war to the UAE and Egypt.
Ankara late Friday said it was “concerned” by the development, and “strongly condemned” the deal.
“The step will be a fresh blow to efforts to defend the Palestinian cause and will further embolden Israel to continue its illegal practices toward Palestine and its attempts to make the occupation of Palestinian territories permanent,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said the move was contrary to the commitments under the Arab Peace Initiative—which calls for Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Palestinian territories occupied after 1967 -- and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Despite the reactions, Palestinian analyst Ghassan Khatib said the Palestinians ought to keep their distance from Turkey, Iran and also Qatar, which is deeply at odds with other major Gulf powers.
“It’s not wise for the Palestinians to be caught within the regional tensions and competition between regional superpowers,” he said.
“If you side with Iran, you’ll lose Saudi Arabia. If you side with Turkey, you’ll lose someone else.
“It’s better for the Palestinians to keep a safe distance from these different regional superpowers.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-09-12--Attenborough in warning to humanity with new extinction documentary

The new film comes after international experts warned this week that global animal , bird and fish populations have plummeted more than two-thirds in less than 50 years due to humanity 's rampant over-consumption .
Renowned TV naturalist David Attenborough , in a new documentary , gives his starkest warning yet for humanity to safeguard species from mass extinction for the sake of our own survival .
His one-hour film `` Extinction : The Facts '' , airing Sunday on the BBC in Britain , does not hold back in portraying the devastating consequences of mankind 's encroachment on natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pandemics such as the coronavirus crisis .
It comes after international experts warned in a report this week that global animal , bird and fish populations have plummeted more than two-thirds in less than 50 years due to humanity 's rampant over-consumption .
`` We are facing a crisis , '' Attenborough warns at the start of the documentary , according to the BBC , `` and one that has consequences for us all '' .
The broadcaster said the programme contained `` horrific scenes of destruction '' , such as monkeys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escape a huge fire .
In another , a koala limps across a road in a doomed search for shelter from a forest blaze .
The new film from the maker of `` Blue Planet '' and `` Planet Earth '' also tracks the suspected origins of Covid-19 to populations of bats living in caves in the Chinese province of Yunnan .
It shows the Chinese `` wet market '' in the city of Wuhan , specialising in the sale of wild animals for human consumption , which scientists believe was at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The film gives dramatic visual reinforcement to this week 's Living Planet Index report , which warned that continued loss of natural habitats increases the risk of future pandemics as humans come into ever closer contact with wild animals .
Attenborough also portrays the world 's last two northern white rhinos , a mother and daughter in Central Africa .
`` Over the course of my life I 've encountered some of the world 's most remarkable species of animals , '' the 94-year-old said .
`` Only now do I realise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of these wonders seem set to disappear forever . ''
There is hope , however , as Attenborough retraces an iconic film he made in the 1970s showing a fast-dwindling band of mountain gorillas on the border between Rwanda and the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo .
Their population has recovered from just 250 then to more than 1,000 , thanks to a determined conservation campaign in Rwanda , and Attenborough meets the offspring of a playful young female he met four decades ago .
`` I may not be here to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right decisions at this critical moment , we can safeguard our planet 's ecosystems , its extraordinary biodiversity and all its inhabitants , '' he concludes in the documentary .
`` What happens next is up to every one of us . ''

London (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Renowned TV naturalist David Attenborough, in a new documentary, gives his starkest warning yet for humanity to safeguard species from mass extinction for the sake of our own survival.
His one-hour film "Extinction: The Facts", airing Sunday on the BBC in Britain, does not hold back in portraying the devastating consequences of mankind's encroachment on natural habitats -- and draws a clear link to pandemics such as the coronavirus crisis.
It comes after international experts warned in a report this week that global animal, bird and fish populations have plummeted more than two-thirds in less than 50 years due to humanity's rampant over-consumption.
"We are facing a crisis," Attenborough warns at the start of the documentary, according to the BBC, "and one that has consequences for us all".
The broadcaster said the programme contained "horrific scenes of destruction", such as monkeys leaping from trees into a river to escape a huge fire. In another, a koala limps across a road in a doomed search for shelter from a forest blaze.
The new film from the maker of "Blue Planet" and "Planet Earth" also tracks the suspected origins of Covid-19 to populations of bats living in caves in the Chinese province of Yunnan.
It shows the Chinese "wet market" in the city of Wuhan, specialising in the sale of wild animals for human consumption, which scientists believe was at the root of this year's deadly pandemic.
The film gives dramatic visual reinforcement to this week's Living Planet Index report, which warned that continued loss of natural habitats increases the risk of future pandemics as humans come into ever closer contact with wild animals.
Attenborough also portrays the world's last two northern white rhinos, a mother and daughter in Central Africa.
"Over the course of my life I've encountered some of the world's most remarkable species of animals," the 94-year-old said. "Only now do I realise just how lucky I've been -- many of these wonders seem set to disappear forever."
There is hope, however, as Attenborough retraces an iconic film he made in the 1970s showing a fast-dwindling band of mountain gorillas on the border between Rwanda and the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo.
Their population has recovered from just 250 then to more than 1,000, thanks to a determined conservation campaign in Rwanda, and Attenborough meets the offspring of a playful young female he met four decades ago.
"I may not be here to see it, but if we make the right decisions at this critical moment, we can safeguard our planet's ecosystems, its extraordinary biodiversity and all its inhabitants," he concludes in the documentary.
"What happens next is up to every one of us."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-12--No flops, but little sizzle on Venice film festival red carpet

For dedicated fashion watchers accustomed to the high drama of prancing , preening stars in more normal years , Italy 's world renowned cinema catwalk has lacked sparkle .
A cinema festival red carpet without internationally known celebrities , screaming fans and over-the-top fashion excess turns out to be , well , not much more than a carpet that 's red .
Such has been the case over the past two weeks at the Venice film festival , which is set to award its top film on Saturday , due to the the absence of A-list Hollywood celebrities and throngs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the ruffles , sparkles , plunging necklines and gravity-defying heels have been in full show at the glitzy festival on the beachfront Lido .
But for dedicated fashion watchers accustomed to the high drama of prancing , preening stars in more normal years , Italy 's world renowned cinema catwalk has lacked sparkle , like an Aperol Spritz without the prosecco .
`` It 's a festival without stars because Hollywood is still in lockdown , '' Festival Director Alberto Barbera explained to AFP the day before the 11-day event began .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes .
Will there be fewer stars on the red carpet ?
Certainly . ''
Gone were the top Hollywood faces that flocked to the festival last year -- Penelope Cruz , Kristen Stewart , Iman , Kate Upton , Scarlett Johanssen and Sienna Miller , among others , with Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp representing the tuxedo-clad men .
Instead , Cate Blanchett , president of the jury , took on the mantle of fashion authority , making her opening night appearance in a shimmering midnight blue Esteban Cortazar caped gown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 .
The Australian actress repeated again another night , pairing an Alexander McQueen floral top with black pants , replacing the long skirt it originally accompanied in 2016 .
While Tilda Swinton chose a white and black flouncy skirt and blouse from French house Chanel to accept her lifetime achievement award , top Italian designers dominated the red carpet elsewhere .
Gia Coppola sported a yellow , pink and green boho chic look from Gucci , while Vanessa Kirby opted for a dramatic crimson Valentino gown with a turtleneck and an exposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' actress , who stars in two films in competition at the festival , also showed up on the red carpet in a severe but sexy black square-shouldered Armani suit with plunging neckline .
Another Italian label , Ermanno Scervino , was unwittingly caught up in the festival 's only fashion faux-pas , witnessed by sharp-eyed paparazzi .
The girlfriend of football star Cristiano Ronaldo , Georgina Rodriguez , showed up at the Lido in a water-taxi , posing for photos in a sharp white jacket and pants created by the fashion house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside .
Fans wanting to follow the latest red carpet looks have been following the internet or Instagram for inspiration , as Covid-19 regulations have prohibited their presence at the event .
`` The red carpet of this edition is a bit like those ( football ) league games we have seen in the last two months : without fans , with only insiders , '' wrote Grazia magazine .
Still , one veteran photographer who has covered the festival 's red carpet for 21 years said this year 's version was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If there were George Clooney , Lady GaGa or Madonna it would be the best , '' Getty Images photographer Daniele Venturelli told AFP .
`` But we can be satisfied . ''
`` I 'm very happy it 's happened , '' he said .
`` It 's a good sign . ''
Volume levels on the red carpet were still high despite the lack of fans , Venturelli said , given that the photographers shout , hoping to catch the eye of the stars in their finery .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` Photographers who transform into fans , because we 're screaming all of us . ''

