france24--2020-09-07--Guaido urges Venezuela military to back poll boycott

Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido has called for the military to back the opposition boycott of December 's elections Venezuela 's opposition leader Juan Guaido called Monday on the armed forces to back a boycott of December 's contested legislative polls and help escalate international pressure on President Nicolas Maduro .
In an address on social media , Guaido urged the military high command to join a `` unity pact '' of opposition forces to block the holding of the December 6 polls .
`` Stop hiding behind the dictator 's skirts , stop ignoring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a message addressed to the high command , considered the main pillar of Maduro 's rule , along with allies Russia and Iran .
`` We are willing to sit down once again with those who are needed to achieve a transition , '' Guaido said .
In January 2019 , National Assembly speaker Guaido challenged Maduro 's authority by declaring himself acting president , claiming that Maduro had stolen his 2018 re-election in a rigged vote .
Since then the opposition has tried unsuccessfully to displace Maduro , including an abortive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which failed to muster much support .
Guaido and leading opposition figures vowed to boycott the December 6 elections over a lack of transparency after the Maduro-friendly Supreme Court appointed election officials -- a role that should have been conducted by the opposition-controlled legislature .
Some 37 opposition parties are backing the election boycott and a so-called pact proposing to `` increase international pressure against the dictatorship , '' according to Guaido .
However , some prominent opposition figures , have spoken out in favor of participation in the polls , including Henrique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twice run for the presidency .
Another prominent opposition lawmaker , Stalin Gonzales , also publicly split from the pro-boycott group last week , saying that mobilizing opposition at the ballot box would be more effective than a boycott .
Maduro 's socialist government is targeted by a slew of international sanctions , including a US oil embargo , and he and his close associates are under indictment for drug trafficking by the US Department of Justice .
Venezuela is sitting on the world 's largest proven oil reserves but under Maduro 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Poverty has soared , inflation is the highest in the world , and oil production is down to its lowest level in 77 years , which experts blame on mismanagement and corruption .

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Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido called Monday on the armed forces to back a boycott of December's contested legislative polls and help escalate international pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.
In an address on social media, Guaido urged the military high command to join a "unity pact" of opposition forces to block the holding of the December 6 polls.
"Stop hiding behind the dictator's skirts, stop ignoring the reality in Venezuela," Guaido said in a message addressed to the high command, considered the main pillar of Maduro's rule, along with allies Russia and Iran.
"We are willing to sit down once again with those who are needed to achieve a transition," Guaido said.
In January 2019, National Assembly speaker Guaido challenged Maduro's authority by declaring himself acting president, claiming that Maduro had stolen his 2018 re-election in a rigged vote.
Since then the opposition has tried unsuccessfully to displace Maduro, including an abortive April 2019 military uprising organized by Guaido which failed to muster much support.
Guaido and leading opposition figures vowed to boycott the December 6 elections over a lack of transparency after the Maduro-friendly Supreme Court appointed election officials -- a role that should have been conducted by the opposition-controlled legislature.
Some 37 opposition parties are backing the election boycott and a so-called pact proposing to "increase international pressure against the dictatorship," according to Guaido.
However, some prominent opposition figures, have spoken out in favor of participation in the polls, including Henrique Capriles, a widely-respected figure who has twice run for the presidency.
Another prominent opposition lawmaker, Stalin Gonzales, also publicly split from the pro-boycott group last week, saying that mobilizing opposition at the ballot box would be more effective than a boycott.
Maduro's socialist government is targeted by a slew of international sanctions, including a US oil embargo, and he and his close associates are under indictment for drug trafficking by the US Department of Justice.
Venezuela is sitting on the world's largest proven oil reserves but under Maduro's watch, the country has descended into crisis.
Poverty has soared, inflation is the highest in the world, and oil production is down to its lowest level in 77 years, which experts blame on mismanagement and corruption.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-07--Italy edge Netherlands as Haaland hits brace in Norway rout

Nicolo Barella celebrates his goal against the Dutch in Amsterdam Nicolo Barella extended Italy 's two-year unbeaten run as he scored the winner in Monday 's 1-0 victory away to the Netherlands in the Nations League while Erling Haaland netted twice for Norway in a 5-1 thrashing of Northern Ireland .
Roberto Mancini 's Italy saw their record 11-match winning streak end with last week 's draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina but got the best of the Netherlands in Amsterdam courtesy of Inter Milan midfielder Barella 's header in first-half stoppage time .
`` It was a great performance by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personality .
We earned a great result and we are all happy , especially with the performance , '' said winger Lorenzo Insigne .
`` We could have scored more goals and killed the game but we still earned the three points .
That is what counts most . ''
However there was concern for Nicolo Zaniolo who limped off with a knee problem .
The Roma midfielder had only returned from a serious left knee injury in the summer .
Italy move top of League A , Group 1 while Poland registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over Bosnia in Zeneca despite the continued absence of rested striker Robert Lewandowski .
Haris Hajradinovic put Bosnia ahead on 24 minutes with a penalty but Kamil Glik 's powerful header pulled Poland level at the break before Kamil Grosicki nodded home the winner .
Romania came out on top against Austria in Klagenfurt , with Denis Alibec , Dragos Grigore and Alexandru Maxim on target in a 3-2 victory .
Christoph Baumgartner had equalised for the hosts and Karim Onisiwo struck a late consolation as Austria ceded top place in League B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norway shook off their opening loss to Austria as Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland helped tear apart Northern Ireland in Belfast .
Paddy McNair cancelled out Mohamed Elyounoussi 's fine finish but Haaland , who struck his first international goal in Friday 's defeat , thumped in from the edge of the area to restore Norway 's lead .
Alexander Sorloth scored twice , the second via an assist from Haaland who completed the scoring on the hour with another superb finish .
Scotland scraped past an inexperienced Czech Republic 2-1 in Olomouc to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 .
The Czechs on Sunday announced a squad comprising 21 newcomers for the Scotland encounter after two backroom staff tested positive for Covid-19 .
Jakub Pesek put the home side in front early but Scotland hit back through Lyndon Dykes who grabbed his first international goal on 27 minutes .
Captain Andy Robertson then won a penalty and Ryan Christie converted the resulting spot-kick for Steve Clarke 's men .
`` It was far from ideal for them but it was n't ideal for us , '' Robertson told Sky Sports .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the group and we ca n't complain .
We were probably on a hiding to nothing . ''

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Nicolo Barella extended Italy's two-year unbeaten run as he scored the winner in Monday's 1-0 victory away to the Netherlands in the Nations League while Erling Haaland netted twice for Norway in a 5-1 thrashing of Northern Ireland.
Roberto Mancini's Italy saw their record 11-match winning streak end with last week's draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina but got the best of the Netherlands in Amsterdam courtesy of Inter Milan midfielder Barella's header in first-half stoppage time.
"It was a great performance by the entire team, we played with personality. We earned a great result and we are all happy, especially with the performance," said winger Lorenzo Insigne.
"We could have scored more goals and killed the game but we still earned the three points. That is what counts most."
However there was concern for Nicolo Zaniolo who limped off with a knee problem. The Roma midfielder had only returned from a serious left knee injury in the summer.
Italy move top of League A, Group 1 while Poland registered their first points after a 2-1 win over Bosnia in Zeneca despite the continued absence of rested striker Robert Lewandowski.
Haris Hajradinovic put Bosnia ahead on 24 minutes with a penalty but Kamil Glik's powerful header pulled Poland level at the break before Kamil Grosicki nodded home the winner.
Romania came out on top against Austria in Klagenfurt, with Denis Alibec, Dragos Grigore and Alexandru Maxim on target in a 3-2 victory.
Christoph Baumgartner had equalised for the hosts and Karim Onisiwo struck a late consolation as Austria ceded top place in League B, Group 1 to their opponents.
Norway shook off their opening loss to Austria as Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland helped tear apart Northern Ireland in Belfast.
Paddy McNair cancelled out Mohamed Elyounoussi's fine finish but Haaland, who struck his first international goal in Friday's defeat, thumped in from the edge of the area to restore Norway's lead.
Alexander Sorloth scored twice, the second via an assist from Haaland who completed the scoring on the hour with another superb finish.
Scotland scraped past an inexperienced Czech Republic 2-1 in Olomouc to go top of League B, Group 2.
The Czechs on Sunday announced a squad comprising 21 newcomers for the Scotland encounter after two backroom staff tested positive for Covid-19.
Jakub Pesek put the home side in front early but Scotland hit back through Lyndon Dykes who grabbed his first international goal on 27 minutes.
Captain Andy Robertson then won a penalty and Ryan Christie converted the resulting spot-kick for Steve Clarke's men.
"It was far from ideal for them but it wasn't ideal for us," Robertson told Sky Sports.
"Three points, we're top of the group and we can't complain. We were probably on a hiding to nothing."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-07--Mother's daughter: Serena to teach Olympia tennis

Serena Williams issued an ominous warning to budding young tennis players on Monday -- her three-year-old daughter loves the game and will soon take it up .
`` She 's a fan of tennis , she loves watching , she comes out and watches me practice , '' Williams said of Olympia after moving into the US Open last eight .
The toddler was seen smiling and waving at her mother during Williams ' third-round win against Sloane Stephens inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday .
`` She loves when I practice on this court because she can sit and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greece 's Maria Sakkari in the last 16 on Arthur Ashe .
`` She 's three now .
I 'm like , ' I got ta put my career aside and get her a racquet in her hand .
`` Seriously , that 's what I told my husband yesterday .
I 'm like , 'We got to get a racquet in her hand , '' Williams added .
The 23-time Grand Slam winner defeated Sakkari 6-3 , 6-7 ( 6/8 ) , 6-3 to set up a last-eight clash with Tsvetana Pironkova @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Bulgarian is playing in her first tournament in three years after giving birth to a son .

