france24--2020-08-12--Japanese firm behind Mauritius oil spill 'involved in several smaller incidents'

The MV Wakashio ran aground off Mauritius in July and is leaking fuel into the island 's pristine coral-filled waters .
The Japanese firm that operates a ship leaking fuel off the coast of Mauritius has been involved in accidents before , including a 2006 oil spill in the Indian Ocean .
Mitsui OSK Lines operates the MV Wakashio , which ran aground on July 25 just off the coast of Mauritius , carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel that has been seeping into the pristine coral-filled waters of the island nation .
Both the operator and the vessel 's owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and pledged to help mitigate the damage .
The accident is not the first involving Mitsui OSK Lines .
In 2006 , the Bright Artemis crude oil tanker operated by the firm suffered damage while attempting to rescue the crew of another ship , according to a company statement from the time .
An estimated 4,500 tonnes of crude oil leaked from the ship into the Indian Ocean .
The leak took place far offshore and the spill was left to dilute and vaporise after the firm judged the crude unlikely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in other smaller accidents , including in 2013 , when a container ship it operated sank in the Indian Ocean .
The Tokyo-based company traces its history back to 1878 , when trading house Mitsui and Co. began operating a steamboat between Nagasaki and Shanghai .
In 1884 , the shipping operation was devolved to a firm named Osaka Shosen Kaisha Lines , or OSK lines , under the umbrella of the Mitsui zaibatsu , or conglomerate .
The firm gradually expanded its routes in the 1930s and began carrying passengers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North and South America , including New York .
It was renamed Mitsui Steamship in 1942 and -- like many other Japanese private shipping lines -- was heavily involved in military transport before and during World War II .
It survived the chaos of the post-war period and was part of Japan 's so-called economic miracle , involved in the export of Japanese cars overseas and the import of natural gas to the energy-poor nation .
Following a series of mergers and acquisitions , it was renamed Mitsui OSK Lines in 1999 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , employing more than 1,000 people .
The MV Wakashio is owned by Nagashiki Shipping , which is based in western Japan 's Okayama .
The company currently owns 11 ships , including container ships , tankers and bulkers like the Wakashio , a so-called cape size bulker built in 2007 .
The MV Wakashio had passed its latest annual inspection in March without any problems , according to Japan 's ClassNK inspection body .
Nagashiki Shipping began life as a salt ship line in the final years of Japan 's Edo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the firm 's website .
It later expanded into the transport of bamboo , timber and charcoal and began plying coastal routes .
Originally known as Nagashiki Ship Department , the firm also transported rice to Japan from the Korean peninsula , which was under Tokyo 's colonial rule from 1910 to the end of World War II in 1945 .
The firm lost all its vessels after the war , but was re-established in 1958 and renamed Nagashiki Shipping .

Salvage crews have successfully pumped all the fuel from the tanks of a giant cargo ship which ran aground off Mauritius, the prime minister said Wednesday, preventing another massive oil spill into the pristine waters.
The MV Wakashio ran aground off Mauritius in July and is leaking fuel into the island's pristine coral-filled waters.
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Further ecological disaster was averted as the MV Wakashio, a Japanese-owned bulk carrier, threatens to break apart at any moment after more than two weeks stranded on a coral reef off the island nation.
"All the fuel has been pumped from the reservoirs," said Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, adding that about 100 tonnes remained elsewhere on board the ship.
The ship ran aground on July 25 and began leaking oil into coral reefs, mangrove forests and protected wetlands last week in a massive blow for the paradisiacal island popular among honeymooners and other tourists.
"It was a race against the clock, and I salute the excellent work to prevent another oil spill," said Jugnauth.
"The weather was calm and it helped the pumping exercise, it also prevented the breakup of the boat, which is inevitable."
Same firm involved in accidents before
The Japanese firm that operates a ship leaking fuel off the coast of Mauritius has been involved in accidents before, including a 2006 oil spill in the Indian Ocean.
Mitsui OSK Lines operates the MV Wakashio, which ran aground on July 25 just off the coast of Mauritius, carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel that has been seeping into the pristine coral-filled waters of the island nation. Both the operator and the vessel's owner Nagashiki Shipping have apologised for the spill, and pledged to help mitigate the damage.
The accident is not the first involving Mitsui OSK Lines. In 2006, the Bright Artemis crude oil tanker operated by the firm suffered damage while attempting to rescue the crew of another ship, according to a company statement from the time. An estimated 4,500 tonnes of crude oil leaked from the ship into the Indian Ocean.
The leak took place far offshore and the spill was left to dilute and vaporise after the firm judged the crude unlikely to reach land.
⚠PLEASE SHARE AS WE MUST GET MORE HELP FOR MAURITIUS!⚠ This oil spill is happening now in Mauritius as their coastline is covered in thick black oil, killing all wildlife & marine life in its path, but they're ill-equipped for the cleanup SO please retweet/let's get them help! pic.twitter.com/KB7L22qoYz — Karmagawa (@karmagawa) August 9, 2020
The company has been involved in other smaller accidents, including in 2013, when a container ship it operated sank in the Indian Ocean.
The Tokyo-based company traces its history back to 1878, when trading house Mitsui and Co. began operating a steamboat between Nagasaki and Shanghai.
In 1884, the shipping operation was devolved to a firm named Osaka Shosen Kaisha Lines, or OSK lines, under the umbrella of the Mitsui zaibatsu, or conglomerate.
The firm gradually expanded its routes in the 1930s and began carrying passengers and cargo between Japan and major cities in North and South America, including New York.
It was renamed Mitsui Steamship in 1942 and -- like many other Japanese private shipping lines -- was heavily involved in military transport before and during World War II.
Ship that caused Mauritius oil spill passed its annual checks
It survived the chaos of the post-war period and was part of Japan's so-called economic miracle, involved in the export of Japanese cars overseas and the import of natural gas to the energy-poor nation.
Following a series of mergers and acquisitions, it was renamed Mitsui OSK Lines in 1999, and now operates 740 vessels around the world, employing more than 1,000 people.
The MV Wakashio is owned by Nagashiki Shipping, which is based in western Japan's Okayama.
The company currently owns 11 ships, including container ships, tankers and bulkers like the Wakashio, a so-called cape size bulker built in 2007.
The MV Wakashio had passed its latest annual inspection in March without any problems, according to Japan's ClassNK inspection body.
Nagashiki Shipping began life as a salt ship line in the final years of Japan's Edo period (1603-1868), according to the firm's website.
It later expanded into the transport of bamboo, timber and charcoal and began plying coastal routes.
Originally known as Nagashiki Ship Department, the firm also transported rice to Japan from the Korean peninsula, which was under Tokyo's colonial rule from 1910 to the end of World War II in 1945.
The firm lost all its vessels after the war, but was re-established in 1958 and renamed Nagashiki Shipping.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-12--#ZimbabweanLivesMatter: Activists unite against government abuses

