france24--2020-09-26--African court requests ex-Ivorian president Gbagbo’s voting rights be restored

Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo appears before the International Criminal Court in The Hague , Netherlands February 6 , 2020 .
Ivory Coast should allow former president Laurent Gbagbo , who has been barred from running in next month 's key presidential election , to vote in the poll , the African Court on Human and Peoples ' Rights said Friday .
The court , established by African Union members in 2004 , asked Ivory Coast to `` take all necessary steps to immediately remove all obstacles '' preventing Gbagbo from being added to the electoral roll .
Ivory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's jurisdiction in April this year .
Gbagbo , who was president from 2000 to 2010 , is not on the electoral roll which was updated this year , and thus can not vote or be a candidate in the October 31 election .
The Constitutional Council , Ivory Coast 's top court , has rejected 40 of 44 applications to contest the election , which is taking place against a backdrop of extreme tension .
Those barred include Gbagbo , 75 , and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro , 47 , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis that engulfed the country after disputed elections in 2010 .
The Ivorian court , however , accepted an application by President Alassane Ouattara , 78 , who is seeking a third term despite criticism that this sidesteps constitutional limits .
Gbagbo was freed conditionally by the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) in The Hague after he was cleared in January 2019 of crimes against humanity .
He is living in Brussels pending the outcome of an appeal against the ICC ruling .
His candidacy was rejected by the Constitutional Council on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20-year jail term by an Ivorian court last November over the looting of the local branch of the Central Bank of West African States during the post-election crisis .
The African Court , based in Arusha in Tanzania , also said Gbagbo 's conviction should not be included on his judicial record until it had time to deliver a full judgement .
On September 15 , the African Court handed down a verdict in Soro 's favour , saying Ivory Coast should also `` immediately remove all obstacles '' preventing him from competing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help that enabled Ouattara to come to power after a civil war that erupted when Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in the 2010 election .
More than 3,000 people died in the fighting .
Soro , who lives today in France , was barred from contesting the election on the grounds of a 20-year sentence , also in absentia , for alleged embezzlement of public funds , handed down in April .
Ouattara , has blasted attempts by Gbagbo and Soro to contest the presidential election as `` provocation '' and said one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soro , like Gbagbo , was excluded because he has a criminal record , '' Ouattara told the French magazine Paris Match .
`` Each of them are perfectly aware that their candidacies are based on provocation ... Guillaume Soro does n't deserve to be on the campaign trail but in prison , '' he said .
`` This young man , drunk on money and power , has simply lost his head . ''

Ivory Coast should allow former president Laurent Gbagbo, who has been barred from running in next month's key presidential election, to vote in the poll, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights said Friday.
Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo appears before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands February 6, 2020.
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The court, established by African Union members in 2004, asked Ivory Coast to "take all necessary steps to immediately remove all obstacles" preventing Gbagbo from being added to the electoral roll.
Ivory Coast withdrew its recognition of the court's jurisdiction in April this year.
Gbagbo, who was president from 2000 to 2010, is not on the electoral roll which was updated this year, and thus cannot vote or be a candidate in the October 31 election.
The Constitutional Council, Ivory Coast's top court, has rejected 40 of 44 applications to contest the election, which is taking place against a backdrop of extreme tension.
Those barred include Gbagbo, 75, and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro, 47, both of whom played key roles in the crisis that engulfed the country after disputed elections in 2010.
The Ivorian court, however, accepted an application by President Alassane Ouattara, 78, who is seeking a third term despite criticism that this sidesteps constitutional limits.
Gbagbo was freed conditionally by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague after he was cleared in January 2019 of crimes against humanity. He is living in Brussels pending the outcome of an appeal against the ICC ruling.
'Provocation'
His candidacy was rejected by the Constitutional Council on the grounds that he was handed a 20-year jail term by an Ivorian court last November over the looting of the local branch of the Central Bank of West African States during the post-election crisis.
The African Court, based in Arusha in Tanzania, also said Gbagbo's conviction should not be included on his judicial record until it had time to deliver a full judgement.
On September 15, the African Court handed down a verdict in Soro's favour, saying Ivory Coast should also "immediately remove all obstacles" preventing him from competing in the ballot.
Soro provided military help that enabled Ouattara to come to power after a civil war that erupted when Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in the 2010 election.
More than 3,000 people died in the fighting.
Soro, who lives today in France, was barred from contesting the election on the grounds of a 20-year sentence, also in absentia, for alleged embezzlement of public funds, handed down in April.
Ouattara, has blasted attempts by Gbagbo and Soro to contest the presidential election as "provocation" and said one of them belongs behind bars.
"Soro, like Gbagbo, was excluded because he has a criminal record," Ouattara told the French magazine Paris Match.
"Each of them are perfectly aware that their candidacies are based on provocation... Guillaume Soro doesn't deserve to be on the campaign trail but in prison," he said.
"This young man, drunk on money and power, has simply lost his head."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-09-26--Lebanon's PM-designate resigns amid political impasse over govt formation

Lebanon ’ s prime minister-designate resigned Saturday amid a political impasse over government formation , dealing a blow to French President Emmanuel Macron ’ s efforts to break a dangerous stalemate in the crisis-hit country .
The announcement by Mustapha Adib nearly a month after he was appointed to the job came following a meeting with President Michel Aoun , after which he told reporters he was stepping down .
The French leader has been pressing Lebanese politicians to form a Cabinet made up of independent specialists that can work on enacting urgent reforms to extract Lebanon from a devastating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut port .
But efforts by the French-supported Adib , have hit multiple snags , after the country ’ s main Shiite groups , Hezbollah and Amal , insisted on retaining hold of the key Finance Ministry .
Their insistence emerged after the US administration slapped sanctions on two senior politicians close to Hezbollah , including the ex-finance minister .
The two groups also insisted on naming the Shiite ministers in the new Cabinet and objected to the manner in which Adib was forming the government , without consulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Aoun on Saturday , Adib said he was stepping down because the kind of Cabinet that he wanted to form “ was bound to fail ” and he was keen on protecting national unity .
Lebanon , a former French protectorate , is mired in the country ’ s worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history .
It defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time ever in March , and the local currency has collapsed , leading to hyperinflation and soaring poverty and unemployment .
The crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion at Beirut ’ s port caused by the detonation of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrates .
It killed nearly 200 people , injured thousands and caused losses worth billions of dollars .
The country is in desperate need of financial assistance but France and other international powers have refused to provide aid before serious reforms are made .
The crisis is largely blamed on decades of systematic corruption and mismanagement by Lebanon ’ s ruling class .
The French leader has described his initiative , which includes a road map and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last chance for this system.
” Adib 's resignation comes a few days after Aoun himself bluntly told reporters that Lebanon would be going to “ hell ” if a new government was not formed soon .
In a televised address , he criticised his political allies , the Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal , for insisting on holding on to the Finance Ministry portfolio in any new government , but also criticized Adib for attempting to form a government and impose names for Cabinet positions without consulting with the parliamentary blocs @

Lebanon’s prime minister-designate resigned Saturday amid a political impasse over government formation, dealing a blow to French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to break a dangerous stalemate in the crisis-hit country.
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The announcement by Mustapha Adib nearly a month after he was appointed to the job came following a meeting with President Michel Aoun, after which he told reporters he was stepping down.
"Lebanon's Adib stepping down amounts to a 'collective betrayal' by Lebanese political parties," a source close to French president Emmanuel Macron told Reuters on Saturday. The French leader will hold a news conference on Sunday on the political situation in Lebanon, the French presidency said.
01:50
Emmanuel Macron has been pressing Lebanese politicians to form a Cabinet made up of independent specialists that can work on enacting urgent reforms to extract Lebanon from a devastating economic and financial crisis worsened by the Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut port.
But efforts by the French-supported Adib, have hit multiple snags, after the country’s main Shiite groups, Hezbollah and Amal, insisted on retaining hold of the key Finance Ministry. Their insistence emerged after the US administration slapped sanctions on two senior politicians close to Hezbollah, including the ex-finance minister.
The two groups also insisted on naming the Shiite ministers in the new Cabinet and objected to the manner in which Adib was forming the government, without consulting with them.
After a short meeting with Aoun on Saturday, Adib said he was stepping down because the kind of Cabinet that he wanted to form “was bound to fail” and he was keen on protecting national unity.
01:31
Lebanon, a former French protectorate, is mired in the country’s worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history. It defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time ever in March, and the local currency has collapsed, leading to hyperinflation and soaring poverty and unemployment.
The crisis has been worsened by the August 4 explosion at Beirut’s port caused by the detonation of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrates. It killed nearly 200 people, injured thousands and caused losses worth billions of dollars.
The country is in desperate need of financial assistance but France and other international powers have refused to provide aid before serious reforms are made. The crisis is largely blamed on decades of systematic corruption and mismanagement by Lebanon’s ruling class.
The French leader has described his initiative, which includes a road map and a timetable for reforms, as “the last chance for this system".
Adib's resignation comes a few days after Aoun himself bluntly told reporters that Lebanon would be going to “hell” if a new government was not formed soon.
In a televised address, he criticised his political allies, the Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal, for insisting on holding on to the Finance Ministry portfolio in any new government, but also criticised Adib for attempting to form a government and impose names for Cabinet positions without consulting with the parliamentary blocs.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-09-26--Domestic violence: ‘Electronic bracelets are a first step, but we have to go further’

