france24--2020-10-04--Mecca reopens for limited 'umrah' pilgrimage

Worshippers circumambulate the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque complex in the Saudi city of Mecca , on October 4 , 2020 , as authorities partially resume the year-round umrah for a limited number of pilgrims amid the coronavirus pandemic Mask-clad Muslims circled Islam 's holiest site along socially distanced paths on Sunday , as Saudi authorities partially resumed the year-round umrah pilgrimage with extensive health precautions adopted after a seven-month coronavirus hiatus .
Thousands of worshippers entered the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca in batches to perform the ritual of circling the sacred Kaaba , a cubic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pray .
The umrah , the pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time , usually attracts millions of Muslims from across the globe each year but it was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic .
It will be revived in three phases , with Saudi Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten saying last week that 6,000 pilgrims per day will be allowed in the first stage to perform the umrah `` meticulously and within a specified period of time '' .
A raft of precautions have been adopted to ward off any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The revered Black Stone in the eastern corner of the Kaaba -- which it is customary but not mandatory to touch during the pilgrimage -- will be out of reach , and the Grand Mosque is to be sterilised before and after each group of worshippers .
Each group of 20 or 25 pilgrims are to be accompanied by a health worker and medical teams will be on the ground in case of an emergency , Benten said .
`` In an atmosphere of faith and with assured hearts ... the first batch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the precautionary measures laid out , '' the hajj ministry said on Twitter .
Under the second stage from October 18 , the number of umrah pilgrims will be increased to 15,000 per day .
Visitors from abroad will be permitted in the third stage from November 1 , when capacity will be raised to 20,000 .
A maximum of 40,000 people , including other worshippers , will be allowed to perform prayers at the mosque in the second stage and 60,000 in the third , according to the interior ministry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken in response to the `` aspirations of Muslims home and abroad '' to perform the ritual and visit the holy sites , the ministry said last month .
It said the umrah will be allowed to return to full capacity once the threat of the pandemic has abated .
Until then , the health ministry will vet countries from which pilgrims are allowed to enter based on the health risks .
Saudi Arabia suspended the umrah in March and scaled back the annual hajj pilgrimage over fears the coronavirus could spread to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilgrims ' home countries .
The hajj went ahead in late July , on the smallest scale in modern history , with only up to 10,000 Muslim residents of the country allowed to take part -- a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated last year .
Health authorities said no coronavirus cases were reported at the holy sites during the hajj , one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime .
The pilgrimages are a massive logistical challenge , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites , making them vulnerable to contagion .
Saudi Arabia 's custodianship of Mecca and Medina -- Islam 's two holiest sites -- is seen as its most powerful source of political legitimacy .
The holy sites are also a key revenue earner for the kingdom , whose economy has been badly hit by a coronavirus-driven collapse in the global demand for oil .
Saudi Arabia has had more than 335,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 4,850 deaths .

Mecca (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) –
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Mask-clad Muslims circled Islam's holiest site along socially distanced paths on Sunday, as Saudi authorities partially resumed the year-round umrah pilgrimage with extensive health precautions adopted after a seven-month coronavirus hiatus.
Thousands of worshippers entered the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca in batches to perform the ritual of circling the sacred Kaaba, a cubic structure towards which Muslims around the world pray.
The umrah, the pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time, usually attracts millions of Muslims from across the globe each year but it was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It will be revived in three phases, with Saudi Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten saying last week that 6,000 pilgrims per day will be allowed in the first stage to perform the umrah "meticulously and within a specified period of time".
A raft of precautions have been adopted to ward off any outbreaks, according to state media.
The revered Black Stone in the eastern corner of the Kaaba -- which it is customary but not mandatory to touch during the pilgrimage -- will be out of reach, and the Grand Mosque is to be sterilised before and after each group of worshippers.
Each group of 20 or 25 pilgrims are to be accompanied by a health worker and medical teams will be on the ground in case of an emergency, Benten said.
"In an atmosphere of faith and with assured hearts... the first batch of pilgrims begin the pilgrimage in accordance with the precautionary measures laid out," the hajj ministry said on Twitter.
- 'Aspirations of Muslims' -
Under the second stage from October 18, the number of umrah pilgrims will be increased to 15,000 per day.
Visitors from abroad will be permitted in the third stage from November 1, when capacity will be raised to 20,000.
A maximum of 40,000 people, including other worshippers, will be allowed to perform prayers at the mosque in the second stage and 60,000 in the third, according to the interior ministry.
The decision to resume the pilgrimage was taken in response to the "aspirations of Muslims home and abroad" to perform the ritual and visit the holy sites, the ministry said last month.
It said the umrah will be allowed to return to full capacity once the threat of the pandemic has abated.
Until then, the health ministry will vet countries from which pilgrims are allowed to enter based on the health risks.
Saudi Arabia suspended the umrah in March and scaled back the annual hajj pilgrimage over fears the coronavirus could spread to Islam's holiest cities and back to pilgrims' home countries.
The hajj went ahead in late July, on the smallest scale in modern history, with only up to 10,000 Muslim residents of the country allowed to take part -- a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated last year.
Health authorities said no coronavirus cases were reported at the holy sites during the hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.
The pilgrimages are a massive logistical challenge, with colossal crowds cramming into relatively small holy sites, making them vulnerable to contagion.
Saudi Arabia's custodianship of Mecca and Medina -- Islam's two holiest sites -- is seen as its most powerful source of political legitimacy.
The holy sites are also a key revenue earner for the kingdom, whose economy has been badly hit by a coronavirus-driven collapse in the global demand for oil.
Saudi Arabia has had more than 335,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 4,850 deaths.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Federal authorities to take over Indian gang-rape investigation

Police personnel stand guard in the village of a 19-year-old woman allegedly gang-raped and killed by four men in Bool Garhi , Uttar Pradesh state India 's federal investigators will take over the probe into the alleged gang-rape and murder of a low-caste teenaged woman that has sparked nationwide outrage and days of protests .
The 19-year-old woman from the marginalised Dalit community was attacked in mid-September in northern Uttar Pradesh state and died on Tuesday , in the latest case highlighting India 's epidemic of sexual violence .
Five senior police officers have already been suspended over the investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- including the cremation of the woman 's body in the middle of the night against the wishes of her family .
The chief minister of the state -- India 's most populous with 200 million people -- announced the decision to transfer the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation late Saturday .
`` We are committed to giving the strictest punishment to the people responsible for this incident , '' Yogi Adityanath , who is from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) , wrote on Twitter .
The police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges of gang-rape and murder .
Local authorities barricaded the village after the cremation to block opposition politicians and media from meeting the victim 's family .
The decision was reversed Saturday after widespread criticism .
The involvement of leaders of the opposition Congress party , Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi , in several demonstrations has sparked accusations from the BJP that they were politicising the issue .
The young woman 's death comes months after four men were hanged for the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a student on a bus in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation .
An average of nearly 90 rapes were reported in India every day last year , according to data by the National Crime Records Bureau , but large numbers are thought to go unreported .
India 's 200 million low-caste Dalits have long faced discrimination , and campaigners say attacks have increased during the coronavirus pandemic .

New Delhi (AFP) –
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India's federal investigators will take over the probe into the alleged gang-rape and murder of a low-caste teenaged woman that has sparked nationwide outrage and days of protests.
The 19-year-old woman from the marginalised Dalit community was attacked in mid-September in northern Uttar Pradesh state and died on Tuesday, in the latest case highlighting India's epidemic of sexual violence.
Five senior police officers have already been suspended over the investigation amid criticism of law enforcement's actions -- including the cremation of the woman's body in the middle of the night against the wishes of her family.
The chief minister of the state -- India's most populous with 200 million people -- announced the decision to transfer the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation late Saturday.
"We are committed to giving the strictest punishment to the people responsible for this incident," Yogi Adityanath, who is from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), wrote on Twitter.
The police have arrested four high-caste men on the charges of gang-rape and murder.
Local authorities barricaded the village after the cremation to block opposition politicians and media from meeting the victim's family.
The decision was reversed Saturday after widespread criticism.
The involvement of leaders of the opposition Congress party, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, in several demonstrations has sparked accusations from the BJP that they were politicising the issue.
The young woman's death comes months after four men were hanged for the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a student on a bus in New Delhi, in a case that shook the nation.
An average of nearly 90 rapes were reported in India every day last year, according to data by the National Crime Records Bureau, but large numbers are thought to go unreported.
India's 200 million low-caste Dalits have long faced discrimination, and campaigners say attacks have increased during the coronavirus pandemic.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Fresh fighting rocks Nagorno-Karabakh after a week of clashes in disputed enclave