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Serena Williams issued an ominous warning to budding young tennis players on Monday -- her three-year-old daughter loves the game and will soon take it up.
"She's a fan of tennis, she loves watching, she comes out and watches me practice," Williams said of Olympia after moving into the US Open last eight.
The toddler was seen smiling and waving at her mother during Williams' third-round win against Sloane Stephens inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday.
"She loves when I practice on this court because she can sit and watch," Williams said after beating Greece's Maria Sakkari in the last 16 on Arthur Ashe.
"She's three now. I'm like, 'I gotta put my career aside and get her a racquet in her hand.
"Seriously, that's what I told my husband yesterday. I'm like, 'We got to get a racquet in her hand," Williams added.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner defeated Sakkari 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 to set up a last-eight clash with Tsvetana Pironkova, who is also a mother.
The Bulgarian is playing in her first tournament in three years after giving birth to a son.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-07--US aviation authority investigating Boeing 787 manufacturing flaws

A Boeing 787 of Japan Airlines ( JAL ) at the gate at San Francisco International Airport ( SFO ) on July 30 , 2020 : Boeing has reported that parts in eight of its 787 airplanes do not meet its production standards The US aviation authority is investigating manufacturing flaws in the Boeing 787 after the company reported that certain plane parts did not conform to its production standards .
Boeing determined that eight planes affected by the issue needed to be inspected and repaired before they could be returned to service .
`` We immediately contacted the airlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notify them of the situation , and the airplanes have been temporarily removed from service until they can be repaired , '' the US aviation giant said Monday in a statement .
`` The rest of the in-service fleet has been determined to meet limit load capability , and we are inspecting production airplanes to ensure any issues are addressed prior to delivery , '' Boeing added .
According to an internal Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) memo seen by the Wall Street Journal , the regulator could be looking at quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 10 years .
The investigation could lead to enhanced inspections of hundreds of planes , the Journal reported Monday .
`` It is too early to speculate about the nature or extent of any proposed Airworthiness Directives that might arise from the agency 's investigation , '' the FAA told AFP .
Boeing identified two issues with the manufacture of the join in a portion of the fuselage in some 787s that , `` in combination , result in a condition that does not meet our design standards .
`` We notified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review into the root cause , '' Boeing said .
The Seattle-based plane manufacturer , one of the most important suppliers for the Pentagon , is going through a long rough period .
Order cancellations are piling up for the flagship 737 MAX aircraft , which has been grounded for more than a year after two fatal accidents that killed 346 people and revelations that have tarnished the company 's image .
Appetite for the 787 , its latest revolutionary model , has diminished considerably .
Hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United States ' power , found itself in a humiliating position in March when it sought to raise funds on the markets to finance its battered operations -- without success .
The manufacturer claims 17,000 suppliers in the US and 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs .

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The US aviation authority is investigating manufacturing flaws in the Boeing 787 after the company reported that certain plane parts did not conform to its production standards.
Boeing determined that eight planes affected by the issue needed to be inspected and repaired before they could be returned to service.
"We immediately contacted the airlines that operate the eight affected planes to notify them of the situation, and the airplanes have been temporarily removed from service until they can be repaired," the US aviation giant said Monday in a statement.
"The rest of the in-service fleet has been determined to meet limit load capability, and we are inspecting production airplanes to ensure any issues are addressed prior to delivery," Boeing added.
According to an internal Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) memo seen by the Wall Street Journal, the regulator could be looking at quality control errors that may have potentially lasted for 10 years.
The investigation could lead to enhanced inspections of hundreds of planes, the Journal reported Monday.
"It is too early to speculate about the nature or extent of any proposed Airworthiness Directives that might arise from the agency's investigation," the FAA told AFP.
Boeing identified two issues with the manufacture of the join in a portion of the fuselage in some 787s that, "in combination, result in a condition that does not meet our design standards.
"We notified the FAA and are conducting a thorough review into the root cause," Boeing said.
The Seattle-based plane manufacturer, one of the most important suppliers for the Pentagon, is going through a long rough period.
Order cancellations are piling up for the flagship 737 MAX aircraft, which has been grounded for more than a year after two fatal accidents that killed 346 people and revelations that have tarnished the company's image.
Appetite for the 787, its latest revolutionary model, has diminished considerably.
Hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, Boeing, often viewed as a symbol of the United States' power, found itself in a humiliating position in March when it sought to raise funds on the markets to finance its battered operations -- without success.
The manufacturer claims 17,000 suppliers in the US and 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-07--Scotland squeeze beyond newly-assembled Czech Republic squad

Scotland avoided an embarrassing night in Olomouc by coming from behind to beat an inexperienced Czech Republic side assembled just two days ago , 2-1 in the Nations League on Monday .
The Czechs released their entire first-choice squad and coaching staff after Friday 's 3-1 win in Slovakia over fears a coronavirus outbreak in the squad could spread .
After initially announcing the game would be postponed , the Czech football association agreed to name an entirely new squad and coaching staff , consisting of just two players to have previously been capped at senior level by their country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international new boys who gave the hosts a shock lead 12 minutes in as Jakub Pesek ghosted in behind Scott McTominay to control a Stanislav Tecl pass and slot beyond a helpless David Marshall .
Scotland boss Steve Clarke made five changes from a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Israel on Friday and the visitors looked disjointed with Manchester United 's McTominay in particular uncomfortable as a makeshift centre-back .
Clarke had dropped Kieran Tierney as he abandoned trying to fit two natural left-backs in the Arsenal defender and Liverpool 's Andy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robertson did look more like he does at club level as the Scotland captain played a big part in both goals .
His crossfield pass picked out Liam Palmer , whose teasing low cross into the box was prodded home by Lyndon Dykes for his first international goal on 27 minutes .
Robertson then won a penalty seven minutes into the second half with a purposeful run into the box before he was chopped down by Tomas Malinsky and Ryan Christie converted the resulting spot-kick .
However , it was the young Czechs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they hit the woodwork twice in the search for an equaliser .
Marek Havlik 's thunderous free-kick came back off the post before Marshall produced a brilliant save to deny Pesek and Tecl fired the rebound wide with the goal gaping .
Antonin Rusek 's looping header then clipped the post as the game entered stoppage time , but Scotland clung on to move top of League B , Group 2 .

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Scotland avoided an embarrassing night in Olomouc by coming from behind to beat an inexperienced Czech Republic side assembled just two days ago, 2-1 in the Nations League on Monday.
The Czechs released their entire first-choice squad and coaching staff after Friday's 3-1 win in Slovakia over fears a coronavirus outbreak in the squad could spread.
After initially announcing the game would be postponed, the Czech football association agreed to name an entirely new squad and coaching staff, consisting of just two players to have previously been capped at senior level by their country.
But it was one of the international new boys who gave the hosts a shock lead 12 minutes in as Jakub Pesek ghosted in behind Scott McTominay to control a Stanislav Tecl pass and slot beyond a helpless David Marshall.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke made five changes from a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Israel on Friday and the visitors looked disjointed with Manchester United's McTominay in particular uncomfortable as a makeshift centre-back.
Clarke had dropped Kieran Tierney as he abandoned trying to fit two natural left-backs in the Arsenal defender and Liverpool's Andy Robertson into the same side.
And Robertson did look more like he does at club level as the Scotland captain played a big part in both goals.
His crossfield pass picked out Liam Palmer, whose teasing low cross into the box was prodded home by Lyndon Dykes for his first international goal on 27 minutes.
Robertson then won a penalty seven minutes into the second half with a purposeful run into the box before he was chopped down by Tomas Malinsky and Ryan Christie converted the resulting spot-kick.
However, it was the young Czechs who then dominated the final half hour as they hit the woodwork twice in the search for an equaliser.
Marek Havlik's thunderous free-kick came back off the post before Marshall produced a brilliant save to deny Pesek and Tecl fired the rebound wide with the goal gaping.
Antonin Rusek's looping header then clipped the post as the game entered stoppage time, but Scotland clung on to move top of League B, Group 2.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-07--Impressive Italy beat Dutch to take top spot

Nicolo Barella scored the decisive goal in a hard-fought win over the Netherlands in Amsterdam Italy moved top of their UEFA Nations League group on Monday after an impressive 1-0 win over the Netherlands that showcased why hopes were high for a strong showing at the postponed Euro 2020 .
Nicolo Barella 's bullet header in first half stoppage time was enough for Roberto Mancini 's side to take all three points in Amsterdam and take top spot in League A , Group 1 .
The 'Azzurri ' are a point ahead of the Dutch , who are playing under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's defection to Barcelona , and third-placed Poland following their 2-1 away win over Bosnia and Herzegovina .
`` I 'm happy for the mentality , the performance , the boys really played brilliantly , '' said Mancini .
`` You do n't win 11 games in a row if you do n't have a good mentality .
The teams we beat were n't as good as the Netherlands or Germany , but winning games is still tough . ''
Mancini made seven changes from the team that drew 1-1 with Bosnia on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and his team dominated at the Johan Cruijff Arena .
Lorenzo Insigne , Ciro Immobile and Leonardo Spinazzola all had plenty of joy attacking down the left flank , with left-back Spinazzola creating the first chance of the game with a rapid burst towards the byline in the 17th minute .
His cross found his Roma teammate Nicolo Zaniolo who was unlucky to not open the scoring with an acrobatic bicycle kick .
Two minutes later Immobile cut from the same flank before firing a shot just wide , and 10 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn to charge in from the left and curl a decent effort just wide of the far post .
Things took a turn for the worse for Italy when rising star Zaniolo limped off with looked like a knee problem , a worry for the 21-year-old who only returned from a serious left knee injury in the summer .
After the match Italy 's chief doctor Andrea Ferretti confirmed that it was a `` significant sprain '' , adding that `` he is worried , as are we . ''
However with Moise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to impress and in stoppage time Barella gave the away side a deserved lead , crashing home a header from an Immobile cross -- again from the left .
The hosts started the second half on the back foot but would have been level in the 55th minute had Gianluigi Donnarumma not tipped over Donny van de Beek 's stinging close-range drive .
However Italy continued to cause the Dutch problems , wasting a host of promising positions against a Netherlands team that lacked the vitality of the side Koeman had led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have put the result beyond doubt as the Dutch pushed hard for a leveller in added time but after rounding Jasper Cillessen could only shank his shot wide .