Electronic bracelets designed to alert victims of domestic abuse if their attacker is nearby have been backed by the French government and advocacy groups as essential to enforcing restraining orders .
Yet as the authorities rolled out the new technology on Friday , some say it is not enough .
Every day , thousands of women are victims of domestic violence in France .
Sometimes , the abuse is fatal : since the beginning of the year , at least 66 women have succumbed to injuries inflicted by a current or former partner , according to the organisation Femicide by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ou ex ) .
In 2019 , a total of 146 women were killed , according to official data , a nearly 21 percent increase from the year before .
In an effort to fight against the rise in domestic violence , the French government proposed a number of emergency measures last year , including legislation that would require abusers to wear an electronic bracelet .
The bill , which was officially adopted on December 19 , 2019 , came into effect on Friday .
The electronic bracelets , which resemble a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movements with the help of a GPS device .
The victim is also equipped with a tracker , which they must wear at all times .
If an abuser violates the terms of their restraining order , or comes too close to a victim ’ s home or place of work , the bracelet sets off a first alarm warning them to stay back .
If ignored , the device then alerts a control centre , which in turn contacts the police .
Each bracelet comes with a battery , which has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recharged .
“ Failing to do that is considered an infraction , ” Isabelle Rome , a senior official at the Ministry of Gender Equality , told France Inter radio .
Around 1,000 bracelets are ready to be deployed in five jurisdictions across France – including Angoulême , Bobigny , Douai , Pontoise and Aix-en-Provence – where they will initially be distributed on a case-by-case basis .
If all goes well , the devices will go into general use on December 31 , 2020 , according to the Ministry of Justice .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some fear that general deployment could take longer than planned .
“ [ We must not ] forget to support the victims who are supposed to benefit from this protection , ” the France Victim Federation ( Fédération France victime ) said in a statement .
“ The victims can not be left abandoned , and must be taken care of and supported while this measure comes into effect ( which could take six months , or even two years if delayed ) .
” Under the new legislation , a criminal or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear an electronic bracelet as part of the terms of their restraining order .
If the order is issued in a family court , then the defendant has the right to refuse , in which case a judge can then decide to open a criminal investigation .
For the organisation Femicide by Partners or Exes , this is the measure ’ s real weakness .
“ We ’ re going to ask a violent man if he agrees to restrict his movements ?
” one of the organisation ’ s directors ( who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 .
Although Femicide by Partners or Exes has advocated the use of electronic bracelets in the past , the organisation argues the measure should be automatically enforced from the moment someone reports having been a victim of domestic violence , and their injuries verified by a forensic doctor , as well as a certificate of temporary incapacity for work ( Incapacité Temporaire de Travail or ITT ) .
“ What ’ s going to happen during the criminal investigation ?
” the director of Femicide by Partners or Exes wondered aloud .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked at home , scared out of their wits , waiting for a ruling to be handed down .
We don ’ t think enough about how frightened the victims are .
They can ’ t work anymore , they can ’ t leave their homes , they ’ re raising their children in fear.
” “ The sanction is still coming down on the side of the victim , not the accused , ” she continued .
“ It ’ s a first step , but we have to go further.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in French by Rachel Holman .

Electronic bracelets designed to alert victims of domestic abuse if their attacker is nearby have been backed by the French government and advocacy groups as essential to enforcing restraining orders. Yet as the authorities rolled out the new technology on Friday, some say it is not enough.
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Every day, thousands of women are victims of domestic violence in France. Sometimes, the abuse is fatal: since the beginning of the year, at least 66 women have succumbed to injuries inflicted by a current or former partner, according to the organisation Femicide by Partners or Exes (Féminicides par compagnons ou ex).
In 2019, a total of 146 women were killed, according to official data, a nearly 21 percent increase from the year before.
In an effort to fight against the rise in domestic violence, the French government proposed a number of emergency measures last year, including legislation that would require abusers to wear an electronic bracelet. The bill, which was officially adopted on December 19, 2019, came into effect on Friday.
Like a large smartwatch
The electronic bracelets, which resemble a large smartwatch, follow an abuser’s movements with the help of a GPS device. The victim is also equipped with a tracker, which they must wear at all times.
If an abuser violates the terms of their restraining order, or comes too close to a victim’s home or place of work, the bracelet sets off a first alarm warning them to stay back. If ignored, the device then alerts a control centre, which in turn contacts the police.
Each bracelet comes with a battery, which has a 48-hour life before it needs to be recharged. “Failing to do that is considered an infraction,” Isabelle Rome, a senior official at the Ministry of Gender Equality, told France Inter radio.
Don’t ‘forget to support the victims’
Around 1,000 bracelets are ready to be deployed in five jurisdictions across France – including Angoulême, Bobigny, Douai, Pontoise and Aix-en-Provence – where they will initially be distributed on a case-by-case basis. If all goes well, the devices will go into general use on December 31, 2020, according to the Ministry of Justice.
While advocacy groups have welcomed the measure, some fear that general deployment could take longer than planned.
“[We must not] forget to support the victims who are supposed to benefit from this protection,” the France Victim Federation (Fédération France victime) said in a statement. “The victims cannot be left abandoned, and must be taken care of and supported while this measure comes into effect (which could take six months, or even two years if delayed).”
Under the new legislation, a criminal or family court can request an abuser to wear an electronic bracelet as part of the terms of their restraining order. If the order is issued in a family court, then the defendant has the right to refuse, in which case a judge can then decide to open a criminal investigation.
‘An inadequate measure’
For the organisation Femicide by Partners or Exes, this is the measure’s real weakness.
“We’re going to ask a violent man if he agrees to restrict his movements?” one of the organisation’s directors (who preferred to remain anonymous) told FRANCE 24.
Although Femicide by Partners or Exes has advocated the use of electronic bracelets in the past, the organisation argues the measure should be automatically enforced from the moment someone reports having been a victim of domestic violence, and their injuries verified by a forensic doctor, as well as a certificate of temporary incapacity for work (Incapacité Temporaire de Travail or ITT).
“What’s going to happen during the criminal investigation?” the director of Femicide by Partners or Exes wondered aloud. “The victims are going to stay locked at home, scared out of their wits, waiting for a ruling to be handed down. We don’t think enough about how frightened the victims are. They can’t work anymore, they can’t leave their homes, they’re raising their children in fear.”
“The sanction is still coming down on the side of the victim, not the accused,” she continued. “It’s a first step, but we have to go further.”
Electronic bracelets are already used in Spain, where they have proven effective: not a single victim has been killed by their abuser since the measure was first put in place in 2008. Overall, there are an estimated 1,150 electronic bracelets currently in use in the country, which recorded more than a million cases of domestic abuse in 2009 and 2017. Meanwhile, the number of women killed by current or former partners dropped from 76 in 2008 to 47 in 2018.
This article was adapted from the original in French by Rachel Holman.
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france24--2020-09-26--Suspect in Paris knife attack confesses to stabbings

Two people were injured in a knife attack outside satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo 's former offices in Paris on September 25 , 2020 The primary suspect in Friday ’ s knife attack outside the former Paris offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo has confessed to the stabbings , sources said on Saturday .
The man , who said he was born in Pakistan and is 18 , `` takes responsibility for his action which he places in the context of the republication of cartoons '' of the Prophet Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo , one of the sources said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying a weapon , but had not been previously flagged for possible religious radicalisation , according to the interior ministry .
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that the suspect arrived in France three years ago as an unaccompanied minor , but that his identity was still being verified .
Two people were wounded in the attack outside Charlie Hebdo ’ s former offices , in Paris ’ s eastern 11th arrondissement ( district ) .
The suspect , his face speckled with blood , was arrested by police on the steps of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scene .
Witnesses described seeing the assailant striking the victims with a large meat cleaver , which was later found near the site of the attack .
France 's PNAT specialist anti-terror prosecution office said it has opened a probe into charges of `` attempted murder related to a terrorist enterprise '' as well as `` conspiracy with terrorists '' .
Seven people including the main suspect were being held for questioning in connection with the attack , which Darmanin said was `` clearly an act of Islamist terrorism '' .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country , '' Darmanin told France 2 television .
Prime Minister Jean Castex , visiting the scene , said the lives of the two victims `` are not in danger , thank God '' .
The Premieres Lignes news production agency said the wounded were its employees – a man and a woman taking a cigarette break outside .
`` They were both very badly wounded , '' the founder and co-head of Premieres Lignes , Paul Moreira , told AFP .
Another employee , who asked not to be named , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to the window and saw a colleague , bloodied , being chased by a man with a machete . ''
The company specialises in investigative reports and produces the prize-winning Cash Investigation programme .
In a Twitter post , Charlie Hebdo expressed its support for `` the people affected by this odious attack '' .
They were victims of `` fanaticism '' and `` intolerance '' , Charlie Hebdo said , calling the main suspect and his possible accomplice `` terrorists '' .
The stabbing came three weeks into the trial of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charlie Hebdo ’ s staff , which was claimed by a branch of al Qaeda .
The newspaper has angered many Muslims around the world by publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed over the years , and in a defiant gesture reprinted some of the caricatures ahead of the trial .
Twelve people , including some of France 's most celebrated cartoonists , were killed in the attack on Charlie Hebdo by brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi , on January 7 , 2015 .
A female police officer was killed a day later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing of four men in a hostage-taking at a Jewish supermarket by gunman Amedy Coulibaly .
The trial has reopened one of the most painful chapters in France 's modern history , with harrowing testimony from survivors and relatives of those who died .
The magazine received fresh threats from al Qaeda this month after it republished the controversial cartoons .
More than 100 French news outlets on Wednesday called for continuing support for Charlie Hebdo against what they described as the `` enemies of freedom '' .
Just this week , police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources , Marika Bret , from her home following death threats .
Darmanin said he had asked the Paris police chief `` why we underestimated the threat '' in the street next to Charlie Hebdo 's former offices .
The co-head of Premieres Lignes , Luc Hermann , told BFMTV that since the start of the trial `` there has been absolutely no security for this street and symbolic building '' .

