france24--2020-01-30--Coronavirus death toll rises to 170 as nations accelerate China evacuations

FILE PHOTO : Members of the Thai Airways crew prepare themselves before disinfecting the cabin of an aircraft of the national carrier during a procedure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at Bangkok 's Suvarnabhumi International Airport , Thailand , January 28 , 2020 China reported its biggest single-day jump in novel coronavirus deaths on Thursday , as confirmation that three Japanese evacuated from the outbreak 's epicentre were infected deepened fears about a global contagion .
The World Health Organization , which initially downplayed the severity of a disease that has now killed 170 nationwide , warned all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it weighed whether to declare a global health emergency .
As foreign countries evacuated their citizens from Wuhan , the locked-down city where the virus was first detected , concern over the economic impact has steadily intensified .
Airlines have suspended services to China and companies from Starbucks to Tesla have shuttered stores and production lines .
Chinese authorities have taken extraordinary steps to arrest the virus 's spread , including effectively locking down more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province .
But that was yet to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new deaths in the 24 hours to Thursday , the highest one-day total .
All but one were in Hubei .
The number of confirmed new cases also grew steadily to 7,711 , the National Health Commission said .
Another 81,000 people were under observation for possible infection .
The pathogen is believed to have been spawned in a market that sold wild game , spreading far and wide by a Lunar New Year holiday season in which hundreds of millions of Chinese travel domestically or abroad .
Japan 's infection rate grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 200 on an evacuation flight Wednesday tested positive .
Officials had already confirmed two cases in which patients tested positive without having travelled to China , adding to anxiety over human-to-human transmission of the respiratory disease .
`` We are in a truly new situation , '' Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told parliament .
The fact that two of the three new confirmed Japanese cases showed no symptoms underscored the scale of the challenge for health workers .
The WHO has come under fire after it last week declined to declare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health body 's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed regret for what he called a `` human error '' in the WHO 's assessment .
WHO 's Emergency Committee will meet Thursday to decide whether to declare an emergency -- which could lead to travel or trade barriers .
`` The whole world needs to take action , '' Michael Ryan , head of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme , told reporters in Geneva .
A US charter flight from Wuhan arrived Wednesday at a California military base with nearly 200 consular staff and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' when the jet touched down , said an official with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
All passengers were declared symptom-free but will remain isolated for days while they are monitored .
Some 250 French citizens and 100 other Europeans will be flown out of Wuhan on board two French planes this week .
Australia plans to house any citizens it evacuates from the city on an island normally used to detain asylum seekers .
A growing number of governments -- including the United States , Britain and Germany -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel to China .
China also has urged its own citizens to delay trips abroad , after more than 15 countries confirmed infections .
Major airlines that have suspended or pared back service to China include British Airways , German flag carrier Lufthansa , American Airlines , KLM , and United .
China efforts to halt the virus have seen the suspension of classes nationwide and an extension of the Lunar New Year holiday .
Most street traffic in and around Wuhan has been banned .
`` This is the first day since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out , '' a man in his 50s told AFP on the mostly deserted streets of the industrial city .
`` I have no choice because I need to buy food . ''
China 's football body meanwhile said it was postponing `` all levels and all types of football matches across the country '' , including the country 's top-tier Chinese Super League , in response to the outbreak .
Japanese automaker Toyota , Swedish furniture giant IKEA , tech giant Foxconn , Starbucks , Tesla and McDonald 's were among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or close large numbers of outlets in China .
As the `` world 's factory '' , the disruptions in China are expected to send ripples through supply chains globally , denting profits .
US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the new coronavirus posed a fresh risk to a fragile world economy , adding that the US central bank was on alert .
`` There will clearly be implications at least in the near term for Chinese output and I would guess for some of their close neighbours , '' Powell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every corner of China , with remote Tibet reporting its first case on Thursday .
It has triggered fears in part due to its striking similarity to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) outbreak of 2002-03 , which also began in China and eventually killed nearly 800 people worldwide .

Hundreds of foreign evacuees from the Chinese city of Wuhan entered quarantine on Thursday as deaths from a fast-spreading virus rose to 170 and markets shuddered at the impact of an inevitable big hit to the world’s No. 2 economy.
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All eyes were on the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has held off declaring the flu-like coronavirus a global emergency but was to reconsider that later in the day.
Such a declaration would trigger tighter containment and information-sharing guidelines, but may disappoint Beijing, which had expressed confidence in defeating the “devil” virus.
It could also potentially spook markets further.
“The fear is that they (the WHO) might raise the alarm bells ... so people are taking money off the table,” said Chris Weston, head of research at Melbourne brokerage Pepperstone.
01:31
The day after a state economist forecast the crisis would lop a percentage point off China’s first quarter growth, global stocks tumbled, the yuan hit its lowest this year, oil prices slid again and safe haven assets like gold gained.
The coronavirus, which originated in an illegal wildlife market in the central city of Wuhan, has now claimed 170 lives and infected 7,711 people in China, latest official data showed.
Almost all the deaths have been in Hubei province - of which Wuhan is the capital - where 60 million people are now living under virtual lockdown, staying inside their homes and only venturing out with masks on.
“Canteens are not open. Most of the shops are closed. We cannot go out and buy food,” Si Thu Tun, one of 60 students from Myanmar trapped in Wuhan, told online news outlet the Democratic Voice of Burma.
“Honestly, I have one big potato and three packs of instant noodles and some rice,” he said. Myanmar plans a special flight to get the students out within three days.
Global spread
As other countries fly citizens out, cut flights and corporate travel, and heighten screening, another 105 cases have emerged in at least 16 places from Japan to the United States.
An Italian cruise ship’s 6,000 passengers were kept on board while tests were held on two Chinese travellers suspected of having the coronavirus. Chinese New Year celebrations scheduled for Sunday in Paris have been cancelled.
The crisis has stoked a wave of anti-China sentiment around the globe, from shops barring Chinese tourists to online mockery and surprise checks on foreign workers.
Australia, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and Indonesia were quarantining evacuees for at least two weeks, though the United States and Japan planned shorter, voluntary isolation.
Three Japanese, from 206 evacuated on Wednesday, were infected, and worryingly two of them had not shown symptoms, Tokyo said. A second Japanese flight included nine people showing fever or coughing symptoms, broadcaster NHK said.
India was the latest nation to report a case, a student of Wuhan University. And South Koreans protested at facilities earmarked as quarantine centres, throwing eggs at a minister.
“The weapons that will protect us from the new coronavirus are not fear and aversion, but trust and cooperation,” said South Korean President Moon Jae-in as Seoul prepared to evacuate the first of about 700 citizens from Wuhan.
In the corporate world, Alphabet Inc’s Google and Sweden’s IKEA were the latest big names to close China operations. Samsung Electronics said it had extended holiday closure for some Chinese production facilities.
Airlines to suspend flights to China include British Airways, Lufthansa, Air Canada and American Airlines. Air France cabin crew unions were demanding the same, sources said, though the company has already allowed pilots and crew to opt out of China flights.
“When China slows, we feel it”
Fuelling concern over the damage to productivity, thousands of Chinese factory workers on Lunar New Year holidays may struggle to get back to work next week, due to extensive travel restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the virus.
Global policymakers are anxious, with China taking centre stage at US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s news conference on Wednesday.
“China’s economy is very important in the global economy now, and when China’s economy slows down we do feel that - not as much though as countries that are near China, or that trade more actively with China, like some of the Western European countries,” he said.
Streets in many Chinese cities were largely deserted and tourist attractions shut. Starbucks coffee shops were requiring temperature checks and masks.
Cases of human-to-human transmission outside China are of particular concern to medics, but it is too early to determine how lethal the coronavirus is, as there are likely to be many cases of milder infections going undetected.
It has an incubation time of between one and 14 days.
Chinese National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei said this week the virus was infectious during incubation, unlike Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), another virus that emerged from China and killed about 800 people in 2002 and 2003.
The global cost from SARS was estimated at $33 billion, or 0.1% of world GDP in 2003.
Many economists fear the impact on global growth could be bigger this time than from SARS as China now accounts for a larger share of the world economy.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-30--Macron’s party faces uphill battle in upcoming mayoral races

In a few weeks , French voters will take to the polls to elect the nation ’ s 35,068 mayors @ @ @ @ @ s The Republic on the Move ( LREM ) party is ahead in national polls @ @ @ @ @ a hard time unseating longtime mayors around the country .
LREM faces a similar battle @ @ @ @ @ her unpopularity for the controversial war against cars she has waged in the nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ Party 's Anne Hidalgo remains the frontrunner .
Recent polls projected Hidalgo to win 23 @ @ @ @ @ the first round of elections , slated for March 15 .
Hot on her heels @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 7th arrondissement ( district ) , Rachida Dati , who polls show winning @ @ @ @ @ .
Macron ’ s party is in disarray , with two LREM candidates having initially @ @ @ @ @ one with the party ’ s blessing .
Click on the player above to watch @ @ @ @