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Italy moved top of their UEFA Nations League group on Monday after an impressive 1-0 win over the Netherlands that showcased why hopes were high for a strong showing at the postponed Euro 2020.
Nicolo Barella's bullet header in first half stoppage time was enough for Roberto Mancini's side to take all three points in Amsterdam and take top spot in League A, Group 1.
The 'Azzurri' are a point ahead of the Dutch, who are playing under interim coach Dwight Lodeweges following Ronald Koeman's defection to Barcelona, and third-placed Poland following their 2-1 away win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I'm happy for the mentality, the performance, the boys really played brilliantly," said Mancini.
"You don't win 11 games in a row if you don't have a good mentality. The teams we beat weren't as good as the Netherlands or Germany, but winning games is still tough."
Mancini made seven changes from the team that drew 1-1 with Bosnia on Friday, ending an 11-match winning streak, and his team dominated at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile and Leonardo Spinazzola all had plenty of joy attacking down the left flank, with left-back Spinazzola creating the first chance of the game with a rapid burst towards the byline in the 17th minute.
His cross found his Roma teammate Nicolo Zaniolo who was unlucky to not open the scoring with an acrobatic bicycle kick.
Two minutes later Immobile cut from the same flank before firing a shot just wide, and 10 minutes before the break it was Insigne's turn to charge in from the left and curl a decent effort just wide of the far post.
Things took a turn for the worse for Italy when rising star Zaniolo limped off with looked like a knee problem, a worry for the 21-year-old who only returned from a serious left knee injury in the summer.
After the match Italy's chief doctor Andrea Ferretti confirmed that it was a "significant sprain", adding that "he is worried, as are we."
However with Moise Kean on in his place Italy continued to impress and in stoppage time Barella gave the away side a deserved lead, crashing home a header from an Immobile cross -- again from the left.
The hosts started the second half on the back foot but would have been level in the 55th minute had Gianluigi Donnarumma not tipped over Donny van de Beek's stinging close-range drive.
However Italy continued to cause the Dutch problems, wasting a host of promising positions against a Netherlands team that lacked the vitality of the side Koeman had led to qualification for Euro 2020.
Kean should have put the result beyond doubt as the Dutch pushed hard for a leveller in added time but after rounding Jasper Cillessen could only shank his shot wide.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-07--Serena undecided over French Open, wants to stay in apartment

Serena Williams said Monday she wanted to talk to French Open organizers about safety protocols before confirming whether she 'll play , adding she 'd hoped to stay in her apartment during the Slam .
The French Open tournament director announced Monday that all players at Roland Garros will be housed in two designated hotels `` without exception , '' to reduce the risks from coronavirus .
But Williams , who has been allowed to stay in a private house during her US Open bid , suggested it was illogical to be so strict over accommodation when spectators would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there are fans , then we should be able to stay elsewhere , then , '' Williams told reporters after moving into the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows .
`` Yeah , that 's interesting , because there is no private housing but there 's fans , '' she then added .
The 23-time Grand Slam winner has a history of serious lung problems that put her health at risk during the pandemic .
She suffered a pulmonary embolism while giving birth to daughter Olympia in 2017 , the second time she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Williams said she had been `` hoping '' to stay in her apartment in Paris but added that French Open organizers were doing their best in difficult circumstances .
She said she would have to speak to them about how it will work with fans .
`` I 'm super conservative because I do have some serious health issues , so I try to stay away from public places , because I have been in a really bad position in the hospital a few times , '' Williams explained .
`` So I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that position again , so I do n't know .
I 'll just do my best to continue to keep -- for me , I try to keep a 12-foot distance instead of six . ''
She added that it `` should be okay '' for her to participate but that she would n't rush into making a decision .
`` I 'm honestly taking it one day at a time .
I 'm going to have to make the best decision for my health , '' Williams said .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I 'm really kind of , ironically , focused on New York but it 's kind of hard because these Grand Slams are so close to each other this year , '' she added .

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Serena Williams said Monday she wanted to talk to French Open organizers about safety protocols before confirming whether she'll play, adding she'd hoped to stay in her apartment during the Slam.
The French Open tournament director announced Monday that all players at Roland Garros will be housed in two designated hotels "without exception," to reduce the risks from coronavirus.
But Williams, who has been allowed to stay in a private house during her US Open bid, suggested it was illogical to be so strict over accommodation when spectators would be present in arenas.
"Well, if there are fans, then we should be able to stay elsewhere, then," Williams told reporters after moving into the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows.
"Yeah, that's interesting, because there is no private housing but there's fans," she then added.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner has a history of serious lung problems that put her health at risk during the pandemic.
She suffered a pulmonary embolism while giving birth to daughter Olympia in 2017, the second time she has needed emergency treatment for the problem.
Williams said she had been "hoping" to stay in her apartment in Paris but added that French Open organizers were doing their best in difficult circumstances.
She said she would have to speak to them about how it will work with fans.
"I'm super conservative because I do have some serious health issues, so I try to stay away from public places, because I have been in a really bad position in the hospital a few times," Williams explained.
"So I don't want to end up in that position again, so I don't know. I'll just do my best to continue to keep -- for me, I try to keep a 12-foot distance instead of six."
She added that it "should be okay" for her to participate but that she wouldn't rush into making a decision.
"I'm honestly taking it one day at a time. I'm going to have to make the best decision for my health," Williams said.
"It's just, I still have some questions, but I'm really kind of, ironically, focused on New York but it's kind of hard because these Grand Slams are so close to each other this year," she added.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-07--Haaland scores twice as Norway hammer Northern Ireland

Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth scored twice as Norway thrashed Northern Ireland 5-1 in the Nations League on Monday to hand Ian Baraclough a humbling home debut as manager .
Three goals came inside the first eight minutes as Mohamed Elyounoussi 's fine finish was cancelled out by Paddy McNair 's equaliser before Borussia Dortmund 's Haaland produced the first of two thumping finishes .
Sorloth could also be heading to the Bundesliga in the coming weeks with RB Leipzig interested in his services after a prolific season at Trabzonspor on loan from Crystal Palace .
He headed home the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before he benefited from Haaland 's unselfishness to roll home Norway 's fourth early in the second half .
Haaland scored his first international goal in defeat to Austria on Friday and the 20-year-old showed why he is regarded as one of the rising stars of European football with another curling effort into the top corner to round off the scoring .
Both sides ' next fixtures are Euro 2020 playoff semi-finals next month but it is the Norwegians who will have far more confidence heading into their clash at home to Serbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pieces ahead of a tough trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina .

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Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth scored twice as Norway thrashed Northern Ireland 5-1 in the Nations League on Monday to hand Ian Baraclough a humbling home debut as manager.
Three goals came inside the first eight minutes as Mohamed Elyounoussi's fine finish was cancelled out by Paddy McNair's equaliser before Borussia Dortmund's Haaland produced the first of two thumping finishes.
Sorloth could also be heading to the Bundesliga in the coming weeks with RB Leipzig interested in his services after a prolific season at Trabzonspor on loan from Crystal Palace.
He headed home the first of his double on 20 minutes before he benefited from Haaland's unselfishness to roll home Norway's fourth early in the second half.
Haaland scored his first international goal in defeat to Austria on Friday and the 20-year-old showed why he is regarded as one of the rising stars of European football with another curling effort into the top corner to round off the scoring.
Both sides' next fixtures are Euro 2020 playoff semi-finals next month but it is the Norwegians who will have far more confidence heading into their clash at home to Serbia, while Baraclough has to pick up the pieces ahead of a tough trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Hong Kong activist charged under archaic sedition law

Hong Kong 's Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaking to the media on September 8 .
She said criticism of the government would not violate any legislation A prominent Hong Kong democracy activist on Tuesday became the first person to be charged with sedition since the city was returned to Chinese rule as authorities widened their pursuit of critics in the financial hub .
Democracy campaigner and radio DJ Tam Tak-chi appeared in court on Tuesday facing five counts of `` uttering seditious words '' under a rarely used colonial-era law .
His prosecution comes just two months after Beijing imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong to stamp out pro-democracy unrest , a move that drew condemnation from many Western nations and UN rights experts .
China argued the sweeping new law was needed to plug a lack of national security legislation in the restless city .
But the case against Tam uses a colonial sedition law that has been on the books since 1938 and will deepen fears that speech is being increasingly criminalised in the semi-autonomous hub .
The South China Morning Post on Tuesday said it was the first sedition charge since Hong Kong was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1997 .
Tam is just the latest in a line of government critics to face prosecution in the months since Hong Kong was rocked last year by huge and often violent pro-democracy protests .
He was arrested on Sunday by a new Hong Kong police unit formed to investigate national security crimes .
Officers said the 47-year-old was held for using words `` inciting hatred , contempt against the government and causing discontent and dissatisfaction among the Hong Kong people '' .
Local media on Tuesday said Tam was denied bail and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
They included the popular protest slogans `` Liberate Hong Kong .
Revolution of our times '' , `` Five demands , not one less '' and `` Disband the police force '' , as well as the less commonly heard phrase `` Death to corrupted police families '' .
Hong Kong authorities have been at pains to convince a sceptical public that freedoms will not be curtailed , but a climate of fear is sweeping the city under the new law .
Hours before Tam appeared in court , city leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not violate any legislation .
`` I can frankly say that criticising the chief executive will not become a violation as stated in the laws , '' she said .
But , Lam said , `` there are certain circumstances where the law restricts freedom of speech '' .