A Pakistan-born teenager has admitted to stabbing two people with a meat cleaver outside the former Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine, investigators said Saturday, with nine people now detained over what the government condemned as "Islamist terror".
Two people were injured in a knife attack outside satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo's former offices in Paris on September 25, 2020
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The 18-year-old said he wanted to avenge the republication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed by the satirical weekly, which in January 2015 was targeted in a massacre carried out by Islamist gunmen.
The attack on Friday came three weeks into a trial in Paris of suspected accomplices in the January 2015 attacks on Charlie Hebdo, a policewoman and a Jewish supermarket that left 17 people dead.
While the man is believed to have carried out the stabbings alone, eight other people are now also under arrest following two more detentions Saturday.
>>Also read on France24.com: Knife attack outside Charlie Hebdo’s former offices: A Paris district resigned to violence
The two new individuals arrested were the suspect's younger brother and another acquaintance, a judicial source said.
The man, who said he was born in Pakistan and is 18, "takes responsibility for his action", a source close to the investigation said.
The man said during questioning he places his actions "in the context of the republication of cartoons" of the Prophet Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo on the eve of the trial opening.
Charlie Hebdo targeted
The people wounded were employees of prize-winning TV production agency Premieres Lignes, whose offices are in the same block in central Paris that used to house Charlie Hebdo.
However it is not believed that the two, who had stepped out onto the street for a cigarette break, were specifically targeted.
The man mistakenly believed Charlie Hebdo's offices were still in that building and wanted to attack journalists from the magazine, a source close to the inquiry told AFP, confirming information first published in the Le Parisien newspaper.
Charlie Hebdo moved offices after the 2015 attack and its current address is kept secret for security reasons.
The two victims were badly wounded but their lives are not in danger.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said Friday the attack was "clearly an act of Islamist terrorism". Anti-terror prosecutors have opened an investigation.
Five of the individuals detained were in an apartment in Pantin in the northern Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, the last presumed address of the suspected attacker.
Police also late Friday released another man who was close to the scene of the attack but who was confirmed to have been a witness who had "chased the assailant", a judicial source said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-09-26--American sued in Thailand over negative Tripadvisor review

Thailand 's tourism sector has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic , but some domestic tourism is still happening because of relatively low infections within its borders An American has been sued by an island resort in Thailand over a negative Tripadvisor review , authorities said Saturday , and could face up to two years in prison if found guilty .
Domestic tourism is still happening in Thailand , where coronavirus numbers are relatively low , with locals and expats heading to near-empty resorts -- including Koh Chang island , famed for its sandy beaches and turquoise waters .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Resort on the island landed Wesley Barnes in trouble after he wrote unflattering online reviews about his holiday .
`` The Sea View Resort owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the Tripadvisor website , '' Colonel Thanapon Taemsara of Koh Chang police told AFP .
He said Barnes was accused of causing `` damage to the reputation of the hotel '' , and of quarrelling with staff over not paying a corkage fee for alcohol brought to the hotel .
Barnes , who works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police and returned to Koh Chang where he was briefly detained and then freed on bail .
According to the Tripadvisor review Barnes posted in July , he encountered `` unfriendly staff '' who `` act like they do n't want anyone here '' .
Barnes and the Sea View Resort did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Thailand 's notorious anti-defamation laws have long drawn scrutiny from human rights and press freedom groups , who say powerful players use it as a weapon to stifle free expression .
The maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with a 200,000 baht ( $ 6,300 ) fine .
Earlier this year , a Thai journalist was sentenced to two years in prison for posting a tweet referencing a dispute over working conditions at a chicken farm owned by the Thammakaset company .

Bangkok (AFP) –
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An American has been sued by an island resort in Thailand over a negative Tripadvisor review, authorities said Saturday, and could face up to two years in prison if found guilty.
Domestic tourism is still happening in Thailand, where coronavirus numbers are relatively low, with locals and expats heading to near-empty resorts -- including Koh Chang island, famed for its sandy beaches and turquoise waters.
But a recent visit to the Sea View Resort on the island landed Wesley Barnes in trouble after he wrote unflattering online reviews about his holiday.
"The Sea View Resort owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the Tripadvisor website," Colonel Thanapon Taemsara of Koh Chang police told AFP.
He said Barnes was accused of causing "damage to the reputation of the hotel", and of quarrelling with staff over not paying a corkage fee for alcohol brought to the hotel.
Barnes, who works in Thailand, was arrested by immigration police and returned to Koh Chang where he was briefly detained and then freed on bail.
According to the Tripadvisor review Barnes posted in July, he encountered "unfriendly staff" who "act like they don't want anyone here".
Barnes and the Sea View Resort did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Thailand's notorious anti-defamation laws have long drawn scrutiny from human rights and press freedom groups, who say powerful players use it as a weapon to stifle free expression.
The maximum sentence is two years in prison, along with a 200,000 baht ($6,300) fine.
Earlier this year, a Thai journalist was sentenced to two years in prison for posting a tweet referencing a dispute over working conditions at a chicken farm owned by the Thammakaset company.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Police hold ex-flatmate of Paris cleaver attack suspect

Seven people are now in being held in connection with the attack French police have detained a former flatmate of a man arrested over an attack with a meat cleaver that left two wounded outside the former offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo , a judicial source said Saturday .
Police also late Friday released another man who was close to the scene of the attack in Paris but who was confirmed to have been a witness who had `` chased the assailant '' , the source said .
A total of seven people are now being held in connection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks into the trial of suspected accomplices in the 2015 massacre of the newspaper 's staff .
They include the `` main perpetrator '' , who was arrested not far from the scene , prosecutors said .
France 's PNAT specialist anti-terror prosecution office said Friday it had opened a probe into charges of `` attempted murder related to a terrorist enterprise '' against him as well as `` conspiracy with terrorists . ''
According to PNAT head Jean-Francois Ricard , the suspect was an 18-year-old man .
Initial indications were that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday the attack was `` clearly an act of Islamist terrorism '' .
Charlie Hebdo has angered many Muslims around the world by publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed over the years , and in a defiant gesture reprinted some of the caricatures ahead of the trial .
Twelve people , including some of France 's most celebrated cartoonists , were killed in the attack on Charlie Hebdo by Islamist gunmen on January 7 , 2015 .
Paris police said two people were `` critically wounded '' in Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offices in the French capital 's 11th district .
The magazine 's new address is kept secret .
A source close to the investigation confirmed to AFP on Friday that a large meat cleaver found near the scene was used by the attacker .
The judicial source said Saturday that a man was taken in for questioning who had been a flatmate of the main suspect when he was living in social housing in the Val-d'Oise department north of Paris .
Five more people arrested in the Paris suburb of Pantin during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main suspect were also being held , a judicial source said late Friday .
The Premieres Lignes news production agency said the wounded were its employees -- a man and a woman taking a cigarette break outside .
The stabbing came during the trial of 14 alleged accomplices of brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi , the perpetrators of the 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo that was claimed by a branch of Al-Qaeda .
A female police officer was killed a day later , followed the next day by the killing of four men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by gunman Amedy Coulibaly .

Paris (AFP) –
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French police have detained a former flatmate of a man arrested over an attack with a meat cleaver that left two wounded outside the former offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, a judicial source said Saturday.
Police also late Friday released another man who was close to the scene of the attack in Paris but who was confirmed to have been a witness who had "chased the assailant", the source said.
A total of seven people are now being held in connection with the attack, which came three weeks into the trial of suspected accomplices in the 2015 massacre of the newspaper's staff.
They include the "main perpetrator", who was arrested not far from the scene, prosecutors said.
France's PNAT specialist anti-terror prosecution office said Friday it had opened a probe into charges of "attempted murder related to a terrorist enterprise" against him as well as "conspiracy with terrorists."
According to PNAT head Jean-Francois Ricard, the suspect was an 18-year-old man. Initial indications were that he was born in Pakistan.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday the attack was "clearly an act of Islamist terrorism".
Charlie Hebdo has angered many Muslims around the world by publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed over the years, and in a defiant gesture reprinted some of the caricatures ahead of the trial.
- Meat cleaver found -
Twelve people, including some of France's most celebrated cartoonists, were killed in the attack on Charlie Hebdo by Islamist gunmen on January 7, 2015.
Paris police said two people were "critically wounded" in Friday's attack near the paper's former offices in the French capital's 11th district. The magazine's new address is kept secret.
A source close to the investigation confirmed to AFP on Friday that a large meat cleaver found near the scene was used by the attacker.
The judicial source said Saturday that a man was taken in for questioning who had been a flatmate of the main suspect when he was living in social housing in the Val-d'Oise department north of Paris.
Five more people arrested in the Paris suburb of Pantin during a search of a property linked to the main suspect were also being held, a judicial source said late Friday.
The Premieres Lignes news production agency said the wounded were its employees -- a man and a woman taking a cigarette break outside.
The stabbing came during the trial of 14 alleged accomplices of brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, the perpetrators of the 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo that was claimed by a branch of Al-Qaeda.
A female police officer was killed a day later, followed the next day by the killing of four men in a hostage-taking at a Jewish supermarket by gunman Amedy Coulibaly.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-27--Coronavirus could overwhelm France, top doctor warns

The latest daily figures released by France 's health service recorded 14,412 new cases over the previous 24 hours France will face a months-long coronavirus epidemic that will overwhelm its health system if something does not change , one of the country 's top medical figures warned Sunday .
`` The second wave is arriving faster than we thought , '' Patrick Bouet , head of the National Council of the Order of Doctors , told the weekly Journal du Dimanche .
Fresh restrictions to slow the spread of the disease in the country 's worst-hit areas , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region , have run into local resistance .
Bouet told the paper that warnings delivered this week by Health Minister Olivier Veran had not gone far enough .
`` He did n't say that in three to four weeks , if nothing changes , France will face a widespread outbreak across its whole territory , for several long autumn and winter months , '' Bouet said .
There would be no medical staff available to provide reinforcements , and France 's health system would be unable to meet all the demands placed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers responsible for the spring `` miracle '' would not be able plug those gaps , he added .
`` Many of them are exhausted , traumatised . ''
France 's health service on Saturday recorded 14,412 new cases over the previous 24 hours -- slightly lower than the record 16,000 registered on both Thursday and Friday .
But over the last seven days , 4,102 people have been hospitalised , 763 of whom are being treated in intensive care .
On Saturday , Marseille bar and restaurant owners demonstrated outside the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start this evening .