In a few weeks, French voters will take to the polls to elect the nation’s 35,068 mayors. While Emmanuel Macron’s The Republic on the Move (LREM) party is ahead in national polls, its candidates may have a hard time unseating longtime mayors around the country.
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LREM faces a similar battle in Paris where, despite her unpopularity for the controversial war against cars she has waged in the nation’s capital, the Socialist Party's Anne Hidalgo remains the frontrunner. Recent polls projected Hidalgo to win 23 percent of the vote in the first round of elections, slated for March 15.
Hot on her heels is the mayor of Paris’s 7th arrondissement (district), Rachida Dati, who polls show winning 20 percent of the vote. Macron’s party is in disarray, with two LREM candidates having initially presented themselves as candidates—though only one with the party’s blessing.
Click on the player above to watch the full story.
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france24--2020-01-30--Israel shores up West Bank and Gaza troops, protests turn violent after Trump's peace plan

The Israeli army announced an increased presence in the West Bank and near Gaza Wednesday evening , as US President Donald Trump 's controversial peace plan sparked outrage among Palestinians .
The plan , seen as overwhelmingly supportive of Israeli goals and drafted with no Palestinian input , gives the Jewish state a US green light to annex key parts of the occupied West Bank .
It was widely cheered in Israel , but sparked fury among Palestinians , with protests breaking out in the West Bank and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip .
One rocket was fired from the strip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ army said , `` ( Israeli ) fighter jets and aircraft struck a number of Hamas terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip . ''
Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli security forces clashed in various locations in the West Bank and further Palestinian protests are expected in the coming days .
The Israeli army announced Wednesday it would deploy additional troops in the West Bank and the near the Gaza Strip .
`` Following the ongoing situation assessment , it has been decided to reinforce the Judea and Samaria and Gaza Divisions with additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement , using the Israeli terms for the West Bank .
Trump , who unveiled the peace plan on Tuesday at the White House alongside Israel 's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with no Palestinian representatives present , said his initiative could succeed where others had failed .
But the plan grants Israel much of what it has sought in decades of international diplomacy , namely control over Jerusalem as its `` undivided '' capital , rather than a city to share with the Palestinians .
It also offers US approval for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley , which accounts for around 30 percent of the West Bank , as well as other Jewish settlements in the territory .
The terms have been roundly rejected by Palestinian leaders , with president Mahmud Abbas vowing the proposal would end up in the dustbin of history .
Abbas is expected to visit the UN in the next two weeks to address the Security Council and explain his rejection of the plan , the Palestinian ambassador to the UN said Wednesday .
Hamas said it could never accept anything short of Jerusalem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the Palestinians to `` come up with a counter-offer '' .
`` I know the Israelis would be prepared to sit down and negotiate on the basis of the vision that the president laid out , '' Pompeo said , as he headed to Britain on a five-nation tour .
In the West Bank city of Bethlehem , demonstrators threw rocks at Israeli border guards who responded with rounds of tear gas .
Three protesters were hospitalised after being hit by Israeli fire in clashes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Palestinian health ministry said .
In Khan Yunis in southern Gaza , protesters set tyres alight , while others hoisted banners vowing they were `` united against the deal of the century '' , in a jibe against Trump 's proposals .
Trump 's plan foresees the creation of a `` contiguous '' Palestinian state but under strict conditions , including a requirement that it be `` demilitarised '' .
The Palestinians would only be allowed to declare a capital in outer parts of east Jerusalem , beyond an Israeli security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by some in Israel .
`` History knocked on our door last night and gave us a unique opportunity to apply Israeli law on all of the settlements in Judea ( and ) Samaria , '' said Israel 's rightwing Defence Minister Naftali Bennett .
The Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz , Netanyahu 's main election rival in March 2 polls , embraced Trump 's proposals as offering `` a strong , viable basis for advancing a peace accord with the Palestinians '' .
But the head of Israel 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condemned Netanyahu 's expected move towards `` unilateral annexations '' .
Meanwhile , on the streets of Tel Aviv , some residents voiced concern that Trump had paid no attention to what the Palestinians actually want .
`` It sounds like an excessive implementation of Israel 's ambitions , with harsh , aggressive ignorance of Palestinian ambitions , '' said Tel Aviv resident Uri .
Major powers and some regional players responded with caution , saying Trump 's project deserves study , while stressing that a durable solution to the conflict can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign ministry welcomed Trump 's `` efforts '' and pledged to `` carefully study '' his proposal .
The ambassadors from three Arab nations -- Oman , the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- were at the White House , providing some evidence of Trump 's claim to have growing support around the region .
Saudi Arabia said it `` appreciates '' Trump 's efforts and called for direct Israeli-Palestinian talks .
`` We do not know if the American proposal is mutually acceptable or not , '' Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov @ @ @ @ @

The Israeli army announced an increased presence in the West Bank and near Gaza Wednesday evening, as US President Donald Trump's controversial peace plan sparked outrage among Palestinians.
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The plan, seen as overwhelmingly supportive of Israeli goals and drafted with no Palestinian input, gives the Jewish state a US green light to annex key parts of the occupied West Bank.
It was widely cheered in Israel, but sparked fury among Palestinians, with protests breaking out in the West Bank and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
One rocket was fired from the strip Wednesday evening.
In response, the army said, "(Israeli) fighter jets and aircraft struck a number of Hamas terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip."
Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli security forces clashed in various locations in the West Bank and further Palestinian protests are expected in the coming days.
The Israeli army announced Wednesday it would deploy additional troops in the West Bank and the near the Gaza Strip.
"Following the ongoing situation assessment, it has been decided to reinforce the Judea and Samaria and Gaza Divisions with additional combat troops," the army said in a statement, using the Israeli terms for the West Bank.
Trump, who unveiled the peace plan on Tuesday at the White House alongside Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with no Palestinian representatives present, said his initiative could succeed where others had failed.
But the plan grants Israel much of what it has sought in decades of international diplomacy, namely control over Jerusalem as its "undivided" capital, rather than a city to share with the Palestinians.
It also offers US approval for Israel to annex the strategically crucial Jordan Valley, which accounts for around 30 percent of the West Bank, as well as other Jewish settlements in the territory.
The terms have been roundly rejected by Palestinian leaders, with president Mahmud Abbas vowing the proposal would end up in the dustbin of history.
Abbas is expected to visit the UN in the next two weeks to address the Security Council and explain his rejection of the plan, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN said Wednesday.
Hamas said it could never accept anything short of Jerusalem as capital of a future Palestinian state.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the Palestinians to "come up with a counter-offer".
"I know the Israelis would be prepared to sit down and negotiate on the basis of the vision that the president laid out," Pompeo said, as he headed to Britain on a five-nation tour.
'United against the deal'
In the West Bank city of Bethlehem, demonstrators threw rocks at Israeli border guards who responded with rounds of tear gas.
Three protesters were hospitalised after being hit by Israeli fire in clashes near Ramallah in the central West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.
In Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, protesters set tyres alight, while others hoisted banners vowing they were "united against the deal of the century", in a jibe against Trump's proposals.
Trump's plan foresees the creation of a "contiguous" Palestinian state but under strict conditions, including a requirement that it be "demilitarised".
The Palestinians would only be allowed to declare a capital in outer parts of east Jerusalem, beyond an Israeli security wall.
Those terms were warmly received by some in Israel.
"History knocked on our door last night and gave us a unique opportunity to apply Israeli law on all of the settlements in Judea (and) Samaria," said Israel's rightwing Defence Minister Naftali Bennett.
The Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz, Netanyahu's main election rival in March 2 polls, embraced Trump's proposals as offering "a strong, viable basis for advancing a peace accord with the Palestinians".
But the head of Israel's leftwing coalition Labour-Gesher-Meretz, Amir Peretz, condemned Netanyahu's expected move towards "unilateral annexations".
Meanwhile, on the streets of Tel Aviv, some residents voiced concern that Trump had paid no attention to what the Palestinians actually want.
"It sounds like an excessive implementation of Israel's ambitions, with harsh, aggressive ignorance of Palestinian ambitions," said Tel Aviv resident Uri.
Cautious response
Major powers and some regional players responded with caution, saying Trump's project deserves study, while stressing that a durable solution to the conflict can only emerge through Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
The French foreign ministry welcomed Trump's "efforts" and pledged to "carefully study" his proposal.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, slammed Trump's plan as "completely unacceptable".
The ambassadors from three Arab nations -- Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- were at the White House, providing some evidence of Trump's claim to have growing support around the region.
Saudi Arabia said it "appreciates" Trump's efforts and called for direct Israeli-Palestinian talks.
Russia, a growing force in Middle East politics, sounded sceptical.
"We do not know if the American proposal is mutually acceptable or not," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-30--Tokyo prosecutors issue arrest warrant for Nissan’s Ghosn, accomplice