Venice (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
A cinema festival red carpet without internationally known celebrities, screaming fans and over-the-top fashion excess turns out to be, well, not much more than a carpet that's red.
Such has been the case over the past two weeks at the Venice film festival, which is set to award its top film on Saturday, due to the the absence of A-list Hollywood celebrities and throngs of frenzied admirers.
To be sure, the ruffles, sparkles, plunging necklines and gravity-defying heels have been in full show at the glitzy festival on the beachfront Lido.
But for dedicated fashion watchers accustomed to the high drama of prancing, preening stars in more normal years, Italy's world renowned cinema catwalk has lacked sparkle, like an Aperol Spritz without the prosecco.
"It's a festival without stars because Hollywood is still in lockdown," Festival Director Alberto Barbera explained to AFP the day before the 11-day event began.
"Will there be less glamour? Yes. Will there be fewer stars on the red carpet? Certainly."
- Wearing it twice -
Gone were the top Hollywood faces that flocked to the festival last year -- Penelope Cruz, Kristen Stewart, Iman, Kate Upton, Scarlett Johanssen and Sienna Miller, among others, with Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp representing the tuxedo-clad men.
Instead, Cate Blanchett, president of the jury, took on the mantle of fashion authority, making her opening night appearance in a shimmering midnight blue Esteban Cortazar caped gown, a look she wore once before in 2015.
The Australian actress repeated again another night, pairing an Alexander McQueen floral top with black pants, replacing the long skirt it originally accompanied in 2016.
While Tilda Swinton chose a white and black flouncy skirt and blouse from French house Chanel to accept her lifetime achievement award, top Italian designers dominated the red carpet elsewhere.
Gia Coppola sported a yellow, pink and green boho chic look from Gucci, while Vanessa Kirby opted for a dramatic crimson Valentino gown with a turtleneck and an exposed back.
The British "The Crown" actress, who stars in two films in competition at the festival, also showed up on the red carpet in a severe but sexy black square-shouldered Armani suit with plunging neckline.
Another Italian label, Ermanno Scervino, was unwittingly caught up in the festival's only fashion faux-pas, witnessed by sharp-eyed paparazzi.
The girlfriend of football star Cristiano Ronaldo, Georgina Rodriguez, showed up at the Lido in a water-taxi, posing for photos in a sharp white jacket and pants created by the fashion house -- but forgot to remove the label inside.
- Insiders only -
Fans wanting to follow the latest red carpet looks have been following the internet or Instagram for inspiration, as Covid-19 regulations have prohibited their presence at the event.
"The red carpet of this edition is a bit like those (football) league games we have seen in the last two months: without fans, with only insiders," wrote Grazia magazine.
Still, one veteran photographer who has covered the festival's red carpet for 21 years said this year's version was still rewarding, despite its lower profile.
"If there were George Clooney, Lady GaGa or Madonna it would be the best," Getty Images photographer Daniele Venturelli told AFP. "But we can be satisfied."
"I'm very happy it's happened," he said. "It's a good sign."
Volume levels on the red carpet were still high despite the lack of fans, Venturelli said, given that the photographers shout, hoping to catch the eye of the stars in their finery.
"It seems like we're the fans." he said. "Photographers who transform into fans, because we're screaming all of us."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-12--Isolated Palestinians in search of  new allies

A Palestinian girl wearing a protective mask holds up a huge national flag during a protest against the US-brokered UAE-Israel deal The Palestinian cause has long cemented ties between Middle East nations with divergent interests , but amid shifting regional alliances they are increasingly isolated and in need of new friends , analysts say .
In the latest blow , Bahrain broke ranks and agreed on Friday to open diplomatic ties with Israel , in a deal announced in Washington by President Donald Trump .
Palestinian anger was swift .
The deal was `` a stab in the back of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' like the UAE-Israel deal announced last month , a top official from the Palestinian Authority told AFP .
At a summit of the 22-member Arab League this week , foreign ministers failed to back a Palestinian push to condemn last month 's US-brokered normalisation deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates .
`` May you never be sold out by your 'friends ' , '' read one bitter tweet by senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi after the UAE-Israel deal was announced in August .
With the accord set to be signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Emirates will become only the third Arab country , after Egypt and Jordan decades ago , to establish full relations with the Jewish state .
In a statement Trump tweeted about the Bahrain-Israel deal , he revealed Tuesday 's signing ceremony would also be attended by Bahraini officials .
The UAE has defended its move in part as a way of halting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's proposed annexation of settlements in parts of the occupied West Bank .
The Israel-UAE deal `` suspended '' those annexation plans -- but Netanyahu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table in the long run .
Despite this , the Palestinians ' traditional Arab allies have either welcomed or silently endorsed the normalisation agreement with the US and Israel voicing hope more Arab states would follow suit .
`` The leadership is very upset , '' said Sari Nusseibeh , a former top official with the Palestine Liberation Organisation .
`` But I do n't think they are more upset than in the past about the Arab world in general .
Palestinians have always complained that the Arab world has not stood behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Palestinian cause had already become less central as the region has been rocked by the Arab Spring upheavals , the Syria war and the bloody reign of the Islamic State jihadist group .
At the same time , hostility has deepened between US ally Saudi Arabia and Iran , its Shiite Muslim rival which supports proxy forces from Syria to Lebanon .
`` There have been all kinds of problems in the Arab world -- disputes , revolutions , civil wars , tensions between different Arab countries , '' said Palestinian analyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying the price for the deterioration in Arab unity . ''
Ramallah maintains the validity of the so-called `` Arab consensus '' and rejects the notion that it is isolated .
That consensus has long held that Arab states will only normalise ties if Israel meets a number of conditions .
One demand is for Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967 .
Another is to agree to a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital , and a third to find a just solution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their descendants .
`` We hope that the Arab countries will remain committed to this consensus , '' said Jibril Rajoub , a senior Palestinian official , `` adding that straying from it `` will lead to nothing '' .
`` Those who are violating the Arab consensus ... will be isolated '' in the long term , he warned .
One Western diplomat , speaking on condition of anonymity , shared the view that at the moment `` the Palestinians do n't really have a way out , they are stuck '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those who want to support their cause , whether it is Turkey or Iran . ''
Iran already has relations with armed Islamist groups in the Gaza Strip , such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad , and slightly cooler ties with the Palestinian Authority .
The Palestinian cause has also received backing from Turkey , a regional power increasingly at odds with Israel and which militarily backs a rival faction in the Libya war to the UAE and Egypt .
`` Turkey does have an ambition to lead this cause and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states and the West for not emphasising this issue enough , '' said Gallia Lindenstrauss of Israel 's National Institute for Security Research .
Rajoub insisted : `` We are not ignoring any country .
Turkey is a regional superpower , it 's an Islamic country and we are on good terms .
We 'll keep cooperating with everybody . ''
But analyst Khatib argued the Palestinians should keep their distance from Turkey , Iran and also Qatar , which is deeply at odds with other major Gulf powers .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught within the regional tensions and competition between regional superpowers , '' he said .
`` If you side with Iran , you 'll lose Saudi Arabia .
If you side with Turkey , you 'll lose someone else .
`` It 's better for the Palestinians to keep a safe distance from these different regional superpowers . ''