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France will face a months-long coronavirus epidemic that will overwhelm its health system if something does not change, one of the country's top medical figures warned Sunday.
"The second wave is arriving faster than we thought," Patrick Bouet, head of the National Council of the Order of Doctors, told the weekly Journal du Dimanche.
Fresh restrictions to slow the spread of the disease in the country's worst-hit areas, including the Mediterranean city of Marseille and the Paris region, have run into local resistance.
Bouet told the paper that warnings delivered this week by Health Minister Olivier Veran had not gone far enough.
"He didn't say that in three to four weeks, if nothing changes, France will face a widespread outbreak across its whole territory, for several long autumn and winter months," Bouet said.
There would be no medical staff available to provide reinforcements, and France's health system would be unable to meet all the demands placed on it, he warned.
The health workers responsible for the spring "miracle" would not be able plug those gaps, he added.
"Many of them are exhausted, traumatised."
France's health service on Saturday recorded 14,412 new cases over the previous 24 hours -- slightly lower than the record 16,000 registered on both Thursday and Friday.
But over the last seven days, 4,102 people have been hospitalised, 763 of whom are being treated in intensive care.
On Saturday, Marseille bar and restaurant owners demonstrated outside the city's commercial courthouse against forced closures due to start this evening.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--'It is clear Lukashenko has to go': France's Macron

Lukashenko recently triggered new demonstrations and fresh Western criticism after holding a secret inauguration for himself French President Emmanuel Macron said Belarus 's leader Alexander Lukashenko has to step down , in comments to a French weekly published on Sunday .
`` It 's clear he has to go , '' he told the Journal du Dimanche , speaking days after the European Union refused to recognise Lukashenko as the country 's legitimate president .
`` It is a crisis of power , an authoritarian power that can not accept the logic of democracy and which is hanging on by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to go , '' he said .
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Belarus since August 9 elections which opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says she won , despite Lukashenko 's insistence he took a landslide victory .
The embattled leader has launched a brutal crackdown against the protesters -- drawing condemnation from the West , but support from Moscow .
He recently triggered new demonstrations and fresh Western criticism after holding a secret inauguration for himself .
Macron on Sunday said he had been `` impressed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarus .
`` They know the risks they are taking by demonstrating every weekend , and yet , they are pushing forward with the movement to make democracy come alive in this country that has been deprived of it for so long , '' he said .
`` Women in particular , who march every Saturday , command our respect , '' he added .
More than 90 people -- most of them women -- were arrested on Saturday at opposition rallies , one NGO said .
The EU on Thursday said Lukashenko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refused to recognise him as president .
Brussels is reviewing its relations with the country , the bloc 's diplomatic chief has said .
EU ministers decided in principle last month to impose sanctions against the regime , but Cyprus has been blocking approval until the bloc agrees similar measures against Turkey over gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean .
On Friday , EU Baltic states Lithuania , Latvia and Estonia expanded their own sanctions against Belarus .
The issue will be debated during an EU summit on October 1-2 in Brussels @

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French President Emmanuel Macron said Belarus's leader Alexander Lukashenko has to step down, in comments to a French weekly published on Sunday.
"It's clear he has to go," he told the Journal du Dimanche, speaking days after the European Union refused to recognise Lukashenko as the country's legitimate president.
"It is a crisis of power, an authoritarian power that cannot accept the logic of democracy and which is hanging on by force. It is clear that Lukashenko has to go," he said.
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Belarus since August 9 elections which opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says she won, despite Lukashenko's insistence he took a landslide victory.
The embattled leader has launched a brutal crackdown against the protesters -- drawing condemnation from the West, but support from Moscow.
He recently triggered new demonstrations and fresh Western criticism after holding a secret inauguration for himself.
Macron on Sunday said he had been "impressed by the courage of the protesters" in Belarus.
"They know the risks they are taking by demonstrating every weekend, and yet, they are pushing forward with the movement to make democracy come alive in this country that has been deprived of it for so long," he said.
"Women in particular, who march every Saturday, command our respect," he added.
More than 90 people -- most of them women -- were arrested on Saturday at opposition rallies, one NGO said.
The EU on Thursday said Lukashenko's inauguration lacked "democratic legitimacy" and refused to recognise him as president.
Brussels is reviewing its relations with the country, the bloc's diplomatic chief has said.
EU ministers decided in principle last month to impose sanctions against the regime, but Cyprus has been blocking approval until the bloc agrees similar measures against Turkey over gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
On Friday, EU Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia expanded their own sanctions against Belarus.
The issue will be debated during an EU summit on October 1-2 in Brussels.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Chief Raoni condemns Bolsonaro 'lie' on Amazon fires

Chief Raoni Metuktire ( pictured January 2020 ) is the latest figure to accuse Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro of distorting the truth in his speech to the United Nations Chief Raoni Metuktire , one of the most iconic defenders of the Amazon , condemned Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday for blaming wildfires devastating the rainforest on indigenous people .
The far-right president sparked controversy Tuesday with a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in which he defended his environmental record and said the fires destroying large swaths of the world 's biggest rainforest were largely set by indigenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who say the fires are mainly set to clear land for large-scale agribusiness , were quick to dispute the claim -- as did Raoni , a 90-year-old chief of the Kayapo people known for traveling the world to raise awareness of threats to the Amazon .
`` He said on TV that Indians were setting the planet on fire .
That 's a lie .
The farmers are the ones setting the fires , '' Raoni told journalists during a visit to the west-central city of Sinop for a medical check-up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Some of them are harming the forest .
Loggers , gold miners ... .
They are the ones setting the planet on fire , '' added the chief , who is famous for the large disc inserted in his lower lip and his colorful feather headdresses .
Raoni is the latest figure to accuse the president of distorting the truth in his speech , in which Bolsonaro downplayed damage to the Amazon and said Brazil was the victim of a `` brutal disinformation campaign . ''
Bolsonaro has presided over a surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
Last year , deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased 85.3 percent , to a record 10,123 square kilometers ( 3,900 square miles ) -- nearly the size of Lebanon .
So far this year , the rate is down by about five percent , though the number of fires has increased 12 percent , to 71,673 .
Meanwhile , just south of the Amazon , the world 's largest tropical wetlands , the Pantanal , are also being devastated by fires this year .
In less than nine months , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of fires in the Brazilian Pantanal , with 16,119 , burning more than 10 percent of the wetlands .

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Chief Raoni Metuktire, one of the most iconic defenders of the Amazon, condemned Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday for blaming wildfires devastating the rainforest on indigenous people.
The far-right president sparked controversy Tuesday with a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in which he defended his environmental record and said the fires destroying large swaths of the world's biggest rainforest were largely set by indigenous farmers using traditional slash-and-burn agriculture.
Environmentalists, who say the fires are mainly set to clear land for large-scale agribusiness, were quick to dispute the claim -- as did Raoni, a 90-year-old chief of the Kayapo people known for traveling the world to raise awareness of threats to the Amazon.
"He said on TV that Indians were setting the planet on fire. That's a lie. The farmers are the ones setting the fires," Raoni told journalists during a visit to the west-central city of Sinop for a medical check-up, according to the news site G1.
"Some of them are harming the forest. Loggers, gold miners.... They are the ones setting the planet on fire," added the chief, who is famous for the large disc inserted in his lower lip and his colorful feather headdresses.
Raoni is the latest figure to accuse the president of distorting the truth in his speech, in which Bolsonaro downplayed damage to the Amazon and said Brazil was the victim of a "brutal disinformation campaign."
Bolsonaro has presided over a surge in deforestation since taking office in January 2019.
Last year, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased 85.3 percent, to a record 10,123 square kilometers (3,900 square miles) -- nearly the size of Lebanon.
So far this year, the rate is down by about five percent, though the number of fires has increased 12 percent, to 71,673.
Meanwhile, just south of the Amazon, the world's largest tropical wetlands, the Pantanal, are also being devastated by fires this year.
In less than nine months, 2020 has already broken the annual record for the number of fires in the Brazilian Pantanal, with 16,119, burning more than 10 percent of the wetlands.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Yemen prisoner swap agreed: govt, rebel sources