Japanese authorities on Thursday issued arrest warrants for a former U.S. special forces soldier and two other men on suspicion of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn out of Japan .
Warrants were issued for former U.S. Green Beret Michael Taylor and two other men , George-Antoine Zayek and Peter Taylor , prosecutors said in a statement .
A warrant was also issued for Ghosn for illegally leaving the country , prosecutors said .
Ghosn fled to Lebanon , his childhood home , at the end of last year , while he was awaiting trial on charges of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misappropriation of company funds , all of which he denies .
The arrest warrants come days after prosecutors searched the Tokyo office of Ghosn ’ s former lawyer .
Lebanon and Japan have about 40 days to decide whether Ghosn will be extradited to Japan or stand trial in Lebanon , Reuters reported last week .
The two countries have no extradition treaty and Lebanon does not typically hand over its nationals .
Ghosn ’ s legal team is hoping to hold the trial in Lebanon , where the former auto executive has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name .
Ghosn has struck out at what he has called Japan ’ s unjust judicial system and said the alternative to fleeing would have been to spend the rest of his life languishing in Tokyo without a fair trial .
( REUTERS )

Japanese authorities on Thursday issued arrest warrants for a former U.S. special forces soldier and two other men on suspicion of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn out of Japan.
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Warrants were issued for former U.S. Green Beret Michael Taylor and two other men, George-Antoine Zayek and Peter Taylor, prosecutors said in a statement. A warrant was also issued for Ghosn for illegally leaving the country, prosecutors said.
Ghosn fled to Lebanon, his childhood home, at the end of last year, while he was awaiting trial on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds, all of which he denies.
The arrest warrants come days after prosecutors searched the Tokyo office of Ghosn’s former lawyer.
Lebanon and Japan have about 40 days to decide whether Ghosn will be extradited to Japan or stand trial in Lebanon, Reuters reported last week.
The two countries have no extradition treaty and Lebanon does not typically hand over its nationals. Ghosn’s legal team is hoping to hold the trial in Lebanon, where the former auto executive has deep ties and hopes to clear his name.
Ghosn has struck out at what he has called Japan’s unjust judicial system and said the alternative to fleeing would have been to spend the rest of his life languishing in Tokyo without a fair trial.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-01-29--European Parliament gives final approval to Brexit deal, bids farewell with 'Auld Lang Syne'

Britain 's EU Parliament members react after a vote on the Withdrawal Agreement at the European Parliament in Brussels , Belgium January 29 , 2020 .
Britain ’ s departure from the European Union was set in law Wednesday as , amid emotional scenes , the bloc ’ s parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers .
After half a century of sometimes awkward membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks , the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time ( 2300 GMT ) on Friday .
MEPs voted by 621 votes to 49 to pass the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU institutions but remain under most EU rules during a transition until the end of the year .
Following the vote , MEPs burst into a chorus of “ Auld Lang Syne ” , a traditional Scottish song of farewell .
The transition will see Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s government try to negotiate an ambitious—unprecedented in the timeframe—free trade agreement with his 27 former partners remaining in the bloc .
“ Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depth of love , ” EU Commission president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , quoting British author George Eliot .
“ We will always love you and we will never be far .
Long live Europe.
” In other words , as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said : “ The hardest part lies ahead ... we ’ re going to get down to brass tacks now.
” In the Brussels parliament , many MEPs made it clear that they were voting for the withdrawal deal not out of any support for Brexit , but to avoid the disruption of a chaotic no deal divorce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and pointed to Britain ’ s role not only in the development of the European unification project but also to its historic battles against tyranny on the continent .
“ If we could stop Brexit by voting ‘ no ’ today I would be the first to recommend it , ” former Belgian premier and chairman of the parliament ’ s Brexit steering group Guy Verhofstadt said .
“ It is indeed a sad issue , ” he said , turning to the World Wars of the first half of he last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see a country leaving that twice liberated us , twice has given its blood to liberate Europe.
” The day began with Britain ’ s permanent representative to the EU Tim Barrow—from Saturday to be its ambassador—handing back the withdrawal agreement signed by Johnson , to be stored in Brussels .
“ This step ensures that the UK has fulfilled its legal obligations regarding our exit from the EU , ” the British mission said .
But it was still an emotional day in the European Parliament in Brussels , steeped in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and historical metaphor .
Nigel Farage , veteran MEP and leader of Britain ’ s Brexit Party , was in triumphant mood after two decades as a thorn in Brussels ’ side .
After his final speech in parliament , in which he described Brexit as a victory for populism over “ globalism ” , Farage and his MEPs brandished British flags , in contravention of the rules , then left .
“ We ’ re going to wave you goodbye , ” he declared , as deputy speaker Mairead McGuinness cut his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules , you ’ ll get cut off , ” she retorted .
At an earlier news conference , Farage said he had loved playing the “ pantomime villain ” in the Strasbourg assembly , feeding opposition to Europe at home with theatrical YouTube clips .
But he insisted on the seriousness of Brexit , comparing its significance to king Henry VIII taking Britain out of the Catholic church in 1534 .
“ He took us out of the Church of Rome , and we are leaving the Treaty of Rome , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 1957 founding document .
Later in the day , Farage ’ s fellow MEPs gathered for the historic vote to incorporate the withdrawal agreement into EU law .
This was the last legislative act of the 73 remaining British MEPs , and departure was hard for some .
Iratxe Garcia Perez , the Spanish leader of the Socialist group , choked back tears as she said farewell to her British Labour Party comrades .
After Brexit the United Kingdom will be what the EU calls a “ third country ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and economic drama will continue .
Britain and Europe will apply EU rules on trade and free movement of citizens until the end of the year , while negotiating a free trade agreement .
In the face of scepticism in EU capitals , Johnson insists he is optimistic that a comprehensive free trade deal can be done before the next cliff-edge .
But negotiations between the world ’ s sixth biggest economy and a 27-nation single market with a population of 450 million will be tricky Fishing rights , residency and working rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to Europe for Britain ’ s huge services sector : all will be on the table .
“ We are considering a free trade agreement with zero tariffs and zero quotas .
This would be unique .
No other free trade agreement offers such access to our single market , ” von der Leyen said .
“ But the pre-condition is that European and British businesses continue to compete on a level playing field .
We will not expose our companies to unfair competition , ” she warned , to applause .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the United States and Asian powers can help offset the costs of Brexit .
But the British premier was facing difficult talks on Wednesday with President Donald Trump ’ s secretary of state Mike Pompeo .
Trump backed Brexit , but Washington opposed Johnson ’ s decision to allow Chinese telecoms giant to work on Britain ’ s 5G telecoms network despite security fears .

Britain’s departure from the European Union was set in law Wednesday as, amid emotional scenes, the bloc’s parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers.
Britain's EU Parliament members react after a vote on the Withdrawal Agreement at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium January 29, 2020.
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After half a century of sometimes awkward membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (2300 GMT) on Friday.
MEPs voted by 621 votes to 49 to pass the withdrawal agreement, which sees Britain leave the EU institutions but remain under most EU rules during a transition until the end of the year.
Following the vote, MEPs burst into a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne”, a traditional Scottish song of farewell.
The transition will see Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government try to negotiate an ambitious—unprecedented in the timeframe—free trade agreement with his 27 former partners remaining in the bloc.
“Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depth of love,” EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told the chamber, quoting British author George Eliot.
“We will always love you and we will never be far. Long live Europe.”
In other words, as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said: “The hardest part lies ahead... we’re going to get down to brass tacks now.”
In the Brussels parliament, many MEPs made it clear that they were voting for the withdrawal deal not out of any support for Brexit, but to avoid the disruption of a chaotic no deal divorce.
Some expressed real anguish and regret, and pointed to Britain’s role not only in the development of the European unification project but also to its historic battles against tyranny on the continent.
“If we could stop Brexit by voting ‘no’ today I would be the first to recommend it,” former Belgian premier and chairman of the parliament’s Brexit steering group Guy Verhofstadt said.
“It is indeed a sad issue,” he said, turning to the World Wars of the first half of he last century. “We’re sad to see a country leaving that twice liberated us, twice has given its blood to liberate Europe.”
The day began with Britain’s permanent representative to the EU Tim Barrow—from Saturday to be its ambassador—handing back the withdrawal agreement signed by Johnson, to be stored in Brussels.
“This step ensures that the UK has fulfilled its legal obligations regarding our exit from the EU,” the British mission said.
Leaving the church
But it was still an emotional day in the European Parliament in Brussels, steeped in a mixture of nostalgia, political carnival and historical metaphor.
Nigel Farage, veteran MEP and leader of Britain’s Brexit Party, was in triumphant mood after two decades as a thorn in Brussels’ side.
After his final speech in parliament, in which he described Brexit as a victory for populism over “globalism”, Farage and his MEPs brandished British flags, in contravention of the rules, then left.
“We’re going to wave you goodbye,” he declared, as deputy speaker Mairead McGuinness cut his microphone.
“If you disobey the rules, you’ll get cut off,” she retorted.
At an earlier news conference, Farage said he had loved playing the “pantomime villain” in the Strasbourg assembly, feeding opposition to Europe at home with theatrical YouTube clips.
But he insisted on the seriousness of Brexit, comparing its significance to king Henry VIII taking Britain out of the Catholic church in 1534.
“He took us out of the Church of Rome, and we are leaving the Treaty of Rome,” he said, referring to the EU’s 1957 founding document.
Later in the day, Farage’s fellow MEPs gathered for the historic vote to incorporate the withdrawal agreement into EU law.
This was the last legislative act of the 73 remaining British MEPs, and departure was hard for some.
Bagpipe serenade
Iratxe Garcia Perez, the Spanish leader of the Socialist group, choked back tears as she said farewell to her British Labour Party comrades.
After Brexit the United Kingdom will be what the EU calls a “third country”, outside the union, but the political and economic drama will continue.
Britain and Europe will apply EU rules on trade and free movement of citizens until the end of the year, while negotiating a free trade agreement.
In the face of scepticism in EU capitals, Johnson insists he is optimistic that a comprehensive free trade deal can be done before the next cliff-edge.
But negotiations between the world’s sixth biggest economy and a 27-nation single market with a population of 450 million will be tricky
Fishing rights, residency and working rights for citizens, tariff free trade, access to Europe for Britain’s huge services sector: all will be on the table.
“We are considering a free trade agreement with zero tariffs and zero quotas. This would be unique. No other free trade agreement offers such access to our single market,” von der Leyen said.
“But the pre-condition is that European and British businesses continue to compete on a level playing field. We will not expose our companies to unfair competition,” she warned, to applause.
UK goes solo
Johnson’s government hopes more trade with the United States and Asian powers can help offset the costs of Brexit.
But the British premier was facing difficult talks on Wednesday with President Donald Trump’s secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
Trump backed Brexit, but Washington opposed Johnson’s decision to allow Chinese telecoms giant to work on Britain’s 5G telecoms network despite security fears.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-01-29--Face masks, fear and boredom: Life in China under virus threat