Hong Kong (AFP) –
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A prominent Hong Kong democracy activist on Tuesday became the first person to be charged with sedition since the city was returned to Chinese rule as authorities widened their pursuit of critics in the financial hub.
Democracy campaigner and radio DJ Tam Tak-chi appeared in court on Tuesday facing five counts of "uttering seditious words" under a rarely used colonial-era law.
His prosecution comes just two months after Beijing imposed a separate national security law on Hong Kong to stamp out pro-democracy unrest, a move that drew condemnation from many Western nations and UN rights experts.
China argued the sweeping new law was needed to plug a lack of national security legislation in the restless city.
But the case against Tam uses a colonial sedition law that has been on the books since 1938 and will deepen fears that speech is being increasingly criminalised in the semi-autonomous hub.
The South China Morning Post on Tuesday said it was the first sedition charge since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.
Tam is just the latest in a line of government critics to face prosecution in the months since Hong Kong was rocked last year by huge and often violent pro-democracy protests.
He was arrested on Sunday by a new Hong Kong police unit formed to investigate national security crimes.
Officers said the 47-year-old was held for using words "inciting hatred, contempt against the government and causing discontent and dissatisfaction among the Hong Kong people".
Local media on Tuesday said Tam was denied bail and that prosecutors gave examples of "seditious slogans".
They included the popular protest slogans "Liberate Hong Kong. Revolution of our times", "Five demands, not one less" and "Disband the police force", as well as the less commonly heard phrase "Death to corrupted police families".
Hong Kong authorities have been at pains to convince a sceptical public that freedoms will not be curtailed, but a climate of fear is sweeping the city under the new law.
Hours before Tam appeared in court, city leader Carrie Lam said criticism of the government would not violate any legislation.
"I can frankly say that criticising the chief executive will not become a violation as stated in the laws," she said.
But, Lam said, "there are certain circumstances where the law restricts freedom of speech".
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Tour de France director positive for Covid-19 but peloton negative

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme , speaking to the peloton before the first stage , has tested positive for Covid-19 Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has tested positive for Covid-19 but all the riders in the peloton were negative , organisers said on Tuesday .
Prudhomme must now leave the race for a week to go into quarantine .
Prudhomme , who is asymptomatic , said he had tested negative for coronavirus three times before the start of this year 's race on `` the 6 , 20 and 27 of August '' .
His role as chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of social events during the race .
On Saturday he accompanied French Prime Minister Jean Castex when the premier visited the race .
`` I leave the Tour now for a week , I 'm going to do what any French employee would in this kind of case , '' he confirmed to AFP .
`` I 'll be watching the Tour on television , something I have n't done for 15 years , '' added Prudhomme who has been in charge of the Tour since 2007 .
He said he was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying `` the riders live like monks or soldiers '' .
Intense interest had surrounded the results of the 652 swab tests as the riders were arriving by bus at the stage 10 start line on the Atlantic Island of Oleron .
Under the strict coronavirus protocol in place any team that returned two or more positive PCR tests , be they riders , managers , doctors , masseurs or mechanics , risk expulsion .
The test results were announced ahead of Tuesday 's spectacular run between the two Atlantic Islands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now connected to the French mainland by road bridges .

Saint-Martin-de-Ré (France) (AFP) –
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Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has tested positive for Covid-19 but all the riders in the peloton were negative, organisers said on Tuesday.
Prudhomme must now leave the race for a week to go into quarantine.
Prudhomme, who is asymptomatic, said he had tested negative for coronavirus three times before the start of this year's race on "the 6, 20 and 27 of August".
His role as chief organiser means he attends a large number of social events during the race. On Saturday he accompanied French Prime Minister Jean Castex when the premier visited the race.
"I leave the Tour now for a week, I'm going to do what any French employee would in this kind of case," he confirmed to AFP.
"I'll be watching the Tour on television, something I haven't done for 15 years," added Prudhomme who has been in charge of the Tour since 2007.
He said he was not surprised that the peloton were all negative, saying "the riders live like monks or soldiers".
Intense interest had surrounded the results of the 652 swab tests as the riders were arriving by bus at the stage 10 start line on the Atlantic Island of Oleron.
Under the strict coronavirus protocol in place any team that returned two or more positive PCR tests, be they riders, managers, doctors, masseurs or mechanics, risk expulsion.
The test results were announced ahead of Tuesday's spectacular run between the two Atlantic Islands of Oleron and Re, both of which are now connected to the French mainland by road bridges.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Taiwan urges international alliance to safeguard regional stability

Taiwan 's president called Tuesday for democratic countries to combat China 's regional expansionism , saying the alliance would safeguard `` freedom ... human rights and democracy '' .
Although Tsai Ing-wen did not mention China by name , there was no mistaking who she was referring to in a speech Tuesday to an Asia-Pacific security forum in Taipei .
She said Taiwan -- which China regards as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize -- was at the forefront of `` defending democracy from authoritarian aggression '' .
Tsai regards Taiwan as a de facto sovereign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaration of independence -- a move Beijing has long warned could spark a war .
China has upped the pressure on Taiwan since Tsai came to power in 2016 , as she refuses to acknowledge its idea that the island is part of `` one China '' .
She did not name Beijing , but cited military movements in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait as well as `` coercive diplomacy used against countries and corporations '' .
`` It is time for like-minded countries , and democratic friends ... to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressive actions , '' Tsai said , stressing that one country alone could maintain regional peace and security .
`` This alliance will safeguard the values we cherish most : freedom , safety , human rights and democracy , '' she said .
She also called for economic integration to avoid seeking `` short-term solutions with those who do not share our values and beliefs '' .
Last month China 's military fired missiles into the disputed South China Sea -- parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and a string of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taiwan almost daily in June and made a brief incursion across the median line of the Taiwan Strait in early August , as the US health chief was making his country 's highest-level visit to Taiwan since 1979 .
China bristles at any move by foreign governments to recognise or conduct official exchanges with Taipei , and was infuriated by the visit -- as well as one by the Czech Republic 's senate president last week .
Tsai won a landslide re-election in January in what was seen as a strong rebuke to @ @ @ @ @

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Taiwan's president called Tuesday for democratic countries to combat China's regional expansionism, saying the alliance would safeguard "freedom... human rights and democracy".
Although Tsai Ing-wen did not mention China by name, there was no mistaking who she was referring to in a speech Tuesday to an Asia-Pacific security forum in Taipei.
She said Taiwan -- which China regards as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize -- was at the forefront of "defending democracy from authoritarian aggression".
Tsai regards Taiwan as a de facto sovereign nation, but has resisted any formal declaration of independence -- a move Beijing has long warned could spark a war.
China has upped the pressure on Taiwan since Tsai came to power in 2016, as she refuses to acknowledge its idea that the island is part of "one China".
She did not name Beijing, but cited military movements in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait as well as "coercive diplomacy used against countries and corporations".
"It is time for like-minded countries, and democratic friends... to maintain a strategic order that deters unilateral aggressive actions," Tsai said, stressing that one country alone could maintain regional peace and security.
"This alliance will safeguard the values we cherish most: freedom, safety, human rights and democracy," she said.
She also called for economic integration to avoid seeking "short-term solutions with those who do not share our values and beliefs".
Last month China's military fired missiles into the disputed South China Sea -- parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and a string of other countries.
Chinese jets also buzzed Taiwan almost daily in June and made a brief incursion across the median line of the Taiwan Strait in early August, as the US health chief was making his country's highest-level visit to Taiwan since 1979.
China bristles at any move by foreign governments to recognise or conduct official exchanges with Taipei, and was infuriated by the visit -- as well as one by the Czech Republic's senate president last week.
Tsai won a landslide re-election in January in what was seen as a strong rebuke to Beijing's strong-arm tactics.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--England's Greenwood sorry for coronavirus breach

Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has apologised for the embarrassment caused by his breach of coronavirus regulations while on England duty in Iceland .
The 18-year-old said he had learned a lesson from the incident , which resulted in his being dropped from the squad for Tuesday 's Nations League match in Denmark , along with Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden .
England manager Gareth Southgate refused to comment on the nature of the breach but media reports said the pair left the bio-secure bubble to meet two local girls .
Both players have been fined 250,000 Icelandic krona ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police and the Football Association said it would be launching a full investigation .
`` Having now had the chance to reflect on what 's happened , I can only apologise to everyone for the embarrassment I have caused , '' Greenwood said in a statement .
`` It was irresponsible of me to break the Covid-19 protocols which are in place to protect players , staff and the public .
`` In particular , I want to apologise to Gareth Southgate , for letting him down when he had shown great trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Playing for England was one of the proudest moments in my life and I only have myself to blame for this huge mistake .
`` I promise my family , the fans , Manchester United and England that this is a lesson I will learn from . ''
Foden , 20 , issued an apology on social media on Monday , saying he would learn a `` valuable lesson '' .