The Yemeni government , supported by a Saudi-led military coalition , and Iran-backed Huthi rebels agreed to exchange some 15,000 detainees as part of a peace deal brokered by the United Nations in Sweden in 2018 Both sides in Yemen 's war agreed to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners during UN-sponsored talks in Switzerland , sources from both sides said on Saturday .
The government , supported by a Saudi-led military coalition , and Iran-backed Huthi rebels agreed to exchange some 15,000 detainees as part of a peace deal brokered by the United Nations in Sweden in 2018 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swaps , but the release of hundreds of loyalists and insurgents -- if it materializes -- would mark the first large-scale handover since the war erupted in 2014 .
`` A deal to exchange 1,081 prisoners has been reached , '' a member of the government delegation told AFP on condition of anonymity .
The deal includes the release of `` 681 rebels , and 400 government forces ( and allies ) , among them 15 Saudis and 4 Sudanese '' , added the source .
`` It must be implemented in two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huthi source close to the talks confirmed to rebel-run Al-Masirah TV channel that this round of the talks was due to end Sunday with the announcement of the agreement .
The talks started in an undisclosed location in Switzerland on September 18 aimed at agreeing the release of 1,420 prisoners .
Among them is the brother of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi .
But the release of General Nasser Mansour Hadi from the hands of the rebels `` has been postponed , '' according to the government delegation member .
The International Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return of detainees to their families .
Senior rebel commander Moahmed Ali Al-Huthi tweeted : `` What matters to us is implementing the deal , not only signing it . ''
The Yemen conflict has killed tens of thousands of people , most of them civilians , and sparked what the United Nations calls the world 's worst humanitarian crisis .

Dubai (AFP) –
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Both sides in Yemen's war agreed to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners during UN-sponsored talks in Switzerland, sources from both sides said on Saturday.
The government, supported by a Saudi-led military coalition, and Iran-backed Huthi rebels agreed to exchange some 15,000 detainees as part of a peace deal brokered by the United Nations in Sweden in 2018.
The two sides have since made sporadic prisoner swaps, but the release of hundreds of loyalists and insurgents -- if it materializes -- would mark the first large-scale handover since the war erupted in 2014.
"A deal to exchange 1,081 prisoners has been reached," a member of the government delegation told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The deal includes the release of "681 rebels, and 400 government forces (and allies), among them 15 Saudis and 4 Sudanese", added the source.
"It must be implemented in two weeks," he said.
A Huthi source close to the talks confirmed to rebel-run Al-Masirah TV channel that this round of the talks was due to end Sunday with the announcement of the agreement.
The talks started in an undisclosed location in Switzerland on September 18 aimed at agreeing the release of 1,420 prisoners. Among them is the brother of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
But the release of General Nasser Mansour Hadi from the hands of the rebels "has been postponed," according to the government delegation member.
The International Committee of the Red Cross will oversee the return of detainees to their families.
Senior rebel commander Moahmed Ali Al-Huthi tweeted: "What matters to us is implementing the deal, not only signing it."
The Yemen conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, and sparked what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Mexico orders arrest of soldiers over case of 43 missing students

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announces that arrest warrants have been issued for military personnel in the case of the 43 missing teaching training school students in Ayotzinapa Mexico has ordered the arrest of military personnel suspected of involvement in the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from a teacher 's college in the state of Guerrero , an unresolved case that has drew international condemnation .
The arrest warrants were announced by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday as he presented a report on how the lengthy investigation was proceeding into a tragedy that remains an open sore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued for the arrest of the military personnel , '' Lopez Obrador said at an event with parents of the missing students .
`` Zero impunity - those proven to have participated will be judged , '' he added .
The president did not detail any charges against the suspects .
The disappearance in 2014 sent shockwaves around Mexico .
The students had commandeered five buses to travel to a protest , but were stopped by corrupt police in the city of Iguala , Guerrero and handed over to a drug cartel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ students for members of a rival gang and killed them before incinerating their bodies at a garbage dump and tossing the remains in a river .
An official report presented in January 2015 by the government of then president Enrique Pena Nieto was rejected as faulty by relatives of the students as well as independent experts from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights .
Families of the victims have continued to demand answers , and have long complained that the military did nothing to protect the students and may even have been accomplices @ @ @ @

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Mexico has ordered the arrest of military personnel suspected of involvement in the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from a teacher's college in the state of Guerrero, an unresolved case that has drew international condemnation.
The arrest warrants were announced by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday as he presented a report on how the lengthy investigation was proceeding into a tragedy that remains an open sore for Mexico.
"Orders have been issued for the arrest of the military personnel," Lopez Obrador said at an event with parents of the missing students.
"Zero impunity - those proven to have participated will be judged," he added.
The president did not detail any charges against the suspects.
The disappearance in 2014 sent shockwaves around Mexico.
The students had commandeered five buses to travel to a protest, but were stopped by corrupt police in the city of Iguala, Guerrero and handed over to a drug cartel.
Prosecutors initially said the cartel mistook the students for members of a rival gang and killed them before incinerating their bodies at a garbage dump and tossing the remains in a river.
An official report presented in January 2015 by the government of then president Enrique Pena Nieto was rejected as faulty by relatives of the students as well as independent experts from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Families of the victims have continued to demand answers, and have long complained that the military did nothing to protect the students and may even have been accomplices in the crime.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Amy Coney Barrett: Religious conservative US Supreme Court pick

Judge Amy Coney Barrett speaks after being nominated to the US Supreme Court by President Donald Trump Judge Amy Coney Barrett , who was nominated Saturday to the US Supreme Court , is a darling of conservatives for her religious views but detractors warn her confirmation would shift the nation 's top court firmly to the right .
A practising Catholic and the mother of seven children , including two adopted from Haiti and a young son with Down 's Syndrome , Barrett is personally opposed to abortion , one of the key issues dominating the cultural divide in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court judge since 2017 , she has taken positions backing gun rights and against migrants , women seeking abortions and former president Barack Obama 's signature healthcare reform that Republicans have been trying to dismantle for years .
At just 48 , her lifetime appointment to the bench would ensure a conservative presence on the panel for decades , but her background -- the antithesis of the justice she would replace , Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- is a new flashpoint in an already polarized country .
President Donald Trump announced Barrett 's nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` very quick '' confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate .
After a childhood in New Orleans in the conservative south , Barrett became a top student at Notre Dame law school in Indiana where she later went on to teach for 15 years .
At the beginning of her legal career , she clerked for the renowned conservative Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia and took up his `` originalist '' philosophy of understanding the Constitution as it was meant to be read at the time it was written , as opposed to more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honed legal arguments , the university professor nevertheless has limited experience of actually presiding over a courtroom , having only taken to the bench in 2017 , after being appointed by Trump as a federal appeals court judge .
At the time , her Senate confirmation process was a stormy affair , with Democratic veteran Dianne Feinstein telling her , `` The dogma lives loudly within you . ''
That statement was used by supporters of Barrett to accuse Feinstein herself of intolerance , and only served to boost her standing among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Network went as far as having mugs made with the judge 's picture printed on them next to Feinstein 's words .
Without losing her composure , Barrett responded that she could make the distinction between her faith and her duties as a judge .
But her critics were not convinced , and often cite the numerous articles she wrote on judicial matters while she was at Notre Dame , and point to her recent rulings as a judge which they say betray her ideological leanings .
In 2018 , she was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a seat freed up by the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy , a position ultimately filled by Brett Kavanaugh after a ferocious confirmation battle .
Comments she delivered to students at Notre Dame , are frequently used to reprimand Barrett .
Presenting herself as a `` different kind of lawyer , '' she said that a `` legal career is but a means to an end ... and that end is building the Kingdom of God . ''
`` Amy Coney Barrett meets Trump 's two litmus tests for federal judges , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobby group Alliance for Justice said previously .
`` A willingness to overturn the Affordable Care Act and to overturn Roe v. Wade , '' the landmark legislation that legalized abortion in the US .
`` This nomination is about taking health care away from 20 million Americans and eliminating protections for Americans with preexisting conditions .
Barrett , who has even opposed ensuring access to contraception , would be a bane to reproductive freedom , '' Goldberg said .
At the same time , conservatives hail a woman they consider `` brilliant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans online even posting memes of her dressed as Superman .