Whether lining up to buy face masks , blockading villages or finding ways to stave off boredom amid a city in lockdown , the outbreak of a new and deadly virus has brought disruption to the daily lives of people across China .
In Wuhan , the city where the previously unknown form of coronavirus first appeared , the streets are deserted .
Placed under lockdown by the central government since January 23 , with citizens forbidden to leave without special permission , many are choosing to remain indoors to minimize risk of infection .
“ A lot of residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local told AFP .
“ There used to be a lot of people on the streets , many people , but now there are few.
” At the Marco Polo Hotel , one of the few still open , staff have been taking part in daily physical exercise routines .
With no guests to take care of , they see it as a way to both maintain their physical and mental health .
In other major cities , including Beijing , the streets have also been unusually quiet in recent days .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forming lines for surgical face masks .
Some villages have gone to even greater extremes in an attempt to keep the virus at bay by constructing road blocks and screening anyone attempting to enter .
“ It ’ s just to prevent the virus from being spread to our village , ” a security volunteer in the village of Tianjiaying , near Beijing , told Reuters .
“ And then inside our village , we decided to block every entrance .
All outsiders are not allowed to come in .
”

Whether lining up to buy face masks, blockading villages or finding ways to stave off boredom amid a city in lockdown, the outbreak of a new and deadly virus has brought disruption to the daily lives of people across China.
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In Wuhan, the city where the previously unknown form of coronavirus first appeared, the streets are deserted. Placed under lockdown by the central government since January 23, with citizens forbidden to leave without special permission, many are choosing to remain indoors to minimize risk of infection.
“A lot of residents are a little nervous,” one local told AFP. “There used to be a lot of people on the streets, many people, but now there are few.”
At the Marco Polo Hotel, one of the few still open, staff have been taking part in daily physical exercise routines.
With no guests to take care of, they see it as a way to both maintain their physical and mental health.
In other major cities, including Beijing, the streets have also been unusually quiet in recent days.
Meanwhile, outside pharmacies, people have been forming lines for surgical face masks.
Some villages have gone to even greater extremes in an attempt to keep the virus at bay by constructing road blocks and screening anyone attempting to enter.
“It’s just to prevent the virus from being spread to our village,” a security volunteer in the village of Tianjiaying, near Beijing, told Reuters. “And then inside our village, we decided to block every entrance. All outsiders are not allowed to come in.”
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france24--2020-02-04--Buttigieg ahead in Iowa Democratic Party Caucus after 'coding error' yields incomplete tally

Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend , Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during a campaign stop in Portsmouth , New Hampshire , U.S. , February 4 , 2020 .
Pete Buttigieg led in Iowa 's initial caucus results with 62 % of precincts reporting , with U.S .
Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in second and third place and former Vice President Joe Biden trailing in fourth , the Iowa Democratic Party reported on Tuesday .
Pete Buttigieg took a narrow lead in the first batch of long-delayed results from the chaotic Iowa Democratic Party caucuses on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailed badly in fourth place with about 62 % of precincts reporting .
U.S .
Senator Bernie Sanders was a close second place and U.S .
Senator Elizabeth Warren placed third in the first results , released nearly 21 hours after Iowans poured into more than 1,600 public locations to begin the five-month process of picking a challenger to Republican President Donald Trump .
In Tuesday 's first results of state delegate equivalents , the data traditionally reported to determine the winner , Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25.1 % , Warren 18.3 % and Biden 15.6 % .
Senator Amy Klobuchar was fifth at 12.6 % .
If elected , Buttigieg , 38 , would be the first openly gay U.S. president .
A military veteran , he served in Afghanistan before becoming mayor of South Bend , a city of 102,000 people .
Sanders , 78 , was ahead in the popular vote , which is not used to determine the delegates who will cast ballots at the Democratic National Convention in July .
An independent , Sanders calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clumsy start to voting .
Officials blamed inconsistencies related to a new mobile app used for vote counting for the unusual delay in Iowa , the state that traditionally kicks off a U.S. presidential election campaign that culminates this year on Nov. 3 .
The uncertainty enraged Democrats worried it would only strengthen Trump 's bid for re-election and prompted some Democratic candidates ' campaigns to question whether the results would be legitimate .
`` As leader of the party I apologize deeply for this , '' Iowa State Party Chairman Troy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been working day and night to make sure these results are accurate . ''
Some Democrats have long complained that the largely white farm state has an outsized role in determining the party 's presidential nominee .
Republicans asked how Democrats could run the country if they could not conduct a caucus , while Trump mocked the Democrats on Twitter , calling the delay an `` unmitigated disaster . ''
Trump took a swipe at the Democrats , 11 of whom are contenders in the state-by-state battle to face him in November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ran the Country , '' he tweeted .
While Republicans pounced on the problems , their party has its own history of presidential election chaos in Iowa .
On the night of the party 's 2012 caucuses , Mitt Romney was declared to have won by only eight votes .
But two weeks later , the party announced that Rick Santorum had actually won by 34 votes .
Romney went on to be the nominee .
Before the Iowa results were released , campaign aides for Biden cited gross failures in the caucuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are some inconsistencies , that the process , the integrity , is at stake .
And the Iowa Democratic Party needs to check that data , check it again , check it a third time , check it a fourth time , because it ’ s important to get it right , '' Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders told reporters .
`` It looks like a disorganized mess , '' said Jessica Leonard , 41 , who runs a food truck in Winterset , Iowa , and normally votes Democratic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than $ 800 million in spending , the results in Iowa had been expected to provide some answers for Democrats desperately trying to figure out how to beat the businessman-turned-president .
But the Democratic candidates had already departed Iowa and turned their attention to the next contest in New Hampshire on Feb. 11 before the first results had even been released .
Michael Bloomberg , the former New York City mayor who entered the race late and has decided to skip the early-voting states to focus on later contests , seized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would buy more advertising and hire more staff .
`` After more than a year of this primary , the field is as unsettled as ever .
No one has made the sale or even come close to it , '' campaign spokeswoman Galia Slayen told Reuters .
Price , the Iowa Democratic chairman , said the problems were `` unacceptable . ''
He said the app was recording data accurately but only tallying part of it .
The coding problem was fixed and state officials are verifying the data from the app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some local officials reported having trouble using the mobile app to report results from schools , community centers and other locations .
But when they turned to the traditional method - calling results in by telephone - they were put on hold and could not get through .
The Nevada Democratic Party said that for its Feb. 22 presidential caucuses it will not be using the same app or vendor employed in Iowa .
Iowa Democrats had been keen to be more transparent in this year 's caucuses after complaints from Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rival Hillary Clinton earned roughly the same number of delegates who go on to choose the party 's presidential nominee .
He asked the party for an audit .