London (AFP) –
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Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has apologised for the embarrassment caused by his breach of coronavirus regulations while on England duty in Iceland.
The 18-year-old said he had learned a lesson from the incident, which resulted in his being dropped from the squad for Tuesday's Nations League match in Denmark, along with Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden.
England manager Gareth Southgate refused to comment on the nature of the breach but media reports said the pair left the bio-secure bubble to meet two local girls.
Both players have been fined 250,000 Icelandic krona ($1,800, £1,350) by Reykjavik police and the Football Association said it would be launching a full investigation.
"Having now had the chance to reflect on what's happened, I can only apologise to everyone for the embarrassment I have caused," Greenwood said in a statement.
"It was irresponsible of me to break the Covid-19 protocols which are in place to protect players, staff and the public.
"In particular, I want to apologise to Gareth Southgate, for letting him down when he had shown great trust in me."
Greenwood added: "Playing for England was one of the proudest moments in my life and I only have myself to blame for this huge mistake.
"I promise my family, the fans, Manchester United and England that this is a lesson I will learn from."
Foden, 20, issued an apology on social media on Monday, saying he would learn a "valuable lesson".
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Tour de France director Prudhomme tests positive for Covid-19, all riders test negative

All 22 teams will start the 10th stage of the Tour de France after their riders tested negative for Covid-19 , organisers told Reuters on Tuesday , adding that four members of staff had returned positive tests .
French health authorities and organisers Amaury Sport Organisation ( ASO ) had said that should two members of a team , riders or staff , test positive for the novel coronavirus , the whole outfit would be excluded from the race .
But the organisers told Reuters that those testing positive were from different teams , meaning all could line up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The organisers also said race director Christian Prudhomme had tested positive .
All team members , riders and staff had until 1100 GMT on Monday , the Tour 's first rest day , to take a test in the mobile laboratory provided by organisers .
Four staff members of the Lotto Soudal team left the Tour two days before the start after two of them returned positive tests for Covid-19 .
Slovenian Primoz Roglic is the overall leader of the race ahead of defending champion Egan Bernal of Colombia heading into the 10th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d'Oleron Le Chateau-d'Oleron to Ile de Re Saint-Martin-de-Re .
France has recorded nearly 31,000 deaths from the virus since the pandemic began , according to a Reuters tally .

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has tested positive for Covid-19 but all the riders in the peloton were negative, organisers said on Tuesday.
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Prudhomme must now leave the race for a week to go into quarantine.
Prudhomme, who is asymptomatic, said he had tested negative for coronavirus three times before the start of this year’s race on “the 6, 20 and 27 of August”.
His role as chief organiser means he attends a large number of social events during the race. On Saturday he accompanied French Prime Minister Jean Castex when the premier visited the race.
“I leave the Tour now for a week, I’m going to do what any French employee would in this kind of case,” he confirmed to AFP.
“I’ll be watching the Tour on television, something I haven’t done for 15 years,” added Prudhomme who has been in charge of the Tour since 2007.
He said he was not surprised that the peloton were all negative, saying “the riders live like monks or soldiers”.
Tour de France Director Christian Prud'homme (right) and French Prime Minister Jean Castex (2nd right) applaud the riders during the 8th stage of the Tour de France cycling race on September 5, 2020. © Anne-Christine Poujoulat, AFP
Castex, meanwhile, is to undergo a Covid-19 test as a precaution after he shared a car with Prudhomme while following the race on Saturday, the prime minister’s office said on Tuesday.
Asked by Reuters about the contact, a representative of the prime minister’s office said: “They were both wearing masks and respecting social distancing. The prime minister is to undergo a new test, just in case.”
President Emmanuel Macron indicated that the weekly cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday could be delayed or held via video conference as a result.
#TDF2020 is also about 😷
Let's protect the race and its riders!
2⃣m away from the riders ⭕
0⃣ autographs ✍
2⃣ personal essentials: mask and hand gel 😷
0⃣ selfies 🤳
All supporters, all responsible.#TDFunited pic.twitter.com/2w5a9aSa74 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 8, 2020
Intense interest had surrounded the results of the 652 swab tests as the riders were arriving by bus at the stage 10 start line on the Atlantic Island of Oleron.
Under the strict coronavirus protocol in place any team that returned two or more positive PCR tests, be they riders, managers, doctors, masseurs or mechanics, risks expulsion.
The test results were announced ahead of Tuesday’s spectacular run between the two Atlantic Islands of Oleron and Re, both of which are now connected to the French mainland by road bridges.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-09-08--Russia says ready to help ease tensions in East Med

Moscow is prepared to help ease tensions in the eastern Mediterranean where Cyprus and Greece are embroiled in a standoff with Turkey over maritime and energy rights , visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday .
`` Russia considers that any further escalation would be unacceptable and calls on all parties to settle all conflicts exclusively through dialogue and on the basis of International law , '' Lavrov said .
`` We are ready to provide assistance to set up this dialogue if asked by the parties . ''
Tensions are running high over Turkey 's maritime drilling activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violate their sovereignty .
Turkey as well as Greece , Cyprus , France and Italy have recently staged military exercises , heightening fears the standoff could accidentally tip into conflict .
Lavrov was in Nicosia and met President Nicos Anastasiades to mark 60 years of Cyprus ' independence and bilateral relations with Russia .
But Russia 's top diplomat also used the occasion to take a swipe at US influence in the region , calling it an `` outside player '' .
`` There are other issues of concern to us about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the United States which is trying to create ( dividing ) lines and contribute to conflicts rather than peaceful solutions , '' Lavrov said .
`` This is a really sad fact because in the Eastern Mediterranean other approaches are needed , peaceful ways of promoting interests . ''
Although Lavrov did not elaborate , the comments come after Washington partially lifted a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus .
This is part of a wider partnership to promote closer energy and security ties between Washington and Cyprus , Greece and Israel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ praised the `` positive '' move by the United States to allow sales of non-lethal military equipment .
He rebuffed however a request from US ambassador Judith Garber to deny Russian military vessels access to Cypriot ports for refuelling and other services .
As a small country still under occupation , Cyprus has to maintain `` excellent relations with all permanent members of the UN Security Council '' , he insisted .
Such visits by military vessels `` are always welcome for as long as they are not using any of our ports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 , when Turkey occupied its northern third in response to a coup engineered by the military junta then ruling in Athens that sought to unite the island with Greece .
The breakaway part declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , but it is only recognised by Ankara .
Decades of stop-start talks , mostly under UN auspices , have failed to achieve reconciliation .

Nicosia (AFP) –
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Moscow is prepared to help ease tensions in the eastern Mediterranean where Cyprus and Greece are embroiled in a standoff with Turkey over maritime and energy rights, visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"Russia considers that any further escalation would be unacceptable and calls on all parties to settle all conflicts exclusively through dialogue and on the basis of International law," Lavrov said.
"We are ready to provide assistance to set up this dialogue if asked by the parties."
Tensions are running high over Turkey's maritime drilling activities which Cyprus and its ally Greece say violate their sovereignty.
Turkey as well as Greece, Cyprus, France and Italy have recently staged military exercises, heightening fears the standoff could accidentally tip into conflict.
Lavrov was in Nicosia and met President Nicos Anastasiades to mark 60 years of Cyprus' independence and bilateral relations with Russia.
But Russia's top diplomat also used the occasion to take a swipe at US influence in the region, calling it an "outside player".
"There are other issues of concern to us about the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean ... such as the United States which is trying to create (dividing) lines and contribute to conflicts rather than peaceful solutions," Lavrov said.
"This is a really sad fact because in the Eastern Mediterranean other approaches are needed, peaceful ways of promoting interests."
Although Lavrov did not elaborate, the comments come after Washington partially lifted a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus.
This is part of a wider partnership to promote closer energy and security ties between Washington and Cyprus, Greece and Israel.
Anastasiades in an AFP interview last week praised the "positive" move by the United States to allow sales of non-lethal military equipment.
He rebuffed however a request from US ambassador Judith Garber to deny Russian military vessels access to Cypriot ports for refuelling and other services.
As a small country still under occupation, Cyprus has to maintain "excellent relations with all permanent members of the UN Security Council", he insisted.
Such visits by military vessels "are always welcome for as long as they are not using any of our ports to attack our neighbours", he said.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey occupied its northern third in response to a coup engineered by the military junta then ruling in Athens that sought to unite the island with Greece.
The breakaway part declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but it is only recognised by Ankara. Decades of stop-start talks, mostly under UN auspices, have failed to achieve reconciliation.
burs-cc-fz/
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Brexit talks off to a rocky start

Brexit talks off to a rocky start

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france24--2020-09-08--TikTok warns parents over suicide video

TikTok warns parents over suicide video

TikTok is warning parents and users over a suicide video that has been embedded in a clip .
The video showing an American man taking his own life came from a Facebook livestream and has been uploaded to various social media platforms , sometimes edited into other , unrelated videos .
`` We 're aware that clips of a suicide that was livestreamed on Facebook have recently circulated on other platforms , including TikTok , '' TikTok tweeted on Monday .
The short-form video platform said its systems were automatically detecting and flagging the clips for violating its community guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips , and we appreciate our community members who 've reported content & warned others against watching , engaging , or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the individual & their loved ones , '' TikTok said .
TikTok , hugely popular with children and teenagers , suggests new videos from sources users do n't subscribe to on their For You pages .
Kirra Pendergast , CEO of Australian cyber safety provider Safe on Social , advised parents to keep young children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of days until all the clips had been found and removed .
`` This content is being quite widely shared so we want to minimize the damage as much as possible , '' she said on Facebook .
Pendergast said the clip was being shared on TikTok disguised as a video about kittens .
`` It 's woken a lot of parents up to what their kids can be exposed to , when kids as young as eight are using TikTok and could see this while thinking they 're watching a video of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents , '' she told the Sydney Morning Herald .