Rapper Ice Cube shared these series of tweets with the caption , “ Bullies in blue all over the earth must be stopped.
” The thread lists recent abductions and abuses with photos attached .
Writer Tsitsi Dangarembga was among those arrested on July 31 .
Earlier that morning , Dangarembga had learned that she was Several days after her release , Dangarembga took to social media .
On August 5 , she called on Zimbabweans to stage their own “ solo ” protests , marching around their neighbourhoods with signs and Zimbabwe flags .
Dangarembga encouraged people to share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social media , tagging # ZimbabweanLivesMatter .
Friends , if you 're feeling brave , do a 1 person demo as outlined below .
Thank you !
If you 're not feeling so brave , you can take a pic inside or in the yard .
You can cover your face , too .
Thank you !
So let 's do this for the next 4 days to show everyone ALL # ZimbabweanLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/LWvjMNAgJT Tsitsi Dangarembga ( @ efie41209591 ) August 5 , 2020 Writer Tsitsi Dangarembga was among those arrested on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dangarembga had learned that she was nominated for the UK Booker Prize for her book 'This Mournable Body ' .
The book chronicles a post-independence Zimbabwe and the systemic suffering in the country.Several days after her release , Dangarembga took to social media .
On August 5 , she called on Zimbabweans to stage their own “ solo ” protests , marching around their neighbourhoods with signs and Zimbabwe flags .
Dangarembga encouraged people to share photos of their individual acts of protest on social media , tagging # ZimbabweanLivesMatter .
Author and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter for Zimbabweans to hold solo protests .
Dangrembga warned that “ walking in your neighbourhood carries risk of arrest.
” # ZimbabweanLivesMatter # SoloDemo Love the creativity of this one too !
pic.twitter.com/Fwqb1qcmk2 Doug Coltart ✊🏽🇿🇼 ( @ DougColtart ) August 8 , 2020 A Tweet thread shows a collection of images from some of the # ZimbabweanLivesMatter solo protestors .
To see all images , click on the Tweet With the recent arrests , opponents have also accused the government of suppressing political opposition and the free press .
Hopewell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Jacob Ngarivhume , leader of the political group Transform Zimbabwe , still remain in government custody after helping organise anti-government protests .
Zimbabwe ’ s high court Beyond widespread protests both in the streets and online , the hashtag has been used to document alleged abductions and abuses , particularly those targeting activists and their families .
Noxolo Maphose , the niece of political activist Josphat Mzaca Ngulube , disappeared on the morning of August 7 .
When she reappeared that evening , she alleges that she was abducted , beaten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her uncle .
In this video , posted with # ZimbabweanLivesMatter , she recounts the trauma .
WHEN WILL IT END Noxolo Maphosa who last texted at 10am that she was being followed has been found She was abducted , beaten & sexually assaulted by State Agents looking for @ JoeMzacaNgulube She details how the men took a knife , cut open her bra & beat her # ZimbabweanLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/BSeq7AtaZM Takunda Tsunga ( @ iamTSUNGA ) August 7 , 2020 With the recent arrests , opponents have also accused the government of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hopewell Chin ’ ono , an investigative journalist , and Jacob Ngarivhume , leader of the political group Transform Zimbabwe , still remain in government custody after helping organise anti-government protests .
Zimbabwe ’ s high court denied bail to Chin ’ ono on August 6.Beyond widespread protests both in the streets and online , the hashtag has been used to document alleged abductions and abuses , particularly those targeting activists and their families .
Noxolo Maphose , the niece of political activist Josphat Mzaca Ngulube , disappeared on the morning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening , she alleges that she was abducted , beaten and sexually assaulted by state agents looking for her uncle .
In this video , posted with # ZimbabweanLivesMatter , she recounts the trauma .
This video posted on the night of August 7 records Noxolo Maphose when she reappeared after state agents looking for her uncle allegedly abducted her .
A man with a blurred face claiming to be a soldier declares his allegiance to the people of Zimbabwe in an anonymous video .
`` Our duty is to defend Zimbabwe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following repressive unconstitutional orders .
Let us not protect corrupt politicians . ''
Video published August 8 on Twitter by Team Pachedu , an account run by a network of Zimbabwean citizens .
Zimbabwe ’ s government denies allegations of wrongdoing .
“ Neither has there been any abduction or 'war ' on citizens , ” said government spokesperson Nick Mangwana in a statement .
In an Amid accusations of government corruption , Article by Sophie Stuber Zimbabwe ’ s government denies allegations of wrongdoing .
“ Neither has there been any abduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said government spokesperson Nick Mangwana in a statement .
In an address to the nation on August 4 , Mnangagwa promised to `` flush out '' dissenters , who he claimed are only `` a few rogue Zimbabweans '' in `` league with foreign detractors '' .Amid accusations of government corruption , currency inflation has reached triple digits .
The combination of economic recession , severe drought , and the Covid-19 pandemic has crippled the country .
In Zimbabwe , approximately 8.6 million people , or 60 % of the total population will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2020 , according to the United Nations Food Programme .
There are currently 4,818 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 104 deaths , although this is likely an underestimate due to low levels of testing .
On July 31 , more than 60 people were arrested in a protest against President Mnangagwa , according to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights ( ZLHR ) .
The protests began peacefully with demonstrators rallying to decry corruption and human rights abuses in the country but the government cracked down swiftly.To denounce the arrests , activists started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The hashtag gained international momentum when celebrities like the rapper Ice Cube and actress Pearl Thusi spread the hashtag and shared information related to the crisis in Zimbabwe .

ZIMBABWE
Three photos published on social media as part of the #SoloDemo movement organized by Zimbabweans
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The Zimbabwean government’s crackdown on activists sparked a social media movement that gained international attention at the end of July. Using the hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter, citizens are coming together to draw attention to human rights abuses and demand an end to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidency.
On July 31, more than 60 people were arrested in a protest against President Mnangagwa, according to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR). The protests began peacefully with demonstrators rallying to decry corruption and human rights abuses in the country but the government cracked down swiftly.
To denounce the arrests, activists started using #ZimbabweanLivesMatter on social media. The hashtag gained international momentum when celebrities like the rapper Ice Cube and actress Pearl Thusi spread the hashtag and shared information related to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Bullies in blue all over the earth must be stopped. https://t.co/yBiYxXfmDB Ice Cube (@icecube) August 8, 2020
Rapper Ice Cube shared these series of tweets with the caption, “Bullies in blue all over the earth must be stopped.” The thread lists recent abductions and abuses with photos attached.
The hashtag’s origins
Writer Tsitsi Dangarembga was among those arrested on July 31. Earlier that morning, Dangarembga had learned that she was nominated for the UK Booker Prize for her book 'This Mournable Body'. The book chronicles a post-independence Zimbabwe and the systemic suffering in the country.
Several days after her release, Dangarembga took to social media. On August 5, she called on Zimbabweans to stage their own “solo” protests, marching around their neighbourhoods with signs and Zimbabwe flags. Dangarembga encouraged people to share photos of their individual acts of protest on social media, tagging #ZimbabweanLivesMatter.
Friends, if you're feeling brave, do a 1 person demo as outlined below. Thank you!
If you're not feeling so brave, you can take a pic inside or in the yard. You can cover your face, too.
Thank you!
So let's do this for the next 4 days to show everyone ALL #ZimbabweanLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/LWvjMNAgJT Tsitsi Dangarembga (@efie41209591) August 5, 2020
Author and screenwriter Tsitsi Dangrembga shared ideas and guidelines on Twitter for Zimbabweans to hold solo protests. Dangrembga warned that “walking in your neighbourhood carries risk of arrest.”
A Tweet thread shows a collection of images from some of the #ZimbabweanLivesMatter solo protestors. To see all images, click on the Tweet
With the recent arrests, opponents have also accused the government of suppressing political opposition and the free press. Hopewell Chin’ono, an investigative journalist, and Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of the political group Transform Zimbabwe, still remain in government custody after helping organise anti-government protests. Zimbabwe’s high court denied bail to Chin’ono on August 6.
The man in the red & white striped prison jumper is Hopewell Chin’ono, the journalist jailed by the Mnangagwa regime after exposing & campaigning against corruption. Hope is a tall fellow, so you can see how the leg-irons are causing mobility challenges #ZimbabweanLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/2wqhOFvAZW Alex T Magaisa 🇿🇼 (@Wamagaisa) August 13, 2020
In this video, shared on Twitter by Alex Magaisa on August 13, a man who appears to be Chin'ono is filmed in his prison jumper. His ankles are chained together.
Documenting alleged abductions and abuses
Beyond widespread protests both in the streets and online, the hashtag has been used to document alleged abductions and abuses, particularly those targeting activists and their families. Noxolo Maphose, the niece of political activist Josphat Mzaca Ngulube, disappeared on the morning of August 7. When she reappeared that evening, she alleges that she was abducted, beaten and sexually assaulted by state agents looking for her uncle. In this video, posted with #ZimbabweanLivesMatter, she recounts the trauma.
WHEN WILL IT END
Noxolo Maphosa who last texted at 10am that she was being followed has been found
She was abducted, beaten & sexually assaulted by State Agents looking for @JoeMzacaNgulube
She details how the men took a knife, cut open her bra & beat her#ZimbabweanLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/BSeq7AtaZM Takunda Tsunga (@iamTSUNGA) August 7, 2020
This video posted on the night of August 7 records Noxolo Maphose when she reappeared after state agents looking for her uncle allegedly abducted her.
Some within the military are using the hashtag to stand up against Mnangagwa’s government, albeit anonymously. In this video, a soldier (whose identity could not be confirmed) declares: “The time to liberate Zimbabwe has come.”
Share this powerful message from a patriotic soldier.
"Our duty is to defend Zimbabwe, not ZANU-PF. We should not be following repressive unconstitutional orders. Let us not protect corrupt politicians."
"The time to liberate Zimbabwe has come."#ZimbabweanLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/nJxyntRUa1 Team Pachedu 🇿🇼 #ZimbabweanLivesMatter (@PacheduZW) August 8, 2020
A man with a blurred face claiming to be a soldier declares his allegiance to the people of Zimbabwe in an anonymous video. "Our duty is to defend Zimbabwe, not ZANU-PF. We should not be following repressive unconstitutional orders. Let us not protect corrupt politicians." Video published August 8 on Twitter by Team Pachedu, an account run by a network of Zimbabwean citizens.
President aims to “flush out” dissenters
Zimbabwe’s government denies allegations of wrongdoing. “Neither has there been any abduction or 'war' on citizens,” said government spokesperson Nick Mangwana in a statement. In an address to the nation on August 4, Mnangagwa promised to "flush out" dissenters, who he claimed are only "a few rogue Zimbabweans" in "league with foreign detractors".
Amid accusations of government corruption, currency inflation has reached triple digits. The combination of economic recession, severe drought, and the Covid-19 pandemic has crippled the country. In Zimbabwe, approximately 8.6 million people, or 60% of the total population will suffer from food insecurity by the end of 2020, according to the United Nations Food Programme. There are currently 4,818 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 104 deaths, although this is likely an underestimate due to low levels of testing.
Article by Sophie Stuber