A police officer stands in front of an apartment building that was supposedly damaged by shelling in Stepanakert , Nagorno-Karabak on October 3 , 2020 .
Fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh , an Azerbaijani region ruled by ethnic Armenians , intensified Sunday , a week after clashes broke out in a territorial dispute that threatens to draw in regional powers , with Armenia and Azerbaijan offering starkly different versions of events on the ground .
New strikes followed by explosions hit Stepanakert , the main city and de facto capital of the breakaway territory on Sunday , AFP reported .
Azerbaijani authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following rocket fire by Armenian separatists from Stepanakert .
The sound of sirens broke out in Stepanakert at around 9:30am local time on Sunday followed by several explosions .
Power in the city was out , the AFP team reported .
`` Azerbaijani forces are shelling civilian targets in Stepanakert with rockets , '' Armenian defence ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan told AFP .
The defence ministry in Baku said Armenian armed forces were firing rockets at the towns of Terter and Horadiz in the Fizuli region from Stepanakert .
On Saturday , Armenia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Nagorno-Karabakh had repelled a massive attack by Azerbaijan , while Azerbaijan 's defence ministry said its forces had `` captured new footholds '' with President Ilham Aliyev claiming his forces took the village of Madagiz , a strategic hamlet within firing range of an important northern road .
'Different versions ' from Armenia and Azerbaijan The fresh fighting came a day after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on the nation to unite at “ a decisive moment ” in the nation ’ s history .
`` We are facing possibly the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Pashinyan .
`` We all must dedicate ourselves to a singular goal : victory . ''
Armenia announced the deaths of 51 more separatist fighters , taking the number of fatalities on both sides above 240 .
Reporting from the Armenian capital , Yerevan , FRANCE 24 ’ s Gulliver Cragg said crowds were gathering at the military recruitment office on Saturday as reservists answered the call to arms .
“ The flags of both Armenia and Nagorny-Karabakh are very much in evidence across Yerevan , where the war dominates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile in Baku , the Azerbaijani capital , FRANCE 24 ’ s Catherine Norris-Trent said authorities there were offering “ a very different version from what we ’ re hearing on the Armenian side , ” she noted , adding that the country ’ s chief prosecutor said Azerbaijan was opening 12 criminal investigations into what he called indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations in Azerbaijan .
“ They ’ re accusing the Armenians of indiscriminate killings and war crimes , not mincing their words at all , ” said Norris-Trent .
Baku and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a simmering conflict over the enclave , which is recognised by the UN as part of Azerbaijan .
Ethnic Armenian separatists broke away from Azerbaijan in a bitterly fought war in the 1990s and the landlocked enclave depends entirely on Armenia .
The latest fighting , which broke out on September 27 , continued despite international calls for the neighbours to halt clashes and begin talks as fears grow that the fighting could expand into a multi-front war sucking in regional powers Turkey and Russia .
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned NATO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged deployment of militants from Syria to the Karabakh conflict .
Russia , France and the US — co-chairs of the Minsk mediation group — have called for an immediate ceasefire .
Karabakh 's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives , but it is still not recognised as independent by any country , including Armenia .
Talks to resolve the conflict have largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement .

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces exchanged heavy rocket and artillery fire as fighting intensified over Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday, with the breakaway region's capital and Azerbaijan's second-largest city hit. The same day, Azerbaijan's president demanded that Armenia set a timetable for withdrawing from the enclave and surrounding Azeri territories, vowing that his country will not cease military action until that happens.
Aftermath of recent shelling during a military conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in Stepanakert October 4, 2020.
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Armenia said that Nagorno-Karabakh's main city Stepanakert, which has been under shelling since Friday, was hit again on Sunday and AFP journalists said there were regular explosions and clouds of black smoke rising in parts of the city.
Azerbaijan's defence ministry said Ganja, a city of more than 330,000 in western Azerbaijan, also came under fire, while Armenian-backed separatist forces claimed to have destroyed an airbase there.
The two sides accused each other of targeting civilian areas, as the conflict widened a week after heavy fighting broke out in the decades-old dispute over the ethnic-Armenian region.
01:08
>> 'Turkey has a clear objective of reinstating the Turkish empire', Armenian PM says
Later on Sunday, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev gave Armenia an ultimatum, saying that it must set a timetable to pull out of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Nagorno-Karabakh is Azeri territory; we must return and we will return," Aliyev said in a televised address. "The Azeri soldier is chasing them like a dog, the Azeri soldier is standing at their posts, we have taken their weaponry, we are carrying out the mission of liberation", he continued, adding that his country has waited three decades to reclaim the region.
'Firing on civilians'
Armenia and Azerbaijan have resisted international calls for a ceasefire and clashes have intensified in recent days, with both sides claiming victories on the front and saying they are inflicting heavy losses.
Sirens were sounding and explosions were heard at regular intervals in Stepanakert, where residents were taking shelter including several families in the basement of the city's Holy Mother of God Cathedral.
>> Is Turkey a brother in arms or just extending its footprint into Nagorno-Karabakh?
Sheltering with them, military chaplain Gor Yurjan said he had just returned from the front. "I am very worried that they are firing on civilians," the 28-year-old told AFP.
Armenia's foreign ministry said Stepanakert and other towns had been hit, accusing Azerbaijani forces of "the deliberate targeting of the civilian population".
01:47
There were reports of dead and wounded civilians in Stepanakert and the historic town of Shusha.
Azerbaijan said Ganja was under fire, including from areas outside of Karabakh, with at least one civilian killed.
"Armenian forces struck Ganja with rockets from Armenian territory," Hikmet Hajiyev, an advisor to Aliyev, told AFP.
He said Armenian forces had also used heavy artillery and rockets against the Azerbaijan towns of Terter and Goradiz.
Targets in 'big cities'
Karabakh's separatist forces said they had targeted and destroyed an airbase in Ganja, but Baku denied this as a "provocation".
Azerbaijan's ally Turkey accused Armenia of "targeting civilians" in Ganja and reiterated support for its fellow Turkic and Muslim country as "one nation, two states".
Karabakh leader Arayik Harutyunyan warned that it would now consider "military facilities in Azerbaijan's big cities" as legitimate targets.
"I call on the residents of these cities to immediately leave," Harutyunyan said in a post on Facebook.
Azerbaijani officials claimed Sunday that Harutyunyan had been seriously wounded while in a bunker hit by bombing, but his office denied this.
Azerbaijan claims to have taken control of a string of settlements in recent days as well as a strategically important plateau.
On Sunday Aliyev said on Twitter that his forces had retaken the town of Jabrayil, part of an area outside Karabakh seized by the separatists in the 1990s as a buffer zone. Armenia denied the claim.
Authorities in both countries have reported nearly 250 dead since the fighting began, including almost 40 civilians.
Armenian separatist forces have reported more than 200 dead -- including 51 on Saturday -- while Azerbaijan has not released any figures on its military casualties.
Azerbaijan said Sunday that two civilians had been killed in shelling on the southern town of Beylagan, where a journalist working with AFP saw residents picking through the rubble of destroyed homes.
"I was baking bread when I heard explosions, I opened the door and saw that bombs were falling right into the yard," said one woman, showing journalists the blown-out windows and partially collapsed roof of her home.
Praying for peace
In Armenia's majority-Christian capital Yerevan, residents gathered in churches for services Sunday to pray and light candles.
"I came to ask God for peace, for our country and our soldiers," Aytsemik Melikyan told AFP outside the Saint Sarkis Church.
Russia, the United States and France -- who co-chair a mediation group that has failed to bring about a political resolution to the conflict -- have called for an immediate halt to the fighting.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed concern over "the increase of casualties" among civilians in a call with his Armenian counterpart on Sunday.
Armenia has said it is "ready to engage" with mediators but Azerbaijan -- which considers Karabakh under Armenian occupation -- says Armenian forces must fully withdraw before a ceasefire can be brokered.
Karabakh's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan during the collapse of the Soviet Union sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives.
Talks to resolve the conflict have made little progress since a 1994 ceasefire agreement.
Armenia has accused Turkey of dispatching mercenaries from Syria and Libya to the fighting -- an allegation confirmed and denounced by Russia and France.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-10-04--California wildfires burn record 4 million acres, more than twice previous high

Firefighters work the scene at a burning property during the Glass fire in Calistoga , California on October 1 , 2020 .
This season ’ s fires have burned more than 4 million areas , twice the record set in 2018 .
Wildfires in California have burned more than 4 million acres ( 1.6 million hectares ) in 2020 , over twice the previous record for any year and an area larger than Connecticut , the state ’ s fire agency reported on Sunday .
The most-populous US state has suffered five of its six largest wildfires in history this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coincided with drier conditions that climate scientists blame on global warming .
At least 31 people have died in this year ’ s fires and over 8,454 homes and other structures have been destroyed , Cal Fire said in a statement .
California ’ s previous record burn area was nearly 2 million acres in 2018 when the state had its most deadly and destructive wildfire that killed at least 85 civilians and destroyed nearly 19,000 structures in and around the mountain town of Paradise .
“ There ’ s no words to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to take place , ” said Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean .
“ It goes to show how dry the state is and how volatile the vegetation is.
” California suffered a prolonged drought from around 2010 to 2017 , causing diseases and insect infestations that killed millions of trees .
That followed a century of fire suppression that also built up brush and dead trees , turning some forests into tinderboxes .
City real-estate prices and second-home construction have seen the growth of communities in peripheral , wildland areas that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A man-made catastrophe ?
The science behind the wildfires ravaging the US In the world-famous wine country of Napa County , the so-called Glass Fire has damaged over a dozen wineries .
Vineyards worked through the night on Saturday to pick grape varieties that can resist smoke damage .
Some crops heavily exposed to smoke may be a write-off .
Firefighters were expected to get a break from cooler temperatures in Northern California this week , with a chance of rain , Cal Fire said .