Jerusalem (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
The Palestinian cause has long cemented ties between Middle East nations with divergent interests, but amid shifting regional alliances they are increasingly isolated and in need of new friends, analysts say.
In the latest blow, Bahrain broke ranks and agreed on Friday to open diplomatic ties with Israel, in a deal announced in Washington by President Donald Trump.
Palestinian anger was swift. The deal was "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people" like the UAE-Israel deal announced last month, a top official from the Palestinian Authority told AFP.
At a summit of the 22-member Arab League this week, foreign ministers failed to back a Palestinian push to condemn last month's US-brokered normalisation deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
"May you never be sold out by your 'friends'," read one bitter tweet by senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi after the UAE-Israel deal was announced in August.
With the accord set to be signed on Tuesday at the White House, the Emirates will become only the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan decades ago, to establish full relations with the Jewish state.
In a statement Trump tweeted about the Bahrain-Israel deal, he revealed Tuesday's signing ceremony would also be attended by Bahraini officials.
The UAE has defended its move in part as a way of halting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed annexation of settlements in parts of the occupied West Bank.
The Israel-UAE deal "suspended" those annexation plans -- but Netanyahu has insisted they are not off the table in the long run.
Despite this, the Palestinians' traditional Arab allies have either welcomed or silently endorsed the normalisation agreement with the US and Israel voicing hope more Arab states would follow suit.
- 'Deteriorating Arab unity' -
"The leadership is very upset," said Sari Nusseibeh, a former top official with the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
"But I don't think they are more upset than in the past about the Arab world in general. Palestinians have always complained that the Arab world has not stood behind them as they should have."
The Palestinian cause had already become less central as the region has been rocked by the Arab Spring upheavals, the Syria war and the bloody reign of the Islamic State jihadist group.
At the same time, hostility has deepened between US ally Saudi Arabia and Iran, its Shiite Muslim rival which supports proxy forces from Syria to Lebanon.
"There have been all kinds of problems in the Arab world -- disputes, revolutions, civil wars, tensions between different Arab countries," said Palestinian analyst Ghassan Khatib.
"Palestinians are now paying the price for the deterioration in Arab unity."
Ramallah maintains the validity of the so-called "Arab consensus" and rejects the notion that it is isolated.
That consensus has long held that Arab states will only normalise ties if Israel meets a number of conditions.
One demand is for Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967.
Another is to agree to a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, and a third to find a just solution for the millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants.
"We hope that the Arab countries will remain committed to this consensus," said Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official, "adding that straying from it "will lead to nothing".
"Those who are violating the Arab consensus ... will be isolated" in the long term, he warned.
- Choosing sides -
One Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared the view that at the moment "the Palestinians don't really have a way out, they are stuck".
"They are also stuck because of those who want to support their cause, whether it is Turkey or Iran."
Iran already has relations with armed Islamist groups in the Gaza Strip, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and slightly cooler ties with the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian cause has also received backing from Turkey, a regional power increasingly at odds with Israel and which militarily backs a rival faction in the Libya war to the UAE and Egypt.
"Turkey does have an ambition to lead this cause and is pointing to the hypocrisy of both Arab states and the West for not emphasising this issue enough," said Gallia Lindenstrauss of Israel's National Institute for Security Research.
Rajoub insisted: "We are not ignoring any country. Turkey is a regional superpower, it's an Islamic country and we are on good terms. We'll keep cooperating with everybody."
But analyst Khatib argued the Palestinians should keep their distance from Turkey, Iran and also Qatar, which is deeply at odds with other major Gulf powers.
"It's not wise for the Palestinians to be caught within the regional tensions and competition between regional superpowers," he said.
"If you side with Iran, you'll lose Saudi Arabia. If you side with Turkey, you'll lose someone else.
"It's better for the Palestinians to keep a safe distance from these different regional superpowers."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-13--Peru police search homes of officials in impeachment case

Peru 's Congress voted to open impeachment proceedings against President Martin Vizcarra ( shown September 10 , 2020 ) for `` moral incapacity '' over accusations he incited aides to lie to investigators Police in Peru raided the homes of key government officials in Lima on Saturday as part of an investigation into allegations that President Martin Vizcarra obstructed a graft probe that will see him face impeachment proceedings next week .
Meanwhile , Vizcarra 's cabinet accused the head of Congress , Manuel Merino , of trying to involve the country 's military to oust him .
Merino , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interim president if Vizcarra is impeached .
Prime Minister Walter Martos and Defense Minister Jorge Chavez -- both retired generals -- claimed Merino had made calls to senior army chiefs as the impeachment process was launched and accused him of `` recklessness '' at a press conference on Saturday .
`` We have witnessed a very serious event , '' Martos said .
The role of the armed forces is seen as key to stability in the resource-rich South American country should Vizcarra be removed from power .
Merino in turn accused the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population , by making them believe that there is a plot . ''
The government have already accused lawmakers seeking Vizcarra 's head of mounting a `` coup d'etat '' .
Congress voted late Friday to open impeachment proceedings against Vizcarra for `` moral incapacity '' over accusations he incited aides to lie to investigators .
`` Searches were carried out of eight properties of people under investigation and witnesses in the case of alleged irregularities in the hiring of Richard Cisneros Carballido as a consultant to the Ministry of Culture , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
Vizcarra , in power since 2018 , came under fire after audio recordings were leaked in which he is heard telling aides to hide details of his office 's hiring of Cisneros , a popular singer , as a paid cultural advisor .
The presidents of Bolivia , Colombia and Ecuador -- part of a regional political grouping with Peru called the Andean Community -- called on lawmakers to avoid impeaching Vizcarra in the midst of an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
`` We call upon your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk the legitimate exercise of power and the democratic political institutional process '' in Peru , said a statement signed by Bolivia 's Jeanine Anez , Colombia 's Ivan Duque and Lenin Moreno of Ecuador .
The political crisis further rattled an economy which has already seen second-quarter GDP slashed by 30 percent due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Peruvian sol was the worst performing emerging economy currency on Friday , losing 0.8 percent against the dollar and forcing Lima 's Central Bank to twice intervene to bolster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ searched is the home of a top presidential official , Miriam Morales .
The home of another key assistant to Vizcarra , Karem Roca , was also raided .
Both feature on leaked audio tapes in which Vizcarra is heard talking about the scandal and inciting them not to cooperate fully with investigators .
Cisneros ' home was also searched , as well as those of five officials from the culture ministry , which hired the singer between 2018 and this year for about $ 50,000 .
Fourteen people are currently under investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor Janny Sanchez Porturas .
All of them are being investigated for `` aggravated collusion and incompatible negotiation to the detriment of the state , '' according to the Attorney General Office .
Vizcarra , 57 , denied having intervened in the details of the singer 's contract , whom he said he met during the 2016 election campaign .
Vizcarra was then a candidate for vice-president alongside Pedro Pablo Kuczynski , his predecessor who was forced to resign in March 2018 , after impeachment proceedings were launched against him over a corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 130-member Congress is to hold an impeachment vote on September 18 .
The president 's opponents need 87 votes to remove him .
Vizcarra said he had done nothing wrong and was the victim of a `` plot against democracy '' in the South American country .
The president has won popular support for an anti-corruption crusade that has put him at loggerheads with opponents in Congress , including over a reform banning convicted criminals from standing for election .

Lima (AFP) –
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Police in Peru raided the homes of key government officials in Lima on Saturday as part of an investigation into allegations that President Martin Vizcarra obstructed a graft probe that will see him face impeachment proceedings next week.
Meanwhile, Vizcarra's cabinet accused the head of Congress, Manuel Merino, of trying to involve the country's military to oust him.
Merino, as parliament speaker, would act as interim president if Vizcarra is impeached.
Prime Minister Walter Martos and Defense Minister Jorge Chavez -- both retired generals -- claimed Merino had made calls to senior army chiefs as the impeachment process was launched and accused him of "recklessness" at a press conference on Saturday.
"We have witnessed a very serious event," Martos said.
The role of the armed forces is seen as key to stability in the resource-rich South American country should Vizcarra be removed from power.
Merino in turn accused the government of "trying to confuse the population, by making them believe that there is a plot."
The government have already accused lawmakers seeking Vizcarra's head of mounting a "coup d'etat".
Congress voted late Friday to open impeachment proceedings against Vizcarra for "moral incapacity" over accusations he incited aides to lie to investigators.
"Searches were carried out of eight properties of people under investigation and witnesses in the case of alleged irregularities in the hiring of Richard Cisneros Carballido as a consultant to the Ministry of Culture," the public prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Vizcarra, in power since 2018, came under fire after audio recordings were leaked in which he is heard telling aides to hide details of his office's hiring of Cisneros, a popular singer, as a paid cultural advisor.
The presidents of Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador -- part of a regional political grouping with Peru called the Andean Community -- called on lawmakers to avoid impeaching Vizcarra in the midst of an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
"We call upon your authorities to avoid actions that could put at risk the legitimate exercise of power and the democratic political institutional process" in Peru, said a statement signed by Bolivia's Jeanine Anez, Colombia's Ivan Duque and Lenin Moreno of Ecuador.
The political crisis further rattled an economy which has already seen second-quarter GDP slashed by 30 percent due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Peruvian sol was the worst performing emerging economy currency on Friday, losing 0.8 percent against the dollar and forcing Lima's Central Bank to twice intervene to bolster the currency.
- 'Plot against democracy' -
One of the properties searched is the home of a top presidential official, Miriam Morales. The home of another key assistant to Vizcarra, Karem Roca, was also raided.
Both feature on leaked audio tapes in which Vizcarra is heard talking about the scandal and inciting them not to cooperate fully with investigators.
Cisneros' home was also searched, as well as those of five officials from the culture ministry, which hired the singer between 2018 and this year for about $50,000.
Fourteen people are currently under investigation in the probe, led by provincial prosecutor Janny Sanchez Porturas.
All of them are being investigated for "aggravated collusion and incompatible negotiation to the detriment of the state," according to the Attorney General Office.
Vizcarra, 57, denied having intervened in the details of the singer's contract, whom he said he met during the 2016 election campaign.
Vizcarra was then a candidate for vice-president alongside Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, his predecessor who was forced to resign in March 2018, after impeachment proceedings were launched against him over a corruption scandal.
Following Friday's vote, the 130-member Congress is to hold an impeachment vote on September 18.
The president's opponents need 87 votes to remove him.
Vizcarra said he had done nothing wrong and was the victim of a "plot against democracy" in the South American country.
The president has won popular support for an anti-corruption crusade that has put him at loggerheads with opponents in Congress, including over a reform banning convicted criminals from standing for election.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-13--'Proud' Azarenka to fight for more Slams