Democratic White House candidate Pete Buttigieg seized a shock lead in the chaotic Iowa caucuses, closely trailed by leftist senator Bernie Sanders, according to partial returns released on Tuesday after an embarrassing delay in reporting the results.
Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during a campaign stop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., February 4, 2020.
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Progressive standard-bearer Elizabeth Warren was in third place followed by Joe Biden, a disappointing showing for the former vice president who has claimed he is best positioned to defeat Donald Trump in November.
Buttigieg, the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who has been battling Biden for the moderate wing of the party, hailed what he called an "astonishing victory" in the midwestern farm state which kicks off the presidential nominating process.
"I have never been more confident in our campaign, in our team, and in the vision that brought to us this point," Buttigieg told ecstatic supporters in New Hampshire, which holds the next nominating contest on February 11.
02:20
With polls still mixed on whether Americans would be comfortable with an openly gay president, Buttigieg also made a rare, though implicit, reference to his sexuality -- and the added significance it gave the Iowa outcome.
"It validates for a kid, somewhere in a community, wondering if he belongs, or she belongs, or they belong in their own family, that if you believe in yourself and your country there's a lot backing up that belief," he said with a catch in his voice.
05:48
According to the partial results, Buttigieg, unknown nationally a year ago, leads with 26.8 percent followed by Sanders, the 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, with 25.2 percent, followed by Senator Warren with 18.4 percent, and Biden with 15.4 percent.
The centrist senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar was in fifth place on 12.6 percent, with 71 percent of the precincts reporting.
The results were posted some 21 hours after Iowans gathered across the state to hold the first vote of the presidential nominating season.
Troy Price, the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, apologized profusely for the delay and blamed it on a "coding error" with an app being used for the first time to report the returns from precincts across the farm state.
Price pledged to provide the full results as soon as possible.
"We have been working day and night to make sure that the results are accurate," he said. "And we also have a paper trail and documentation that we have been able to use to provide information to help verify the results."
As Iowa struggled to publish the results and frustrated Democratic candidates fumed, Trump gleefully pounced on the hold-up, describing the Democrats' failure to deliver timely results as an "unmitigated disaster."
"Nothing works, just like they ran the country," tweeted Trump -- hours before delivering his annual State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress under the cloud of impeachment.
The Democrat Caucus is an unmitigated disaster. Nothing works, just like they ran the Country. Remember the 5 Billion Dollar Obamacare Website, that should have cost 2% of that. The only person that can claim a very big victory in Iowa last night is “Trump”. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2020
'Shocking incompetence'
The results are usually known within hours of the conclusion of the caucuses, which do not involve a traditional ballot but see voters attending public gatherings and voicing support for the candidate of their choice.
Iowa kicks off the process of selecting presidential nominees every four years, but the fiasco surrounding the results is likely to increase calls for the state to lose the honor.
"The top finishers, probably Sanders and Buttigieg, could have used their showings to launch into New Hampshire," the next contest, said Larry Sabato, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia.
"Instead, the story is the shocking incompetence of the Iowa Democratic Party."
He called for an end to the "strange system in a 91 percent white state" in favor of giving other states a chance to kick off the process.
Virginia Senator Mark Warner expressed alarm over the Iowa debacle.
"This chaos has created an environment where misinformation is now running rampant online, further undermining confidence in the democratic process," he said.
With Iowa still mired in confusion, the Democratic candidates turned their sights on New Hampshire.
According to a Boston Globe/WBZ-TV/Suffolk University poll released Monday, Sanders is leading in the Granite State with 24 percent, followed by Biden on 18 percent, Warren with 13 percent and Buttigieg with 11 percent.
Alluding to his own victory in Republican caucuses in Iowa, Trump said that "the only person that can claim a very big victory in Iowa last night is 'Trump.'"
"When will the Democrats start blaming RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, instead of their own incompetence for the voting disaster that just happened in the Great State of Iowa?" Trump tweeted.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-04--‘Cold technocracy’: Bereavement law fiasco plunges Macron’s party into turmoil

France ’ s ruling party is scrambling to fend off accusations of insensitivity and incompetence after its lawmakers voted down a proposed bill extending paid leave from work for parents who have lost a child .
It ’ s the kind of PR disaster President Emmanuel Macron ’ s government , so often accused of technocratic indifference , would readily have done without .
Recognising a “ mistake ” , lawmakers from Macron ’ s LREM party on Tuesday began working on draft legislation to extend paid leave for bereaved parents from 5 to 12 days – precisely what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were instructed to do so by the government .
“ When you make such an egregious mistake , first you admit it , then you fix it , after which you go a step further – and quickly , ” said LREM lawmaker Olivia Grégoire .
The stunning about-face followed a chorus of condemnation that rattled the administration , forcing the president to step into the fray .
In a rare rebuke , Macron , himself a frequent target of accusations of callousness , had urged his government at the weekend to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The plan to extend paid leave in the event of a child ’ s death was originally put forward by the UDI , a small centrist outfit that is generally supportive of Macron ’ s government .
The seemingly consensual proposal was backed by all other parties , but its surprise rejection by LREM lawmakers on Thursday resulted in a narrow defeat – and a deluge of criticism from members of the opposition and the public .
“ We ’ re talking about the mother of all tragedies here , ” gasped prominent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party of “ pettiness ” , while conservative lawmaker Pierre Cordier spoke of “ a shameful ” vote .
The suggestion by some LREM lawmakers that workers might instead “ donate ” their holidays to bereaved colleagues attracted particular scorn .
In further embarrassment for the government , the current and former heads of France ’ s business confederation , the Medef , said they also supported longer paid leave – undercutting Labour Minister Muriel Pénicaud ’ s initial claim that the proposal would place an unfair financial burden on French firms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ know nothing of real life , ” commented Yannick Jadot , a leader of the Greens , denouncing “ a form of cold technocracy ” .
Pénicaud and her ministerial colleagues have since been squabbling over who should take the blame for the fiasco , while several of LREM ’ s typically pliant lawmakers have accused the government of throwing them under the bus .
“ We ’ re caught between two fires , ” Aurore Bergé , a party lawmaker and spokesperson , told French daily Le Figaro .
“ On one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which quite rightly says we messed up ; and on the other there ’ s people in the cabinet who call us idiots .
The idiots are the lawmakers who were simply loyal to their government !
” Seeking to quell the unrest , Prime Minister Edouard Philippe acknowledged during a meeting of LREM lawmakers on Tuesday that the government was “ partly to blame ” .
He added : “ To those who wish to pin the blame on others , on Muriel [ Pénicaud ] , internally or through the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the debacle , French weekly Le Point said the initial blunder “ smacked of a mix of incompetence and lack of political savvy ” .
With the ruling party now scrambling to present its own bill , Le Point noted that a few amendments to the original text would have sufficed to avert the whole fracas – “ but , incredibly , no one in the ruling majority even thought about it !
” If and when the new bill is approved , it will provide one of the most generous parental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The UK parliament is expected to vote on similar legislation in the coming weeks .

France’s ruling party is scrambling to fend off accusations of insensitivity and incompetence after its lawmakers voted down a proposed bill extending paid leave from work for parents who have lost a child.
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It’s the kind of PR disaster President Emmanuel Macron’s government, so often accused of technocratic indifference, would readily have done without.
Recognising a “mistake”, lawmakers from Macron’s LREM party on Tuesday began working on draft legislation to extend paid leave for bereaved parents from 5 to 12 days – precisely what they voted down only days earlier after they were instructed to do so by the government.
“When you make such an egregious mistake, first you admit it, then you fix it, after which you go a step further – and quickly,” said LREM lawmaker Olivia Grégoire.
“We’ll make amends,” added the government’s spokesperson, Sibeth Ndiaye, recognizing a “political misjudgment”.
The stunning about-face followed a chorus of condemnation that rattled the administration, forcing the president to step into the fray.
In a rare rebuke, Macron, himself a frequent target of accusations of callousness, had urged his government at the weekend to “show humanity” on the issue.
‘Shameful’
The plan to extend paid leave in the event of a child’s death was originally put forward by the UDI, a small centrist outfit that is generally supportive of Macron’s government.
The seemingly consensual proposal was backed by all other parties, but its surprise rejection by LREM lawmakers on Thursday resulted in a narrow defeat – and a deluge of criticism from members of the opposition and the public.
“We’re talking about the mother of all tragedies here,” gasped prominent left-winger François Ruffin, accusing the ruling party of “pettiness”, while conservative lawmaker Pierre Cordier spoke of “a shameful” vote.
The suggestion by some LREM lawmakers that workers might instead “donate” their holidays to bereaved colleagues attracted particular scorn.
In further embarrassment for the government, the current and former heads of France’s business confederation, the Medef, said they also supported longer paid leave – undercutting Labour Minister Muriel Pénicaud’s initial claim that the proposal would place an unfair financial burden on French firms.
“We are governed by people who know nothing of real life,” commented Yannick Jadot, a leader of the Greens, denouncing “a form of cold technocracy”.
'I say merde!'
Pénicaud and her ministerial colleagues have since been squabbling over who should take the blame for the fiasco, while several of LREM’s typically pliant lawmakers have accused the government of throwing them under the bus.
“We’re caught between two fires,” Aurore Bergé, a party lawmaker and spokesperson, told French daily Le Figaro. “On one side there’s the public, which quite rightly says we messed up; and on the other there’s people in the cabinet who call us idiots. The idiots are the lawmakers who were simply loyal to their government!”
Seeking to quell the unrest, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe acknowledged during a meeting of LREM lawmakers on Tuesday that the government was “partly to blame”. He added: “To those who wish to pin the blame on others, on Muriel [Pénicaud], internally or through the media, I say merde!”
Reflecting on the debacle, French weekly Le Point said the initial blunder “smacked of a mix of incompetence and lack of political savvy”.
With the ruling party now scrambling to present its own bill, Le Point noted that a few amendments to the original text would have sufficed to avert the whole fracas – “but, incredibly, no one in the ruling majority even thought about it!”
If and when the new bill is approved, it will provide one of the most generous parental bereavement pay offers in the world. The UK parliament is expected to vote on similar legislation in the coming weeks.
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france24--2020-02-05--Hong Kong sees its first coronavirus death as confirmed infections in China exceed 20,300