Wildfires in California have burned more than 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares) in 2020, over twice the previous record for any year and an area larger than Connecticut, the state’s fire agency reported on Sunday.
Firefighters work the scene at a burning property during the Glass fire in Calistoga, California on October 1, 2020. This season’s fires have burned more than 4 million acres, twice the record set in 2018.
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The most-populous US state has suffered five of its six largest wildfires in history this year as heat waves and dry-lightning sieges coincided with drier conditions that climate scientists blame on global warming.
At least 31 people have died in this year’s fires and over 8,454 homes and other structures have been destroyed, Cal Fire said in a statement.
California’s previous record burn area was nearly 2 million acres in 2018 when the state had its most deadly and destructive wildfire that killed at least 85 civilians and destroyed nearly 19,000 structures in and around the mountain town of Paradise.
“There’s no words to describe what is taking place and what continues to take place,” said Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean. “It goes to show how dry the state is and how volatile the vegetation is.”
Since CAL FIRE officially began recording state responsibility fire figures in 1933, all large fire years have remained well below the 4 million acre mark for acreage burned, until now. This year is far from over and fire potential remains high. Please be cautious outdoors. pic.twitter.com/IkwjSqEeVo — CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) October 4, 2020
California suffered a prolonged drought from around 2010 to 2017, causing diseases and insect infestations that killed millions of trees. That followed a century of fire suppression that also built up brush and dead trees, turning some forests into tinderboxes.
City real-estate prices and second-home construction have seen the growth of communities in peripheral, wildland areas that have naturally burned for millennia.
>> A man-made catastrophe? The science behind the wildfires ravaging the US
In the world-famous wine country of Napa County, the so-called Glass Fire has damaged over a dozen wineries. Vineyards worked through the night on Saturday to pick grape varieties that can resist smoke damage. Some crops heavily exposed to smoke may be a write-off.
Firefighters were expected to get a break from cooler temperatures in Northern California this week, with a chance of rain, Cal Fire said.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-10-04--Garcia closes with birdie to win PGA Sanderson Farms title

Sergio Garcia made a tap-in birdie on the 72nd hole to win the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday , taking his first US PGA title since capturing the 2017 Masters .
The 40-year-old Spaniard dropped his approach inside 3 1/2 feet and eagled the par-5 14th to match US clubhouse leader Peter Malnati , then landed an 8-iron from 171 yards just 2 1/2 feet from the cup at 18 and made the winning putt .
`` It 's pretty sweet , '' Garcia said after a smile and fist pump in celebration .
`` It 's great .
Obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia fired a five-under par 67 to finish 72 holes at the Country Club of Jackson , Mississippi , on 19-under 269 and edge Malnati , who was in the clubhouse with the lead for two hours , by a stroke .
`` This game is my dream job , '' Malnati said .
`` I get to do it every day .
It beats me up and it 's tough .
To have a day like today , what I did out there , just felt awesome .
I feel like I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the victory to his father , Victor Garcia , who has seen two brothers die because of Covid-19 .
`` It has been tough , '' Garcia said .
`` I lost two uncles because of Covid .
It has been tough for my dad .
But this one was for him . ''
Garcia , who won his first US PGA title as a father , has won three times on the European Tour since capturing the green jacket but is only ranked 51st in the world .
`` Keep believing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ right , '' Garcia said of the keys to his victory .
`` I 've also been able to find a couple things here and there that obviously have helped .
`` It feels great to stand there on 18 to rip a nice draw and hit an 8-iron and make a putt . ''
Malnati fired a bogey-free 63 -- a career low and one off Roberto Castro 's course record -- to set the score to beat at 18-under 270 .
Malnati won his only PGA title at the 2015 Sanderson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three PGA top-10s since then .
The world number 312 birdied three of the first four holes on putts from nine to 12 feet , rolled in a six-foot birdie putt at the eighth and began the back nine with three birdies in a row and another at 15 .
Malnati holed a 32-foot birdie putt at the par-4 17th and left the last groups a challenge .
Malnati began the day five strokes adrift of co-leaders Garcia , J.T .
Poston and Cameron Davis , an Australian who never recovered from three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first three holes and answered bogeys at the sixth and eighth each time with birdies on the next hole , then made the eagle to match Malnati .
Garcia sought his fourth birdie of the week at 15 but found the right rough and a greenside bunker before holing a four-foot par putt , building the drama to the final hole .
Poston birdied the fifth and sixth , made his first 3-putt of the week to bogey seven , then sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the 10th and a 16-foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull one off Malnati .
But Poston found the rough and a bunker at 16 and could n't save par from 13 feet , then closed with two pars to shoot 70 and finish third on 272 .
American Keegan Bradley made a late charge thanks to a 60-foot eagle putt at the par-5 11th and birdies on 14 and 15 , but the 2011 PGA Championship winner closed with a bogey and settled for a share of fourth on 273 .
Sweden 's Henrik Norlander was also on 273 after shooting 65 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15th , on a stunning 60-foot putt after driving the green , and the par-5 third on a 38-foot putt .

Washington (AFP) –
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Sergio Garcia made a tap-in birdie on the 72nd hole to win the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday, taking his first US PGA title since capturing the 2017 Masters.
The 40-year-old Spaniard dropped his approach inside 3 1/2 feet and eagled the par-5 14th to match US clubhouse leader Peter Malnati, then landed an 8-iron from 171 yards just 2 1/2 feet from the cup at 18 and made the winning putt.
"It's pretty sweet," Garcia said after a smile and fist pump in celebration. "It's great. Obviously a lot of hard work."
Garcia fired a five-under par 67 to finish 72 holes at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on 19-under 269 and edge Malnati, who was in the clubhouse with the lead for two hours, by a stroke.
"This game is my dream job," Malnati said. "I get to do it every day. It beats me up and it's tough. To have a day like today, what I did out there, just felt awesome. I feel like I won the tournament."
Garcia dedicated the victory to his father, Victor Garcia, who has seen two brothers die because of Covid-19.
"It has been tough," Garcia said. "I lost two uncles because of Covid. It has been tough for my dad. But this one was for him."
Garcia, who won his first US PGA title as a father, has won three times on the European Tour since capturing the green jacket but is only ranked 51st in the world.
"Keep believing. Keep working hard. Keep your mind right," Garcia said of the keys to his victory. "I've also been able to find a couple things here and there that obviously have helped.
"It feels great to stand there on 18 to rip a nice draw and hit an 8-iron and make a putt."
Malnati fired a bogey-free 63 -- a career low and one off Roberto Castro's course record -- to set the score to beat at 18-under 270.
Malnati won his only PGA title at the 2015 Sanderson Farms, but he had only managed three PGA top-10s since then.
- Malnati sets a mark -
The world number 312 birdied three of the first four holes on putts from nine to 12 feet, rolled in a six-foot birdie putt at the eighth and began the back nine with three birdies in a row and another at 15.
Malnati holed a 32-foot birdie putt at the par-4 17th and left the last groups a challenge.
Malnati began the day five strokes adrift of co-leaders Garcia, J.T. Poston and Cameron Davis, an Australian who never recovered from three front-nine bogeys.
Garcia birdied two of the first three holes and answered bogeys at the sixth and eighth each time with birdies on the next hole, then made the eagle to match Malnati.
Garcia sought his fourth birdie of the week at 15 but found the right rough and a greenside bunker before holing a four-foot par putt, building the drama to the final hole.
Poston birdied the fifth and sixth, made his first 3-putt of the week to bogey seven, then sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the 10th and a 16-foot birdie putt at the par-5 14th to pull one off Malnati.
But Poston found the rough and a bunker at 16 and couldn't save par from 13 feet, then closed with two pars to shoot 70 and finish third on 272.
American Keegan Bradley made a late charge thanks to a 60-foot eagle putt at the par-5 11th and birdies on 14 and 15, but the 2011 PGA Championship winner closed with a bogey and settled for a share of fourth on 273.
Sweden's Henrik Norlander was also on 273 after shooting 65, aided by eagles at the par-4 15th, on a stunning 60-foot putt after driving the green, and the par-5 third on a 38-foot putt.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Brady throws five TDs as Buccaneers rally to beat Chargers

Tom Brady threw five touchdowns to five different receivers to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a come-from-behind 38-31 NFL win over the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday in Tampa , Florida .
Brady passed for a total of 369 yards with his best target being Mike Evans , who caught seven passes for 122 yards and a touchdown for the Buccaneers .
Brady led the Buccaneers back from a 17-point deficit after they gave up 24 unanswered points in the first half .
Because of the global pandemic , which led to the postponement of two NFL Sunday games in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spectators into Raymond James Stadium .
Ronald Jones led the rushing offense with 20 carries for 111 yards .
Tampa lost two running backs to injury during the game .
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 20 of 25 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns .
Herbert also threw an interception .
Brady connected with rookie running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn for a nine-yard touchdown pass to give Tampa Bay a 35-31 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining .
Ryan Succop added a 26-yard field goal with 2:44 left before Carlton Davis sealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarterback Joe Burrow collected his first NFL victory as the host Bengals toppled the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-25 at Paul Brown Stadium .
First overall draft pick Burrow made NFL history , becoming the first rookie quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in three straight games .
Burrow hit on 25 of 36 passes for 300 yards against the Jags , with one touchdown and one interception .
He compiled 316 yards at the Cleveland Browns in week two , and 312 yards at Philadelphia in week three .
`` We got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care about , '' Burrow said .
`` I can throw for seven or 500 yards -- it does n't matter to me . ''
Also , Drew Brees threw consecutive touchdowns to Tre'Quan Smith as the New Orleans Saints rallied on short rest to beat the Detroit Lions 35-29 .
Brees and Smith connected for two scores just 2:19 apart in the first half .
`` Everybody just persevered and we found a way to get a big win , '' Brees said .
The game was briefly in doubt after Saints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday night after the team arrived in Detroit .
Medical staff conducted another round of tests overnight Saturday .
Burton 's follow-up test came up negative causing doctors to announce a `` false positive '' and clear the way for the game to go ahead .
`` Just a lot of emotions going on because you never want to be a distraction , '' Burton said .
`` They had to wake up other guys and test them . ''
Elsewhere , reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson ran for a 50-yard touchdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bounce-back performance by the Baltimore Ravens , who beat Washington 31-17 .
Coming off a disappointing loss to Kansas City on Monday , Baltimore used a fake punt and the longest run of Jackson 's career to compile a 21-10 halftime lead .
Russell Wilson threw two more touchdown passes to bring his season total to 16 in the Seattle Seahawks ' 31-23 win over the Miami Dolphins .
Wilson 's 16 touchdowns this season ties Peyton Manning 's 2013 record for the most through a team 's first four games .