A rejuvenated Victoria Azarenka says she is going to keep pushing for Grand Slam titles after finishing runner-up at the US Open , fueled by a more relaxed outlook on life .
The two-time Slam winner lost to Japan 's Naomi Osaka in three sets at Flushing Meadows on Saturday in her first appearance in the final of a tennis major in seven years .
Many commentators thought the former world number , now 31 , was done at Grand Slams after her career was first disrupted by injury and then by a custody battle of her son , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unseeded Belarusian enjoyed a fairytale run to the final at the US National Tennis Center , which included a three sets defeat of former foe Serena Williams in the semi-finals .
`` I had a great two weeks .
I enjoyed myself .
I did everything I could today , '' said Azarenka , winner of the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013 .
`` I 'm not necessarily disappointed .
It 's just painful to lose .
That is what it is .
I was close .
But it did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Azarenka raced to 1-0 lead after thumping Osaka 6-1 in just 26 minutes .
A combination of impressive serving and formidable returns was reminiscent of the form that delivered two Grand Slam titles at her peak .
It was Azarenka 's first appearance in a Grand Slam championship match since she lost to Serena Williams in the 2013 US Open final .
She also suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Williams in 2012 at Flushing Meadows , when she served for the match at 5-3 in the third set only to lose 7-5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new outlook on life , in contrast to her younger years when winning tennis matches was all that mattered .
`` I feel that I enjoyed more the way I am on the court , '' said Azarenka , comparing Saturday 's match with her previous Slam final appearances .
`` Not necessarily focused on the result , but focusing on your progress , being in the moment , embracing the tough moments , tough challenges , '' she said .
Azarenka , who was seen meditating during breaks at the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than she used to be , blaming her previous state of mind on `` tunnel vision . ''
`` When you 're young , you got some not great people around you , they just put in , like , this tunnel vision .
Do n't look right , do n't look left , '' Azarenka explained .
`` You 're kind of missing the point of living .
You 're becoming this focused machine as a tennis player .
`` So I 'm able to be more fulfilled outside of the tennis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that 's a real success .
`` I will take that any day over just the tennis results .
I think that 's much bigger achievement for me on a personal level , '' she added .
Azarenka added that she hoped better education and guidance could help rising stars better navigate new-found fame .
She said was `` proud '' with how she had tested herself mentally and physically in New York and would keep chasing her third Slam title , starting with the French Open later this month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ charm , but I got to try again .
That 's what I 'm going to do , '' she said , smiling .
Azarenka will now take the momentum she has generated over the past few weeks into the rescheduled European clay court swing .
She has a wildcard to play in Rome , where she plays Venus Williams in her opening game , before the French Open .
`` I 'm looking forward to play on clay , '' she said .
`` It 's going to be a quick turnaround @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun . ''

New York (AFP) –
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A rejuvenated Victoria Azarenka says she is going to keep pushing for Grand Slam titles after finishing runner-up at the US Open, fueled by a more relaxed outlook on life.
The two-time Slam winner lost to Japan's Naomi Osaka in three sets at Flushing Meadows on Saturday in her first appearance in the final of a tennis major in seven years.
Many commentators thought the former world number, now 31, was done at Grand Slams after her career was first disrupted by injury and then by a custody battle of her son, who was born in December 2016.
But the unseeded Belarusian enjoyed a fairytale run to the final at the US National Tennis Center, which included a three sets defeat of former foe Serena Williams in the semi-finals.
"I had a great two weeks. I enjoyed myself. I did everything I could today," said Azarenka, winner of the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013.
"I'm not necessarily disappointed. It's just painful to lose. That is what it is. I was close. But it didn't go my way," she added.
Azarenka raced to 1-0 lead after thumping Osaka 6-1 in just 26 minutes.
A combination of impressive serving and formidable returns was reminiscent of the form that delivered two Grand Slam titles at her peak.
- 'Proud' -
It was Azarenka's first appearance in a Grand Slam championship match since she lost to Serena Williams in the 2013 US Open final.
She also suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Williams in 2012 at Flushing Meadows, when she served for the match at 5-3 in the third set only to lose 7-5.
Azarenka says she is benefitting from a new outlook on life, in contrast to her younger years when winning tennis matches was all that mattered.
"I feel that I enjoyed more the way I am on the court," said Azarenka, comparing Saturday's match with her previous Slam final appearances.
"Not necessarily focused on the result, but focusing on your progress, being in the moment, embracing the tough moments, tough challenges," she said.
Azarenka, who was seen meditating during breaks at the US Open, says she is less intense than she used to be, blaming her previous state of mind on "tunnel vision."
"When you're young, you got some not great people around you, they just put in, like, this tunnel vision. Don't look right, don't look left," Azarenka explained.
"You're kind of missing the point of living. You're becoming this focused machine as a tennis player.
"So I'm able to be more fulfilled outside of the tennis court, on the tennis court. I think that's a real success.
"I will take that any day over just the tennis results. I think that's much bigger achievement for me on a personal level," she added.
Azarenka added that she hoped better education and guidance could help rising stars better navigate new-found fame.
She said was "proud" with how she had tested herself mentally and physically in New York and would keep chasing her third Slam title, starting with the French Open later this month.
"I thought third time is a charm, but I got to try again. That's what I'm going to do," she said, smiling.
Azarenka will now take the momentum she has generated over the past few weeks into the rescheduled European clay court swing.
She has a wildcard to play in Rome, where she plays Venus Williams in her opening game, before the French Open.
"I'm looking forward to play on clay," she said. "It's going to be a quick turnaround, but it's going to be fun."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-13--MLS Sporting Kansas City player tests positive for COVID-19

A player for Sporting Kansas City has tested positive for COVID-19 , the Major League Soccer squad announced Saturday , and started self-isolation under league safety protocols .
All other players and members of the club have returned multiple negative test results and have no symptoms , the team said in a statement .
Team medical officials will monitor the unidentified player , who will remain in isolation until medically cleared by Sporting Kansas City staff .
The team has also started contact tracing ahead of the its home match Sunday against Minnesota United .
MLS testing protocols require players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the day before each match .
Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota are battling for the lead in the Western Conference , each on 17 points , one behind defending MLS champion Seattle , the West leaders .
Minnesota and Kansas City are both 5-3 with two drawn with a plus-five goal differential , the Loons ahead of sporting 21-20 in total goals to own second place .
Eastern Conference leaders Columbus Crew battled back from two goals down Saturday to salvage a 2-2 draw against Chicago Fire at Soldier Field , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 88th-minute strike .
Djordje Mihailovic opened the scoring in the 11th minute , notching his first goal of the season for the struggling Fire .
Less than five minutes later , Robert Beric doubled the score , racing onto a cross from Fabian Herbers and firing it home .
Although Mihailovic came off injured after 22 minutes , the Crew started the second half with energy , forcing Bobby Shuttleworth into a series of saves .
Columbus pulled one goal back in the 68th minute through Fatai Alashe .
And USA striker Zardes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , taking a deflected pass from Youness Mokhtar near the top of the penalty area and turning to score his third goal in two games .

New York (AFP) –
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A player for Sporting Kansas City has tested positive for COVID-19, the Major League Soccer squad announced Saturday, and started self-isolation under league safety protocols.
All other players and members of the club have returned multiple negative test results and have no symptoms, the team said in a statement.
Team medical officials will monitor the unidentified player, who will remain in isolation until medically cleared by Sporting Kansas City staff.
The team has also started contact tracing ahead of the its home match Sunday against Minnesota United.
MLS testing protocols require players to be tested every other day, including the day before each match.
Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota are battling for the lead in the Western Conference, each on 17 points, one behind defending MLS champion Seattle, the West leaders.
Minnesota and Kansas City are both 5-3 with two drawn with a plus-five goal differential, the Loons ahead of sporting 21-20 in total goals to own second place.
Eastern Conference leaders Columbus Crew battled back from two goals down Saturday to salvage a 2-2 draw against Chicago Fire at Soldier Field, with Gyasi Zardes capping the scoring with an 88th-minute strike.
Djordje Mihailovic opened the scoring in the 11th minute, notching his first goal of the season for the struggling Fire.
Less than five minutes later, Robert Beric doubled the score, racing onto a cross from Fabian Herbers and firing it home.
Although Mihailovic came off injured after 22 minutes, the Crew started the second half with energy, forcing Bobby Shuttleworth into a series of saves.
Columbus pulled one goal back in the 68th minute through Fatai Alashe.
And USA striker Zardes rescued a point with his 88th-minute strike, taking a deflected pass from Youness Mokhtar near the top of the penalty area and turning to score his third goal in two games.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-13--Johnson accuses EU of plotting food 'blockade' on UK