A man wearing mask walks in front of Casino Lisboa , before its temporary closing , following the coronavirus outbreak in Macau , China February 4 , 2020 .
The number of people infected in China by the coronavirus outbreak jumped on Wednesday to nearly 500 , after Hong Kong reported its first death from the disease and millions more in China were ordered to stay indoors .
The confirmed toll in mainland China rose to 490 after hardest-hit Hubei province reported 65 more people had died -- the biggest single-day tally since the first fatalities emerged last month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus , prompting the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) to declare a global health emergency , several governments to institute travel restrictions , and airlines to suspend flights to and from China .
The WHO said Tuesday that the dramatic measures taken by China had provided a `` window of opportunity '' to halt transmission , while calling for more global solidarity to combat the virus .
The novel coronavirus has continued to spread with Singapore , Malaysia , and Thailand on Tuesday reporting new infections that were not imported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing concern about a spread to other densely-populated Chinese metropolitan areas , authorities in three cities in eastern Zhejiang province -- including one near Shanghai -- limited the number of people allowed to leave their homes .
Three districts in Hangzhou -- including the area where the main office of Chinese tech giant Alibaba is based -- now allow only one person per household to go outside every two days to buy necessities , affecting some three million people .
The city is only 175 kilometres ( 110 miles ) southwest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported more than 200 cases , including one death .
Zhejiang has confirmed 829 cases -- the highest number outside the central province of Hubei , whose capital Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak .
The disease is believed to have emerged in December in a Wuhan market that sold wild animals , and spread rapidly as people travelled for the Lunar New Year holiday in January .
China has struggled to contain the virus despite enacting unprecedented measures , including virtually locking down more than 50 million people in Hubei .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet constitute a `` pandemic '' .
The head of the organisation , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , accused wealthy countries of falling short on their duties in sharing data , stating that : `` Of the 176 cases reported outside China so far , WHO has received complete case report forms for only 38 percent . ''
The death of the 39-year-old man in Hong Kong came as the semi-autonomous city closed all but two land crossings with the Chinese mainland .
Hong Kong media said the man had underlying health issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his 72-year-old mother was also infected .
The financial hub has been particularly on edge over the virus as it has revived memories of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) outbreak of 2002-03 , which killed nearly 300 people in the city and 349 people in the mainland .
Health officials noted that the mortality rate for the new coronavirus stood at 2.1 percent , with most victims either old or with underlying health problems .
Singapore confirmed the first four cases of people being infected locally , taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 24 .
In another example of growing global anxiety , Japan has quarantined a cruise ship carrying 3,711 people and was testing those onboard for the virus after a former passenger was diagnosed with the illness in Hong Kong .
Macau , China 's semi-autonomous gambling hub that is popular with mainland Chinese visitors , decided to temporarily close all of its casinos for at least two weeks .
And the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Tuesday advised Britons to leave China , `` if they can '' , to minimise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The United States , meanwhile , acknowledged that the outbreak may delay Beijing 's plans to purchase American goods under the terms of a deal meant to end the two countries ' trade war .
China 's Communist leadership made a rare admission of fallibility earlier this week , acknowledging `` shortcomings and difficulties exposed in the response to the epidemic '' .
The elite Politburo Standing Committee called for improvements to the `` national emergency management system '' at the meeting , according to the official Xinhua news agency on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgently '' needed medical equipment such as surgical masks , protective suits , and safety goggles as it battles the outbreak .
Most of the deaths have been in Wuhan and the rest of surrounding Hubei province , which has largely been under lockdown for almost two weeks .
A 1,000-bed field hospital in Wuhan built from scratch within two weeks to relieve overburdened medical facilities started receiving patients on Tuesday , with a second makeshift hospital due to open later this week .
A cultural building , an exhibition centre and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinics with 3,400 beds .
State media reported that the city planned to convert an additional eight facilities into hospitals .

The number of people infected in China by the coronavirus outbreak jumped on Wednesday to nearly 500, after Hong Kong reported its first death from the disease and millions more in China were ordered to stay indoors.
A man wearing mask walks in front of Casino Lisboa, before its temporary closing, following the coronavirus outbreak in Macau, China February 4, 2020.
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The confirmed toll in mainland China rose to 490 after hardest-hit Hubei province reported 65 more people had died -- the biggest single-day tally since the first fatalities emerged last month.
Globally, more than 24,000 cases have been confirmed.
More than 20 countries have confirmed cases of the virus, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a global health emergency, several governments to institute travel restrictions, and airlines to suspend flights to and from China.
The WHO said Tuesday that the dramatic measures taken by China had provided a "window of opportunity" to halt transmission, while calling for more global solidarity to combat the virus.
The novel coronavirus has continued to spread with Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand on Tuesday reporting new infections that were not imported from China.
In a sign of growing concern about a spread to other densely-populated Chinese metropolitan areas, authorities in three cities in eastern Zhejiang province -- including one near Shanghai -- limited the number of people allowed to leave their homes.
Three districts in Hangzhou -- including the area where the main office of Chinese tech giant Alibaba is based -- now allow only one person per household to go outside every two days to buy necessities, affecting some three million people.
The city is only 175 kilometres (110 miles) southwest of the financial hub of Shanghai, which has reported more than 200 cases, including one death.
Zhejiang has confirmed 829 cases -- the highest number outside the central province of Hubei, whose capital Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak.
The disease is believed to have emerged in December in a Wuhan market that sold wild animals, and spread rapidly as people travelled for the Lunar New Year holiday in January.
China has struggled to contain the virus despite enacting unprecedented measures, including virtually locking down more than 50 million people in Hubei.
The WHO has said the outbreak does not yet constitute a "pandemic".
The head of the organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, accused wealthy countries of falling short on their duties in sharing data, stating that: "Of the 176 cases reported outside China so far, WHO has received complete case report forms for only 38 percent."
Hong Kong's first death
The death of the 39-year-old man in Hong Kong came as the semi-autonomous city closed all but two land crossings with the Chinese mainland.
Hong Kong media said the man had underlying health issues. He had visited Wuhan last month and his 72-year-old mother was also infected.
The financial hub has been particularly on edge over the virus as it has revived memories of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2002-03, which killed nearly 300 people in the city and 349 people in the mainland.
Health officials noted that the mortality rate for the new coronavirus stood at 2.1 percent, with most victims either old or with underlying health problems.
SARS killed nearly 10 percent of patients.
New foreign cases
Singapore confirmed the first four cases of people being infected locally, taking the total number of infections in the city-state to 24.
In another example of growing global anxiety, Japan has quarantined a cruise ship carrying 3,711 people and was testing those onboard for the virus after a former passenger was diagnosed with the illness in Hong Kong.
Macau, China's semi-autonomous gambling hub that is popular with mainland Chinese visitors, decided to temporarily close all of its casinos for at least two weeks.
And the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Tuesday advised Britons to leave China, "if they can", to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus.
The United States, meanwhile, acknowledged that the outbreak may delay Beijing's plans to purchase American goods under the terms of a deal meant to end the two countries' trade war.
Beijing admits 'shortcomings'
China's Communist leadership made a rare admission of fallibility earlier this week, acknowledging "shortcomings and difficulties exposed in the response to the epidemic".
The elite Politburo Standing Committee called for improvements to the "national emergency management system" at the meeting, according to the official Xinhua news agency on Monday.
The government also said it "urgently" needed medical equipment such as surgical masks, protective suits, and safety goggles as it battles the outbreak.
Most of the deaths have been in Wuhan and the rest of surrounding Hubei province, which has largely been under lockdown for almost two weeks.
A 1,000-bed field hospital in Wuhan built from scratch within two weeks to relieve overburdened medical facilities started receiving patients on Tuesday, with a second makeshift hospital due to open later this week.
A cultural building, an exhibition centre and a gymnasium have also been converted into improvised clinics with 3,400 beds.
State media reported that the city planned to convert an additional eight facilities into hospitals.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
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france24--2020-02-04--French teenager put under police protection after Instagram anti-Islam rant