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Tom Brady threw five touchdowns to five different receivers to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a come-from-behind 38-31 NFL win over the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday in Tampa, Florida.
Brady passed for a total of 369 yards with his best target being Mike Evans, who caught seven passes for 122 yards and a touchdown for the Buccaneers.
Brady led the Buccaneers back from a 17-point deficit after they gave up 24 unanswered points in the first half.
Because of the global pandemic, which led to the postponement of two NFL Sunday games in week four, organizers allowed just 6,300 spectators into Raymond James Stadium.
Ronald Jones led the rushing offense with 20 carries for 111 yards. Tampa lost two running backs to injury during the game.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 20 of 25 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns. Herbert also threw an interception.
Brady connected with rookie running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn for a nine-yard touchdown pass to give Tampa Bay a 35-31 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining.
Ryan Succop added a 26-yard field goal with 2:44 left before Carlton Davis sealed the victory with an interception.
- Burrow gets first win -
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow collected his first NFL victory as the host Bengals toppled the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-25 at Paul Brown Stadium.
First overall draft pick Burrow made NFL history, becoming the first rookie quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in three straight games.
Burrow hit on 25 of 36 passes for 300 yards against the Jags, with one touchdown and one interception. He compiled 316 yards at the Cleveland Browns in week two, and 312 yards at Philadelphia in week three.
"We got the win, that's all I care about," Burrow said. "I can throw for seven or 500 yards -- it doesn't matter to me."
Also, Drew Brees threw consecutive touchdowns to Tre'Quan Smith as the New Orleans Saints rallied on short rest to beat the Detroit Lions 35-29.
Brees and Smith connected for two scores just 2:19 apart in the first half.
"Everybody just persevered and we found a way to get a big win," Brees said.
The game was briefly in doubt after Saints player Michael Burton tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday night after the team arrived in Detroit.
Medical staff conducted another round of tests overnight Saturday. Burton's follow-up test came up negative causing doctors to announce a "false positive" and clear the way for the game to go ahead.
"Just a lot of emotions going on because you never want to be a distraction," Burton said. "They had to wake up other guys and test them."
Elsewhere, reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson ran for a 50-yard touchdown and threw for two scores in a bounce-back performance by the Baltimore Ravens, who beat Washington 31-17.
Coming off a disappointing loss to Kansas City on Monday, Baltimore used a fake punt and the longest run of Jackson's career to compile a 21-10 halftime lead.
Russell Wilson threw two more touchdown passes to bring his season total to 16 in the Seattle Seahawks' 31-23 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Wilson's 16 touchdowns this season ties Peyton Manning's 2013 record for the most through a team's first four games.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Heat again without Dragic, Adebayo for game 3 of NBA Finals

The Miami Heat were again without Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo on Sunday as they went into game three of @ @ @ @ @ first win against the Los Angeles Lakers .
Adebayo is sidelined by a neck strain @ @ @ @ @ plantar fascia in his left foot -- both suffered in the Heat 's game-one loss @ @ @ @ @ .
Both missed game two on Friday , when Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony @ @ @ @ @ in a 124-114 victory .
The Lakers were seeking to take a 3-0 stranglehold on @ @ @ @ @ Sunday in the NBA 's quarantine bubble in Orlando , Florida .
The loss of @ @ @ @ @ for the Heat on both ends of the floor , and Dragic -- their top @ @ @ @ @ the Finals -- has hampered fifth-seeded Miami 's bid to pull off an upset of @ @ @ @ @ .

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The Miami Heat were again without Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo on Sunday as they went into game three of the NBA Finals seeking a first win against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Adebayo is sidelined by a neck strain and Dragic has a torn plantar fascia in his left foot -- both suffered in the Heat's game-one loss to the Lakers on Wednesday.
Both missed game two on Friday, when Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 65 points in a 124-114 victory.
The Lakers were seeking to take a 3-0 stranglehold on the best-of-seven championship series on Sunday in the NBA's quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.
The loss of Adebayo, a key contributor for the Heat on both ends of the floor, and Dragic -- their top scorer in the playoffs until the Finals -- has hampered fifth-seeded Miami's bid to pull off an upset of the Western Conference champion Lakers.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Marseille and Lyon's struggles continue in draw, Rennes stay top

Houssem Aouar ( L ) has what he thought was his winning goal ruled out for a foul on Marseille keeper Steve Mandanda Marseille and Lyon continued their shaky starts to the season on Sunday with a 1-1 draw that leaves both sides languishing in mid-table in Ligue 1 .
Marseille are 10th on nine points following the draw at the Groupama stadium while Rudi Garcia 's Lyon , who reached the semi-finals of last season 's Champions League , are two points and four places back .
Andre Villas-Boas ' Marseille have not won in the four matches since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lyon 's winless run already stretches to five matches in the six-game-old season .
The hosts have drawn four of those matches and struggled to break down Marseille even though the away side played most of the match with 10 men following Dmitri Payet 's 19th-minute red card for a high challenge on Leo Dubois .
Marseille had taken the lead thanks to talisman Payet 's smart finish just three minutes before he was sent off , but Houssem Aouar levelled from the penalty spot just before the half hour mark and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was set to be leaving in the summer transfer window which closes on Monday , thought he had also scored the winner with 14 minutes remaining only to see his goal ruled out for what looked like a soft foul on Marseille keeper Steve Mandanda .
`` In the circumstances it 's a good point which gives us some confidence , '' said Villas Boas .
`` I 'm happy because the players gave everything , we rediscovered the spirit that we has last season . ''
Earlier Rennes clung on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrabbling to a 2-2 home with Reims which allowed Lille to move level on points with the leaders with a 3-0 win at Strasbourg .
Rennes were leading at the break and were set to go back clear in first place but Boulaye Dia barged through the home defence before slotting home the goal that would give Reims a point in the 66th minute .
Lille meanwhile stormed to victory in Alsace thanks to goals from Zeki Celik , Renato Sanches and Burak Yilmaz which maintained their unbeaten start to the season .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one ahead of newly-promoted Lens , who drop down to third but are on a storming run after beating 10-time league champions Saint-Etienne 2-0 on Saturday .
Champions PSG meanwhile are lurking ominously a further point back in fourth after destroying Angers 6-1 on Friday night .

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Marseille and Lyon continued their shaky starts to the season on Sunday with a 1-1 draw that leaves both sides languishing in mid-table in Ligue 1.
Marseille are 10th on nine points following the draw at the Groupama stadium while Rudi Garcia's Lyon, who reached the semi-finals of last season's Champions League, are two points and four places back.
Andre Villas-Boas' Marseille have not won in the four matches since they beat Paris Saint-Germain last month while Lyon's winless run already stretches to five matches in the six-game-old season.
The hosts have drawn four of those matches and struggled to break down Marseille even though the away side played most of the match with 10 men following Dmitri Payet's 19th-minute red card for a high challenge on Leo Dubois.
Marseille had taken the lead thanks to talisman Payet's smart finish just three minutes before he was sent off, but Houssem Aouar levelled from the penalty spot just before the half hour mark and that's how the scores remained.
Aouar, who was set to be leaving in the summer transfer window which closes on Monday, thought he had also scored the winner with 14 minutes remaining only to see his goal ruled out for what looked like a soft foul on Marseille keeper Steve Mandanda.
"In the circumstances it's a good point which gives us some confidence," said Villas Boas.
"I'm happy because the players gave everything, we rediscovered the spirit that we has last season."
Earlier Rennes clung on to top spot in Ligue 1 after scrabbling to a 2-2 home with Reims which allowed Lille to move level on points with the leaders with a 3-0 win at Strasbourg.
Rennes were leading at the break and were set to go back clear in first place but Boulaye Dia barged through the home defence before slotting home the goal that would give Reims a point in the 66th minute.
Lille meanwhile stormed to victory in Alsace thanks to goals from Zeki Celik, Renato Sanches and Burak Yilmaz which maintained their unbeaten start to the season.
Both sides are on 14 points, one ahead of newly-promoted Lens, who drop down to third but are on a storming run after beating 10-time league champions Saint-Etienne 2-0 on Saturday.
Champions PSG meanwhile are lurking ominously a further point back in fourth after destroying Angers 6-1 on Friday night.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Kolbe's clinical start continues in Toulouse's Toulon victory

Toulouse 's Cheslin Kolbe has scored eight tries in 14 Tests since making his South Africa debut in 2018 South African Rugby World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe kept up his impressive early season try scoring record by crossing in Toulouse 's 39-19 French Top 14 victory over Toulon on Sunday .
Kolbe has dotted down five times in five games since the restart and his first half touchdown at Stade Ernest Wallon helped his side to a 25-0 lead at the break .
Kolbe 's outfit finished with 14 men after replacement prop Rodrigue Neti was sent off for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes to play .
The hosts ' coach Ugo Mola made four changes from last Saturday 's European Champions Cup semi-final loss to Exeter Chiefs as South Africa loose forward Rynhardt Elstadt returned from a calf injury .
Mola 's counterpart Patrice Collazo handed a first league appearance to 19-year-old winger Kalani Robert and named teenager Clement Egiziano on the bench with the likes of World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth out injured .
France fly-half Romain Ntamack kicked two penalties and a conversion as Matthis Lebel scored his first try of the proceedings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead after a quarter of the game .
Winger Kolbe crossed five minutes later after a superb long Antoine Dupont pass and Lucas Tauzin dived over after half an hour as Mola 's men had a 25-0 advantage at the break .
Collazo 's side started the second half much better and crossed twice inside the first 10 minutes thanks to 20-year-old Simon Monetti and 19-year-old Egiziano but Argentina back-rower Facundo Isa hobbled off the field with a leg injury between both tries .
Lebel claimed his second of the match with 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a red card for a dangerous shoulder charge on Beka Gigashvili on the hour mark .
Anthony Meric cut the gap to 32-19 sneaking over from short range before France flanker Francois Cros made the most of a dominant rolling maul for his side 's fifth try of the game .
On Monday , Lyon host Bordeaux-Begles in a re-arranged game due to coronavirus cases recorded by the home side .
Elsewhere , Castres ' trip to Montpellier and Racing 92 's visit of La Rochelle have been postponed due to Covid-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a hotel this week to isolate to avoid further cases of Covid-19 ahead of the European Champions Cup final on October 17 .