Johnson said his government remained committed to finding agreement with the EU by the end of the year Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused the European Union of threatening to tear the UK apart by imposing a food `` blockade '' between Britain and Northern Ireland , throwing new fuel on the fire of simmering Brexit talks .
Writing in Saturday 's Daily Telegraph newspaper , Johnson said the EU 's stance justified his government 's introduction of new legislation to rewrite its Brexit withdrawal treaty -- a bill that is causing deep alarm among former prime ministers and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brussels on a future trading relationship are deadlocked as both sides struggle to prise apart nearly 50 years of economic integration , after British voters opted for a divorce .
`` My assessment is that an unregulated situation ( no deal ) would have very significant consequences for the British economy , '' German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz warned after an EU meeting in Berlin .
`` Europe would be able to deal with it and these would not be particularly difficult consequences after the preparations we have already made , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of this year , when the full force of Brexit kicks in , Johnson said the EU was bent on an `` extreme interpretation '' of rules for Northern Ireland under the divorce treaty both sides signed in January .
`` We are being told that the EU will not only impose tariffs on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland , but that they might actually stop the transport of food products from GB to NI , '' he wrote .
`` I have to say that we never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to use a treaty , negotiated in good faith , to blockade one part of the UK , to cut it off , or that they would actually threaten to destroy the economic and territorial integrity of the UK . ''
Johnson said the EU 's stance would `` seriously endanger peace and stability in Northern Ireland '' .
`` We disagree , '' former prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major , who led Britain through historic peace talks in the 1990s , retorted in the Sunday Times .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 1998 ) Good Friday Agreement -- it imperils it , '' they wrote in a joint opinion piece , calling Johnson 's claims to have only belatedly unearthed problems in the EU treaty `` nonsense '' .
`` As the world looks on aghast at the UK -- the word of which was once accepted as inviolable -- this government 's action is shaming itself and embarrassing our nation . ''
The EU has threatened Britain with legal action unless it withdraws its unilateral changes by the end of September , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened to veto any trade pact if London violated its promises .
Paolo Gentiloni , the EU 's economics affairs commissioner , said it was up to Britain to `` re-establish trust '' with the bloc .
`` And in any case ... we are prepared to deal with extraordinary negative outcome of this discussion , '' the former Italian prime minister added in Berlin .
Under the EU withdrawal treaty , Northern Ireland will enjoy a special status to ensure no return of a border with EU member Ireland , in line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three decades of bloodshed .
The food dispute centres on the EU 's refusal so far to grant Britain `` third country '' status , which acknowledges that nations meet basic requirements to export their foodstuffs to Europe .
The EU is worried that post-Brexit Britain could undermine its own food standards , as well as rules on state aid for companies , and infiltrate its single market via Northern Ireland .
Johnson 's article appeared after he held a chaotic videoconference on Friday evening with mutinous Conservative MPs who are aghast at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an international treaty .
Senior Conservative backbencher Robert Neill was unimpressed by Johnson 's calls to push the bill through and prevent a renewal of the Brexit infighting that paralysed parliament last year .
`` I believe it is potentially a harmful act for this country , it would damage our reputation and I think it will make it harder to strike trade deals going forward , '' Neill told Channel 4 News , a point echoed by Blair and Major .
The government celebrated one breakthrough Friday when it clinched its first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But critics noted it would boost Britain 's long-term economic output by just 0.07 percent , and that trade with the EU is far higher .

London (AFP) –
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accused the European Union of threatening to tear the UK apart by imposing a food "blockade" between Britain and Northern Ireland, throwing new fuel on the fire of simmering Brexit talks.
Writing in Saturday's Daily Telegraph newspaper, Johnson said the EU's stance justified his government's introduction of new legislation to rewrite its Brexit withdrawal treaty -- a bill that is causing deep alarm among former prime ministers and his own MPs.
Talks between London and Brussels on a future trading relationship are deadlocked as both sides struggle to prise apart nearly 50 years of economic integration, after British voters opted for a divorce.
"My assessment is that an unregulated situation (no deal) would have very significant consequences for the British economy," German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz warned after an EU meeting in Berlin.
"Europe would be able to deal with it and these would not be particularly difficult consequences after the preparations we have already made," he added.
But absent a deal by the end of this year, when the full force of Brexit kicks in, Johnson said the EU was bent on an "extreme interpretation" of rules for Northern Ireland under the divorce treaty both sides signed in January.
"We are being told that the EU will not only impose tariffs on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but that they might actually stop the transport of food products from GB to NI," he wrote.
"I have to say that we never seriously believed that the EU would be willing to use a treaty, negotiated in good faith, to blockade one part of the UK, to cut it off, or that they would actually threaten to destroy the economic and territorial integrity of the UK."
Johnson said the EU's stance would "seriously endanger peace and stability in Northern Ireland".
- 'Nonsense' -
"We disagree," former prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major, who led Britain through historic peace talks in the 1990s, retorted in the Sunday Times.
"The government's action does not protect the (1998) Good Friday Agreement -- it imperils it," they wrote in a joint opinion piece, calling Johnson's claims to have only belatedly unearthed problems in the EU treaty "nonsense".
"As the world looks on aghast at the UK -- the word of which was once accepted as inviolable -- this government's action is shaming itself and embarrassing our nation."
The EU has threatened Britain with legal action unless it withdraws its unilateral changes by the end of September, and leaders in the European Parliament on Friday threatened to veto any trade pact if London violated its promises.
Paolo Gentiloni, the EU's economics affairs commissioner, said it was up to Britain to "re-establish trust" with the bloc.
"And in any case... we are prepared to deal with extraordinary negative outcome of this discussion," the former Italian prime minister added in Berlin.
Under the EU withdrawal treaty, Northern Ireland will enjoy a special status to ensure no return of a border with EU member Ireland, in line with the 1998 peace pact that ended three decades of bloodshed.
The food dispute centres on the EU's refusal so far to grant Britain "third country" status, which acknowledges that nations meet basic requirements to export their foodstuffs to Europe.
The EU is worried that post-Brexit Britain could undermine its own food standards, as well as rules on state aid for companies, and infiltrate its single market via Northern Ireland.
- 'Harmful act' -
Johnson's article appeared after he held a chaotic videoconference on Friday evening with mutinous Conservative MPs who are aghast at the prospect of the government tearing up an international treaty.
Senior Conservative backbencher Robert Neill was unimpressed by Johnson's calls to push the bill through and prevent a renewal of the Brexit infighting that paralysed parliament last year.
"I believe it is potentially a harmful act for this country, it would damage our reputation and I think it will make it harder to strike trade deals going forward," Neill told Channel 4 News, a point echoed by Blair and Major.
The government celebrated one breakthrough Friday when it clinched its first post-Brexit trade pact, with Japan. But critics noted it would boost Britain's long-term economic output by just 0.07 percent, and that trade with the EU is far higher.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-12--Henderson, Korda share LPGA ANA Inspiration lead

Brooke Henderson fired an eagle and six birdies in a seven-under par 65 on Saturday to join Nelly Korda atop the third-round leaderboard in the LPGA ANA Inspiration .
Her sizzling effort in the California desert heat gave her a 12-under par total of 204 , where she was joined by Korda who signed for a one-under 71 .
They were two strokes in front of Australian Katherine Kirk , South Korean Lee Mi-rim and American Lexi Thompson .
Canada 's Henderson , who celebrated her 23rd birthday on Friday , started the day six adrift of overnight leader Korda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15-foot eagle at the second hole at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage , California .
Birdies at the fourth , sixth , seventh and ninth saw her make the turn at six-under for the day .
She held the solo lead after a birdie at 11 and followed up her only bogey of the day at 13 with testing downhill birdie putt at 16 .
`` Being a major championship , you 've really got to stay patient and know bogeys are going to happen , '' said Henderson , whose nine LPGA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 Women 's PGA Championship .
`` The rough out there is very thick and you 're just praying it 's sitting up if you hit it in there , '' added Henderson , who said it Mission Hills was a `` totally different '' course than the one players face in the tournament 's regular schedule slot in March .
`` You just have to go with what the course gives you and just expect bogeys and try to make a lot of birdies to counter them . ''
Korda , ranked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first major title , topped the leaderboard after each of the first two rounds .
But the 22-year-old American 's march slowed with a bogey at the fifth , followed by a double-bogey at the par-four sixth where her wedge out of the rough failed to clear the water .
She needed four shots to reach the green and missed a 12-foot bogey putt .
Korda responded with birdies at the 11th , 12th and 15th -- landing her approach at the 12th within three feet .
`` It was a disappointing front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the way I fought on the back nine , '' Korda said .
`` Never gave up and there 's still 18 more holes to be played , so much golf . ''
Thompson , the 2014 ANA Inspiration champion , birdied three of the first five holes and bounced back from her first of two bogeys at the seventh with back-to-back birdies at eight and nine .
She bogeyed the 10th and parred her way in for a three-under 69 and her share of third .
Lee , who claimed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2017 Kia Classic , had four birdies and three birdies in her one-under 71 .
Aussie veteran Kirk nabbed six birdies with just one bogey in her five-under 67 .
The 38-year-old is seeking her first major title , and would love to take the traditional champion 's leap into Poppie 's Pond .
`` Doubly good because it 's so stinking hot out here and it would be great to cool off , '' Kirk said .
`` There are a lot of great players on the leaderboard , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have to go low and it 's going to take a really good number . ''