This photography taken on December 3 , 2019 shows the badge of a French police officer in Lille , northern France .
An outspoken French teenager has reignited a polarising debate over free speech in the country after an expletive-laden Instagram rant against Islam that has forced her to stay home from school on safety fears .
The case of 16-year-old Mila - who has received a slew of death threats for calling Islam “ a shitty religion ” - has come just over five years after a group of French cartoonists from the Charlie Hebdo magazine were gunned down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Prophet Mohammed .
On Tuesday , Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced that the teen , whose full name has been withheld by French media , and her family had been put under police protection .
Right-wing politicians have accused the government of failing to show enough support for the teen in the face of what they call “ Islamist ” threats over the last two weeks .
In a TV interview Monday , Mila said she did “ not regret ” her remarks and defended her right to “ blaspheme ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded by tweeting : “ This young girl is braver than the whole political class in power over the past 30 years.
” The Senate leader of the main opposition Republicans party , Bruno Retailleau , also issued a robust defence of Mila against “ this political Islam which is trampling our values ” .
But some on the left , like former Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal , appeared torn between the desire to defend the unfettered free speech for which the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists died and reprimand the teen for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ total ” freedom to criticise a religion , Royal said she should have shown more “ respect , manners and knowledge ” and should not be made into “ a paragon of freedom of expression.
” Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet declared the death threats received by Mila were “ unacceptable in a democracy ” but added her remarks about Islam were “ clearly an infringement on freedom of conscience ” .
Belloubet ’ s remarks caused an outcry from the opposition with the Republicans ’ leader in the lower house of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s called freedom of expression !
” The furore began when Mila , a striking figure with short hair dyed purple and piercing blue eyes , live streamed footage of herself doing her makeup on Instagram on January 18 .
Recounting the events to the host of the popular chatshow Le Quotidien on Monday , Mila said : “ A guy was hitting on me heavily during the live , telling me ‘ you ’ re beautiful , you ’ re hot , what age are you ?
” .
She duly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that “ blacks and Arabs ” were not her type .
Cue a stream of insults and threats , followed by her now infamous response , spoken directly to camera .
“ The Koran is a religion of hatred , there is only hatred in it .
Islam is shit , your religion is shit , ” she said , describing in lewd terms what she would do to “ your god ” .
The video was widely shared on social media , where it elicited more threats , including of death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s safety , the regional education board told Mila to stay home from school , where she remains two weeks later .
“ You reap what you sow ” , a senior member of the French Council of the Muslim Faith ( CFCM ) , Abdallah Zekri , told French radio , arguing that the youngster had “ asked for it ” ( the threats ) .
The president of the CFCM , Mohammed Moussaoui , however expressed unease at these comments declaring that “ nothing justified death threats.
” For Denis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Paris and author of a book entitled “ The Limits of Tolerance ” , the case raises questions about the boundaries between free speech and tolerance in France .
“ What is worrisome is not that blasphemy might be considered a crime - the right to blaspheme is a real right - it ’ s the risk of self-censorship , ” he told AFP .
“ No-one now dares stage a play by ( Enlightenment playwright ) Voltaire called “ Le Fanatisme ou Mahomet ” ( “ Mahomet '' in English ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he deplored .
Mila on Monday said she apologised “ a little bit ” to those people who may have been “ hurt ” by her remarks but insisted she had every right to speak out .
“ I never wanted to target human beings .
I wanted to blaspheme .
I wanted to speak about a religion and say what I think , ” she said .

An outspoken French teenager has reignited a polarising debate over free speech in the country after an expletive-laden Instagram rant against Islam that has forced her to stay home from school on safety fears.
This photography taken on December 3, 2019 shows the badge of a French police officer in Lille, northern France.
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The case of 16-year-old Mila - who has received a slew of death threats for calling Islam “a shitty religion” - has come just over five years after a group of French cartoonists from the Charlie Hebdo magazine were gunned down by jihadist gunmen after poking fun at the Prophet Mohammed.
On Tuesday, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced that the teen, whose full name has been withheld by French media, and her family had been put under police protection.
Right-wing politicians have accused the government of failing to show enough support for the teen in the face of what they call “Islamist” threats over the last two weeks.
In a TV interview Monday, Mila said she did “not regret” her remarks and defended her right to “blaspheme”.
Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen responded by tweeting: “This young girl is braver than the whole political class in power over the past 30 years.”
Il y a plus de courage chez cette jeune fille que chez toute la classe politique au pouvoir depuis 30 ans ! MLP https://t.co/hgmyX8QCte — Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) February 4, 2020
The Senate leader of the main opposition Republicans party, Bruno Retailleau, also issued a robust defence of Mila against “this political Islam which is trampling our values”.
But some on the left, like former Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal, appeared torn between the desire to defend the unfettered free speech for which the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists died and reprimand the teen for her foul-mouthed outburst.
While defending Mila’s “total” freedom to criticise a religion, Royal said she should have shown more “respect, manners and knowledge” and should not be made into “a paragon of freedom of expression.”
Freedom of expression?
Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet declared the death threats received by Mila were “unacceptable in a democracy” but added her remarks about Islam were “clearly an infringement on freedom of conscience”.
Belloubet’s remarks caused an outcry from the opposition with the Republicans’ leader in the lower house of parliament Damien Abad fuming: “It’s called freedom of expression!”
The furore began when Mila, a striking figure with short hair dyed purple and piercing blue eyes, live streamed footage of herself doing her makeup on Instagram on January 18.
Recounting the events to the host of the popular chatshow Le Quotidien on Monday, Mila said: “A guy was hitting on me heavily during the live, telling me ‘you’re beautiful, you’re hot, what age are you?”.
She duly informed those watching that she was lesbian and that “blacks and Arabs” were not her type.
Cue a stream of insults and threats, followed by her now infamous response, spoken directly to camera.
“The Koran is a religion of hatred, there is only hatred in it. Islam is shit, your religion is shit,” she said, describing in lewd terms what she would do to “your god”.
‘Right to blashpheme’
The video was widely shared on social media, where it elicited more threats, including of death and rape.
Fearing for the girl’s safety, the regional education board told Mila to stay home from school, where she remains two weeks later.
“You reap what you sow”, a senior member of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), Abdallah Zekri, told French radio, arguing that the youngster had “asked for it” (the threats).
The president of the CFCM, Mohammed Moussaoui, however expressed unease at these comments declaring that “nothing justified death threats.”
For Denis Lacorne, researcher at Sciences Po university in Paris and author of a book entitled “The Limits of Tolerance”, the case raises questions about the boundaries between free speech and tolerance in France.
“What is worrisome is not that blasphemy might be considered a crime - the right to blaspheme is a real right - it’s the risk of self-censorship,” he told AFP.
“No-one now dares stage a play by (Enlightenment playwright) Voltaire called “Le Fanatisme ou Mahomet” (“Mahomet" in English) because it is considered insulting towards religions,” he deplored.
Mila on Monday said she apologised “a little bit” to those people who may have been “hurt” by her remarks but insisted she had every right to speak out.
“I never wanted to target human beings. I wanted to blaspheme. I wanted to speak about a religion and say what I think,” she said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-04--UN envoy says Libya rivals ready to negotiate in Geneva

The U.N. envoy to Libya said on Tuesday there was a “ genuine will to start negotiating ” between rival military factions as they planned to meet for the first time for talks in Geneva aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire .
However , Ghassan Salame told reporters that an arms embargo was being violated by both sides and that new mercenaries and arms were still arriving “ by air and by sea ” in Libya , where forces loyal to eastern based commander Khalifa Haftar have been trying to take the capital , Tripoli , for the past 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior military officers from Haftar ’ s Libyan National Army and five from forces aligned with the internationally recognised Government of National Accord ( GNA ) in Tripoli .
Fighting has continued on the ground despite a call for a truce by Russia and Turkey starting on Jan. 12 and an international summit on Libya in Berlin on Jan. 19 aimed at reducing international interference .
Haftar has had material support from countries including the United Arab Emirates , Egypt , Jordan , and Russia , U.N. experts and diplomats say , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Salame deplored the presence of more than “ 20 million pieces of weaponry ” in the country and said that he had asked the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution to reaffirm an existing arms embargo and pass measures to ensure it is respected .
Talks between the two sides , who did not meet face-to-face in Geneva on Monday , were aiming “ to bridge the gaps in their views on how the lasting , sustainable ceasefire can be organised on the ground , ” Salame said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long list of points on our agenda , starting on an attempt to transform the truce into a more solid one , less often violated by either side and also to transform that truce into a real agreement on a lasting ceasefire , ” he said .
Haftar ’ s offensive , which upended a previous U.N. peace plan , deepened the gulf between loose alliances that have competed for power from western and eastern Libya since 2014 .
The GNA was set up in 2016 from a previous U.N. peace push that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict that developed in Libya in the years since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011 has given space to militants and migrant smugglers and crippled Libya ’ s oil reliant economy .
A blockade of oil ports and fields by groups loyal to Haftar that began just before the Berlin conference has reduced oil output by about one million barrels per day ( bpd ) .
Asked if he would press Haftar to end the blockade , Salame said it was mainly an issue being pursued on the ground , urging foreign powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resume production .