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South African Rugby World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe kept up his impressive early season try scoring record by crossing in Toulouse's 39-19 French Top 14 victory over Toulon on Sunday.
Kolbe has dotted down five times in five games since the restart and his first half touchdown at Stade Ernest Wallon helped his side to a 25-0 lead at the break.
Kolbe's outfit finished with 14 men after replacement prop Rodrigue Neti was sent off for a shoulder charge at a ruck with 20 minutes to play.
The hosts' coach Ugo Mola made four changes from last Saturday's European Champions Cup semi-final loss to Exeter Chiefs as South Africa loose forward Rynhardt Elstadt returned from a calf injury.
Mola's counterpart Patrice Collazo handed a first league appearance to 19-year-old winger Kalani Robert and named teenager Clement Egiziano on the bench with the likes of World Cup winner Eben Etzebeth out injured.
France fly-half Romain Ntamack kicked two penalties and a conversion as Matthis Lebel scored his first try of the proceedings to give the home side a 13-0 lead after a quarter of the game.
Winger Kolbe crossed five minutes later after a superb long Antoine Dupont pass and Lucas Tauzin dived over after half an hour as Mola's men had a 25-0 advantage at the break.
Collazo's side started the second half much better and crossed twice inside the first 10 minutes thanks to 20-year-old Simon Monetti and 19-year-old Egiziano but Argentina back-rower Facundo Isa hobbled off the field with a leg injury between both tries.
Lebel claimed his second of the match with 25 minutes to go before Neti was shown a red card for a dangerous shoulder charge on Beka Gigashvili on the hour mark.
Anthony Meric cut the gap to 32-19 sneaking over from short range before France flanker Francois Cros made the most of a dominant rolling maul for his side's fifth try of the game.
On Monday, Lyon host Bordeaux-Begles in a re-arranged game due to coronavirus cases recorded by the home side.
Elsewhere, Castres' trip to Montpellier and Racing 92's visit of La Rochelle have been postponed due to Covid-19 cases.
Local media reported Racing will stay in a hotel this week to isolate to avoid further cases of Covid-19 ahead of the European Champions Cup final on October 17.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--'We lost the plot', says Klopp after Liverpool ship seven

Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool lost their composure after conceding early to Aston Villa as the English champions were smashed 7-2 in the Premier League on Sunday .
Ollie Watkins scored a first-half hat-trick as the Reds conceded seven goals in a game for the first time since 1963 .
Liverpool 's back-up goalkeeper Adrian had a night to forget as his mistake allowed Watkins to open the floodgates .
`` The first goal had an impact , but it should n't .
Adrian made a mistake but we conceded goals like this in the past .
We lost the plot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When Aston Villa won the ball , our protection was under average . ''
Despite a change of system and personnel after half-time , Liverpool still could not stem the flow of Villa exposing their high line as deflected goals from John McGinn and Ross Barkley and Jack Grealish 's double rounded off a remarkable scoreline .
`` We had still good moments but our good moments led to nothing and their good moments led always to a chance or a goal , '' added Klopp .
`` They were flying and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you should not do in a football game , we did tonight . ''
Liverpool are not in action again for another two weeks due to the international break , but they face a huge challenge on their return when they travel to top-of-the-table Everton in the Merseyside derby .
`` Overall we 're all disappointed , we should n't have lost with the numbers that we did but it 's about sticking together and making sure it does n't happen again , '' said Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk .

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Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool lost their composure after conceding early to Aston Villa as the English champions were smashed 7-2 in the Premier League on Sunday.
Ollie Watkins scored a first-half hat-trick as the Reds conceded seven goals in a game for the first time since 1963.
Liverpool's back-up goalkeeper Adrian had a night to forget as his mistake allowed Watkins to open the floodgates.
"The first goal had an impact, but it shouldn't. Adrian made a mistake but we conceded goals like this in the past. We lost the plot then," said Klopp.
"When Aston Villa won the ball, our protection was under average."
Despite a change of system and personnel after half-time, Liverpool still could not stem the flow of Villa exposing their high line as deflected goals from John McGinn and Ross Barkley and Jack Grealish's double rounded off a remarkable scoreline.
"We had still good moments but our good moments led to nothing and their good moments led always to a chance or a goal," added Klopp.
"They were flying and we were pretty open. All the things you should not do in a football game, we did tonight."
Liverpool are not in action again for another two weeks due to the international break, but they face a huge challenge on their return when they travel to top-of-the-table Everton in the Merseyside derby.
"Overall we're all disappointed, we shouldn't have lost with the numbers that we did but it's about sticking together and making sure it doesn't happen again," said Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Napoli stay at home for Juve clash as virus row throws Serie A into chaos

Juventus stadium in Turin , prior to the Italian Serie A football match against Napoli , still scheduled despite the southerners remaining in Naples .
Napoli failed to turn up for their Serie A clash against Juventus in Turin on Sunday after a coronavirus row threw Italian football into chaos .
The match was abandoned 45 minutes after its scheduled 1845 GMT start time after Napoli did not travel to Juve 's Allianz Stadium , and now Gennaro Gattuso 's side risk forfeiting the game 3-0 .
Juventus players were present for the third game of the season , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the rain .
But not the Neapolitans , who remained in isolation at home on the instructions of the regional health authorities of the Campania region which hosts the city of Naples , after midfielders Eljif Elmas and Piotr Zielinski both tested positive during the week .
Juventus president Andrea Agnelli told Sky Sport Italia : `` ( Napoli president Aurelio ) De Laurentiis asked me to postpone the match , I replied that there are regulations to be respected . ''
`` A 3-0 win ?
I always prefer to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Juventus had confirmed they would `` take to the field '' as scheduled despite two positive tests among their staff this week , with coach Andrea Pirlo and the squad arriving an hour before kick-off .
`` We have protocols that are very clear , '' said Agnelli .
`` The protocol was studied by the Federation with the government .
It is a living document , the important thing is to have the spirit of sporting honesty , the cases will be dealt with and resolved from time to time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health protocols were in place for the match to safely go ahead `` even in the event of positive tests '' .
It added that these measures are `` applicable to the situation of Napoli , who have two positive players for Covid-19 '' .
Napoli are the first team in Europe 's five major leagues not to take to the pitch due to the coronavirus pandemic in a scheduled game .
The club , meanwhile , moved to deny reports that coach Gennaro Gattuso had returned a positive test and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried out on Monday .
Zielinski and Elma 's positive tests came after last weekend 's a 6-0 thumping of Genoa , who have since recorded 22 positive cases that includes 17 players .
Serie A pointed out that other matches had gone ahead despite positive cases such as the game between Torino and Atalanta , AC Milan against Crotone and Napoli 's hammering of Genoa .
The league said it had `` a precise rule to be adopted in the event of multiple positives that can lead to the postponement of matches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which , at the moment , do not apply to the case of Napoli . ''
Serie A are applying UEFA rules that say a match can take place as long as a side have 13 healthy players , including a goalkeeper .
The only possible exemption would be a club which has an active outbreak of Covid-19 with more than 10 new positive cases in a week .
In that case the club can request a postponement , but only once in the season , which was the case of Genoa 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A insisted `` that the system of rules in force must guarantee maximum health protection for the people involved , equal treatment between the various clubs , as well as respect for the principles of fair play . ''
But Napoli believe the health instructions of their regional authorities supersede Italy 's sports health protocol .
The players may have to remain in self-isolation for two weeks at a hotel near the club 's facilities , Italian media said on Sunday .
Napoli had won both their Serie A matches so far this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four points after two games as they chase 10 title in a row .

Turin (Italy) (AFP) –
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Napoli failed to turn up for their Serie A clash against Juventus in Turin on Sunday after a coronavirus row threw Italian football into chaos.
The match was abandoned 45 minutes after its scheduled 1845 GMT start time after Napoli did not travel to Juve's Allianz Stadium, and now Gennaro Gattuso's side risk forfeiting the game 3-0.
Juventus players were present for the third game of the season, along with referees and a handful of supporters under the rain.
But not the Neapolitans, who remained in isolation at home on the instructions of the regional health authorities of the Campania region which hosts the city of Naples, after midfielders Eljif Elmas and Piotr Zielinski both tested positive during the week.
Juventus president Andrea Agnelli told Sky Sport Italia: "(Napoli president Aurelio) De Laurentiis asked me to postpone the match, I replied that there are regulations to be respected."
"A 3-0 win? I always prefer to win on the field," Agnelli added.
Juventus had confirmed they would "take to the field" as scheduled despite two positive tests among their staff this week, with coach Andrea Pirlo and the squad arriving an hour before kick-off.
"We have protocols that are very clear," said Agnelli.
"The protocol was studied by the Federation with the government. It is a living document, the important thing is to have the spirit of sporting honesty, the cases will be dealt with and resolved from time to time."
Serie A had insisted that all the health protocols were in place for the match to safely go ahead "even in the event of positive tests".
It added that these measures are "applicable to the situation of Napoli, who have two positive players for Covid-19".
Napoli are the first team in Europe's five major leagues not to take to the pitch due to the coronavirus pandemic in a scheduled game.
- '13 healthy players' -
The club, meanwhile, moved to deny reports that coach Gennaro Gattuso had returned a positive test and said that another round of swabs would be carried out on Monday.
Zielinski and Elma's positive tests came after last weekend's a 6-0 thumping of Genoa, who have since recorded 22 positive cases that includes 17 players.
Serie A pointed out that other matches had gone ahead despite positive cases such as the game between Torino and Atalanta, AC Milan against Crotone and Napoli's hammering of Genoa.
The league said it had "a precise rule to be adopted in the event of multiple positives that can lead to the postponement of matches only upon the occurrence of certain conditions which, at the moment, do not apply to the case of Napoli."
Serie A are applying UEFA rules that say a match can take place as long as a side have 13 healthy players, including a goalkeeper.
The only possible exemption would be a club which has an active outbreak of Covid-19 with more than 10 new positive cases in a week.
In that case the club can request a postponement, but only once in the season, which was the case of Genoa's game this weekend against Torino.
Serie A insisted "that the system of rules in force must guarantee maximum health protection for the people involved, equal treatment between the various clubs, as well as respect for the principles of fair play."
But Napoli believe the health instructions of their regional authorities supersede Italy's sports health protocol.
The players may have to remain in self-isolation for two weeks at a hotel near the club's facilities, Italian media said on Sunday.
Napoli had won both their Serie A matches so far this season, while reigning champions Juventus had four points after two games as they chase 10 title in a row.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--New York seeks virus shutdowns in nine neighborhoods