Washington (AFP) –
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Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who was nominated Saturday to the US Supreme Court, is a darling of conservatives for her religious views but detractors warn her confirmation would shift the nation's top court firmly to the right.
A practising Catholic and the mother of seven children, including two adopted from Haiti and a young son with Down's Syndrome, Barrett is personally opposed to abortion, one of the key issues dominating the cultural divide in the United States.
As a federal appeals court judge since 2017, she has taken positions backing gun rights and against migrants, women seeking abortions and former president Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform that Republicans have been trying to dismantle for years.
At just 48, her lifetime appointment to the bench would ensure a conservative presence on the panel for decades, but her background -- the antithesis of the justice she would replace, Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- is a new flashpoint in an already polarized country.
President Donald Trump announced Barrett's nomination at the White House and predicted a "very quick" confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate.
- 'Dogma lives loudly in you' -
After a childhood in New Orleans in the conservative south, Barrett became a top student at Notre Dame law school in Indiana where she later went on to teach for 15 years.
At the beginning of her legal career, she clerked for the renowned conservative Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia and took up his "originalist" philosophy of understanding the Constitution as it was meant to be read at the time it was written, as opposed to more progressive interpretation.
Praised for her finely honed legal arguments, the university professor nevertheless has limited experience of actually presiding over a courtroom, having only taken to the bench in 2017, after being appointed by Trump as a federal appeals court judge.
At the time, her Senate confirmation process was a stormy affair, with Democratic veteran Dianne Feinstein telling her, "The dogma lives loudly within you."
That statement was used by supporters of Barrett to accuse Feinstein herself of intolerance, and only served to boost her standing among the religious right.
The conservative Judicial Crisis Network went as far as having mugs made with the judge's picture printed on them next to Feinstein's words.
Without losing her composure, Barrett responded that she could make the distinction between her faith and her duties as a judge.
But her critics were not convinced, and often cite the numerous articles she wrote on judicial matters while she was at Notre Dame, and point to her recent rulings as a judge which they say betray her ideological leanings.
In 2018, she was on the shortlist presented by President Trump for a seat freed up by the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, a position ultimately filled by Brett Kavanaugh after a ferocious confirmation battle.
- 'Kingdom of god' -
Comments she delivered to students at Notre Dame, are frequently used to reprimand Barrett.
Presenting herself as a "different kind of lawyer," she said that a "legal career is but a means to an end... and that end is building the Kingdom of God."
"Amy Coney Barrett meets Trump's two litmus tests for federal judges," Daniel Goldberg, director of the progressive lobby group Alliance for Justice said previously.
"A willingness to overturn the Affordable Care Act and to overturn Roe v. Wade," the landmark legislation that legalized abortion in the US.
"This nomination is about taking health care away from 20 million Americans and eliminating protections for Americans with preexisting conditions. Barrett, who has even opposed ensuring access to contraception, would be a bane to reproductive freedom," Goldberg said.
At the same time, conservatives hail a woman they consider "brilliant" and "impressive", with fans online even posting memes of her dressed as Superman.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Arteta voices fears over virus threat from international window

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he is keeping his `` fingers crossed '' that next month 's international break will not result in a spike in positive coronavirus tests in the Premier League .
So far a strict system of testing has kept the number of cases in the English top-flight low even as Britain faces a second wave of Covid-19 .
West Ham boss David Moyes and players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen tested positive this week , while Ilkay Gundogan became the third Manchester City player to return a positive test this month .
But no Premier League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors , has so far been postponed since last season resumed in June .
Clubs are set to lose their players during next month 's international window , which includes European Championship and South American World Cup qualifiers .
Top clubs reportedly held talks with world governing body FIFA this week over the next two international windows , in October and November .
Concerns are growing that players will be at greater risk of contracting the virus as they criss-cross the globe to represent their countries or being forced into periods of quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arteta , who tested positive for Covid-19 days before the 2019/20 season was put on hold in March , said he had his `` fingers crossed '' .
`` We have a system that works , that has created a positive , really , really low across the league , '' said the Arsenal boss .
`` Obviously when everybody starts to fly away to very different countries I think at the moment is a little bit of an experience and we do n't know what the outcome is .
`` We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of things that are implemented and are working well so fingers crossed that we do n't get any bad news . ''
Arteta , who was speaking at his pre-match press conference , takes his team to Liverpool on Monday for a showdown between two sides with a 100 percent record in the new campaign .
Arsenal finished 43 points behind the champions last season but can take confidence from two triumphs against them in recent months .
Arteta said Jurgen Klopp 's side , along with Manchester City , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few seasons and showed commitment to back up their quality .
`` I do n't see any complacency , '' said the Spaniard , whose side beat Liverpool in the league in July and triumphed on penalties in last month 's Community Shield .
`` They go to any ground and even when they are 2-0 up , 3-0 up , 4-0 up , they are still going the same way and this is an incredible credit to the coaching team , the culture they have created and the spirit of that team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just go for it every single minute of every game and throughout the season to do that for 10 months , that 's a massive compliment to them . ''

London (AFP) –
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he is keeping his "fingers crossed" that next month's international break will not result in a spike in positive coronavirus tests in the Premier League.
So far a strict system of testing has kept the number of cases in the English top-flight low even as Britain faces a second wave of Covid-19.
West Ham boss David Moyes and players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen tested positive this week, while Ilkay Gundogan became the third Manchester City player to return a positive test this month.
But no Premier League game, all taking place behind closed doors, has so far been postponed since last season resumed in June.
Clubs are set to lose their players during next month's international window, which includes European Championship and South American World Cup qualifiers.
Top clubs reportedly held talks with world governing body FIFA this week over the next two international windows, in October and November.
Concerns are growing that players will be at greater risk of contracting the virus as they criss-cross the globe to represent their countries or being forced into periods of quarantine when they return to their clubs.
Arteta, who tested positive for Covid-19 days before the 2019/20 season was put on hold in March, said he had his "fingers crossed".
"We have a system that works, that has created a positive, really, really low across the league," said the Arsenal boss.
"Obviously when everybody starts to fly away to very different countries I think at the moment is a little bit of an experience and we don't know what the outcome is.
"We want to believe that they want to follow a lot of things that are implemented and are working well so fingers crossed that we don't get any bad news."
- Anfield clash -
Arteta, who was speaking at his pre-match press conference, takes his team to Liverpool on Monday for a showdown between two sides with a 100 percent record in the new campaign.
Arsenal finished 43 points behind the champions last season but can take confidence from two triumphs against them in recent months.
Arteta said Jurgen Klopp's side, along with Manchester City, had set the bar high in the past few seasons and showed commitment to back up their quality.
"I don't see any complacency," said the Spaniard, whose side beat Liverpool in the league in July and triumphed on penalties in last month's Community Shield.
"They go to any ground and even when they are 2-0 up, 3-0 up, 4-0 up, they are still going the same way and this is an incredible credit to the coaching team, the culture they have created and the spirit of that team."
He added: "They just go for it every single minute of every game and throughout the season to do that for 10 months, that's a massive compliment to them."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Late Lukaku, D'Ambrosio goals lift Inter in seven-goal Fiorentina show

Lautaro Martinez ( L ) and Danilo D'Ambrosio both scored as Inter Milan kicked off their season with a win over Fiorentina in the San Siro .
Danilo D'Ambrosio and Romelu Lukaku scored two late goals as Inter Milan grabbed a thrilling season-opening 4-3 win over a Franck Ribery-inspired Fiorentina on Saturday .
Title rivals Atalanta and Lazio also got their campaigns off to winning starts .
Antonio Conte 's Inter had been trailing Fiorentina with three minutes to go in the San Siro but broke through after Ribery was substituted .
Lukaku equalised on 87 minutes with defender D'Amrosio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began their campaign to deny Juventus a 10th consecutive Serie A title this season .
But it was a far from confident display from Inter who were a goal down after three minutes to Ivorian Christian Kouame .
Lautaro Martinez levelled just before the break and Inter went ahead when Fiorentina defender Federico Ceccherini turned into his own net seven minutes after the break .
But Ribery was omnipresent for Fiorentina setting up their next two goals for Gaetano Castrovilli on 57 minutes and a Federico Chiesa lob in six minutes later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game seemingly in hand after 83 minutes , but the Tuscany side were to be denied a first win over Inter in over three years .
Ciro Immobile picked up where he left off as Lazio won 2-0 at Cagliari while Atalanta earned a 4-2 comeback against Torino .
Italy forward Immobile -- top Serie A scorer last season with 36 goals -- grabbed Lazio 's second goal in the last quarter of an hour in Sardinia .
Lazio return to Champions League football this season after finishing fourth in Serie A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atalanta 's scheduled season opener last week was pushed backed because of the Bergamo side 's Champions League last eight appearance in Portugal .
The two teams will go head-to-head in Rome next Wednesday .
`` Today we have shown that we are still that tight group that can do well , '' said Immobile .
`` Players have arrived who will give us a lift on the pitch and in the changing room , but the group is the same and there is no lack of motivation . ''
Lazio had Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After setting up Manuel Lazzari for the opener after four minutes , the Montenegrin again broke down the left flank to serve up the pass for Immobile after 74 minutes .
In Turin , Gian Piero Gasperini 's Atalanta proved they had lost none of their attacking style from last season with the most goals scored in the Italian top flight including 7-0 against Torino last January in Turin .
`` We are stronger than last year , '' warned Gasperini .
`` You learn a lot from playing in Europe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have n't given up .
`` This year some valuable players have arrived and if we are lucky enough to recover ( Josip ) Ilicic we will be even stronger .
`` It will be a season during which I will be able to rotate more players , last year I had a smaller squad available . ''
Andrea Belotti had put the hosts on the scoresheet first , connecting with a Tomas Rincon pass to rifle in after 11 minutes , the first of a double for the Torino captain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later with Argentinian Papu Gomez rifling in from long range for his 100th career goal on his 200th Serie A appearance for Atalanta , leaving Salvatore Sirigu with no chance in the Torino goal .
Gomez then set up Luis Muriel for the second after 21 minutes , with Hans Hateboer grabbing a third after 42 minutes .
Belotti 's header rekindled hopes going into the break but Atalanta dominated on returning , Muriel setting up Marten De Roon on 55 minutes to hand new Torino coach Marco Giampaolo his second defeat in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from two goals down to beat Sampdoria 3-2 .
Visitors Benevento were trailing after 18 minutes in Genoa following goals from Fabio Quagliarella and Omar Colley .
But Luca Caldirola hit back with a brace after 33 and 72 minutes with Marco Sau sealing the victory two minutes from time .
Juventus face their first major test this season Sunday when the Serie A champions tackle Roma in the Stadio Olimpico .