france24--2020-08-12--Atalanta, the Italian upstarts menacing PSG

Atalanta 's Duvan Zapata celebrates scoring their first goal with Remo Freuler , in their 1-1 draw against AC Milan in the Serie A on July 24 , 2020 .
PSG are once against seen as France ’ s best bet for a Champions League victory , despite Lyon 's shock elimination of Juventus last week .
But they face tough opposition in Wednesday 's quarter-final -- in one leg on neutral territory in Lisbon due to the pandemic – in the shape of Atalanta , the Italian side that have emerged from nowhere to play some of Europe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapsed against Barcelona and Manchester United in recent years ’ Champions League knockout rounds .
But this time it ’ s not the old stalwarts of elite football threatening to put the Parisian nouveaux riches in their place , but Atalanta , the scrappy Italian upstarts in their first ever Champions League season .
Atalanta have just had their best year in their 113-year history – finishing third , as the Serie A ’ s top scorers with 98 goals .
This goalscoring prowess is the product of an atypical style in Italian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waves , in contrast to the highly organised , sometimes defensive play that has long characterised the Serie A .
The team ’ s barnstorming season provided much-needed hope to its native town of Bergamo , among the cities hit hardest by the coronavirus in the early stages of the pandemic .
Atalanta scored even higher than Serie A grandees Lazio , Roma and AC Milan .
Their 5-0 thrashing of Milan in December – the former titans ’ worst defeat in more than two decades – was an especially delightful moment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise to the forefront of the Italian game .
Argentinian club captain Papu Gomez has been central to Atalanta ’ s success .
As a creative midfielder in the style of Paul Scholes , Gomez is a menace to defenders with his darting runs , space-creating manoeuvres and incisive passes to strikers and wingers .
In front of Gomez plays Atalanta ’ s top scorer this season , Duvan Zapata , who signed for the club in January 2020 after two years on loan from Sampdoria .
Since he joined the Bergamo-based side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals in just 19 games , showing a redoubtable knack for using his height in headers .
He also possesses lethal finishing skills with his feet and a gift for the nitty-gritty of holding up play with his back to the goal , enabling reinforcements to arrive when the Atalanta attack is in a tight spot .
However , Zapata ’ s most frequent strike partner , Slovenian forward Josip Illicic , will be out of action in the PSG clash due to personal reasons .
This will no doubt disappoint Atalanta fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world ’ s attention by scoring all four goals in Atalanta ’ s previous Champions League match , their 4-3 victory over Valencia in the second leg of the last 16 .
Given Illicic ’ s absence , Zapata ’ s fellow Colombian Luis Muriel is likely to feature in the Atalanta attack .
He has long been likened to former Brazil and Inter striker Ronaldo for his menacing runs at defenders and deadly finishing skills as well as his inconsistent form .
Yet despite some poor runs of form , Muriel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 games in 2019-20 shows what an asset he can be for Atalanta .
Although the Bergamo club ’ s defence has been shakier than its attack , Dutch holding midfielder Marten de Roon has been an impressive talent , especially in terms of prescient positioning to disrupt opponents ’ attacks through tackling and interception alike .
Further back in the Atalanta lineup , de Roon ’ s fellow Dutchman Hans Hateboer has won plaudits for his talents as a versatile full-back , equally proficient in defence and attack – especially in light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy work of Valencia in their 4-1 win in the last 16 first leg .
On Wednesday night , Atalanta will face a much better-funded outfit , desperate to prove a point .
Ever since PSG ’ s Qatari owners took over in 2011 and started pouring in money , they were supposed to be the French team that finally makes it in Europe .
It hasn ’ t worked out – they ’ ve never got to the semi-finals .
The Parisians famously crumbled against sides with glittering histories in two matches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2017-18 , Barcelona destroyed them 6-1 in the last 16 second leg – throwing PSG ’ s 4-0 victory in the first onto the dustbin of history .
Two later , they faced Manchester United at the same stage .
The Old Devils were a far cry from the almighty steamroller of Sir Alex Ferguson ’ s reign , yet after the Parisians ’ 2-0 win at Old Trafford , they humiliated PSG at the Parc de Princes with a 3-1 comeback .
It doesn ’ t augur well that Kylian Mbappé @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has bought for PSG – is unlikely to play .
Manager Thomas Tuchel told journalists that it will “ take a miracle ” for him to overcome his ankle injury .
Hard-as-nails defensive midfielder Marco Verratti , PSG ’ s backbone , will also probably be ruled out by injury .
Angel di Maria , the veteran winger whose marauding runs down the flank make him a full-back ’ s nightmare , is suspended .
Neymar , however , will be as potent a threat as ever , evinced by his track record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season .
PSG have got better at getting the ball up to the Brazilian goalscorer over recent months , having mastered a move that has also served Atalanta so well – deploying a full-back to attack in opportune moments , in the style of Ashley Cole or Roberto Carlos .
Little known talent Juan Bernat did a sterling job of that in the second leg of this year ’ s last 16 , scoring the second PSG goal that sent Borussia Dortmund packing .
In that victory over the Germans , PSG displayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had sorely lacked in the Champions League .
Perhaps they are tired of losing in the knockouts by this point .
Whether they yearn to prove themselves as strongly as the Italian upstarts is another question .

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
PSG are once against seen as France’s best bet for a Champions League victory, despite Lyon's shock elimination of Juventus last week. But they face tough opposition in Wednesday's quarter-final -- in one leg on neutral territory in Lisbon due to the pandemic – in the shape of Atalanta, the Italian side that have emerged from nowhere to play some of Europe’s most exciting football.
Atalanta's Duvan Zapata celebrates scoring their first goal with Remo Freuler, in their 1-1 draw against AC Milan in the Serie A on July 24, 2020.
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PSG famously collapsed against Barcelona and Manchester United in recent years’ Champions League knockout rounds. But this time it’s not the old stalwarts of elite football threatening to put the Parisian nouveaux riches in their place, but Atalanta, the scrappy Italian upstarts in their first ever Champions League season.
Atalanta have just had their best year in their 113-year history – finishing third, as the Serie A’s top scorers with 98 goals. This goalscoring prowess is the product of an atypical style in Italian football, with fast-paced, risk-taking attacking waves, in contrast to the highly organised, sometimes defensive play that has long characterised the Serie A.
The team’s barnstorming season provided much-needed hope to its native town of Bergamo, among the cities hit hardest by the coronavirus in the early stages of the pandemic. Atalanta scored even higher than Serie A grandees Lazio, Roma and AC Milan. Their 5-0 thrashing of Milan in December – the former titans’ worst defeat in more than two decades – was an especially delightful moment for Atalanta, leaving no one doubting their rise to the forefront of the Italian game.
03:35
Atalanta’s attacking prowess
Argentinian club captain Papu Gomez has been central to Atalanta’s success. As a creative midfielder in the style of Paul Scholes, Gomez is a menace to defenders with his darting runs, space-creating manoeuvres and incisive passes to strikers and wingers.
In front of Gomez plays Atalanta’s top scorer this season, Duvan Zapata, who signed for the club in January 2020 after two years on loan from Sampdoria. Since he joined the Bergamo-based side for good, the Colombian scored 12 goals in just 19 games, showing a redoubtable knack for using his height in headers. He also possesses lethal finishing skills with his feet and a gift for the nitty-gritty of holding up play with his back to the goal, enabling reinforcements to arrive when the Atalanta attack is in a tight spot.
However, Zapata’s most frequent strike partner, Slovenian forward Josip Illicic, will be out of action in the PSG clash due to personal reasons. This will no doubt disappoint Atalanta fans, seeing as Illicic grabbed the footballing world’s attention by scoring all four goals in Atalanta’s previous Champions League match, their 4-3 victory over Valencia in the second leg of the last 16.
Given Illicic’s absence, Zapata’s fellow Colombian Luis Muriel is likely to feature in the Atalanta attack. He has long been likened to former Brazil and Inter striker Ronaldo for his menacing runs at defenders and deadly finishing skills as well as his inconsistent form. Yet despite some poor runs of form, Muriel’s track record of 18 goals in 24 games in 2019-20 shows what an asset he can be for Atalanta.
Although the Bergamo club’s defence has been shakier than its attack, Dutch holding midfielder Marten de Roon has been an impressive talent, especially in terms of prescient positioning to disrupt opponents’ attacks through tackling and interception alike. Further back in the Atalanta lineup, de Roon’s fellow Dutchman Hans Hateboer has won plaudits for his talents as a versatile full-back, equally proficient in defence and attack – especially in light of his two goals when Atalanta made easy work of Valencia in their 4-1 win in the last 16 first leg.
PSG’s knockout malaise
On Wednesday night, Atalanta will face a much better-funded outfit, desperate to prove a point. Ever since PSG’s Qatari owners took over in 2011 and started pouring in money, they were supposed to be the French team that finally makes it in Europe. It hasn’t worked out – they’ve never got to the semi-finals.
The Parisians famously crumbled against sides with glittering histories in two matches that incarnate their Champions League struggle. In 2017-18, Barcelona destroyed them 6-1 in the last 16 second leg – throwing PSG’s 4-0 victory in the first onto the dustbin of history. Two later, they faced Manchester United at the same stage. The Old Devils were a far cry from the almighty steamroller of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, yet after the Parisians’ 2-0 win at Old Trafford, they humiliated PSG at the Parc de Princes with a 3-1 comeback.
It doesn’t augur well that Kylian Mbappé – the most iconic star Qatari money has bought for PSG – is unlikely to play. Manager Thomas Tuchel told journalists that it will “take a miracle” for him to overcome his ankle injury. Hard-as-nails defensive midfielder Marco Verratti, PSG’s backbone, will also probably be ruled out by injury. Angel di Maria, the veteran winger whose marauding runs down the flank make him a full-back’s nightmare, is suspended.
Neymar, however, will be as potent a threat as ever, evinced by his track record of 24 goals in 32 games this season. PSG have got better at getting the ball up to the Brazilian goalscorer over recent months, having mastered a move that has also served Atalanta so well – deploying a full-back to attack in opportune moments, in the style of Ashley Cole or Roberto Carlos. Little known talent Juan Bernat did a sterling job of that in the second leg of this year’s last 16, scoring the second PSG goal that sent Borussia Dortmund packing.
In that victory over the Germans, PSG displayed the kind of tenacity and discipline they had sorely lacked in the Champions League. Perhaps they are tired of losing in the knockouts by this point. Whether they yearn to prove themselves as strongly as the Italian upstarts is another question.
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france24--2020-08-12--Fox News set to broaden its reach with new overseas streaming service

Rupert Murdoch 's Fox Corp said Tuesday it was launching a stand-alone streaming service for its news and business channels that would be available in 20 countries by year 's end .
Fox , which is a streamlined company formed after it sold much of its film and TV entertainment operations to Disney , said the new subscription service would include on-demand content from Fox News and Fox Business Network .
The Fox News International service priced at $ 6.99 per month will debut in Mexico on August 20 followed by Spain , Germany and the United Kingdom on September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries by the end of the year , according to the company 's Fox News Media unit .
The streaming service will offer content from Fox News , which has been the most-watched cable news channel in recent years and a favorite of President Donald Trump , online without the need for a cable or satellite subscription .
The service will be available on several platforms include iPhone , Android , Apple TV and Android TV , with Amazon Fire TV and Roku expected later .
The move comes amid a polarisation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years , with many conservatives turning to Fox and others to rivals CNN and MSNBC .
Murdoch , the 89-year-old media mogul , remains chairman of Fox Corp. with his son Lachlan serving as chief executive .
The family also separately controls News Corp. which includes the Wall Street Journal and media outlets in Britain and Australia .
Fox is the latest in a line of media companies to turn to streaming to reach a wider , global audience and viewers without pay TV packages .
A similar service is available to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Murdochs concluded a deal last year selling its 21st Century Fox studios and cable channels to Disney while maintaining the Fox broadcast network and news channels .

Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corp said Tuesday it was launching a stand-alone streaming service for its news and business channels that would be available in 20 countries by year's end.
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Fox, which is a streamlined company formed after it sold much of its film and TV entertainment operations to Disney, said the new subscription service would include on-demand content from Fox News and Fox Business Network.
The Fox News International service priced at $6.99 per month will debut in Mexico on August 20 followed by Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom on September 17.
It will be in 20 countries by the end of the year, according to the company's Fox News Media unit.
The streaming service will offer content from Fox News, which has been the most-watched cable news channel in recent years and a favorite of President Donald Trump, online without the need for a cable or satellite subscription.
The service will be available on several platforms include iPhone, Android, Apple TV and Android TV, with Amazon Fire TV and Roku expected later.
The move comes amid a polarisation of news audiences in the United States in recent years, with many conservatives turning to Fox and others to rivals CNN and MSNBC.
Murdoch, the 89-year-old media mogul, remains chairman of Fox Corp. with his son Lachlan serving as chief executive. The family also separately controls News Corp. which includes the Wall Street Journal and media outlets in Britain and Australia.
Fox is the latest in a line of media companies to turn to streaming to reach a wider, global audience and viewers without pay TV packages. A similar service is available to US audiences known as Fox Nation.
The Murdochs concluded a deal last year selling its 21st Century Fox studios and cable channels to Disney while maintaining the Fox broadcast network and news channels.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-12--New Zealand reinstates lockdown as Covid-19 returns

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a joint press conference held with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Admiralty House in Sydney , Australia , February 28 , 2020 .
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday delayed a key step toward next month 's general election , as the country was plunged back into lockdown after the discovery of the first Covid-19 cases in more than three months .
Ardern said she was suspending the dissolution of parliament , which was due to make way for an election scheduled to take place on September 19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made on delaying the actual poll , she added .
`` It 's too early to make decisions but there is a bit of flexibility to move the election date if required , '' Ardern told a televised media conference , adding any date before Nov 21 can be chosen for the election .
New Zealand health officials are urgently tracing the source of four new cases of Covid-19 , all within one family in Auckland , the country 's largest city .
The cluster , the first cases reported in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to announce the reimposition of lockdown measures late on Tuesday .
Auckland shifted to level 3 restrictions at midday ( 24:00 GMT ) on Wednesday , requiring people to stay at home unless for essential trips .
The rest of the country was placed back into slightly looser level 2 restrictions .
The restrictions will initially remain in place until Friday .
`` Stay kind , looking after one another , '' Ardern said , adding that the search for the source of the infection was ongoing .
The family had not travelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are primarily look for human to human transmission we do need to check whether or not it had something to do with freight , '' she said .
Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the infected family was in strict isolation at home , but one woman had travelled to tourist spots in Rotorua while she was symptomatic .
Health officials were urgently tracing her activities and were prepared to test tens of thousands of people in the coming days , Bloomfield said .
There was panic buying at supermarkets across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing stations as Kiwis came to terms with the re-emergence of a virus many thought had been defeated .
New Zealand had been held up by the World Health Organization as an example of how to contain the disease after recording only 22 deaths in a population of five million and preventing community transmission for more than three months .

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday delayed a key step toward next month's general election, as the country was plunged back into lockdown after the discovery of the first Covid-19 cases in more than three months.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a joint press conference held with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia, February 28, 2020.
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Ardern said she was suspending the dissolution of parliament, which was due to make way for an election scheduled to take place on September 19, until Monday. No decision had yet been made on delaying the actual poll, she added.
"It's too early to make decisions but there is a bit of flexibility to move the election date if required," Ardern told a televised media conference, adding any date before Nov 21 can be chosen for the election.
New Zealand health officials are urgently tracing the source of four new cases of Covid-19, all within one family in Auckland, the country's largest city.
The cluster, the first cases reported in the country for 102 days, led Ardern to announce the reimposition of lockdown measures late on Tuesday.
Auckland shifted to level 3 restrictions at midday (24:00 GMT) on Wednesday, requiring people to stay at home unless for essential trips. The rest of the country was placed back into slightly looser level 2 restrictions. The restrictions will initially remain in place until Friday.
"Stay kind, looking after one another," Ardern said, adding that the search for the source of the infection was ongoing. The family had not travelled overseas.
"We know that although we are primarily look for human to human transmission we do need to check whether or not it had something to do with freight," she said.
Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the infected family was in strict isolation at home, but one woman had travelled to tourist spots in Rotorua while she was symptomatic.
Health officials were urgently tracing her activities and were prepared to test tens of thousands of people in the coming days, Bloomfield said.
There was panic buying at supermarkets across New Zealand and huge queues at coronavirus testing stations as Kiwis came to terms with the re-emergence of a virus many thought had been defeated.
New Zealand had been held up by the World Health Organization as an example of how to contain the disease after recording only 22 deaths in a population of five million and preventing community transmission for more than three months.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-08-12--Biden, Harris launch campaign with promise to 'rebuild' broken nation

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and vice presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris are seen at the stage during a campaign event , their first joint appearance since Biden named Harris as his running mate , at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington , Delaware , U.S. , August 12 , 2020 .
Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden and his vice presidential pick Kamala Harris -- the first black woman tapped by a major party for the post -- rolled out their campaign Wednesday with a call to 'rebuild ' a post-Trump US .
Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Wilmington , said it was time after one term of President Donald Trump to `` rebuild this country . ''
`` Everything we care about , '' Harris said , `` it 's all on the line . ''
Harris -- a 55-year-old senator who would also be the first woman elected to the White House if the Democratic duo wins -- pummeled the Republican president , saying he `` just is n't up for the job . ''
Harris , the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants to the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide upheaval over police violence and racial disparities .
`` We 're experiencing a moral reckoning with racism and systemic injustice that has brought a new coalition of conscience to the streets of our country demanding change , '' she said .
And referring to her courtroom experience as a veteran prosecutor and California attorney general , Harris said of the president and his vice president : `` The case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut . ''
Trump and Pence have left the country `` in tatters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leads in polls against Trump despite running his campaign almost entirely from his Delaware home due to the coronavirus shutdown , said the president had failed to lead through the crisis .
But the 77-year-old promised that he and Harris , who had sought the Democratic presidential nomination herself before rallying to his side , would fix `` the mess that President Trump and Vice President Pence have created at home and abroad . ''
And he said that Harris ' story as the child of immigrants and a person of color who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of US legal and government circles would inspire the country .
`` Her story 's America 's story , '' he said .
`` She 's worked hard , she 's never backed down from a challenge and she has earned each and every of the accolades , '' he said .
`` All across America , little girls woke up '' with new hope , Biden said .
`` Today , just maybe they 're seeing themselves for the first time in a new way as the stuff of presidents and vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has called Harris `` nasty '' for her combative questioning of Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh during Senate hearings in 2018 .
`` Whining is what Donald Trump does best , '' Biden said , asking if anyone was `` surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman ? ''

Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden and his vice presidential pick Kamala Harris – the first Black woman tapped by a major party for the post – rolled out their campaign with a first joint event on Wednesday with a call to "rebuild" a broken nation.
Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and vice presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris are seen at the stage during a campaign event, their first joint appearance since Biden named Harris as his running mate, at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., August 12, 2020.
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Biden, speaking alongside Harris in his Delaware hometown of Wilmington, said it was time after one term of President Donald Trump to "rebuild this country".
"Everything we care about," Harris said, "it's all on the line".
Harris – a 55-year-old senator who would also be the first female vice president if the Democratic duo wins – pummeled the Republican president, saying he "just isn't up for the job".
01:17
Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, also sought to tap into the nationwide upheaval over police violence and racial disparities.
"We're experiencing a moral reckoning with racism and systemic injustice that has brought a new coalition of conscience to the streets of our country demanding change," she said.
And referring to her courtroom experience as a veteran prosecutor and California attorney general, Harris said of the president and his vice president: "The case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut."
Trump and Pence have left the country "in tatters", she said.
00:32
Biden, who leads in polls against Trump despite running a mostly virtual campaign due to the coronavirus shutdown, said the president had failed to lead through the crisis.
But the 77-year-old promised that he and Harris, who had sought the Democratic presidential nomination herself before rallying to his side, would fix "the mess that President Trump and Vice President Pence have created at home and abroad".
And he said that Harris's story as the child of immigrants and a person of colour who fought her way to the top ranks of US legal and government circles would inspire the country.
"Her story is America's story," he said. "She's worked hard, she's never backed down from a challenge and she has earned each and every of the accolades."
"All across America, little girls woke up" with new hope, Biden said. "Today, just maybe they're seeing themselves for the first time in a new way as the stuff of presidents and vice presidents."
"Let's get to work, @KamalaHarris," he tweeted.
Biden sniped at Trump, who has called Harris "nasty" for her combative questioning of Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh during Senate hearings in 2018.
"Whining is what Donald Trump does best," Biden said, asking if anyone was "surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-12--A top former Saudi spy files suit, spills the beans at an awkward time for Trump