The U.N. envoy to Libya said on Tuesday there was a “genuine will to start negotiating” between rival military factions as they planned to meet for the first time for talks in Geneva aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire.
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However, Ghassan Salame told reporters that an arms embargo was being violated by both sides and that new mercenaries and arms were still arriving “by air and by sea” in Libya, where forces loyal to eastern based commander Khalifa Haftar have been trying to take the capital, Tripoli, for the past 10 months.
The talks bring together five senior military officers from Haftar’s Libyan National Army and five from forces aligned with the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.
Fighting has continued on the ground despite a call for a truce by Russia and Turkey starting on Jan. 12 and an international summit on Libya in Berlin on Jan. 19 aimed at reducing international interference.
Haftar has had material support from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, and Russia, U.N. experts and diplomats say, while the GNA is backed militarily by Turkey.
Salame deplored the presence of more than “20 million pieces of weaponry” in the country and said that he had asked the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution to reaffirm an existing arms embargo and pass measures to ensure it is respected.
'Bridge the gaps'
Talks between the two sides, who did not meet face-to-face in Geneva on Monday, were aiming “to bridge the gaps in their views on how the lasting, sustainable ceasefire can be organised on the ground,” Salame said.
“We started yesterday to discuss with them a long list of points on our agenda, starting on an attempt to transform the truce into a more solid one, less often violated by either side and also to transform that truce into a real agreement on a lasting ceasefire,” he said.
Haftar’s offensive, which upended a previous U.N. peace plan, deepened the gulf between loose alliances that have competed for power from western and eastern Libya since 2014.
The GNA was set up in 2016 from a previous U.N. peace push that Haftar and his backers spurned.
The conflict that developed in Libya in the years since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011 has given space to militants and migrant smugglers and crippled Libya’s oil reliant economy.
A blockade of oil ports and fields by groups loyal to Haftar that began just before the Berlin conference has reduced oil output by about one million barrels per day (bpd).
Asked if he would press Haftar to end the blockade, Salame said it was mainly an issue being pursued on the ground, urging foreign powers to back a broader U.N. bid to resume production.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-04--France scrambles to end post-Brexit fishing spat in Guernsey waters

French fisherman James , 20-years-old , sorts through mackerel on board the `` Nounoute '' trawler on July 31 , 2018 off the coast of Ouistreham , northwestern France French officials Tuesday were racing to find a solution for dozens of French fishermen cut off from waters around the Channel Island of Guernsey since Britain quit the European Union on January 31 .
France ’ s Minister for Europe Amelie de Montchalin said on Tuesday that they should be able to return to the zone by the end of the week , when bureaucratic measures should be in place to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to share the Guernsey waters .
On Saturday , hours after Brexit , the French government announced that Guernsey authorities had “ temporarily suspended ” access to the island ’ s waters by French vessels .
“ We have a diplomatic agreement .
We received a formal letter from Her Majesty ( the Queen ) , ” De Montchalin told AFP on a visit to a fishmonger industry near Caen in Normandy in northern France .
“ We have a political agreement ... Now we are in implementation.
” Guernsey , like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northern coast , is a self-governing dependency of the British crown but is not part of the UK and was never part of the EU .
According to France ’ s agriculture ministry , the fate of French fishermen in Guernsey waters was governed by a treaty called the Convention of London , which expired with Britain ’ s EU membership .
France and Guernsey had agreed that access would remain open until the end of the year , though the island government decided that , to replace the treaty , it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ procedure to apply for a licence has yet to be put in place , pending which fishing was temporarily suspended .
The European Commission , added the minister , “ has pre-validated a list of boats ” that will continue fishing in Guernsey and “ we have an agreement with Guernsey that they do not collect any money , that it be without costs ” , she said .
The EU ’ s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has identified fishing as one of the EU ’ s top two priorities in negotiations with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to reclaim “ full control ” of British fishing waters .
The topic is urgent for certain countries , notably France , where fish and seafood caught in UK waters account for 30 percent of sales for fishermen .
De Montchalin said that on Monday , in Brussels , “ I alerted the commissioners that this subject is not symbolic , that it is key for confidence in future negotiations.
” For the fishermen themselves , it was important “ that we do not create a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of the English Channel for diplomatic reasons ” , she said .
According to the chairman of the Normandy Regional Fisheries Committee , Dimitri Rogoff , about fifty boats from Normandy and more than 100 from Britany are “ more or less dependent ” on the waters of Guernsey - a few hundred individuals in total .
“ It ’ s a bad beginning to the Brexit process because we had to tell boats that they were working on January 30 and then they were off by January 31 .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sail again because they have no fishing zone .
But there seems to be a willingness to get around this problem from both sides , ” Rogoff said in a telephone interview .
“ We have sent a strong signal to Europe and the French government that if , by the end of the year , it continues like this , it will be a proper mess , ” he said .

French officials Tuesday were racing to find a solution for dozens of French fishermen cut off from waters around the Channel Island of Guernsey since Britain quit the European Union on January 31.
French fisherman James, 20-years-old, sorts through mackerel on board the "Nounoute" trawler on July 31, 2018 off the coast of Ouistreham, northwestern France
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France’s Minister for Europe Amelie de Montchalin said on Tuesday that they should be able to return to the zone by the end of the week, when bureaucratic measures should be in place to give effect to political agreements on how to share the Guernsey waters.
On Saturday, hours after Brexit, the French government announced that Guernsey authorities had “temporarily suspended” access to the island’s waters by French vessels.
“We have a diplomatic agreement. We received a formal letter from Her Majesty (the Queen),” De Montchalin told AFP on a visit to a fishmonger industry near Caen in Normandy in northern France.
“We have a political agreement... Now we are in implementation.”
Guernsey, like the other Channel Islands off France’s northern coast, is a self-governing dependency of the British crown but is not part of the UK and was never part of the EU.
According to France’s agriculture ministry, the fate of French fishermen in Guernsey waters was governed by a treaty called the Convention of London, which expired with Britain’s EU membership.
France and Guernsey had agreed that access would remain open until the end of the year, though the island government decided that, to replace the treaty, it would introduce a new licencing scheme. The procedure to apply for a licence has yet to be put in place, pending which fishing was temporarily suspended.
The European Commission, added the minister, “has pre-validated a list of boats” that will continue fishing in Guernsey and “we have an agreement with Guernsey that they do not collect any money, that it be without costs”, she said.
Fishing top priority
The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier has identified fishing as one of the EU’s top two priorities in negotiations with Britain on future trade ties, even as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to reclaim “full control” of British fishing waters.
The topic is urgent for certain countries, notably France, where fish and seafood caught in UK waters account for 30 percent of sales for fishermen.
De Montchalin said that on Monday, in Brussels, “I alerted the commissioners that this subject is not symbolic, that it is key for confidence in future negotiations.”
For the fishermen themselves, it was important “that we do not create a precedent in restricting a small area in the middle of the English Channel for diplomatic reasons”, she said.
According to the chairman of the Normandy Regional Fisheries Committee, Dimitri Rogoff, about fifty boats from Normandy and more than 100 from Britany are “more or less dependent” on the waters of Guernsey - a few hundred individuals in total.
“It’s a bad beginning to the Brexit process because we had to tell boats that they were working on January 30 and then they were off by January 31. Some of them still haven’t set sail again because they have no fishing zone. But there seems to be a willingness to get around this problem from both sides,” Rogoff said in a telephone interview.
“We have sent a strong signal to Europe and the French government that if, by the end of the year, it continues like this, it will be a proper mess,” he said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-02-04--Rival protesters clash in Iraq as unrest continues

Anti-government demonstrators faced off against followers of influential cleric Moqtada Sadr across Iraq on Tuesday , a day after one @ @ @ @ @ clash between the two sides .
The split has been caused over the nomination of @ @ @ @ @ s new prime minister .
Tensions have been high in protest squares in recent days @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nomination and Sadrists .
On Monday , a demonstrator was stabbed to death @ @ @ @ @ Sadr supporters , known as 'blue hats ' ; attacked an anti-regime rally , medics @ @ @ @ @ Allawi , 65 , was nominated on February 1 after two months of political stalemate @ @ @ @ @ Adel Abdel Mahdi , who resigned in December .
Allawi has vowed to ensure justice @ @ @ @ @ of people have been killed in Iraq since anti-government protests started last October and NGOs @ @ @ @ @ activists .
Watch this special FRANCE 24 report by Ibrahim Saleh and Carys Garland .

ON THE GROUND
Anti-government demonstrators faced off against followers of influential cleric Moqtada Sadr across Iraq on Tuesday, a day after one demonstrator was killed in a clash between the two sides.
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The split has been caused over the nomination of Mohammad Allawi as Iraq’s new prime minister.
Tensions have been high in protest squares in recent days between youths furious at Allawi’s nomination and Sadrists.
On Monday, a demonstrator was stabbed to death and three others wounded after Sadr supporters, known as 'blue hats'; attacked an anti-regime rally, medics and security sources said.
Allawi, 65, was nominated on February 1 after two months of political stalemate over who would replace ex-premier Adel Abdel Mahdi, who resigned in December.
Allawi has vowed to ensure justice for protest-related violence.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Iraq since anti-government protests started last October and NGOs have reported kidnappings of political activists.
Watch this special FRANCE 24 report by Ibrahim Saleh and Carys Garland.
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