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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Brooke Henderson fired an eagle and six birdies in a seven-under par 65 on Saturday to join Nelly Korda atop the third-round leaderboard in the LPGA ANA Inspiration.
Her sizzling effort in the California desert heat gave her a 12-under par total of 204, where she was joined by Korda who signed for a one-under 71.
They were two strokes in front of Australian Katherine Kirk, South Korean Lee Mi-rim and American Lexi Thompson.
Canada's Henderson, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on Friday, started the day six adrift of overnight leader Korda but got things going early with a 15-foot eagle at the second hole at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California.
Birdies at the fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth saw her make the turn at six-under for the day.
She held the solo lead after a birdie at 11 and followed up her only bogey of the day at 13 with testing downhill birdie putt at 16.
"Being a major championship, you've really got to stay patient and know bogeys are going to happen," said Henderson, whose nine LPGA titles include a major triumph at the 2016 Women's PGA Championship.
"The rough out there is very thick and you're just praying it's sitting up if you hit it in there," added Henderson, who said it Mission Hills was a "totally different" course than the one players face in the tournament's regular schedule slot in March.
"You just have to go with what the course gives you and just expect bogeys and try to make a lot of birdies to counter them."
Korda, ranked third in the world and chasing her first major title, topped the leaderboard after each of the first two rounds.
But the 22-year-old American's march slowed with a bogey at the fifth, followed by a double-bogey at the par-four sixth where her wedge out of the rough failed to clear the water.
She needed four shots to reach the green and missed a 12-foot bogey putt.
- Korda fights back -
Korda responded with birdies at the 11th, 12th and 15th -- landing her approach at the 12th within three feet.
"It was a disappointing front nine, but I was really proud of the way I fought on the back nine," Korda said. "Never gave up and there's still 18 more holes to be played, so much golf."
Thompson, the 2014 ANA Inspiration champion, birdied three of the first five holes and bounced back from her first of two bogeys at the seventh with back-to-back birdies at eight and nine.
She bogeyed the 10th and parred her way in for a three-under 69 and her share of third.
Lee, who claimed the last of her three LPGA titles at the 2017 Kia Classic, had four birdies and three birdies in her one-under 71.
Aussie veteran Kirk nabbed six birdies with just one bogey in her five-under 67.
The 38-year-old is seeking her first major title, and would love to take the traditional champion's leap into Poppie's Pond.
"Doubly good because it's so stinking hot out here and it would be great to cool off," Kirk said.
"There are a lot of great players on the leaderboard," she added. "I'm probably going to have to go low and it's going to take a really good number."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-12--Twins reliever Romo gets one-game MLB ban after scuffle

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Sergio Romo was issued a one-game suspension Saturday by Major League Baseball for his role in sparking a benches-clearing incident in a game Friday against Cleveland .
MLB also issued fines of an undisclosed amount to Romo and Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor over the incident in Minnesota 's 3-1 home triumph .
Romo retired Lindor on a flyout to end the top of the eighth inning , walking toward the dugout the moment the ball left the bat .
Lindor and Romo began yelling and walking toward each other , the benches clearing for both clubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before cooler heads finally prevailed and the contest resumed .
`` This is a situation that has been brewing for a while , '' temporary Indians manager Sandy Alomar Jr. said .
`` Romo likes to dish it .
Our guys dish it back ... Little words there , but nothing to the end of it . ''
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the players need to settle the matter without involving the rest of the teams .
`` I think it 's basically to the point where it 's just a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other when they probably should n't , '' Baldelli said .
`` And I think it would probably be better if they did n't .
`` Some of it is subtle .
Some of it is not so subtle .
I think if we just all went out there and played the game and tried to ignore what was going on on the other side , we 'd be in better shape . ''

New York (AFP) –
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Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Sergio Romo was issued a one-game suspension Saturday by Major League Baseball for his role in sparking a benches-clearing incident in a game Friday against Cleveland.
MLB also issued fines of an undisclosed amount to Romo and Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor over the incident in Minnesota's 3-1 home triumph.
Romo retired Lindor on a flyout to end the top of the eighth inning, walking toward the dugout the moment the ball left the bat. Lindor and Romo began yelling and walking toward each other, the benches clearing for both clubs and the players needing to be separated before cooler heads finally prevailed and the contest resumed.
"This is a situation that has been brewing for a while," temporary Indians manager Sandy Alomar Jr. said. "Romo likes to dish it. Our guys dish it back... Little words there, but nothing to the end of it."
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the players need to settle the matter without involving the rest of the teams.
"I think it's basically to the point where it's just a couple of players who continually interact with each other when they probably shouldn't," Baldelli said. "And I think it would probably be better if they didn't.
"Some of it is subtle. Some of it is not so subtle. I think if we just all went out there and played the game and tried to ignore what was going on on the other side, we'd be in better shape."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-12--Aussie pole-sitter Power gets first Mid-Ohio IndyCar win

Australian pole-sitter Will Power captured his long-sought first IndyCar victory at Mid-Ohio on Saturday , winning the first Indy 200 of a double-header race weekend .
The 39-year-old Aussie driver took his record fifth career pole at the venue then dominated over 75 laps at the 2.258-mile , 13-turn road course at Lexington , Ohio .
`` It 's just putting down good laps lap after lap , '' Power said .
`` Just a flawless day -- that 's what you 've got to do to win races . ''
In his 12th Mid-Ohio start , Power finally got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has settled for second place four times , collecting his 38th career IndyCar triumph , his first since last year at Portland .
`` It 's great to tick the Mid-Ohio box , '' Power said .
`` I had finished on the podium five times , finally converted one .
Completely over the moon . ''
As Power told his crew over the radio after crossing the finish line , `` It took a while boys , but we did it . ''
Power captured his 60th career IndyCar pole , seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and took full advantage of track position .
`` This is the first race in about 10 years where I just decided to go hard , '' Power said .
`` No worry about fuel .
We pushed hard the entire way , went flat out .
We won the race so it was a great strategy . ''
American Josef Newgarden was second followed in order by compatriots Alexander Rossi , Graham Rahal and Ryan Hunter-Reay .
`` It was a pretty straightforward day .
Where we started is where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congrats to Will .
That was a clinic he put on . ''
The runner-up finish pulled Newgarden within 436-360 of season points leader Scott Dixon of New Zealand , who finished 10th after starting 17th on a track where he had won six times , including last year .
Four of 14 races remain in the 2020 campaign , including Sunday 's second at Mid-Ohio .
Power grabbed the lead at the start ahead of Newgarden , who began directly behind him , and they cycled back into the 1-2 spots after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Power made his final pit stop on lap 47 and departed in only 6.3 seconds , returning to the track with a seven-second edge on Newgarden and pulling away over the final laps in an overwhelming performance , leading all but nine laps .
The Mid-Ohio races were postponed from August due to the coronavirus pandemic that disrupted the schedule and delayed the season 's start until June .
State officials last week approved a reduced capacity of 6,000 spectators for each race .
`` We 're happy to be out here and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` It 's great .
We 've had a pretty trying year .
The circumstances are very tough with COVID and all the social distancing we had to do . ''