File photo of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a meeting with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo in Jeddah , Sept. 18 , 2019 .
A former senior Saudi intelligence officer in exile filed a lawsuit in a US court last week accusing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of plotting to kill him .
The allegations , including using children as bargaining chips , have sparked calls for President Donald Trump , in the thick of a difficult campaign season , to intervene on moral grounds .
In September 2017 , a former top Saudi intelligence officer living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two children safely out of the Gulf kingdom .
Picking up his iPhone , Saad Aljabri got on WhatsApp and contacted the most powerful man in his homeland , Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman .
The WhatsApp communication between Aljabri and MBS – as the Saudi crown prince is widely known – is detailed in a lawsuit filed last week in a US court .
While the allegations have not yet been verified in court , the lawsuit makes for a jaw-dropping and yet disconcertingly familiar read .
“ Tell me what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MBS , according to the lawsuit , which includes a screen shot of the exchange in Arabic with an English translation .
“ I hope that you will consider what I have already sent you , because this issue regarding the children is very important to me , ” replied Aljabri .
Two minutes later , Saudi Arabia ’ s de facto ruler once again urged the former intelligence official in exile to return home .
“ I definitely need you here , ” said bin Salman .
Before Aljabri could reply , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ 24 hours !
” Four months earlier , Aljabri , a close advisor to bin Salman ’ s arch rival , Prince Muhammad bin Nayef , had fled Saudi Arabia for Turkey .
He was still in Turkey in June 2017 , when his ex-boss , bin Nayef – a longtime former Saudi interior minister – was stripped of his latest post as the kingdom ’ s crown prince and replaced by MBS .
In his new position as crown prince , the brash , young MBS had begun a crackdown against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As a right-hand man of Saudi Arabia ’ s former interior minister , Aljabri was a key link between Saudi and Western intelligence services and privy to highly sensitive information on the kingdom ’ s rulers .
Bin Salman wanted him back in Saudi Arabia “ where he could be killed ” , the lawsuit alleges .
Days after the Whatsapp exchange with MBS granting him `` 24 hours '' , Aljabri left Turkey for Canada .
But two of his eight children , Omar and Sarah , were trapped in Saudi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ human bait ” to lure their father home , according to the lawsuit .
The Saudi strategy failed to entice Aljabri back .
Instead it caught the attention of US lawmakers who called on President Donald Trump to act .
Last month , four US senators on both sides of the aisle urged Trump to help secure the release of Omar , 21 , and Sarah , 20 , calling it a “ moral obligation ” to help the former Saudi intelligence official in exile .
In a letter to the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic senators , Patrick Leahy , Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen , described Aljabri as a “ highly valued partner ” of US intelligence and State Department agencies “ who has been credited by former CIA officials for saving thousands of American lives by discovering and preventing terrorist plots ” .
The children ’ s fate also pushed their father , a 62-year-old former government official with nearly four decades of experience in the secretive world of national security and counterterrorism , to take the unusually public step of filing a civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tiger Squad ’ on a campaign to kill The lawsuit filed last week at US District Court for the District of Columbia alleges that bin Salman launched a state campaign to kill Aljabri that “ has worked to achieve that objective over the past three years ” .
Aljabri bases his claim on two US laws : the Torture Victim Protection Act , which bans extrajudicial killing ; and the Alien Tort Statute , which allows victims – including non-US citizens or residents – of such illegal operations to sue in US courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as yet unverified plots to target Aljabri .
They include the arrival at a Canadian airport of a Saudi “ Tiger Squad ” hit team – similar to the one used to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey – to target Aljabri .
The complaint also sheds light on the moves by global intelligence and law enforcement agencies to contain some of bin Salman ’ s human rights excesses on foreign soil .
In October 2018 , for instance , just weeks after Khashoggi ’ s brutal killing , vigilant Canadian authorities stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separately at Ontario airport , the lawsuit claims .
Most of the team were sent back home to Saudi Arabia .
MBS , the lawsuit alleges , had warned Aljabri that he would use “ legal measures as well as other measures that would be harmful to you ” .
But the Saudi crown prince ’ s attempts to use `` legal measures '' were stymied at Interpol , the global law enforcement agency based in the French city of Lyon , the US court document reveals .
In a July 4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s killing sparked an international furor , the Commission for the Control of Interpol ’ s Files ( CCF ) found Saudi Arabia ’ s arrest and extradition request for Aljabri was “ politically motivated rather then strictly juridical ” .
While any person has the right to request Interpol data about them , the CCF decision on the Aljabri case was not publicly known before the lawsuit was filed last week .
The Aljabri case once again casts a spotlight on Saudi Arabia ’ s human rights violations at home and against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a lawsuit containing accusations that are not yet proved , but these are serious accusations against the crown prince of Saudi Arabia , which is a very powerful country .
If the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in the business of assassinating people , it ’ s very important , ” said Rami Khoury , a journalism professor at the American University of Beirut ( AUB ) and senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School , in an interview with FRANCE 24 .
The crown prince 's role in Khashoggi ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nightmare for the oil-rich Gulf kingdom .
While MBS has acknowledged that men working for him killed the Washington Post columnist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul , he denies involvement in the murder .
His denials are widely disbelieved .
In June 2019 , an investigation into Khashoggi ’ s killing by UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard found “ credible evidence , warranting further criminal investigation ” , of the involvement of top Saudi officials , including bin Salman .
The latest Aljabri allegations – which names bin Salman and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s murder , such as Saud “ Mr .
Hashtag ” al-Qahtani , as defendants – are strikingly similar to the slain journalist ’ s case .
But the Khashoggi investigations so far have been impeded by political and diplomatic challenges .
As a UN special rapporteur , Callamard works as a volunteer , not UN staffer , and her office is independent of UN institutions .
The fiery French human rights lawyer has publicly criticised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for failing to act on her investigation findings to set up a panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration has been stonewalling Congressional attempts to enforce accountability for Khashoggi ’ s murder while a Turkish trial on the case lacks international credibility , given the weaknesses of the Turkish justice system .
‘ Lost in the world of the rule of law ’ Aljabri ’ s extraordinary recourse in a US court of law opens the gates to a level of transparency that could , depending on the court proceedings , be damning for the crown prince , some experts believe .
“ The accusations against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court using the instruments of the rule of law , ” said Khoury .
“ This is being put into the public light .
If a crown prince or ruler of a country is convicted as a criminal , that ’ s very important.
” Khoury , like every Saudi expert , does not expect the crown prince to appear before a US court .
Unlike criminal cases , civil suits pursue compensations , not prison sentences .
On Friday , August 7 , the US district court issued summons , or an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defendants being sued .
Saudi authorities have not responded so far to media organisations about the case .
It ’ s an unfamiliar terrain for Saudi authorities accustomed to petrodollar diplomacy , including the use of top lobby groups during crises .
“ The Saudis aren ’ t used to it , they ’ re totally lost in the world of the rule of law .
They operate on personal relations and don ’ t know how to deal with this shift into the chambers of Congress and into the chambers of courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of doing business The Saudi way of doing diplomatic business found a perfect partner in Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner , who developed a personal relationship with MBS .
“ Trump and Kushner , both used to shady real estate deals , adapted quickly to Saudi Arabia ’ s system of patronage and clientelism : unwavering support from the Trump administration for the promise of weapons sales and other business deals , ” noted Mohamad Bazzi , a New York University journalism professor , in a Guardian column .
But the Saudis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – unlike in their conservative country of glacial or paternalistic reforms – the winds of change can swerve abruptly .
The Aljabri case filing comes barely three months before the November US presidential election , with the Saudis bracing for a potential change in the White House .
Historically , a confluence of oil and business interests makes a Republican US president a better fit for Saudi interests .
Joe Biden , the centrist , septuagenarian Democratic presidential candidate , is not expected to bring radical change if he wins the November 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected MBS in the fallout of Khashoggi ’ s killing , Biden is unlikely to give the crown prince ’ s human rights violations a pass .
“ Joe Biden is more inclined to obey international law and follow public opinion and pressure from senators , ” noted Khoury .
The pressure is expected to mount as Aljabri 's unusual lawsuit winds its way through US court proceedings before and after the 2020 presidential election .