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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TikTok is warning parents and users over a suicide video that has been embedded in a clip.
The video showing an American man taking his own life came from a Facebook livestream and has been uploaded to various social media platforms, sometimes edited into other, unrelated videos.
"We're aware that clips of a suicide that was livestreamed on Facebook have recently circulated on other platforms, including TikTok," TikTok tweeted on Monday.
The short-form video platform said its systems were automatically detecting and flagging the clips for violating its community guidelines.
"We're removing content & banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips, and we appreciate our community members who've reported content & warned others against watching, engaging, or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the individual & their loved ones," TikTok said.
TikTok, hugely popular with children and teenagers, suggests new videos from sources users don't subscribe to on their For You pages.
Kirra Pendergast, CEO of Australian cyber safety provider Safe on Social, advised parents to keep young children off the site for the next couple of days until all the clips had been found and removed.
"This content is being quite widely shared so we want to minimize the damage as much as possible," she said on Facebook.
Pendergast said the clip was being shared on TikTok disguised as a video about kittens.
"It's woken a lot of parents up to what their kids can be exposed to, when kids as young as eight are using TikTok and could see this while thinking they're watching a video of a kitten. It's terrifying for parents," she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Iran's Khamenei says Mohammed cartoons 'unforgivable'

Iran 's supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , listens to a Koranic recital in the mosque in his Tehran residence late last month Iran 's supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , said Tuesday that cartoons of the prophet Mohammed that were republished by a French satirical magazine last week were `` unforgivable '' .
`` The grave and unforgivable sin committed by a French weekly in insulting the luminous and holy personality of ( the ) Prophet revealed , once more , the hostility and malicious grudge harboured by political and cultural organisations in the West against Islam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an English-language statement .
`` The excuse of ‘ freedom of expression ’ made by some French politicians in order not to condemn this grave crime of insulting the Holy Prophet of Islam is completely unacceptable , wrong and demagogic . ''
During a visit to Beirut last week , French President Emmanuel Macron said Charlie Hebdo had broken no law in republishing the cartoons to mark the September 2 opening of the trial into a deadly 2015 attack on its offices by Islamist extremists .
`` There is ... in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked to freedom of conscience , '' Macron said .
`` It is my job to protect all these freedoms . ''
Twelve people , including some of France 's most celebrated cartoonists , were killed on January 7 , 2015 , when brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi went on a gun rampage at the magazine 's Paris offices .
The perpetrators were killed in the aftermath of the massacre but 14 alleged accomplices in the attacks , which also targeted a Jewish supermarket , went on trial .
Despite its outrage at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the paper 's offices .

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Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tuesday that cartoons of the prophet Mohammed that were republished by a French satirical magazine last week were "unforgivable".
"The grave and unforgivable sin committed by a French weekly in insulting the luminous and holy personality of (the) Prophet revealed, once more, the hostility and malicious grudge harboured by political and cultural organisations in the West against Islam and the Muslim community," Khamenei said in an English-language statement.
"The excuse of ‘freedom of expression’ made by some French politicians in order not to condemn this grave crime of insulting the Holy Prophet of Islam is completely unacceptable, wrong and demagogic."
During a visit to Beirut last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said Charlie Hebdo had broken no law in republishing the cartoons to mark the September 2 opening of the trial into a deadly 2015 attack on its offices by Islamist extremists.
"There is... in France a freedom to blaspheme that is linked to freedom of conscience," Macron said.
"It is my job to protect all these freedoms."
Twelve people, including some of France's most celebrated cartoonists, were killed on January 7, 2015, when brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi went on a gun rampage at the magazine's Paris offices.
The perpetrators were killed in the aftermath of the massacre but 14 alleged accomplices in the attacks, which also targeted a Jewish supermarket, went on trial.
Despite its outrage at the cartoons, Iran condemned the attack on the paper's offices.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Brexit poker: UK ramps up no-deal preparations as new round of talks begins

Britain went into Tuesday ’ s fresh round of Brexit trade talks with a warning to the European Union that it was ramping up preparations to leave without an agreement as both sides bickered over rules governing nearly $ 1 trillion in commerce .
Britain left the EU on Jan. 31 but talks on new trade terms have made little headway as the clock ticks down to an October deadline for a new deal and then the end of the status-quo transition arrangement in late December .
As diplomats try to gauge whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson is blustering or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the four-year Brexit saga , his chief negotiator said yet again that Britain was not afraid of a no-deal exit .
That prospect scares business and weakened the British pound on currency markets .
“ We have now been talking for six months and can no longer afford to go over well-trodden ground .
We need to see more realism from the EU about our status as an independent country , ” David Frost , Britain ’ s top Brexit negotiator , said in a statement .
“ If they can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have left then we will be trading on terms like those the EU has with Australia , and we are ramping up our preparations for the end of the year.
” The EU warned Britain on Monday that its international reputation as a pillar of the West would be tarnished and that there would be no trade deal after the Financial Times reported that London might simply undercut the Withdrawal Agreement treaty signed in January .
Britain said it was committed to the treaty but that it needed minor clarifications and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland peace deal .
European diplomats said Britain was playing a game of Brexit chicken by threatening to collapse the process and challenging Brussels to compromise first .
Some fear Johnson may view a no-deal exit as useful distraction from the coronavirus crisis .
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Britain ’ s trade talks with the EU would be pointless if the Brexit withdrawal agreement it signed up to is not implemented in full .
“ The withdrawal agreement is an international treaty and we expect the UK government to implement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We trust them to do so or they would render the talks process null and void , ” Martin told the Irish Examiner .
The latest round of negotiations in London are likely to be tough : Britain says the EU has failed to understand that it is now an independent country - especially when it comes to fishing and state aid .
The EU , weary of wrangling over Brexit , says it needs specifics from London and that Britain can not make its own rules and have preferential access to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deadline for a deal , diplomats said the public posturing was to be expected .
“ As you get closer to the deadline , it ’ s not surprising people ramp up the pressure , ” one EU diplomat said .
“ We all believe there has been movement by the EU towards the UK position , but it hasn ’ t been reciprocated , and that ’ s the concern .
“ So , time is running out .
If we are to get the deal that everybody wants , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the amount of time left , any deal is looking thinner and thinner.
” Without agreement , trade and financial ties between the world ’ s sixth largest economy and its biggest trading bloc would be thrown into disarray , spreading havoc among markets and businesses .
Brexit nerves boosted sterling-dollar implied one-month volatility to 10 % for the first time since mid-June .
“ We want to leave with a Canada-style free trade arrangement - that ’ s always been our preference - and we think that ’ s still possible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sky News when asked if he was looking forward to a no-deal Brexit .
“ But ... if they don ’ t show the degree of flexibility and realism that we want them to show ... then we ’ ll leave with the kind of trading arrangements that Australia and other countries have and we think that ’ s also a good arrangement for the future.
” Australia is negotiating a free trade deal with the EU to improve its market access , but for now largely trades with the bloc on World @ @ @ @

Britain headed into a fresh round of Brexit trade talks on Tuesday acknowledging it could break international law but only in a "limited way" after reports it may undercut its divorce treaty with the European Union.
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As the pound fell sharply on fears of a no-deal exit, the government's legal department head quit in disagreement with a plan to overwrite parts of the Withdrawal Agreement treaty signed in January.
Britain left the European Union on Jan. 31 but talks on new trade terms have made little headway as the clock ticks down to an October deadline and then the end of the status-quo transition arrangement in late December.
As diplomats gauged whether Johnson was blustering or serious about allowing a tumultuous finale to the four-year saga, Britain insisted it would abide by the treaty.
Asked if anything in the proposed legislation potentially breached international legal obligations or arrangements, Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis said: "Yes, this does break international law in a very specific and limited way."
"We are taking the powers to disapply the EU law concept of direct effect required by article 4 in a certain, very tightly defined circumstance," he told parliament.
He added that the government supported the Northern Ireland protocol of the Withdrawal Agreement and there was "clear precedence" for what Britain was planning.
so, this just happened...
A UK government minister stating to parliament that the govt is intending to break international law #Brexit https://t.co/LU1DsRmG9x — Catherine Nicholson (@ACatInParis) September 8, 2020
Amid warnings from the EU that if it reneged on the divorce deal there would be no agreement governing the roughly $1 trillion annual trade, former Prime Minister Theresa May said the government risked serious damage to its international image.
"The government is now changing the operation of that agreement," May, who resigned after her own Brexit deal was repeatedly rejected, told parliament.
"Given that, how can the government reassure future international partners that the UK can be trusted to abide by the legal obligations of the agreements it signs?" May asked.
01:49
The Financial Times said the government's "very unhappy" legal head Jonathan Jones walked out in protest over the possible plan to undercut the withdrawal agreement in relation to the protocol for British-ruled Northern Ireland.
The prospect of a messy divorce between the EU's $16 trillion and United Kingdom's $3 trillion economies pushed sterling to two-week lows with traders betting there was more volatility to come.
"We need to see more realism from the EU about our status as an independent country," said David Frost, Britain's top Brexit negotiator, adding that Britain was ramping up no-deal preparations.
The latest round of negotiations in London are likely to be tough: Britain says the EU has failed to understand it is now independent - especially when it comes to fishing and state aid.
The EU, weary of wrangling, says it needs specifics from London and that Britain cannot make its own rules and have preferential access to its markets.
"A disorderly Brexit would not be good for Europe, it would be a real disaster for Britain and its citizens," German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz told Reuters.
British officials say they can make do with an Australia-style arrangement. Australia is negotiating a free trade deal with the EU to improve its market access, but for now largely trades with the bloc on World Trade Organization terms.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-09-08--Grisly series of horse mutilations mystifies France