People cross the street near Time Square in New York City , which now faces potential re-imposition of virus restrictions in some neighborhoods New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday he planned to reimpose restrictions on nine neighborhoods as Covid-19 cases rise in parts of the city , which had largely controlled the virus after a catastrophic outbreak .
The proposal , which must be approved by state Governor Andrew Cuomo , marks a major setback for America 's largest city since it was hit hard in March by the coronavirus .
The city has lost almost 24,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unfortunately , is not a day for celebration , '' de Blasio said , announcing he would ask to close nonessential businesses and all schools in nine neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens .
If approved by the governor , who has not yet weighed in , the new restrictions would be the first step back toward lockdown in the city .
New York City became the global epicenter of the pandemic in spring , but more recently officials had touted the lowest rates of test positivity and infection among major US cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large populations of Orthodox Jews , and the virus has been spreading rapidly in that community in recent weeks .
The increases coincided with the Jewish High Holidays , the most holy days in the Jewish calendar , that culminated last Monday with Yom Kippur .
De Blasio has faced criticism previously for his handling of the virus response among the city 's Jewish residents .
He triggered fury in April when he threatened `` the Jewish community '' with summons and arrest after a large crowd of Hasidic Jews gathered for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood .
The nine neighborhoods now targeted by the mayor have seen the rate at which people are testing positive for the virus remain above three percent for the past seven days , despite authorities intervening to encourage mask-wearing and other safety practices .
De Blasio said he intended to `` rewind '' the city 's reopening in the worst-affected areas , according to the New York Times .
The city is also monitoring 11 additional ZIP codes that de Blasio described as of `` real concern . ''
His proposal comes just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city 's children began returning to in-person school for the first time since March , and restaurants were allowed to resume limited indoor service .
New York City is considered America 's cultural capital , and its world-class restaurants have been hard-hit by the virus .
However , authorities allowed eateries to resume indoor service at 25 percent capacity as economic pressure grew for loosening restrictions .
Following increases in cases in 20 of the city 's 146 neighborhoods , New York City 's leaders are following a model of localized measures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea and Singapore .

New York (AFP) –
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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday he planned to reimpose restrictions on nine neighborhoods as Covid-19 cases rise in parts of the city, which had largely controlled the virus after a catastrophic outbreak.
The proposal, which must be approved by state Governor Andrew Cuomo, marks a major setback for America's largest city since it was hit hard in March by the coronavirus. The city has lost almost 24,000 people to the virus.
"Today, unfortunately, is not a day for celebration," de Blasio said, announcing he would ask to close nonessential businesses and all schools in nine neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens.
If approved by the governor, who has not yet weighed in, the new restrictions would be the first step back toward lockdown in the city.
New York City became the global epicenter of the pandemic in spring, but more recently officials had touted the lowest rates of test positivity and infection among major US cities.
Several of the nine neighborhoods have large populations of Orthodox Jews, and the virus has been spreading rapidly in that community in recent weeks.
The increases coincided with the Jewish High Holidays, the most holy days in the Jewish calendar, that culminated last Monday with Yom Kippur.
- 'Rewind' of city's reopening -
De Blasio has faced criticism previously for his handling of the virus response among the city's Jewish residents.
He triggered fury in April when he threatened "the Jewish community" with summons and arrest after a large crowd of Hasidic Jews gathered for a rabbi's funeral in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood.
The nine neighborhoods now targeted by the mayor have seen the rate at which people are testing positive for the virus remain above three percent for the past seven days, despite authorities intervening to encourage mask-wearing and other safety practices.
De Blasio said he intended to "rewind" the city's reopening in the worst-affected areas, according to the New York Times.
The city is also monitoring 11 additional ZIP codes that de Blasio described as of "real concern."
His proposal comes just days after hundreds of thousands of the city's children began returning to in-person school for the first time since March, and restaurants were allowed to resume limited indoor service.
New York City is considered America's cultural capital, and its world-class restaurants have been hard-hit by the virus.
However, authorities allowed eateries to resume indoor service at 25 percent capacity as economic pressure grew for loosening restrictions.
Following increases in cases in 20 of the city's 146 neighborhoods, New York City's leaders are following a model of localized measures, also taken in other nations like South Korea and Singapore.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--England's Reid wins first LPGA title at ShopRite Classic

England 's Mel Reid won her first LPGA title on Sunday , firing a four-under par 67 to capture the ShopRite Classic by two strokes over American Jennifer Kupcho .
The 33-year-old from Derby made bogey at the par-3 17th but closed with a birdie to finish 72 holes at the Seaview resort in Galloway , New Jersey , on 19-under 265 .
`` Relief .
It 's a huge relief , '' Reid said .
`` It 's so emotional . ''
Kupcho was next on 267 after a final-day 68 with American Jennifer Song third on 268 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after closing 69s .
Together with compatriot Georgia Hall , a winner two weeks ago at the Portland Classic , Reid 's victory produced the first back-to-back LPGA triumphs by English women since Trish Johnson and Caroline Pierce in 1996 .
At Portland , Reid fired a final-round 74 to squander a two-stroke lead and settled for sharing fifth while Hall took the trophy .
`` I just wanted to kind of redeem myself , '' Reid said .
`` I 'm proud how I handled myself . ''
Reid , a European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Ladies European Tour but had not won since the 2017 Women 's Victorian Open in Australia .
Reid 's best prior finish in an LPGA event was a share of third in last year 's Women 's PGA Championship .
Kupcho , ranked 58th , had a birdie-birdie finish but could not collect her first LPGA title after turning professional last year .
Song , ranked 91st , also missed out on her first LPGA triumph in her 220th career start .
World number 74 Reid stretched her lead to three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the par-3 11th to reach 18-under while Song missed a four-foot par putt and joined Kupcho on 15-under .
Reid rolled in another birdie at the par-4 12th , her fourth birdie in five holes , to reach 19-under , boosting her advantage to four shots .
Kupcho birdied the 13th to pull within three , but Reid sank a clutch 12-foot par putt at the par-3 15th and Kupcho made a three-putt bogey at the 16th , restoring Reid 's four-shot edge .
Reid found the rough at the par-3 17th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her par putt , taking a bogey and her lead was down to two shots on the 18th tee after Song and Kupcho each birdied 17 to reach 16-under .
Song , Kupcho and Reid all found the right rough on the par-5 finishing hole .
Kupcho blasted onto the front of the green while Song rolled into greenside rough .
Reid smacked a 6-iron within 15 feet of the cup on the edge of the green to all-but seal the victory .
`` It came out better ( than I expected ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figured being short was fine .
Obviously was disappointed at 17 .
We did n't want to do anything stupid . ''
Kupcho missed a 50-foot eagle putt but tapped-in for birdie while Song settled for par .
Reid rolled her eagle putt inches from the cup and tapped in for birdie and the victory , hugging her caddie before friends sprayed her with champagne .
Reid birdied two of the first three holes but stumbled with bogeys at the par-4 sixth , after leaving her approach in rough shy of the green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ par putt horseshoe-ing the lip of the cup and staying out to fall one back of Song .
But Reid answered with birdies at the eighth and par-5 ninth to reclaim the lead by one on 17-under at the turn .
Kupcho stumbled with a bogey at the fourth and a double bogey at eight , but birdies at nine and 10 lifted her back into contention .

New York (AFP) –
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England's Mel Reid won her first LPGA title on Sunday, firing a four-under par 67 to capture the ShopRite Classic by two strokes over American Jennifer Kupcho.
The 33-year-old from Derby made bogey at the par-3 17th but closed with a birdie to finish 72 holes at the Seaview resort in Galloway, New Jersey, on 19-under 265.
"Relief. It's a huge relief," Reid said. "It's so emotional."
Kupcho was next on 267 after a final-day 68 with American Jennifer Song third on 268 and Japan's Nasa Hataoka fourth on 270 after closing 69s.
Together with compatriot Georgia Hall, a winner two weeks ago at the Portland Classic, Reid's victory produced the first back-to-back LPGA triumphs by English women since Trish Johnson and Caroline Pierce in 1996.
At Portland, Reid fired a final-round 74 to squander a two-stroke lead and settled for sharing fifth while Hall took the trophy.
"I just wanted to kind of redeem myself," Reid said. "I'm proud how I handled myself."
Reid, a European Solheim Cup veteran, owns six titles on the Ladies European Tour but had not won since the 2017 Women's Victorian Open in Australia.
Reid's best prior finish in an LPGA event was a share of third in last year's Women's PGA Championship.
Kupcho, ranked 58th, had a birdie-birdie finish but could not collect her first LPGA title after turning professional last year.
Song, ranked 91st, also missed out on her first LPGA triumph in her 220th career start.
World number 74 Reid stretched her lead to three strokes with an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-3 11th to reach 18-under while Song missed a four-foot par putt and joined Kupcho on 15-under.
Reid rolled in another birdie at the par-4 12th, her fourth birdie in five holes, to reach 19-under, boosting her advantage to four shots.
Kupcho birdied the 13th to pull within three, but Reid sank a clutch 12-foot par putt at the par-3 15th and Kupcho made a three-putt bogey at the 16th, restoring Reid's four-shot edge.
Reid found the rough at the par-3 17th, chipped out to 20 feet and missed her par putt, taking a bogey and her lead was down to two shots on the 18th tee after Song and Kupcho each birdied 17 to reach 16-under.
Song, Kupcho and Reid all found the right rough on the par-5 finishing hole. Kupcho blasted onto the front of the green while Song rolled into greenside rough.
Reid smacked a 6-iron within 15 feet of the cup on the edge of the green to all-but seal the victory.
"It came out better (than I expected)," Reid said. "We figured being short was fine. Obviously was disappointed at 17. We didn't want to do anything stupid."
Kupcho missed a 50-foot eagle putt but tapped-in for birdie while Song settled for par. Reid rolled her eagle putt inches from the cup and tapped in for birdie and the victory, hugging her caddie before friends sprayed her with champagne.
Reid birdied two of the first three holes but stumbled with bogeys at the par-4 sixth, after leaving her approach in rough shy of the green, and par-3 seventh, a tap-in par putt horseshoe-ing the lip of the cup and staying out to fall one back of Song.
But Reid answered with birdies at the eighth and par-5 ninth to reclaim the lead by one on 17-under at the turn.
Kupcho stumbled with a bogey at the fourth and a double bogey at eight, but birdies at nine and 10 lifted her back into contention.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Aston Villa smash seven past Liverpool