A former senior Saudi intelligence officer in exile filed a lawsuit in a US court last week accusing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of plotting to kill him. The allegations, including using children as bargaining chips, have sparked calls for President Donald Trump, in the thick of a difficult campaign season, to intervene on moral grounds.
File photo of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a meeting with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo in Jeddah, Sept. 18, 2019.
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In September 2017, a former top Saudi intelligence officer living in exile was desperately trying to get his two children safely out of the Gulf kingdom. Picking up his iPhone, Saad Aljabri got on WhatsApp and contacted the most powerful man in his homeland, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The WhatsApp communication between Aljabri and MBS – as the Saudi crown prince is widely known – is detailed in a lawsuit filed last week in a US court.
While the allegations have not yet been verified in court, the lawsuit makes for a jaw-dropping and yet disconcertingly familiar read.
“Tell me what you want in person,” texted MBS, according to the lawsuit, which includes a screen shot of the exchange in Arabic with an English translation.
“I hope that you will consider what I have already sent you, because this issue regarding the children is very important to me,” replied Aljabri.
Two minutes later, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler once again urged the former intelligence official in exile to return home. “I definitely need you here,” said bin Salman.
Before Aljabri could reply, the crown prince added a terse, “24 hours!”
WhatsApp exchange in a lawsuit filed by Saad Aljabry at the US District Court for the District of Columbia © US District Cout for the District of Columbia, Case 1:20-cv-02146-TJK
A crown prince falls, a crackdown begins
Four months earlier, Aljabri, a close advisor to bin Salman’s arch rival, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, had fled Saudi Arabia for Turkey. He was still in Turkey in June 2017, when his ex-boss, bin Nayef – a longtime former Saudi interior minister – was stripped of his latest post as the kingdom’s crown prince and replaced by MBS.
File photo taken in September 2016 of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Nayef in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS - Ahmed Jadallah
In his new position as crown prince, the brash, young MBS had begun a crackdown against his rivals and opponents in the kingdom. As a right-hand man of Saudi Arabia’s former interior minister, Aljabri was a key link between Saudi and Western intelligence services and privy to highly sensitive information on the kingdom’s rulers.
Bin Salman wanted him back in Saudi Arabia “where he could be killed”, the lawsuit alleges.
Days after the Whatsapp exchange with MBS granting him "24 hours", Aljabri left Turkey for Canada. But two of his eight children, Omar and Sarah, were trapped in Saudi Arabia and are still being used as “human bait” to lure their father home, according to the lawsuit.
The Saudi strategy failed to entice Aljabri back. Instead it caught the attention of US lawmakers who called on President Donald Trump to act.
US senators remind Trump of a ‘moral obligation’
Last month, four US senators on both sides of the aisle urged Trump to help secure the release of Omar, 21, and Sarah, 20, calling it a “moral obligation” to help the former Saudi intelligence official in exile.
In a letter to the White House, Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic senators, Patrick Leahy, Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen, described Aljabri as a “highly valued partner” of US intelligence and State Department agencies “who has been credited by former CIA officials for saving thousands of American lives by discovering and preventing terrorist plots”.
The Saudi royal family is holding Sarah and Omar Aljabri as hostages. Hostage taking is never justified. For a government to use such tactics is abhorrent. They should be released immediately. https://t.co/wqr22IEX1S pic.twitter.com/VdCpp0NZxV — Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) July 9, 2020
The children’s fate also pushed their father, a 62-year-old former government official with nearly four decades of experience in the secretive world of national security and counterterrorism, to take the unusually public step of filing a civil lawsuit in a US court.
‘Tiger Squad’ on a campaign to kill
The lawsuit filed last week at US District Court for the District of Columbia alleges that bin Salman launched a state campaign to kill Aljabri that “has worked to achieve that objective over the past three years”.
Aljabri bases his claim on two US laws: the Torture Victim Protection Act, which bans extrajudicial killing; and the Alien Tort Statute, which allows victims – including non-US citizens or residents – of such illegal operations to sue in US courts.
The 170-page document details chilling but as yet unverified plots to target Aljabri. They include the arrival at a Canadian airport of a Saudi “Tiger Squad” hit team – similar to the one used to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey – to target Aljabri.
The complaint also sheds light on the moves by global intelligence and law enforcement agencies to contain some of bin Salman’s human rights excesses on foreign soil. In October 2018, for instance, just weeks after Khashoggi’s brutal killing, vigilant Canadian authorities stopped and questioned Tiger Squad members who arrived separately at Ontario airport, the lawsuit claims. Most of the team were sent back home to Saudi Arabia.
Interpol snags ‘politically motivated’ warrant request
MBS, the lawsuit alleges, had warned Aljabri that he would use “legal measures as well as other measures that would be harmful to you”.
But the Saudi crown prince’s attempts to use "legal measures" were stymied at Interpol, the global law enforcement agency based in the French city of Lyon, the US court document reveals.
In a July 4, 2018 decision taken months before Khashoggi’s killing sparked an international furor, the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) found Saudi Arabia’s arrest and extradition request for Aljabri was “politically motivated rather then strictly juridical”. While any person has the right to request Interpol data about them, the CCF decision on the Aljabri case was not publicly known before the lawsuit was filed last week.
‘In the business of assassinating people’
The Aljabri case once again casts a spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations at home and against its citizens abroad.
“It’s a lawsuit containing accusations that are not yet proved, but these are serious accusations against the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, which is a very powerful country. If the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in the business of assassinating people, it’s very important,” said Rami Khoury, a journalism professor at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, in an interview with FRANCE 24.
The crown prince's role in Khashoggi’s assassination has been a public relations nightmare for the oil-rich Gulf kingdom. While MBS has acknowledged that men working for him killed the Washington Post columnist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, he denies involvement in the murder.
His denials are widely disbelieved. In June 2019, an investigation into Khashoggi’s killing by UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard found “credible evidence, warranting further criminal investigation”, of the involvement of top Saudi officials, including bin Salman.
The latest Aljabri allegations – which names bin Salman and several Saudi officials implicated in Khashoggi’s murder, such as Saud “Mr. Hashtag” al-Qahtani, as defendants – are strikingly similar to the slain journalist’s case.
But the Khashoggi investigations so far have been impeded by political and diplomatic challenges.
As a UN special rapporteur, Callamard works as a volunteer, not UN staffer, and her office is independent of UN institutions. The fiery French human rights lawyer has publicly criticised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for failing to act on her investigation findings to set up a panel of criminal experts.
Meanwhile the Trump administration has been stonewalling Congressional attempts to enforce accountability for Khashoggi’s murder while a Turkish trial on the case lacks international credibility, given the weaknesses of the Turkish justice system.
‘Lost in the world of the rule of law’
Aljabri’s extraordinary recourse in a US court of law opens the gates to a level of transparency that could, depending on the court proceedings, be damning for the crown prince, some experts believe.
“The accusations against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be adjudicated in a US court using the instruments of the rule of law,” said Khoury. “This is being put into the public light. If a crown prince or ruler of a country is convicted as a criminal, that’s very important.”
Khoury, like every Saudi expert, does not expect the crown prince to appear before a US court. Unlike criminal cases, civil suits pursue compensations, not prison sentences. On Friday, August 7, the US district court issued summons, or an official notice of a lawsuit given to defendants being sued. Saudi authorities have not responded so far to media organisations about the case.
It’s an unfamiliar terrain for Saudi authorities accustomed to petrodollar diplomacy, including the use of top lobby groups during crises. “The Saudis aren’t used to it, they’re totally lost in the world of the rule of law. They operate on personal relations and don’t know how to deal with this shift into the chambers of Congress and into the chambers of courts,” explained Khoury.
Kushner-Saudi way of doing business
The Saudi way of doing diplomatic business found a perfect partner in Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who developed a personal relationship with MBS.
“Trump and Kushner, both used to shady real estate deals, adapted quickly to Saudi Arabia’s system of patronage and clientelism: unwavering support from the Trump administration for the promise of weapons sales and other business deals,” noted Mohamad Bazzi, a New York University journalism professor, in a Guardian column.
But the Saudis are keenly aware that in the US – unlike in their conservative country of glacial or paternalistic reforms – the winds of change can swerve abruptly.
The Aljabri case filing comes barely three months before the November US presidential election, with the Saudis bracing for a potential change in the White House. Historically, a confluence of oil and business interests makes a Republican US president a better fit for Saudi interests.
Joe Biden, the centrist, septuagenarian Democratic presidential candidate, is not expected to bring radical change if he wins the November 3 election. But unlike Trump, who protected MBS in the fallout of Khashoggi’s killing, Biden is unlikely to give the crown prince’s human rights violations a pass. “Joe Biden is more inclined to obey international law and follow public opinion and pressure from senators,” noted Khoury.
The pressure is expected to mount as Aljabri's unusual lawsuit winds its way through US court proceedings before and after the 2020 presidential election.
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france24--2020-08-12--PSG beat Atalanta 2-1 to reach Champions League last 4

Paris Saint-Germain 's Brazilian defender Marquinhos ( R ) celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final football match between Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain at the Luz Stadium in Lisbon on August 12 , 2020 .
PSG staged a remarkable comeback in the last few minutes of the one-leg Champions League quarter-final against Italians Atalanta , sending them through to their first semi-finals in Europe 's top competition in 25 years .
Brazilian superstar Neymar insisted that Paris Saint-Germain always believed they could come back from the brink to defeat Atalanta with two goals in the dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
`` I never thought of going home .
From start to finish , from the warm-up , we only thought of qualifying for the semi-finals , '' the world 's most expensive footballer told RMC Sport .
Substitute Eric Choupo-Moting 's goal three minutes into added time allowed PSG to beat the Italian outsiders 2-1 .
Mario Pasalic gave Atalanta a 27th-minute lead but PSG were rescued when Marquinhos came forward to scramble in a last-minute equaliser .
Kylian Mbappe set up fellow substitute Choupo-Moting to win the tie right at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid next Tuesday for a place in the final .
`` Nobody is going to take my mind off that I want to go to the final , '' added 28-year-old Neymar as PSG made the last-four for the first time since 1995 .
`` We really have a great group , we 're a family , we know that with this state of mind it 's impossible .
to put us out of competition .
`` We knew that a ball could arrive , that even after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal . ''
Neymar hailed Atalanta , the team which captured the imagination of neutrals , reaching this stage despite their city of Bergamo being one of the worst hit by the coronavirus .
`` Atalanta are a great team , they played very well , they are the surprise of the competition .
They were very aggressive , we knew they were going to press us , '' said Neymar .
`` Now we 're going to have to rest , it was a tough game mentally .
`` Another very difficult @ @ @ @ @