According to the authorities , the attacks are by multiple perpetrators whose methods vary nationwide , further complicating the picture Didier Fruchet , owner of a horse club with some 80 animals outside Paris , looks with concern at his stables .
`` It 's stressful to be thinking , 'what happened tonight ? '
When we arrive in the morning we do n't know what we are going to find . ''
He and other horse lovers across France have good reason to be worried .
Over the past weeks the country has been shocked by a succession of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen ears sliced off , genitals cut and skin lacerated .
What is motivating the perpetrators remains a mystery .
Hatred of animals ?
Inspiration by a warped sect ?
A macabre challenge spreading on social media ?
Or might the causes sometimes be natural ?
Investigators have no firm leads .
According to the authorities , the attacks are by multiple perpetrators whose methods vary nationwide , further complicating the picture .
Fruchet is taking no chances at his stables in the town of L'Isle Adam in the Val-d'Oise department north of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by gendarmes as an extra precaution .
He has invested in hunting cameras with night vision that photograph moving targets .
`` We do not care how much it costs when it comes to keeping our horses safe , '' he said .
The Val-d'Oise recorded its first cases on Saturday : Two mares , who did not die , were wounded , one with a cut in the vulva and the other a slash of 30 centimetres on its flank .
Reports have come throughout the summer , sometimes on an almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across France .
Police at the weekend sought two suspects in the Cote-d'Or region after a stables owner reported an intrusion on his premises and said one horse had been wounded .
In a sign of how urgent the issue has become , a 40-member team of gendarmes , backed up by police dogs and a helicopter , were sent to the scene but so far have not found the culprits .
Police on Monday made their first arrest in the nationwide investigation , detaining a man suspected of an attack on three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who matched an image circulated .
But he was later released without charge .
Eloise Lang , a rider in Coueron in western France , is still distressed after her horse Ambitieux was attacked .
`` I saw that he had a dozen traces of wounds ... knife wounds ...
He had some on his shoulders , flank , chest .
He had cuts that were up to a foot long , '' she said .
`` We hardly sleep anymore , we think about it all the time , '' she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' - Similar acts have now been recorded in 20 of France 's departments .
`` There are about twenty cases of cut ears , but there are also other incidents including genital mutilation and lacerations with sharp objects , '' Colonel Hubert Percie du Sert of France 's gendarmerie told AFP .
He said there were `` many perpetrators and methods of operation . ''
According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin , 153 investigations have been opened nationwide into cases of violence against horses .
France 's national anti-sect agency La Miviludes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not found evidence of a satanic rite so far , `` but it is not something we are ruling out '' , du Sert said .
Authorities are also concerned that the repeated attacks and failure of the police to find the culprits risk creating paranoia , with some even deciding to take justice into their own hands .
In Quimper in the northwestern Brittany region , a mother , 52 , and her daughter , 23 , face a trial in January for threatening with weapons two people in a car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks after a licence plate circulated on the internet .
`` They admitted they were equipped with a machete-type knife as well as a pellet gun , and to have stopped a vehicle when they had no right to do so , '' the deputy prosecutor of Quimper , Emmanuel Phelippeau , told AFP .
They risk up to five years in prison if convicted .
`` It is unacceptable that breeders , due to emotion , take the law into their own hands themselves '' , the prefect of the Finistere region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the police mobilisation was `` very strong . ''

L'Isle-Adam (France) (AFP) –
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Didier Fruchet, owner of a horse club with some 80 animals outside Paris, looks with concern at his stables. "It's stressful to be thinking, 'what happened tonight?' When we arrive in the morning we don't know what we are going to find."
He and other horse lovers across France have good reason to be worried.
Over the past weeks the country has been shocked by a succession of mutilations of over 150 horses that have seen ears sliced off, genitals cut and skin lacerated.
What is motivating the perpetrators remains a mystery. Hatred of animals? Inspiration by a warped sect? A macabre challenge spreading on social media? Or might the causes sometimes be natural?
Investigators have no firm leads. According to the authorities, the attacks are by multiple perpetrators whose methods vary nationwide, further complicating the picture.
Fruchet is taking no chances at his stables in the town of L'Isle Adam in the Val-d'Oise department north of Paris, which is also being patrolled by gendarmes as an extra precaution.
He has invested in hunting cameras with night vision that photograph moving targets. "We do not care how much it costs when it comes to keeping our horses safe," he said.
The Val-d'Oise recorded its first cases on Saturday: Two mares, who did not die, were wounded, one with a cut in the vulva and the other a slash of 30 centimetres on its flank.
- 'We hardly sleep' -
Reports have come throughout the summer, sometimes on an almost daily basis, of new horse mutilations across France.
Police at the weekend sought two suspects in the Cote-d'Or region after a stables owner reported an intrusion on his premises and said one horse had been wounded.
In a sign of how urgent the issue has become, a 40-member team of gendarmes, backed up by police dogs and a helicopter, were sent to the scene but so far have not found the culprits.
Police on Monday made their first arrest in the nationwide investigation, detaining a man suspected of an attack on three horses the central department of Yonne, who matched an image circulated.
But he was later released without charge.
Eloise Lang, a rider in Coueron in western France, is still distressed after her horse Ambitieux was attacked.
"I saw that he had a dozen traces of wounds... knife wounds... He had some on his shoulders, flank, chest. He had cuts that were up to a foot long," she said.
"We hardly sleep anymore, we think about it all the time," she added.
- 'Take law into their hands' -
Similar acts have now been recorded in 20 of France's departments.
"There are about twenty cases of cut ears, but there are also other incidents including genital mutilation and lacerations with sharp objects," Colonel Hubert Percie du Sert of France's gendarmerie told AFP.
He said there were "many perpetrators and methods of operation."
According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, 153 investigations have been opened nationwide into cases of violence against horses.
France's national anti-sect agency La Miviludes, which is assisting the investigation, has not found evidence of a satanic rite so far, "but it is not something we are ruling out", du Sert said.
Authorities are also concerned that the repeated attacks and failure of the police to find the culprits risk creating paranoia, with some even deciding to take justice into their own hands.
In Quimper in the northwestern Brittany region, a mother, 52, and her daughter, 23, face a trial in January for threatening with weapons two people in a car whom they suspected of carrying out horse attacks after a licence plate circulated on the internet.
"They admitted they were equipped with a machete-type knife as well as a pellet gun, and to have stopped a vehicle when they had no right to do so," the deputy prosecutor of Quimper, Emmanuel Phelippeau, told AFP.
They risk up to five years in prison if convicted.
"It is unacceptable that breeders, due to emotion, take the law into their own hands themselves", the prefect of the Finistere region Philippe Mahe, told reporters, insisting that the police mobilisation was "very strong."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Arsenal's Bellerin invests in green football club

Arsenal and Spain defender Hector Bellerin has become the second-biggest shareholder at Forest Green Rovers , a lower-tier English side recognised as the world 's greenest football club .
Under chairman Dale Vince , a British green energy industrialist , the League Two club has focused on sustainability , installing solar panels , using a solar-powered robot grass mower and creating an organic pitch .
Forest Green , based in southwest England , are also the world ’ s first vegan football club .
FIFA has described Forest Green as the greenest football club in the world and they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the United Nations .
Bellerin , who recently raised money to plant 60,000 trees in the Amazon rainforest , will work with Vince to help promote environmental issues among clubs , leagues and supporters .
`` When I first played Forest Green Rovers , all I knew about them was that it was a long way from London , '' said the Arsenal defender , who is a vegan .
`` As I heard more about the club and its work , I knew I wanted to meet them and be part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel there 's no solution to the world 's problems , but Forest Green are already doing plenty -- and showing others the way . ''
Vince , chairman of Forest Green since 2010 , said : `` I like Hector 's approach , his personal journey and the things he 's trying to do -- they make sense .
`` I 'm looking forward to working with him on FGR and this wider agenda we have a shared interest in . ''