Milan (AFP) –
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Danilo D'Ambrosio and Romelu Lukaku scored two late goals as Inter Milan grabbed a thrilling season-opening 4-3 win over a Franck Ribery-inspired Fiorentina on Saturday.
Title rivals Atalanta and Lazio also got their campaigns off to winning starts.
Antonio Conte's Inter had been trailing Fiorentina with three minutes to go in the San Siro but broke through after Ribery was substituted.
Lukaku equalised on 87 minutes with defender D'Amrosio nodding in two minutes later as Inter began their campaign to deny Juventus a 10th consecutive Serie A title this season.
But it was a far from confident display from Inter who were a goal down after three minutes to Ivorian Christian Kouame.
Lautaro Martinez levelled just before the break and Inter went ahead when Fiorentina defender Federico Ceccherini turned into his own net seven minutes after the break.
But Ribery was omnipresent for Fiorentina setting up their next two goals for Gaetano Castrovilli on 57 minutes and a Federico Chiesa lob in six minutes later.
The 37-year-old French midfielder was substituted with the game seemingly in hand after 83 minutes, but the Tuscany side were to be denied a first win over Inter in over three years.
- Immobile on target -
Ciro Immobile picked up where he left off as Lazio won 2-0 at Cagliari while Atalanta earned a 4-2 comeback against Torino.
Italy forward Immobile -- top Serie A scorer last season with 36 goals -- grabbed Lazio's second goal in the last quarter of an hour in Sardinia.
Lazio return to Champions League football this season after finishing fourth in Serie A just behind Atalanta.
Both Lazio and Atalanta's scheduled season opener last week was pushed backed because of the Bergamo side's Champions League last eight appearance in Portugal.
The two teams will go head-to-head in Rome next Wednesday.
"Today we have shown that we are still that tight group that can do well," said Immobile.
"Players have arrived who will give us a lift on the pitch and in the changing room, but the group is the same and there is no lack of motivation."
Lazio had Adam Marusic to thank for their two goals. After setting up Manuel Lazzari for the opener after four minutes, the Montenegrin again broke down the left flank to serve up the pass for Immobile after 74 minutes.
In Turin, Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta proved they had lost none of their attacking style from last season with the most goals scored in the Italian top flight including 7-0 against Torino last January in Turin.
"We are stronger than last year," warned Gasperini.
"You learn a lot from playing in Europe, and despite the difficulties we have suffered, we haven't given up.
"This year some valuable players have arrived and if we are lucky enough to recover (Josip) Ilicic we will be even stronger.
"It will be a season during which I will be able to rotate more players, last year I had a smaller squad available."
- Gomez century -
Andrea Belotti had put the hosts on the scoresheet first, connecting with a Tomas Rincon pass to rifle in after 11 minutes, the first of a double for the Torino captain.
But Atalanta hit back two minutes later with Argentinian Papu Gomez rifling in from long range for his 100th career goal on his 200th Serie A appearance for Atalanta, leaving Salvatore Sirigu with no chance in the Torino goal.
Gomez then set up Luis Muriel for the second after 21 minutes, with Hans Hateboer grabbing a third after 42 minutes.
Belotti's header rekindled hopes going into the break but Atalanta dominated on returning, Muriel setting up Marten De Roon on 55 minutes to hand new Torino coach Marco Giampaolo his second defeat in as many games.
Promoted Benevento came from two goals down to beat Sampdoria 3-2.
Visitors Benevento were trailing after 18 minutes in Genoa following goals from Fabio Quagliarella and Omar Colley.
But Luca Caldirola hit back with a brace after 33 and 72 minutes with Marco Sau sealing the victory two minutes from time.
Juventus face their first major test this season Sunday when the Serie A champions tackle Roma in the Stadio Olimpico.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Ramos penalty snatches win for Real Madrid over Betis

Sergio Ramos scored a late penalty as Real Madrid came from behind to scrape a 3-2 win against 10-man Real Betis , their first La Liga victory of the season .
Betis were ahead at half-time after two goals in two minutes from Aissa Mandi and William Carvalho overturned Fede Valverde 's opener for the reigning champions .
But Betis defender Emerson , who is on loan from Barcelona , endured a nightmare start to the second half by scoring an own-goal and then being sent off for knocking over Luka Jovic after the striker had been sent clear .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 82nd minute as Marc Bartra was adjudged to have cleared with his arm , leaving Ramos to chip in the winning penalty .
Betis were fuming at referee Ricard de Burgos at full-time while Madrid breathed a sigh of relief , their opening win secured having kicked off the season with a goalless draw away at Real Sociedad last weekend .
Ramos converting from the spot felt familiar after his three penalties during Madrid 's late run to the title last term but this was an uncharacteristically sloppy defensive display from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time they had conceded twice in the first half of a league game since Zidane returned as coach 18 months ago and it would have cost them had Betis not self-combusted .
Yet victory puts early pressure on Barcelona , who begin with Lionel Messi back in the fold at home to Villarreal on Sunday .
Atletico Madrid also play their first game on Sunday at home to Granada .
Eden Hazard was still absent in Seville , not even included on the bench as Zidane continues to insist the Belgian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jovic was given a rare start up front but the Serb missed a good chance before going off in the second half and it would not be a surprise if he departed before the end of the transfer window .
Benzema made Madrid 's opener , refusing to give in down the right , where he wriggled into space and crossed for Valverde to fire in at the near post .
Ramos should have made it two but lashed wide from eight yards out and then Betis found their rhythm , exerting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wore on .
They equalised when Mandi climbed above Casemiro to head in a cross from the excellent Sergio Canales , who then initiated a second two minutes later , spreading left to Nabil Fekir , who laid off for Carvalho to power through and drive home .
But Madrid were level three minutes after the restart as Emerson poked Carvajal 's cross into his own net and then the Betis defender was sent off , ajudged to have bundled into the back of Jovic , who had been put through by Benzema @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benzema feathered past the post and substitute Borja Mayoral scuffed a finish , only for De Burgos to review and decide Bartra had diverted the ball away from Borja with his arm .
Ramos made no mistake .

Madrid (AFP) –
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Sergio Ramos scored a late penalty as Real Madrid came from behind to scrape a 3-2 win against 10-man Real Betis, their first La Liga victory of the season.
Betis were ahead at half-time after two goals in two minutes from Aissa Mandi and William Carvalho overturned Fede Valverde's opener for the reigning champions.
But Betis defender Emerson, who is on loan from Barcelona, endured a nightmare start to the second half by scoring an own-goal and then being sent off for knocking over Luka Jovic after the striker had been sent clear.
VAR again intervened in Madrid's favour in the 82nd minute as Marc Bartra was adjudged to have cleared with his arm, leaving Ramos to chip in the winning penalty.
Betis were fuming at referee Ricard de Burgos at full-time while Madrid breathed a sigh of relief, their opening win secured having kicked off the season with a goalless draw away at Real Sociedad last weekend.
Ramos converting from the spot felt familiar after his three penalties during Madrid's late run to the title last term but this was an uncharacteristically sloppy defensive display from Zinedine Zidane's side.
It was the first time they had conceded twice in the first half of a league game since Zidane returned as coach 18 months ago and it would have cost them had Betis not self-combusted.
Yet victory puts early pressure on Barcelona, who begin with Lionel Messi back in the fold at home to Villarreal on Sunday. Atletico Madrid also play their first game on Sunday at home to Granada.
Eden Hazard was still absent in Seville, not even included on the bench as Zidane continues to insist the Belgian regain full fitness before returning to action.
Jovic was given a rare start up front but the Serb missed a good chance before going off in the second half and it would not be a surprise if he departed before the end of the transfer window.
Benzema made Madrid's opener, refusing to give in down the right, where he wriggled into space and crossed for Valverde to fire in at the near post.
Ramos should have made it two but lashed wide from eight yards out and then Betis found their rhythm, exerting more and more pressure as the half wore on.
They equalised when Mandi climbed above Casemiro to head in a cross from the excellent Sergio Canales, who then initiated a second two minutes later, spreading left to Nabil Fekir, who laid off for Carvalho to power through and drive home.
But Madrid were level three minutes after the restart as Emerson poked Carvajal's cross into his own net and then the Betis defender was sent off, ajudged to have bundled into the back of Jovic, who had been put through by Benzema.
Ramos bent the free-kick wide, Benzema feathered past the post and substitute Borja Mayoral scuffed a finish, only for De Burgos to review and decide Bartra had diverted the ball away from Borja with his arm. Ramos made no mistake.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Commerzbank names Deutsche Bank's Manfred Knof as new CEO

Commerzbank 's latest appointment is a bid to end turmoil after Martin Zielke resigned at the start of July 2020 , following sustained criticism by shareholders of his performance and the bank 's losses Commerzbank , Germany 's second largest bank which has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the Wirecard scandal , on Saturday named Manfred Knof from rival lender Deutsche Bank as its new chairman .
The appointment is a bid to end turmoil after Martin Zielke resigned at the start of July , following sustained criticism by shareholders of his performance and the bank 's losses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bank 's German retail head but spent a large part of his career in the insurance business , working for German giant Allianz .
Knof 's appointment is subject to the approval of supervisory authorities .
`` Manfred Knof is an experienced and highly effective top manager who has proven himself in a wide range of tasks in the financial services industry , '' Hans-Joerg Vetter , chairman of the supervisory board of Commerzbank said .
`` He brings the necessary expertise and human leadership skills for the tasks that lie ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds 16 percent stake in the bank which it bailed out after the 2008 financial crisis .
Commerzbank notched up a 175 million-euro loss over the `` single case '' , which according to the Financial Times were loans made to payments provider Wirecard , which collapsed in June in what Germany 's finance minister had described as an unparalleled scandal .
Wirecard filed for insolvency in June after admitting that 1.9 billion euros ( $ 2.2 billion ) missing from its accounts did not exist .