PSG staged a remarkable comeback in the last few minutes of the one-leg Champions League quarter-final against Italians Atalanta, sending them through to their first semi-finals in Europe's top competition in 25 years.
Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian defender Marquinhos (R) celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final football match between Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain at the Luz Stadium in Lisbon on August 12, 2020.
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PSG were on the verge of another disappointing Champions League exit as they trailed Atalanta 1-0 into the 90th minute in Lisbon, where all the latter stages are being played after the long coronavirus shutdown.
But Mario Pasalic's 27th-minute strike for the Italians was finally cancelled out by Marquinhos, who scrambled in a last-gasp leveller.
Then, three minutes into injury time, Kylian Mbappe set up fellow substitute Eric Choupo-Moting to convert the clinching goal.
"The goals came very late but we deserved the victory. We never stopped believing or attacking," said Tuchel, whose team will face Atletico Madrid or RB Leipzig in the semi-final, the club's first since 1995.
"The boys who came off the bench had a big impact. We deserved it, we made our own luck."
The money ploughed into the French champions by their Qatari owners has increased the pressure on PSG to deliver and losing to Atalanta would have invited more criticism of a club whose recent record in such games has been poor.
After all, Atalanta's entire wage bill is believed to be equivalent to what PSG pay Neymar per year (about 36 million euros, or $42.5m).
Absent from decisive Champions League games in the last two seasons because of injuries, Neymar was excellent here, never giving up. He set up the equaliser and played a part in the winner.
"Going home never crossed my mind," said the world's most expensive player.
Mbappe was only fit enough to play the final half-hour, after a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury, but his pace down the left flank had Atalanta on the back foot in the closing stages and he laid on the winner.
Choupo-Moting makes his mark
PSG will be hopeful the France star can start the semi-final next Tuesday, but it is thanks to Choupo-Moting that they are there at all.
"We've already won four titles this season but the most important is this one," declared the Cameroon striker.
It seems ironic that PSG -- the world's fifth-richest club according to this year's Deloitte Football League -- needed to rely on a free transfer from Stoke City to take them through to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since the Qatari takeover in 2011.
They had gone out in the last 16 the past three years, but Choupo-Moting's goal saw them break through the glass ceiling on the same day PSG marked their 50th anniversary.
From Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Ronaldinho, some fabulous players have turned out for the club in their relatively short history, although Choupo-Moting has not made much of a mark in his two seasons in Paris.
He had not previously scored in the Champions League and would probably have been best remembered for missing an open goal while standing on the line in a game against Strasbourg.
Indeed he would not even have been playing in this match in different circumstances.
Choupo-Moting's contract expired in June but he agreed to stay on for two months to play a part in the 'Final Eight' after Edinson Cavani -- PSG's all-time top scorer, who was also out of contract -- walked away.
And so the 31-year-old came on for the ineffective Mauro Icardi for the closing stages. He will at best have a bit-part role to play in the semi-final, though.
Mbappe could be ready to start then and Angel Di Maria will return from suspension, although Marco Verratti will probably be out again injured.
"There is a big difference between playing with or without Kylian," Tuchel said.
"That's clear, and it's the same with Marco and Angel. Now we have six days for Kylian to get back to his best.
"I'm not sure about Marco, but we are in the last four, everything is possible."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-12--France sees most new daily Covid-19 cases since May

A medical staff collects a swab sample from a man at a mobile test centre for the novel coronavirus ( Covid-19 ) on the beach of Pentrez in Saint-Nic , western France , on August 12 , 2020 .
- The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 is on the rise in France .
More than 2,500 new coronavirus cases were registered in France in 24 hours in the sharpest increase since May , government data showed on Wednesday , as officials said indicators were `` clearly worsening '' .
Of 600,000 tests over the past week , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's DGS public health division said .
At 2.2 percent , the weekly rate of positives was up from 1.6 percent the week before , confirming `` increased viral circulation '' , it added .
`` Indicators used for tracking the epidemic on French territory have clearly worsened in recent days , '' the DGS said .
With August traditionally a month when many French people take weeks of summer holiday , `` it 's imperative that we keep up our efforts to avoid the epidemic picking up again , individually and collectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the DGS said .
Health officials have identified 18 new virus clusters in the past 24 hours , bringing the total to 896 nationwide – although the number of patients in intensive care dropped slightly to 379 , a level relatively steady since late July .
The government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday that France will gradually ramp up police checks to ensure people wear face masks where it is mandatory and respect social distancing amidst a new surge of Covif-19 infections .
`` We 're at a tipping point [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police forces to make checks , '' Attal said .
This came after the new Prime Minister Jean Castex warned on Tuesday that Covid-19 could get out of hand if people do not take precautions : `` If we do n't act collectively , we expose ourselves to the heightened risk that the rebound in the epidemic becomes hard to control , '' he said during a visit to an intensive care ward in southern France .
On Monday , face masks became mandatory in Paris tourist hotspots as authorities try to curb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order covers busy outdoor areas in the French capital including the banks of the River Seine and the iconic Montmartre area in Paris ’ s far north – although other renowned tourist hotspots such as the Eiffel Tower , the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élyseés were not listed .
Anybody aged 11 faces a €135 ( $ 159 ) fine if caught without a mask where one is required .
The latest uptick in Covid-19 cases has been most marked in Paris but some other cities including Nice , Toulouse , Biarritz , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear masks in busy outdoor areas .
Several coastal towns popular with tourists – including Le Touquet in the Calais region , Saint-Malo on Brittany ’ s northern coast , and La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast – have done the same .
Almost 30,400 people have died of coronavirus in France since the epidemic began , the third-heaviest toll in Europe after Britain and Italy .

More than 2,500 new coronavirus cases were registered in France in 24 hours in the sharpest increase since May, government data showed on Wednesday, as officials said indicators were "clearly worsening".
A medical staff collects a swab sample from a man at a mobile test centre for the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) on the beach of Pentrez in Saint-Nic, western France, on August 12, 2020. - The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 is on the rise in France.
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Of 600,000 tests over the past week more than 11,600 were positive, the health ministry's DGS public health division said.
At 2.2 percent, the weekly rate of positives was up from 1.6 percent the week before, confirming "increased viral circulation", it added.
"Indicators used for tracking the epidemic on French territory have clearly worsened in recent days," the DGS said.
With August traditionally a month when many French people take weeks of summer holiday, "it's imperative that we keep up our efforts to avoid the epidemic picking up again, individually and collectively, everywhere and at all times", the DGS said.
Health officials have identified 18 new virus clusters in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 896 nationwide – although the number of patients in intensive care dropped slightly to 379, a level relatively steady since late July.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday that France will gradually ramp up police checks to ensure people wear face masks where it is mandatory and respect social distancing amid a new surge of Covid-19 infections. "We're at a tipping point [...] We're going to mobilise police forces to make checks," Attal said.
This came after Prime Minister Jean Castex warned on Tuesday that Covid-19 could get out of hand if people do not take precautions: "If we don't act collectively, we expose ourselves to the heightened risk that the rebound in the epidemic becomes hard to control," he said during a visit to an intensive care ward in southern France.
Face masks became mandatory in outdoor Paris tourist hotspots on Monday as authorities try to curb the number of new infections. The order covers busy outdoor areas in the French capital including the banks of the River Seine and the iconic Montmartre area in Paris’s far north – although other renowned tourist hotspots such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées were not listed. Anybody over age 11 faces a €135 ($159) fine if caught without a mask where one is required.
The latest uptick in Covid-19 cases has been most marked in Paris but some other cities including Nice, Toulouse, Biarritz, Marseille and Lille have already ordered people to wear masks outdoors. Several coastal towns popular with tourists – including Le Touquet in the Calais region, Saint-Malo on Brittany’s northern coast and La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast – have done the same.
Almost 30,400 people have died of coronavirus in France since the epidemic began, the third-highest toll in Europe after Britain and Italy.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-08-12--Belarus confirms protester's death amid violent crackdown on unrest