London (AFP) –
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Arsenal and Spain defender Hector Bellerin has become the second-biggest shareholder at Forest Green Rovers, a lower-tier English side recognised as the world's greenest football club.
Under chairman Dale Vince, a British green energy industrialist, the League Two club has focused on sustainability, installing solar panels, using a solar-powered robot grass mower and creating an organic pitch.
Forest Green, based in southwest England, are also the world’s first vegan football club.
FIFA has described Forest Green as the greenest football club in the world and they were the first to be certified carbon neutral by the United Nations.
Bellerin, who recently raised money to plant 60,000 trees in the Amazon rainforest, will work with Vince to help promote environmental issues among clubs, leagues and supporters.
"When I first played Forest Green Rovers, all I knew about them was that it was a long way from London," said the Arsenal defender, who is a vegan.
"As I heard more about the club and its work, I knew I wanted to meet them and be part of it.
"So many people feel there's no solution to the world's problems, but Forest Green are already doing plenty -- and showing others the way."
Vince, chairman of Forest Green since 2010, said: "I like Hector's approach, his personal journey and the things he's trying to do -- they make sense.
"I'm looking forward to working with him on FGR and this wider agenda we have a shared interest in."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-08--Defending tennis champion Barty opts out of French Open over Covid-19 concerns

Australia 's Ashleigh Barty poses with the Suzanne Lenglen trophy after winning the 2019 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 8 , 2019 .
Ash Barty has prioritized her health over her status as women ’ s tennis No .
1 by opting out of a second Grand Slam event during the coronavirus pandemic , this time skipping a title defense at the French Open .
After pulling out of the U.S. Open , which is being contested in New York without crowds , Barty has also decided against traveling to Europe for a clay court tournament in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sept. 27 because of concerns over Covid-19 .
She has indicated she may not play competitively again until 2021 .
The 24-year-old Australian said it was a tough decision , particularly because Roland Garros is where she captured her first major title last year .
“ Last year ’ s French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly , ” Barty said in a statement Tuesday .
“ I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within hours of French Open organizers saying spectators would be allowed at the tournament despite a growing number of coronavirus cases in the country .
Barty cited potential health risks associated with Covid-19 and her interrupted preparation as the main reasons for pulling out of the tournaments .
She hasn ’ t been able to practice with her coach , Craig Tyzzer , recently because of domestic border closures within Australia .
Barty lives in Queensland , which has become Australia ’ s hub for professional sports during the pandemic , and Tyzzer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in lockdown amid a second wave of the coronavirus that has lifted the country ’ s death toll from the disease to 770 .
Covid-19 has killed nearly 190,000 Americans and more than 30,000 people in France , according to a count by Johns Hopkins University .
Globally , there have been more than 27 million cases and deaths have topped 890,000 .
Players at the U.S. Open are playing and living in strict bio-security bubbles and similar restrictions are expected for competitors in France , including regular testing for Covid-19 .
Barty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu were among the top players who withdrew from the U.S. Open women ’ s draw , while Rafael Nadal opted out of the men ’ s draw and Roger Federer was injured .
Nadal and Halep are expected to return to the French Open , which was postponed in May during the height of the lockdown .
The WTA has revised its women ’ s ranking system to accommodate for the pandemic , given the wide variations in travel and other restrictions around the world .
Barty has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the likes of Halep .
Under the revised system , a player ’ s ranking will be comprised of her best 16 results in singles based on the points earned between March 2019 through December 2020 , which the WTA is calling the “ Better of 2019 and 2020 ” points earned at tour-level and Grand Slam events .
Barty said she was now focusing on a “ long preseason and the summer in Australia.
” Travel is still heavily restricted for people in Australia , where the international borders were closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although organizers of the Australian Open remain confident the season-opening major will go ahead as scheduled in Melbourne in January .
“ It has been a challenging year for everyone and although I am disappointed on a tennis front , the health and well-being of my family and my team will always be my priority , ” Barty said .
“ Thank you to my fans for your continued support , I can ’ t wait to play for you again.
” The extended break means Barty hasn ’ t played in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenin at the Australian Open in January .

Ash Barty has prioritized her health over her status as women’s tennis No. 1 by opting out of a second Grand Slam event during the coronavirus pandemic, this time skipping a title defense at the French Open.
Australia's Ashleigh Barty poses with the Suzanne Lenglen trophy after winning the 2019 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 8, 2019.
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After pulling out of the U.S. Open, which is being contested in New York without crowds, Barty has also decided against traveling to Europe for a clay court tournament in Rome and the rescheduled French Open from Sept. 27 because of concerns over Covid-19. She has indicated she may not play competitively again until 2021.
The 24-year-old Australian said it was a tough decision, particularly because Roland Garros is where she captured her first major title last year.
“Last year’s French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly,” Barty said in a statement Tuesday. “I wish the players and the French Federation all the best for a successful tournament.”
The statement was issued within hours of French Open organizers saying spectators would be allowed at the tournament despite a growing number of coronavirus cases in the country.
Barty cited potential health risks associated with Covid-19 and her interrupted preparation as the main reasons for pulling out of the tournaments. She hasn’t been able to practice with her coach, Craig Tyzzer, recently because of domestic border closures within Australia. Barty lives in Queensland, which has become Australia’s hub for professional sports during the pandemic, and Tyzzer lives interstate.
Parts of Australia are in lockdown amid a second wave of the coronavirus that has lifted the country’s death toll from the disease to 770. Covid-19 has killed nearly 190,000 Americans and more than 30,000 people in France, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been more than 27 million cases and deaths have topped 890,000.
Players at the U.S. Open are playing and living in strict bio-security bubbles and similar restrictions are expected for competitors in France, including regular testing for Covid-19.
Barty, No. 2-ranked Simona Halep and 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu were among the top players who withdrew from the U.S. Open women’s draw, while Rafael Nadal opted out of the men’s draw and Roger Federer was injured. Nadal and Halep are expected to return to the French Open, which was postponed in May during the height of the lockdown.
The FFT clarifies the conditions under which Roland-Garros 2020 can be held and gets ready to welcome tennis fans on 21st September : #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/IFcbNFuzc0 — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) September 7, 2020
The WTA has revised its women’s ranking system to accommodate for the pandemic, given the wide variations in travel and other restrictions around the world. Barty has a big lead, but could be challenged by the likes of Halep.
Under the revised system, a player’s ranking will be comprised of her best 16 results in singles based on the points earned between March 2019 through December 2020, which the WTA is calling the “Better of 2019 and 2020” points earned at tour-level and Grand Slam events.
Barty said she was now focusing on a “long preseason and the summer in Australia.”
Travel is still heavily restricted for people in Australia, where the international borders were closed in March because of the pandemic, although organizers of the Australian Open remain confident the season-opening major will go ahead as scheduled in Melbourne in January.
“It has been a challenging year for everyone and although I am disappointed on a tennis front, the health and well-being of my family and my team will always be my priority,” Barty said. “Thank you to my fans for your continued support, I can’t wait to play for you again.”
The extended break means Barty hasn’t played in a major since her semifinal loss to Sofia Kenin at the Australian Open in January.
(AP)
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france24--2020-09-08--Returning Froome confident he can regain best form

Chris Froome believes he can return to top form despite an accident last year that almost ended his career Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome is confident he has `` several years of cycling '' ahead of him after his recovery from last year 's career-threatening Criterium du Dauphine accident .
Froome , 35 , will leave Ineos at the end of the year to join Israel Start-Up Nation .
`` If I did n't think I 'd be able to return at 100 percent after the injury in 2019 I would never have committed to a long-term project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport .
Froome , 35 , was left out of Ineos ' Tour de France team but is in Italy to compete in the Tirreno-Adriatico , an eight-stage warm-up for the Vuelta a Espana .
He said he `` 100 percent understood '' Ineos boss Dave Brailsford 's decision to leave him out of the Tour de France , now in its second week .
`` I 'm the first to recognise that I was n't yet at the level that I had to reach , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , femur , elbow , hip and ribs in the crash in France .
While he will lead the Ineos assault on the Vuelta his role in Italy is chiefly `` to work for Geraint Thomas who has a chance to win '' .
Thomas , the 2018 Tour de France winner , was also omitted by Ineos for this year 's edition and is instead targeting the Giro d'Italia .
Froome meanwhile says despite his impending departure from Ineos he is `` still very focused on giving his best after this strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And if I succeed , that 's going to give me a boost to start next year well .
`` For sure it 's going to be a very different challenge but also very motivating as I feel I 've still got several years of cycling in front of me . ''
Froome is skipping the world championships at the end of September but may take in the one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege on October 4 before the Vuelta starting on October 20 .

Rome (AFP) –
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Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome is confident he has "several years of cycling" ahead of him after his recovery from last year's career-threatening Criterium du Dauphine accident.
Froome, 35, will leave Ineos at the end of the year to join Israel Start-Up Nation.
"If I didn't think I'd be able to return at 100 percent after the injury in 2019 I would never have committed to a long-term project," Froome told Tuesday's edition of Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport.
Froome, 35, was left out of Ineos' Tour de France team but is in Italy to compete in the Tirreno-Adriatico, an eight-stage warm-up for the Vuelta a Espana.
He said he "100 percent understood" Ineos boss Dave Brailsford's decision to leave him out of the Tour de France, now in its second week.
"I'm the first to recognise that I wasn't yet at the level that I had to reach," conceded Froome, who broke his neck, femur, elbow, hip and ribs in the crash in France.
While he will lead the Ineos assault on the Vuelta his role in Italy is chiefly "to work for Geraint Thomas who has a chance to win".
Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France winner, was also omitted by Ineos for this year's edition and is instead targeting the Giro d'Italia.
Froome meanwhile says despite his impending departure from Ineos he is "still very focused on giving his best after this strange (coronavirus-disrupted) season".
"And if I succeed, that's going to give me a boost to start next year well.
"For sure it's going to be a very different challenge but also very motivating as I feel I've still got several years of cycling in front of me."
Froome is skipping the world championships at the end of September but may take in the one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege on October 4 before the Vuelta starting on October 20.
© 2020 AFP