Washington (AFP) –
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Australian pole-sitter Will Power captured his long-sought first IndyCar victory at Mid-Ohio on Saturday, winning the first Indy 200 of a double-header race weekend.
The 39-year-old Aussie driver took his record fifth career pole at the venue then dominated over 75 laps at the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course at Lexington, Ohio.
"It's just putting down good laps lap after lap," Power said. "Just a flawless day -- that's what you've got to do to win races."
In his 12th Mid-Ohio start, Power finally got the best of a track where he has settled for second place four times, collecting his 38th career IndyCar triumph, his first since last year at Portland.
"It's great to tick the Mid-Ohio box," Power said. "I had finished on the podium five times, finally converted one. Completely over the moon."
As Power told his crew over the radio after crossing the finish line, "It took a while boys, but we did it."
Power captured his 60th career IndyCar pole, seven shy of Mario Andretti's all-time record, and took full advantage of track position.
"This is the first race in about 10 years where I just decided to go hard," Power said. "No worry about fuel. We pushed hard the entire way, went flat out. We won the race so it was a great strategy."
American Josef Newgarden was second followed in order by compatriots Alexander Rossi, Graham Rahal and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
"It was a pretty straightforward day. Where we started is where we finished," Newgarden said. "Congrats to Will. That was a clinic he put on."
The runner-up finish pulled Newgarden within 436-360 of season points leader Scott Dixon of New Zealand, who finished 10th after starting 17th on a track where he had won six times, including last year.
Four of 14 races remain in the 2020 campaign, including Sunday's second at Mid-Ohio.
Power grabbed the lead at the start ahead of Newgarden, who began directly behind him, and they cycled back into the 1-2 spots after the first series of pit stops.
Power made his final pit stop on lap 47 and departed in only 6.3 seconds, returning to the track with a seven-second edge on Newgarden and pulling away over the final laps in an overwhelming performance, leading all but nine laps.
The Mid-Ohio races were postponed from August due to the coronavirus pandemic that disrupted the schedule and delayed the season's start until June. State officials last week approved a reduced capacity of 6,000 spectators for each race.
"We're happy to be out here and happy to have fans," Power said. "It's great. We've had a pretty trying year. The circumstances are very tough with COVID and all the social distancing we had to do."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-12--EU wants 'credible' Lebanon govt before more blast aid

European Commissioner in charge of Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic , pictured in June 2020 , aid the EU had mobilised 64 million euros ( $ 79 million ) for the emergency response in Lebanon The European Union 's commissioner for crisis management on Saturday called for the urgent formation of a `` credible '' government in Lebanon before a second phase of financial support for the crisis-hit country can be released .
Janez Lenarcic said the EU had mobilised 64 million euros ( $ 79 million ) for the emergency response to a devastating port blast that killed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on August 4 .
The next round of funding would be for reconstruction , he said , but warned it would have to go hand in hand with reforms because the international community was not willing to support practices `` that led to financial collapse and economic crisis '' .
The tragedy occurred when hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser that had been left unattended in a port warehouse exploded .
It came as the Lebanese people were already reeling from the country 's worst economic crisis in decades and rekindled smouldering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class accused of corruption .
The government resigned in the wake of the disaster , but Lebanon has rejected an international investigation , saying it would carry out its own probe aided by foreign experts .
`` We need a credible government that enjoys the confidence of the Lebanese people and is determined to take the country in the right direction , '' Lenarcic told AFP after arriving in Lebanon on board a humanitarian aid flight .
`` Lebanon 's political class has to provide what people demand and this is also what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about governance , not only economic reforms .
There has to be a change in the way this place is governed , '' he said .
Lebanon 's worst economic crunch since the 1975-1990 war has seen the local currency plummet against the US dollar and poverty double to more than half of the population .
The government has blamed central bank governor Riad Salameh for the crisis , though he has rejected all charges .
Lenarcic said reaching an agreement with the IMF should also be an early priority for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday it was ready to `` redouble its efforts '' to help Lebanon `` overcome the social and economic crisis '' once a new government was in place .
`` The EU commission supports reaching an agreement with the IMF because that would unlock substantial resources that Lebanon desperately needs to revive its economy , '' Lenarcic said .
Referring to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah , he said it was a `` reality in Lebanon '' , adding that `` we would like to see the entire Lebanese political class unite behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been targeted by US sanctions and blacklisted as a `` terrorist '' organisation , but the Shiite group is also a powerful political player with seats in Lebanon 's parliament '' We believe it should play its part in this effort , '' he said .

Beirut (AFP) –
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The European Union's commissioner for crisis management on Saturday called for the urgent formation of a "credible" government in Lebanon before a second phase of financial support for the crisis-hit country can be released.
Janez Lenarcic said the EU had mobilised 64 million euros ($79 million) for the emergency response to a devastating port blast that killed more than 190 people and wounded thousands in Beirut on August 4.
The next round of funding would be for reconstruction, he said, but warned it would have to go hand in hand with reforms because the international community was not willing to support practices "that led to financial collapse and economic crisis".
The tragedy occurred when hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser that had been left unattended in a port warehouse exploded.
It came as the Lebanese people were already reeling from the country's worst economic crisis in decades and rekindled smouldering rage over official neglect and a political class accused of corruption.
The government resigned in the wake of the disaster, but Lebanon has rejected an international investigation, saying it would carry out its own probe aided by foreign experts.
"We need a credible government that enjoys the confidence of the Lebanese people and is determined to take the country in the right direction," Lenarcic told AFP after arriving in Lebanon on board a humanitarian aid flight.
"Lebanon's political class has to provide what people demand and this is also what the international community expects. I'm talking about governance, not only economic reforms. There has to be a change in the way this place is governed," he said.
Lebanon's worst economic crunch since the 1975-1990 war has seen the local currency plummet against the US dollar and poverty double to more than half of the population. The government has blamed central bank governor Riad Salameh for the crisis, though he has rejected all charges.
Lenarcic said reaching an agreement with the IMF should also be an early priority for the next government.
The IMF said on Thursday it was ready to "redouble its efforts" to help Lebanon "overcome the social and economic crisis" once a new government was in place.
"The EU commission supports reaching an agreement with the IMF because that would unlock substantial resources that Lebanon desperately needs to revive its economy," Lenarcic said.
Referring to the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, he said it was a "reality in Lebanon", adding that "we would like to see the entire Lebanese political class unite behind the task".
Hezbollah has long been targeted by US sanctions and blacklisted as a "terrorist" organisation, but the Shiite group is also a powerful political player with seats in Lebanon's parliament
"We believe it should play its part in this effort," he said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-12--Vaccine trial resumes as virus continues grim march

The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 916,000 with 28.5 million infections Clinical trials of one of the most advanced experimental Covid-19 vaccines resumed Saturday after a brief safety pause , as infection numbers continued to march upward in countries across the globe .
The world 's hopes for a reprieve from the pandemic were dealt a blow earlier in the week when pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University announced they had `` voluntarily paused '' their vaccine trial after a UK volunteer developed an unexplained illness .
But on Saturday the trial was given the all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safety review .
The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 916,000 with 28.5 million infections , while France and the United Arab Emirates posted grim new milestones for daily infections on Saturday .
And with billions still suffering from the fallout of the pandemic , a worldwide race for a vaccine is underway , with nine companies already in late-stage Phase 3 trials .
Even during the pause , AstraZeneca said it remained hopeful that the vaccine could still be available `` by the end of this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that `` in large trials such as this , it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated '' .
Charlotte Summers , lecturer in intensive care medicine at Cambridge University , said the pause showed the researchers ' commitment `` to putting safety at the heart of their development programme . ''
`` To tackle the global Covid-19 pandemic , we need to develop vaccines and therapies that people feel comfortable using , therefore it is vital to maintaining public trust that we stick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusions before information is available , '' she said .
That public trust will be crucial to convincing a public that is impatient for a vaccine -- and in some corners sceptical .
Among the impatient is US President Donald Trump , who has been accused by rival Joe Biden of `` undermining public confidence '' by regularly raising the possibility that a vaccine will be ready before November 's election .
Biden also called Trump `` reckless '' for holding a rally in the Nevada city of Reno even after the venue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breached local Covid-19 restrictions .
Some of those potentially sceptical about a vaccine meanwhile turned out in numerous German cities and Poland 's capital Warsaw on Saturday , protesting against anti-coronavirus measures and often defying mask-wearing rules .
The movement is made up of a number of different groups , from self-declared `` free thinkers '' to anti-vaccine campaigners , conspiracy theorists and far-right activists .
There are signs of a resurgence of the virus in numerous countries that lifted many coronavirus measures after beating back the first wave of infections months ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , the country 's highest daily number since launching wide-scale testing .
The milestone came a day after Prime Minister Jean Castex declined to announce any new major restrictions despite a `` clear worsening '' in the country 's outbreak .
`` We have to succeed in living with this virus , without returning to the idea of a generalised lockdown , '' Castex said , himself recently having left isolation after testing negative twice for the virus .
Fears were briefly raised after the prime minister spent part of last weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France Christian Prudhomme , who tested positive for Covid-19 .
Another country to hit a daily milestone on Saturday was the United Arab Emirates , which recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases on Saturday for the first time .
In Spain , which this week became the first EU country to pass half a million infections , an infection was detected among Princess Leonor 's classmates .
The 14-year-old heiress to the Spanish throne -- who only returned to school in Madrid on Wednesday -- will now have to observe a two-week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which this week passed the milestone of eight million virus cases , worst-hit Brazil charted more than 131,000 deaths from Covid-19 as of Saturday , the second-highest in the world behind the US .
Latvia meanwhile reinstated a compulsory 14-day quarantine for arrivals from neighbouring Estonia due to an upsurge in cases there .