Aston Villa smash seven past Liverpool

Historic hat-trick : Aston Villa 's Ollie Watkins ( right ) scored the first hat-trick against Liverpool in a decade Liverpool 's 100 percent start to the Premier League season came to an end in stunning fashion as Ollie Watkins 's first-half hat-trick helped Aston Villa thrash the English champions 7-2 on Sunday .
Deflected efforts from John McGinn , Ross Barkley and Jack Grealish compounded a night to forget for Jurgen Klopp 's men before Grealish completed the scoring .
It is the first time Liverpool have conceded seven goals in a game since 1963 .
The Reds were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in romping to the title last season .
But a fine start to their title defence came undone without injured goalkeeper Alisson Becker and with Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane unavailable due to coronavirus infections .
Alisson 's absence made a telling impact after just four minutes to get Villa in front as Adrian 's poor pass was seized upon by Grealish , who squared for the former Watkins to score his first Premier League goal .
Mane was also missed at the other end as Liverpool laid seige to the Villa goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the counter-attack .
Barkley twice should have opened his Villa account in the first-half as he skewed shots wide from close range either side of Watkins 's second .
Grealish was again the creator with a long ball down the side of the Liverpool defence and the former Brentford striker cut inside before blasting into the top corner .
Mohamed Salah seemed to have got the visitors a foothold back in the match when he slammed home on his trusty left-foot after Mane 's understudy , Diogo Jota , tried to burrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Villa quickly restored their two-goal cushion when John McGinn 's effort from the edge of the area deflected in off Virgil van Dijk .
Liverpool 's high line was being caught out even from set plays as six minutes before the break Trezeguet broke the offside trap to cross for Watkins to become the first player in a decade to score a hat-trick against Liverpool .
Fortune favoured Villa 's desire not to just sit on their lead after the break as Barkley 's long-range effort looped over the helpless Adrian to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharp in front of goal to move within one away from 100 for Liverpool with a brilliant finish from Roberto Firmino 's pass .
Having seen enough from Joe Gomez , Klopp moved midfielder Firmino into his back four early in the second-half , but it did nothing to stem the flow of Villa attacks cutting through his defence .
Grealish completed a hat-trick of deflected goals when his shot hit Fabinho to wrong-foot Adrian again .
Watkins missed two huge chances to score his fourth as Adrian saved a one-on-one before he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was more clinical when he raced through to round off a remarkable victory .
Villa stayed up by a single point on the final day of last season , but they have now won their opening three games of the new league campaign to move up to second .

Birmingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
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Liverpool's 100 percent start to the Premier League season came to an end in stunning fashion as Ollie Watkins's first-half hat-trick helped Aston Villa thrash the English champions 7-2 on Sunday.
Deflected efforts from John McGinn, Ross Barkley and Jack Grealish compounded a night to forget for Jurgen Klopp's men before Grealish completed the scoring.
It is the first time Liverpool have conceded seven goals in a game since 1963.
The Reds were not beaten until their 28th league game in romping to the title last season.
But a fine start to their title defence came undone without injured goalkeeper Alisson Becker and with Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane unavailable due to coronavirus infections.
Alisson's absence made a telling impact after just four minutes to get Villa in front as Adrian's poor pass was seized upon by Grealish, who squared for the former Watkins to score his first Premier League goal.
Mane was also missed at the other end as Liverpool laid seige to the Villa goal, but were too easily opened up on the counter-attack.
Barkley twice should have opened his Villa account in the first-half as he skewed shots wide from close range either side of Watkins's second.
Grealish was again the creator with a long ball down the side of the Liverpool defence and the former Brentford striker cut inside before blasting into the top corner.
Mohamed Salah seemed to have got the visitors a foothold back in the match when he slammed home on his trusty left-foot after Mane's understudy, Diogo Jota, tried to burrow a way into the penalty area.
But Villa quickly restored their two-goal cushion when John McGinn's effort from the edge of the area deflected in off Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool's high line was being caught out even from set plays as six minutes before the break Trezeguet broke the offside trap to cross for Watkins to become the first player in a decade to score a hat-trick against Liverpool.
Fortune favoured Villa's desire not to just sit on their lead after the break as Barkley's long-range effort looped over the helpless Adrian to make it 5-1.
Salah remained razor sharp in front of goal to move within one away from 100 for Liverpool with a brilliant finish from Roberto Firmino's pass.
Having seen enough from Joe Gomez, Klopp moved midfielder Firmino into his back four early in the second-half, but it did nothing to stem the flow of Villa attacks cutting through his defence.
Grealish completed a hat-trick of deflected goals when his shot hit Fabinho to wrong-foot Adrian again.
Watkins missed two huge chances to score his fourth as Adrian saved a one-on-one before he hit the crossbar.
Grealish, though, was more clinical when he raced through to round off a remarkable victory.
Villa stayed up by a single point on the final day of last season, but they have now won their opening three games of the new league campaign to move up to second.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Karabakh cathedral repurposed as bomb shelter

For the people who live near the cathedral , it is the ideal shelter A candle lights the strained faces of civilians huddled in the basement of Holy Mother of God cathedral in Nagorno-Karabakh 's main city Stepanakert , where they have sought refuge from fighting that erupted a week ago over the disputed region .
Sunday starts quietly , but soon there are air raid sirens breaking the silence .
For the people who live near the cathedral , affiliated with the Armenian Apostolic Church , it is the ideal shelter .
`` It is probably the safest place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and by our lord , '' said a burly priest , wearing a black robe and camouflage vest .
He is calm as he organises space for the refugees , hampered by frequent power cuts .
The vast underground hall is ringed by chapels serving as temporary homes for families grouped around mattresses covered with thick , multi-coloured blankets .
`` We 've been here three days , '' murmurs Gohar , holding one-year-old Angelina in her arms .
Women of all ages try to help the children pass the time .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Gohar said before sobbing : `` I learnt yesterday that a friend of mine who was 23 had died . ''
She has had no news of her brother , who joined in the new fighting , the heaviest in decades that has so far claimed nearly 250 lives , including nearly 40 civilians .
Gohar is not prepared to flee Karabakh , the homeland she refers to by its Armenian name , Artsakh .
`` We just hope that all this will end in a few days . ''
Several families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yerevan .
Some of the refugees leave the sanctuary during lulls in the fighting or under cover of darkness to go home to collect food or clothing .
But food is in abundant supply , donated in Yerevan and brought to Stepanakert by volunteers , associations or just concerned individuals .
No Mass was celebrated this Sunday given the fraught climate , though a few faithful chanted brief prayers in the nave , facing banks of empty pews .
An elderly woman wearing a black veil could be seen reciting the rosary before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of incense .
A group of men , some in uniform , wait under the portico before the cathedral 's sculpted wooden doors , scanning the clouds and discussing the latest from the front .
`` We will never let the enemy get in very deep , '' said one of the priests , holding a gold crucifix .
`` We are here on the historical land of Armenian Christianity . ''
The air raid sirens sound once more , first far off , then closer .
Everyone scrambles inside and down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosions ring out .
Grey smoke rises from buildings in the distance .
`` Those are Grads , '' said one man , referring to a truck-mounted rocket launcher .
He is a veteran of the conflict that first broke out in 1988 and claimed some 30,000 lives .
The pattern of the explosions and the sound resembling that of a lawnmower suggest drone fire .
But no one really knows .
The strikes occur every half hour or so , a marked increase since Friday when the city first came under attack @

Stepanakert (Azerbaijan) (AFP) –
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A candle lights the strained faces of civilians huddled in the basement of Holy Mother of God cathedral in Nagorno-Karabakh's main city Stepanakert, where they have sought refuge from fighting that erupted a week ago over the disputed region.
Sunday starts quietly, but soon there are air raid sirens breaking the silence.
For the people who live near the cathedral, affiliated with the Armenian Apostolic Church, it is the ideal shelter.
"It is probably the safest place in Stepanakert, protected by the granite and by our lord," said a burly priest, wearing a black robe and camouflage vest.
He is calm as he organises space for the refugees, hampered by frequent power cuts.
- Families gather -
The vast underground hall is ringed by chapels serving as temporary homes for families grouped around mattresses covered with thick, multi-coloured blankets.
"We've been here three days," murmurs Gohar, holding one-year-old Angelina in her arms.
Women of all ages try to help the children pass the time. "The men are at the front," Gohar said before sobbing: "I learnt yesterday that a friend of mine who was 23 had died."
She has had no news of her brother, who joined in the new fighting, the heaviest in decades that has so far claimed nearly 250 lives, including nearly 40 civilians.
Gohar is not prepared to flee Karabakh, the homeland she refers to by its Armenian name, Artsakh. "We just hope that all this will end in a few days."
Several families however left Saturday for the Armenian capital Yerevan.
Some of the refugees leave the sanctuary during lulls in the fighting or under cover of darkness to go home to collect food or clothing.
But food is in abundant supply, donated in Yerevan and brought to Stepanakert by volunteers, associations or just concerned individuals.
No Mass was celebrated this Sunday given the fraught climate, though a few faithful chanted brief prayers in the nave, facing banks of empty pews.
An elderly woman wearing a black veil could be seen reciting the rosary before bowing to an icon in a cloud of incense.
A group of men, some in uniform, wait under the portico before the cathedral's sculpted wooden doors, scanning the clouds and discussing the latest from the front.
- 'Historical land' -
"We will never let the enemy get in very deep," said one of the priests, holding a gold crucifix. "We are here on the historical land of Armenian Christianity."
The air raid sirens sound once more, first far off, then closer. Everyone scrambles inside and down to the basement.
A minute later, explosions ring out. Grey smoke rises from buildings in the distance. "Those are Grads," said one man, referring to a truck-mounted rocket launcher.
He is a veteran of the conflict that first broke out in 1988 and claimed some 30,000 lives.
The pattern of the explosions and the sound resembling that of a lawnmower suggest drone fire. But no one really knows.
The strikes occur every half hour or so, a marked increase since Friday when the city first came under attack.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Tottenham hit 10-man Man Utd for six on Mourinho's return