Berlin (AFP) –
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Commerzbank, Germany's second largest bank which has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the Wirecard scandal, on Saturday named Manfred Knof from rival lender Deutsche Bank as its new chairman.
The appointment is a bid to end turmoil after Martin Zielke resigned at the start of July, following sustained criticism by shareholders of his performance and the bank's losses.
Knof, 55, was Deutsche Bank's German retail head but spent a large part of his career in the insurance business, working for German giant Allianz.
Knof's appointment is subject to the approval of supervisory authorities.
"Manfred Knof is an experienced and highly effective top manager who has proven himself in a wide range of tasks in the financial services industry," Hans-Joerg Vetter, chairman of the supervisory board of Commerzbank said.
"He brings the necessary expertise and human leadership skills for the tasks that lie ahead of the bank."
The German government holds 16 percent stake in the bank which it bailed out after the 2008 financial crisis.
Commerzbank notched up a 175 million-euro loss over the "single case", which according to the Financial Times were loans made to payments provider Wirecard, which collapsed in June in what Germany's finance minister had described as an unparalleled scandal.
Wirecard filed for insolvency in June after admitting that 1.9 billion euros ($2.2 billion) missing from its accounts did not exist.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-26--Trump nominates conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court

US President Donald Trump announces his US Supreme Court nominee , Judge Amy Coney Barrett ( R ) , in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington , DC on September 26 , 2020 .
Donald Trump nominated on Saturday Amy Coney Barrett for the US Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Barrett is a federal appeals court judge known for her conservative legal positions on key issues .
Barrett , 48 , was appointed by Trump to the Chicago-based 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017 .
She has proven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in favor of one of Trump 's hardline immigration policies and showing support for expansive gun rights .
She also authored a ruling making it easier for college students accused of campus sexual assaults to sue their institutions .
Abortion rights groups have expressed concern that Barrett would vote as a justice to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalised abortion nationwide .
Although she has not yet ruled directly on abortion , Barrett twice signaled opposition to rulings that struck down Republican-backed Indiana abortion-related restrictions - one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buried or cremated after an abortion , the other in 2019 involving parental notification - voting to have those decisions reconsidered .
In February 2019 , Barrett joined a ruling that upheld a Chicago measure that places limits on anti-abortion activists gathered outside abortion clinics .
The ruling , written by Judge Diane Sykes , said the court had to apply Supreme Court precedent .
During her 2017 confirmation hearing for her current post , US Senator Dianne Feinstein told Barrett , `` The dogma lives loudly within you '' .
Barrett said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions as a judge .
In June , Barrett dissented when a three-judge panel ruled in favor of a challenge to Trump 's policy to deny legal permanent residency to certain immigrants deemed likely to require government assistance in the future .
In January , the Supreme Court , powered by its conservative majority , allowed the policy to take effect .
She also authored a ruling that makes it easier for college students who have been accused of sexual assault to challenge how their schools dealt with their cases .
Barrett and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ male student who had been suspended from Purdue University after sexual assault allegations .
He accused the school of discriminating against him on the basis of his gender .
She wrote that in the case it was plausible Purdue officials chose to believe the female accuser `` because she is a woman '' and to disbelieve the male student accused `` because he is a man . ''
Barrett indicated support for gun rights in a 2019 dissent when she objected to the court ruling that a nonviolent felon could be permanently prohibited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislatures did not strip felons of the right to bear arms simply because of their status as felons , '' Barrett wrote .
Barrett , born in New Orleans , received her law degree from Notre Dame Law School , a Catholic institution in Indiana .
She is a devout Catholic .
She is married to Jesse Barrett , a lawyer in private practice and a former federal prosecutor in Indiana .
They have seven children , two of whom were adopted from Haiti .
She previously served as a clerk for Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative who died in 2016 .
In a 1998 law journal article she and another author said that Catholic judges who are faithful to their church 's teachings are morally precluded from enforcing the death penalty and should recuse themselves in certain cases .
Abortion rights groups , worried about preserving the 1973 ruling that a woman has a constitutional right to have an abortion , point to a 2003 law journal article in which Barrett argued that courts could be more flexible in overturning prior `` errors '' in precedent .
Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that life begins at conception , according to a 2013 article in Notre Dame Magazine .
Her writings also signal views on other contentious topics including healthcare .
In a law review article published in 2017 , she criticized conservative Chief Justice John Robert 's major 2012 ruling preserving Obamacare .
`` Chief Justice Roberts pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute , '' Barrett wrote .
Barrett and her family have been members of a Christian religious group called People of Praise , according to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's overall coordinator , said in 2018 that the organisation , which is officially ecumenical but whose membership is mostly Catholic , centers on close Christian bonds and looking out for one another .
They also share a preference for charismatic worship , which can involve speaking in tongues .
Certain leadership positions are reserved for men .
And while married men receive spiritual and other advice from other male group members , married women depend on their husbands for the same advice , Lent said .
`` We 're not unaware that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free and responsible for their own decisions .
No one should be servile , no one should be domineering , '' Lent said .
Some women in leadership positions used to be called handmaids , but now are referred to as `` women leaders , '' Lent said , to avoid the perception of servility .

Donald Trump nominated on Saturday Amy Coney Barrett for the US Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett is a federal appeals court judge known for her conservative legal positions on key issues.
US President Donald Trump announces his US Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett (R), in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on September 26, 2020.
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Barrett, 48, was appointed by Trump to the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017. She has proven reliably conservative in that post, voting in favour of one of Trump's hardline immigration policies and showing support for expansive gun rights. She also authored a ruling making it easier for college students accused of campus sexual assaults to sue their institutions.
Abortion rights groups have expressed concern that Barrett would vote as a justice to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalised abortion nationwide.
Although she has not yet ruled directly on abortion, Barrett twice signaled opposition to rulings that struck down Republican-backed Indiana abortion-related restrictions – one in 2018 requiring fetal remains to be buried or cremated after an abortion, the other in 2019 involving parental notification – voting to have those decisions reconsidered.
01:54
Religious dogma
In February 2019, Barrett joined a ruling that upheld a Chicago measure that places limits on anti-abortion activists gathered outside abortion clinics. The ruling, written by Judge Diane Sykes, said the court had to apply Supreme Court precedent.
During her 2017 confirmation hearing for her current post, US Senator Dianne Feinstein told Barrett, "The dogma lives loudly within you". Barrett said her religious faith would not affect her decisions as a judge.
In June, Barrett dissented when a three-judge panel ruled in favor of a challenge to Trump's policy to deny legal permanent residency to certain immigrants deemed likely to require government assistance in the future. In January, the Supreme Court, powered by its conservative majority, allowed the policy to take effect.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s ideological approach to the law could not be more different than Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s. Barrett draws inspiration from Justice Antonin Scalia as well as conservative beliefs and a religious culture that’ve shaped her life.https://t.co/ij2h2e7I3o — The New York Times (@nytimes) September 26, 2020
She also authored a ruling that makes it easier for college students who have been accused of sexual assault to challenge how their schools dealt with their cases. Barrett and her colleagues revived a lawsuit by a male student who had been suspended from Purdue University after sexual assault allegations. He accused the school of discriminating against him on the basis of his gender.
She wrote that in the case it was plausible Purdue officials chose to believe the female accuser "because she is a woman" and to disbelieve the male student accused "because he is a man".
Barrett indicated support for gun rights in a 2019 dissent when she objected to the court ruling that a nonviolent felon could be permanently prohibited from possessing a firearm.
"Founding-era legislatures did not strip felons of the right to bear arms simply because of their status as felons," Barrett wrote.
Conservative record
Barrett, born in New Orleans, received her law degree from Notre Dame Law School, a Catholic institution in Indiana. She is a devout Catholic. She is married to Jesse Barrett, a lawyer in private practice and a former federal prosecutor in Indiana. They have seven children, two of whom were adopted from Haiti.
She previously served as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a stalwart conservative who died in 2016.
In a 1998 law journal article she and another author said that Catholic judges who are faithful to their church's teachings are morally precluded from enforcing the death penalty and should recuse themselves in certain cases.
Abortion rights groups, worried about preserving the 1973 ruling that a woman has a constitutional right to have an abortion, point to a 2003 law journal article in which Barrett argued that courts could be more flexible in overturning prior "errors" in precedent.
Barrett has also spoken publicly about her conviction that life begins at conception, according to a 2013 article in Notre Dame Magazine.
Her writings also signal views on other contentious topics including healthcare. In a law review article published in 2017, she criticised conservative Chief Justice John Robert's major 2012 ruling preserving Obamacare.
"Chief Justice Roberts pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute," Barrett wrote.
'People of Praise'
Barrett and her family have been members of a Christian religious group called People of Praise, according to other members.
Craig Lent, the group's overall coordinator, said in 2018 that the organisation, which is officially ecumenical but whose membership is mostly Catholic, centers on close Christian bonds and looking out for one another. They also share a preference for charismatic worship, which can involve speaking in tongues.
Certain leadership positions are reserved for men. And while married men receive spiritual and other advice from other male group members, married women depend on their husbands for the same advice, Lent said.
"We're not unaware that could be misunderstood. Every member is free and responsible for their own decisions. No one should be servile, no one should be domineering," Lent said.
Some women in leadership positions used to be called handmaids, but now are referred to as "women leaders", Lent said, to avoid the perception of servility.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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