Paris (AFP) –
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Clinical trials of one of the most advanced experimental Covid-19 vaccines resumed Saturday after a brief safety pause, as infection numbers continued to march upward in countries across the globe.
The world's hopes for a reprieve from the pandemic were dealt a blow earlier in the week when pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University announced they had "voluntarily paused" their vaccine trial after a UK volunteer developed an unexplained illness.
But on Saturday the trial was given the all clear by British regulators to resume following a safety review.
The global death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 916,000 with 28.5 million infections, while France and the United Arab Emirates posted grim new milestones for daily infections on Saturday.
And with billions still suffering from the fallout of the pandemic, a worldwide race for a vaccine is underway, with nine companies already in late-stage Phase 3 trials.
Even during the pause, AstraZeneca said it remained hopeful that the vaccine could still be available "by the end of this year, early next year".
Oxford University said that "in large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated".
Charlotte Summers, lecturer in intensive care medicine at Cambridge University, said the pause showed the researchers' commitment "to putting safety at the heart of their development programme."
"To tackle the global Covid-19 pandemic, we need to develop vaccines and therapies that people feel comfortable using, therefore it is vital to maintaining public trust that we stick to the evidence and do not draw conclusions before information is available," she said.
- Backlash -
That public trust will be crucial to convincing a public that is impatient for a vaccine -- and in some corners sceptical.
Among the impatient is US President Donald Trump, who has been accused by rival Joe Biden of "undermining public confidence" by regularly raising the possibility that a vaccine will be ready before November's election.
Biden also called Trump "reckless" for holding a rally in the Nevada city of Reno even after the venue had to be changed because the event breached local Covid-19 restrictions.
Some of those potentially sceptical about a vaccine meanwhile turned out in numerous German cities and Poland's capital Warsaw on Saturday, protesting against anti-coronavirus measures and often defying mask-wearing rules.
The movement is made up of a number of different groups, from self-declared "free thinkers" to anti-vaccine campaigners, conspiracy theorists and far-right activists.
- France, UAE milestones -
There are signs of a resurgence of the virus in numerous countries that lifted many coronavirus measures after beating back the first wave of infections months ago.
France reported 10,000 new infections on Saturday, the country's highest daily number since launching wide-scale testing.
The milestone came a day after Prime Minister Jean Castex declined to announce any new major restrictions despite a "clear worsening" in the country's outbreak.
"We have to succeed in living with this virus, without returning to the idea of a generalised lockdown," Castex said, himself recently having left isolation after testing negative twice for the virus.
Fears were briefly raised after the prime minister spent part of last weekend with the boss of the Tour de France Christian Prudhomme, who tested positive for Covid-19.
Another country to hit a daily milestone on Saturday was the United Arab Emirates, which recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases on Saturday for the first time.
In Spain, which this week became the first EU country to pass half a million infections, an infection was detected among Princess Leonor's classmates.
The 14-year-old heiress to the Spanish throne -- who only returned to school in Madrid on Wednesday -- will now have to observe a two-week quarantine.
And in Latin America, which this week passed the milestone of eight million virus cases, worst-hit Brazil charted more than 131,000 deaths from Covid-19 as of Saturday, the second-highest in the world behind the US.
Latvia meanwhile reinstated a compulsory 14-day quarantine for arrivals from neighbouring Estonia due to an upsurge in cases there.
burs-dl/st
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-12--Osaka beats Azarenka to win US Open and third Grand Slam

Japan 's Naomi Osaka came from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus to win the US Open on Saturday and clinch her third Grand Slam title .
Osaka , the fourth seed , overcame her unseeded opponent 1-6 , 6-3 , 6-3 inside a near-empty Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows .
It brought 22-year-old Osaka 's haul of tennis major trophies to three after her victories at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open .
`` I did n't really enjoy that .
It was a really tough match for me , '' Osaka said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 31 , sprinted to the first set in just 26 minutes , dominating Osaka with an 88 percent success rate on her first serve .
Azarenka then went 2-0 ahead in the second set before Osaka fought back to break her opponent 's serve twice and take a 4-3 lead .
The momentum had quickly swung in Osaka 's favor and she broke a third time to take the match to a deciding set .
`` I just thought it would be very embarrassing to lose this in under an hour so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I can and stop having a really bad attitude , '' said Osaka , explaining the turnaround .
Osaka enjoyed the first breakthrough of set three in game four when she broke Azarenka 's serve to take a 3-1 lead .
Azarenka then blew a golden opportunity to get back into the match , wasting three break points as Osaka recovered from 0-40 to hold for a 4-1 lead .
Azarenka saved four break points to make it 4-2 as she battled to keep the contest alive .
When she broke Osaka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back on serve .
But Osaka immediately broke back after Azarenka pushed a forehand wide to leave herself the opportunity of serving for the match and title .
On Osaka 's second championship point , Azarenka found the net .
After touching racquets with her opponent , Osaka lay down in the middle of the court and looked up at the sky in celebration .
`` I always see everyone sort of collapse after match point .
But I always think you may injure yourself so I wanted to do it safely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched by just a few dozen people , mostly officials , journalists and event staff after the coronavirus pandemic forced the tournament to be held behind closed doors .
Osaka had walked onto the court wearing a mask bearing the name of Tamir Rice , a 12-year-old African-American boy who was shot dead by a white police officer in Cleveland , Ohio in 2014 .
Osaka , of Japanese and Haitian heritage , wore different masks honoring victims of racial injustice and police brutality in each round of the tournament .
She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breonna Taylor , Elijah McClain , Ahmaud Arbery , Trayvon Martin , George Floyd and Philando Castile .
Azarenka , a two-time Grand Slam champion , was playing in her first tennis major final since losing the 2013 US Open to Serena Williams .
The last few years of the former world number one 's career have been disrupted , firstly by injury then by a custody battle over her son , born in December 2016 .
But she enjoyed a fairytale run in New York , clinching the Western & Southern title @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where she lost for the third time .
`` I want to thank my team for sticking with me , for believing in me , '' Azarenka said .
`` It 's been a long road of getting here , but this was fun , '' she added .

New York (AFP) –
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Japan's Naomi Osaka came from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus to win the US Open on Saturday and clinch her third Grand Slam title.
Osaka, the fourth seed, overcame her unseeded opponent 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 inside a near-empty Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows.
It brought 22-year-old Osaka's haul of tennis major trophies to three after her victories at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open.
"I didn't really enjoy that. It was a really tough match for me," Osaka said following her 1hr 53min victory.
Azarenka, 31, sprinted to the first set in just 26 minutes, dominating Osaka with an 88 percent success rate on her first serve.
The Japanese was uncharacteristically sloppy, hitting a whopping 13 unforced errors.
Azarenka then went 2-0 ahead in the second set before Osaka fought back to break her opponent's serve twice and take a 4-3 lead.
The momentum had quickly swung in Osaka's favor and she broke a third time to take the match to a deciding set.
"I just thought it would be very embarrassing to lose this in under an hour so I just have to try as hard as I can and stop having a really bad attitude," said Osaka, explaining the turnaround.
Osaka enjoyed the first breakthrough of set three in game four when she broke Azarenka's serve to take a 3-1 lead.
Azarenka then blew a golden opportunity to get back into the match, wasting three break points as Osaka recovered from 0-40 to hold for a 4-1 lead.
Azarenka saved four break points to make it 4-2 as she battled to keep the contest alive.
When she broke Osaka in game seven, the set was back on serve.
But Osaka immediately broke back after Azarenka pushed a forehand wide to leave herself the opportunity of serving for the match and title.
On Osaka's second championship point, Azarenka found the net.
- 'This was fun' -
After touching racquets with her opponent, Osaka lay down in the middle of the court and looked up at the sky in celebration.
"I always see everyone sort of collapse after match point. But I always think you may injure yourself so I wanted to do it safely," Osaka said.
The match was watched by just a few dozen people, mostly officials, journalists and event staff after the coronavirus pandemic forced the tournament to be held behind closed doors.
Osaka had walked onto the court wearing a mask bearing the name of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old African-American boy who was shot dead by a white police officer in Cleveland, Ohio in 2014.
Osaka, of Japanese and Haitian heritage, wore different masks honoring victims of racial injustice and police brutality in each round of the tournament.
She also donned face coverings bearing the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Philando Castile.
Azarenka, a two-time Grand Slam champion, was playing in her first tennis major final since losing the 2013 US Open to Serena Williams.
The last few years of the former world number one's career have been disrupted, firstly by injury then by a custody battle over her son, born in December 2016.
But she enjoyed a fairytale run in New York, clinching the Western & Southern title before reaching Saturday's US Open final, where she lost for the third time.
"I want to thank my team for sticking with me, for believing in me," Azarenka said.
"It's been a long road of getting here, but this was fun," she added.
© 2020 AFP