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labelled Manchester United 's humiliating 6-1 home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday as the worst feeling in 15 years at the club as a player , coach and manager .
Tottenham cashed in on Anthony Martial 's first-half red card to inflict United 's worst defeat since 2011 as Jose Mourinho enjoyed a dream return to Old Trafford .
Son Heung-min and Harry Kane scored twice as Spurs opened up a disorganised United defence at will even before Martial was harshly punished for an off-the-ball clash with Erik Lamela .
Tanguy Ndombele and Serge Aurier were also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no ill-effects of a draining week in their fourth match in eight days .
`` It 's a horrible feeling , the worst day I 've had as a Manchester United manager and player . ''
said Solskjaer .
`` It 's nowhere near good enough .
I hold my hands up .
It 's my decision to pick the team I did .
Also as a squad , that 's not good enough for Manchester United . ''
The manner of the defeat will turn the spotlight onto United ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edison Cavani is reportedly set to join the Red Devils , but it is at the other end of the field Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's men are in desperate need of reinforcements .
Mourinho , who was sacked as United boss in December 2018 , revelled on what he described as a historic day for Tottenham .
`` It is history for Tottenham , history for my boys and I can not deny it is also history for me , '' said the Portuguese .
`` Some people can say you play against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is true , but for me it is also true that 11 v 11 we were playing extremely well , '' he said .
`` We were creating huge problems , we were winning 2-1 and they could not find solutions to control us . ''
Mourinho has claimed his old club are too often the beneficiaries of dubious penalty decisions .
But he could have no complaints when Davinson Sanchez upended Martial inside the area in the first minute .
Bruno Fernandes coolly slotted home the spot-kick to seemingly give the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within four minutes it was 1-1 as calamitous defending from Eric Bailly , Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw presented Ndombele with the chance to sweep home an equaliser from close range .
Kane was the provider for all four of Son 's goals in a 5-2 win at Southampton two weeks ago and the two combined to perfection once more as Spurs took the lead three minutes later .
Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were caught ball watching as Kane 's quickly taken free-kick was perfect for the South-Korean to race through and dink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gea .
Any chance of a United revival went with Martial as he was shown a straight red card for raising his hands to Lamela 's face in retaliation to an elbow from the Argentine , which went unpunished from VAR .
Even that decision , though , could not mask a disastrous performance from United , who gifted another goal away within two minutes of losing a man .
Kane intercepted Bailly 's attempt to play out from inside his own box and when the ball broke to Son , he unselfishly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unguarded net .
Son had been a major injury doubt after suffering a hamstring problem in last weekend 's 1-1 draw with Newcastle , but he was full of energy as he burst into the box to flick his seventh goal of the season between De Gea 's legs .
Solskjaer introduced holding midfielders Scott McTominay and Fred at half-time in a bid to stem the tide , but United were cut open again when Paul Pogba failed to track Aurier 's run and he fired into the far corner from Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fault again for the sixth as he dived in on Ben Davies and Kane converted emphatically from the penalty spot .
A second straight home defeat to start the season drops United to just above the relegation zone in 16th , while Tottenham move up to fifth .

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labelled Manchester United's humiliating 6-1 home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday as the worst feeling in 15 years at the club as a player, coach and manager.
Tottenham cashed in on Anthony Martial's first-half red card to inflict United's worst defeat since 2011 as Jose Mourinho enjoyed a dream return to Old Trafford.
Son Heung-min and Harry Kane scored twice as Spurs opened up a disorganised United defence at will even before Martial was harshly punished for an off-the-ball clash with Erik Lamela.
Tanguy Ndombele and Serge Aurier were also on target for Tottenham, who showed no ill-effects of a draining week in their fourth match in eight days.
"It's a horrible feeling, the worst day I've had as a Manchester United manager and player." said Solskjaer.
"It's nowhere near good enough. I hold my hands up. It's my decision to pick the team I did. Also as a squad, that's not good enough for Manchester United."
The manner of the defeat will turn the spotlight onto United ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.
Uruguayan striker Edison Cavani is reportedly set to join the Red Devils, but it is at the other end of the field Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men are in desperate need of reinforcements.
Mourinho, who was sacked as United boss in December 2018, revelled on what he described as a historic day for Tottenham.
"It is history for Tottenham, history for my boys and I cannot deny it is also history for me," said the Portuguese.
"Some people can say you play against 10 men for a long time which is true, but for me it is also true that 11 v 11 we were playing extremely well," he said.
"We were creating huge problems, we were winning 2-1 and they could not find solutions to control us."
- Spurs punish calamitous United -
Mourinho has claimed his old club are too often the beneficiaries of dubious penalty decisions. But he could have no complaints when Davinson Sanchez upended Martial inside the area in the first minute.
Bruno Fernandes coolly slotted home the spot-kick to seemingly give the home side the perfect start.
However, within four minutes it was 1-1 as calamitous defending from Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw presented Ndombele with the chance to sweep home an equaliser from close range.
Kane was the provider for all four of Son's goals in a 5-2 win at Southampton two weeks ago and the two combined to perfection once more as Spurs took the lead three minutes later.
Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were caught ball watching as Kane's quickly taken free-kick was perfect for the South-Korean to race through and dink the ball over the advancing David De Gea.
Any chance of a United revival went with Martial as he was shown a straight red card for raising his hands to Lamela's face in retaliation to an elbow from the Argentine, which went unpunished from VAR.
Even that decision, though, could not mask a disastrous performance from United, who gifted another goal away within two minutes of losing a man.
Kane intercepted Bailly's attempt to play out from inside his own box and when the ball broke to Son, he unselfishly squared for Kane to slot into an unguarded net.
Son had been a major injury doubt after suffering a hamstring problem in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Newcastle, but he was full of energy as he burst into the box to flick his seventh goal of the season between De Gea's legs.
Solskjaer introduced holding midfielders Scott McTominay and Fred at half-time in a bid to stem the tide, but United were cut open again when Paul Pogba failed to track Aurier's run and he fired into the far corner from Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg's perfect pass.
Pogba was at fault again for the sixth as he dived in on Ben Davies and Kane converted emphatically from the penalty spot.
A second straight home defeat to start the season drops United to just above the relegation zone in 16th, while Tottenham move up to fifth.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-04--Napoli fail to turn up for Juventus game after virus row

Napoli failed to turn up for their Serie A clash against Juventus on Sunday after a coronavirus row involving both clubs and health and football authorities .
Gennaro Gattuso 's side were not present at Juve 's Allianz Stadium for the game 's 1845 GMT kick-off .
They were in isolation on the instructions of the regional health authorities of the Campania region which hosts the city of Naples after midfielders Eljif Elmas and Piotr Zielinski both tested positive during the week .
Napoli , who had won both their Serie A matches so far this season , risk forfeiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ De Laurentiis , who recovered from coronavirus last month , said he believes it is `` too dangerous '' to travel to Turin , and asked on Sunday evening that the match be postponed `` without further delay '' .
Serie A insisted that all the health protocols were in place for the match to safely go ahead as scheduled in Turin .
`` The protocol provides ... rules , which allow the playing of league matches even in the event of positive tests , fielding the players who tested negative , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It added that these measures are `` applicable to the situation of Napoli , who have two positive players for Covid-19 '' .
Napoli are the first team in Europe 's five major leagues not to take to the pitch due to the coronavirus pandemic in a game which had remained scheduled .
The club , meanwhile , moved to deny reports that coach Gennaro Gattuso had returned a positive test .
`` The news regarding the positivity of Mr. Gattuso for Covid-19 is devoid of any foundation , '' the club said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will carry out the next swabs tomorrow ( Monday ) . ''
Juventus players arrived at the stadium about an hour before kick-off .

Turin (Italy) (AFP) –
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Napoli failed to turn up for their Serie A clash against Juventus on Sunday after a coronavirus row involving both clubs and health and football authorities.
Gennaro Gattuso's side were not present at Juve's Allianz Stadium for the game's 1845 GMT kick-off.
They were in isolation on the instructions of the regional health authorities of the Campania region which hosts the city of Naples after midfielders Eljif Elmas and Piotr Zielinski both tested positive during the week.
Napoli, who had won both their Serie A matches so far this season, risk forfeiting the game 3-0.
Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who recovered from coronavirus last month, said he believes it is "too dangerous" to travel to Turin, and asked on Sunday evening that the match be postponed "without further delay".
Serie A insisted that all the health protocols were in place for the match to safely go ahead as scheduled in Turin.
"The protocol provides ... rules, which allow the playing of league matches even in the event of positive tests, fielding the players who tested negative," the league said in a statement.
It added that these measures are "applicable to the situation of Napoli, who have two positive players for Covid-19".
Napoli are the first team in Europe's five major leagues not to take to the pitch due to the coronavirus pandemic in a game which had remained scheduled.
The club, meanwhile, moved to deny reports that coach Gennaro Gattuso had returned a positive test.
"The news regarding the positivity of Mr. Gattuso for Covid-19 is devoid of any foundation," the club said on Twitter.
"The team group will carry out the next swabs tomorrow (Monday)."
Juventus players arrived at the stadium about an hour before kick-off.
© 2020 AFP