Demonstrators with a placard with an image of Belarus ' President Alexander Lukashenko protest against the results of Belarusian presidential election outside the Belarusian embassy in Moscow on August 12 , 2020 .
Belarus on Wednesday confirmed the death of a jailed protester after police violently cracked down on demonstrations over disputed presidential polls .
The riot police have arrested thousands in street clashes across the country after long-serving leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday polls .
The strongman 's opponents accuse him of rigging the election where his main rival was a massively popular opposition candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee said in a statement that a 25-year-old man died after he was detained on Sunday in the southeastern city of Gomel and sentenced to 10 days in prison for taking part in illegal protests .
Investigators said the cause of death was unclear , while Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty earlier quoted the man 's mother as saying he had heart problems and was held for hours in a police van .
Previously police said one protester died when an explosive device went off in his hand on Monday .
The latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets to condemn police violence .
In Minsk , several hundred women joined hands to form a human chain , many wearing white and holding flowers .
`` The riot police are beating up people , brutally beating them , and all we can do is come out for such a peaceful protest , '' said one protester , 29-year-old Darya , who works in advertising .
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet accused Belarus of deploying `` unnecessary and excessive force . ''
French President Emmanuel Macron said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the European Union to `` take action , '' saying : `` We want the people of Belarus to have the freedoms that they are demanding . ''
EU foreign ministers are set to discuss Belarus at an extraordinary meeting on Friday .
Lukashenko on Wednesday dismissed the demonstrators as `` people with a criminal past who are now unemployed '' and told them to get jobs .
State television aired footage of detained young protesters with bloodied and bruised faces being asked if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police on Wednesday evening readied for fresh protests , preventing pedestrians and vehicles entering central streets in Minsk while metro stations were closed , AFP journalists said .
The protests broke out after authorities said Lukashenko , who has been in power since 1994 , won 80 percent of the vote in Sunday 's polls .
Tuesday night saw smaller numbers on the streets than on previous days , after police cordoned off city centres and limited transport .
The interior ministry said protesters gathered in 25 cities and towns around the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained .
That brought the number of detentions to more than 6,000 after three days of protests .
In Minsk , protesters and witnesses said riot police used indiscriminate force against those gathered in various suburbs , firing stun grenades and rubber bullets .
Police acknowledged opening fire on demonstrators and wounding one in the southwestern city of Brest on the Polish border .
They said the protesters were armed with metal bars and ignored warning shots .
The protest movement arose in support of Tikhanovskaya , a 37-year-old political novice who ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her husband were jailed .
The official results gave her 10 percent of the popular vote but Tikhanovskaya said the election was rigged and claimed victory , demanding that Lukashenko hand over power .
She left Belarus for neighbouring Lithuania on Tuesday as allies said she came under official pressure .
Tikhanovskaya `` is recovering from this stress ... and feels better , '' Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told Russia 's Echo of Moscow radio station .
`` She herself will say what her future plans are . ''
Protesters said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent , with videos released on social media showing police kicking protesters lying prone on the ground , smashing cars with truncheons and assaulting passers-by .
Oleg Gulak , the head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee rights group , said he was `` stunned by the unprecedented level of cruelty and violence '' used against protesters .
`` Last night was the scariest night in Belarus 's modern history , '' he said .
On Wednesday , hundreds of people gathered outside a pre-trial detention centre in Minsk in an effort to learn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One woman , 25-year-old Viktoria , wept as she said that police had grabbed her husband on the street .
`` He just had time to say 'for what ? '
before they grabbed his arms , twisted them behind his back and took him to a police van , '' she said .

Belarus on Wednesday confirmed the death of a jailed protester as demonstrators took to the streets for a fourth night of clashes with riot police over a disputed presidential election. Police on Thursday said they had detained 700 additional people.
A demonstrator holding an image of Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko protests against the results of Belarusian presidential election outside the Belarusian embassy in Moscow on August 12, 2020.
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Riot police have roughly detained thousands at street protests across the country after long-serving leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday's poll.
The strongman's opponents accuse him of rigging the election against his main rival, massively popular opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
Police detained 700 more people during the fourth day of protests "for participating in illegal mass events", the interior ministry said Thursday morning, bringing the total number of those detained to 6,700.
The Belarusian Investigative Committee said in a statement that a 25-year-old man died after he was detained on Sunday for taking part in illegal protests in the southeastern city of Gomel and sentenced to 10 days in prison.
Investigators said the cause of death was unclear, while Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty quoted the man's mother as saying he had heart problems and was held for hours in a police van.
She said her son, Alexander Vikhor, was not taking part in protests and had gone to meet his girlfriend.
Previously police said one protester died when an explosive device went off in his hand on Monday.
The latest death came as opposition protesters took to the streets to condemn police violence.
In the capital Minsk, several hundred women joined hands to form a human chain, many wearing white and holding flowers.
"The riot police are beating up people, brutally beating them, and all we can do is come out for such a peaceful protest," said 29-year-old protester Darya, who works in advertising.
'Leave before it's too late'
On Wednesday evening, Minsk saw scattered protests in suburbs, with flag-waving opposition supporters blocking roads. A tight police cordon surrounded the city centre while metro stations were closed.
Riot police used rubber bullets and stun grenades to break up protests. They also patrolled residential areas, firing at vehicles and grabbing people hiding inside the entrances of blocks of flats, local media reported.
Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize, condemned the police violence and urged Lukashenko to go peacefully in her first interview since the protests broke out.
"Leave before it's too late, before you've thrown people into a terrible abyss, into the abyss of civil war," she told her long-term foe in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Western governments also criticised the ongoing violence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet accused Belarus of deploying "unnecessary and excessive force".
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "very worried" while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the European Union to "take action," saying: "We want the people of Belarus to have the freedoms that they are demanding."
I will call an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council meeting this Friday afternoon.
We will discuss urgent issues and address the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Belarus Presidential elections, as well as developments in Lebanon. — Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 12, 2020
EU foreign ministers are set to discuss Belarus at an extraordinary meeting on Friday.
Tikhanovskaya 'recovering'
The protests broke out after authorities said Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, won 80 percent of the vote in Sunday's election.
Protesters and witnesses say riot police have used indiscriminate force, firing stun grenades and rubber bullets.
State television aired footage of detained young protesters with bloodied and bruised faces being asked if they wanted a "revolution".
Lukashenko, 65, on Wednesday dismissed the demonstrators as "people with a criminal past who are now unemployed" and told them to get jobs.
Police acknowledged opening fire on demonstrators and wounding one in the southwestern city of Brest on the Polish border on Tuesday night.
They said the protesters were armed with metal bars and ignored warning shots.
The protest movement arose in support of Tikhanovskaya, a 37-year-old political novice who ran for president after potential opposition candidates including her husband were jailed.
The official results gave her 10 percent of the popular vote, but Tikhanovskaya said the election was rigged and claimed victory, demanding that Lukashenko hand over power.
She left Belarus for neighbouring Lithuania on Tuesday as allies said she came under official pressure.
Tikhanovskaya "is recovering from this stress... and feels better," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told Russia's Echo of Moscow radio station.
"She herself will say what her future plans are."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-12--All fuel removed from leaking cargo ship run aground off Mauritius, PM says

The MV Wakashio ran aground off Mauritius in July and is leaking fuel into the island 's pristine coral-filled waters .
Salvage crews have successfully pumped all the fuel from the tanks of a giant cargo ship which ran aground off Mauritius , the prime minister said Wednesday , preventing another massive oil spill into the pristine waters .
Further ecological disaster was averted as the MV Wakashio , a Japanese-owned bulk carrier , threatens to break apart at any moment after more than two weeks stranded on a coral reef off the island nation .
`` All the fuel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth , adding that about 100 tonnes remained elsewhere on board the ship .
The ship ran aground on July 25 and began leaking oil into coral reefs , mangrove forests and protected wetlands last week in a massive blow for the paradisiacal island popular among honeymooners and other tourists .
`` It was a race against the clock , and I salute the excellent work to prevent another oil spill , '' said Jugnauth .
`` The weather was calm and it helped the pumping exercise , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boat , which is inevitable . ''
Same firm involved in accidents before The Japanese firm that operates a ship leaking fuel off the coast of Mauritius has been involved in accidents before , including a 2006 oil spill in the Indian Ocean .
Mitsui OSK Lines operates the MV Wakashio , which ran aground on July 25 just off the coast of Mauritius , carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel that has been seeping into the pristine coral-filled waters of the island nation .
Both the operator and the vessel 's owner Nagashiki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pledged to help mitigate the damage .
The accident is not the first involving Mitsui OSK Lines .
In 2006 , the Bright Artemis crude oil tanker operated by the firm suffered damage while attempting to rescue the crew of another ship , according to a company statement from the time .
An estimated 4,500 tonnes of crude oil leaked from the ship into the Indian Ocean .
The leak took place far offshore and the spill was left to dilute and vaporise after the firm judged the crude unlikely to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in other smaller accidents , including in 2013 , when a container ship it operated sank in the Indian Ocean .
The Tokyo-based company traces its history back to 1878 , when trading house Mitsui and Co. began operating a steamboat between Nagasaki and Shanghai .
In 1884 , the shipping operation was devolved to a firm named Osaka Shosen Kaisha Lines , or OSK lines , under the umbrella of the Mitsui zaibatsu , or conglomerate .
The firm gradually expanded its routes in the 1930s and began carrying passengers and cargo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and South America , including New York .
It was renamed Mitsui Steamship in 1942 and -- like many other Japanese private shipping lines -- was heavily involved in military transport before and during World War II .
It survived the chaos of the post-war period and was part of Japan 's so-called economic miracle , involved in the export of Japanese cars overseas and the import of natural gas to the energy-poor nation .
Following a series of mergers and acquisitions , it was renamed Mitsui OSK Lines in 1999 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , employing more than 1,000 people .
The MV Wakashio is owned by Nagashiki Shipping , which is based in western Japan 's Okayama .
The company currently owns 11 ships , including container ships , tankers and bulkers like the Wakashio , a so-called cape size bulker built in 2007 .
The MV Wakashio had passed its latest annual inspection in March without any problems , according to Japan 's ClassNK inspection body .
Nagashiki Shipping began life as a salt ship line in the final years of Japan 's Edo period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm 's website .
It later expanded into the transport of bamboo , timber and charcoal and began plying coastal routes .
Originally known as Nagashiki Ship Department , the firm also transported rice to Japan from the Korean peninsula , which was under Tokyo 's colonial rule from 1910 to the end of World War II in 1945 .
The firm lost all its vessels after the war , but was re-established in 1958 and renamed Nagashiki Shipping .