france24--2020-03-01--With only three official cases, Africa's low coronavirus rate puzzles health experts

Nigeria was the first sub-Saharan country to report an official case of coronavirus , when an Italian working in the country came back from Milan on February 24 carrying the virus .
Whether it 's a matter of faulty detection , climatic factors or simple fluke , the remarkably low rate of coronavirus infection in African countries , with their fragile health systems , continues to puzzle – and worry – experts .
To date , only three cases of infection have been officially recorded in Africa , one in Egypt , one in Algeria and one in Nigeria , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarkably small number for a continent with nearly 1.3 billion inhabitants , and barely a drop in the ocean of more than 86,000 cases and nearly 3,000 deaths recorded in some 60 countries worldwide .
Shortly after the virus appeared , specialists warned of the risks of its spreading in Africa , because of the continent ’ s close commercial links with Beijing and the fragility of its medical services .
“ Our biggest concern continues to be the potential for Covid-19 to spread in countries with weaker health systems , ” Tedros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization , told African Union health ministers gathered in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on February 22 .
In a study published in The Lancet medical journal on the preparedness and vulnerability of African countries against the importation of Covid-19 , an international team of scientists identified Algeria , Egypt and South Africa as the most likely to import new coronavirus cases into Africa , though they also have the best prepared health systems in the continent and are the least vulnerable .
As to why the epidemic is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody knows ” , said Professor Thumbi Ndung ’ u , from the African Institute for Health Research in Durban , South Africa .
“ Perhaps there is simply not that much travel between Africa and China.
” But Ethiopian Airlines , the largest African airline , never suspended its flights to China since the epidemic began , and China Southern on Wednesday resumed its flights to Kenya .
And , of course , people carrying coronavirus could enter the country from any of the other 60-odd countries with known cases .
Favourable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a possibility .
“ Perhaps the virus doesn ’ t spread in the African ecosystem , we don ’ t know , ” said Professor Yazdan Yazdanpanah , head of the infectious diseases department at Bichat hospital in Paris .
This hypothesis was rejected by Professor Rodney Adam , who heads the infection control task force at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi , Kenya .
“ There is no current evidence to indicate that climate affects transmission , ” he said .
“ While it is true that for certain infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... there is no current evidence to that effect for Covid-19.
” The study in The Lancet found that Nigeria , a country at moderate risk of contamination , is also one of the best-equipped in the continent to handle such an epidemic .
But the scientists had not anticipated that the first case recorded in sub-Saharan Africa would be an Italian working in the country .
Little more than a week ago , “ our model was based on an epidemic concentrated in China , but since then the situation has completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from anywhere , ” Mathias Altmann , an epidemiologist at the University of Bordeaux and one of the co-authors of the report , told FRANCE 24 on Friday .
The short shelf-life of studies testify to the speed of the epidemic ’ s spread .
The Italian who tested positive for the coronavirus in Lagos had arrived from Milan on February 24 but had no symptoms when his plane landed .
He was quarantined four days later at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba .
Several people from the company where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to trace other people with whom he might have had contact .
For Altmann , an expert in infectious diseases in developing countries , the fact that coronavirus appears to have entered sub-Saharan Africa through Nigeria is “ actually good news ” , because the country appears to be relatively well prepared for confronting the situation .
In a continent that “ has had its share of epidemics and whose countries , therefore , have a huge knowledge of the field and real competence to react to this kind of situation ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position to confront the arrival of Covid-19 , Altmann said .
“ The CDC [ Center for Disease Control ] responsible for the entire region of West and Central Africa is located in Abuja , the capital of Nigeria , which means that their organisational standard in health matters is very high , ” he added .
The country was already renowned for “ succeeding to pretty quickly contain the Ebola epidemic in 2014 , ” Altmann points out .
It took the Nigerian authorities only three months to eradicate Ebola in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control at the time congratulated Nigeria for its reactivity and “ world-class epidemiological detective work ” .
But despite Nigeria ’ s strengths , the coronavirus pathogen represents a particular challenge , in that it is hard to detect .
The virus may be present in an individual who has few or no symptoms , allowing it to spread quietly in a country where , like everywhere in Africa , there is “ a shortage of equipment compared to Western countries , especially in diagnostic tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Chad or Niger have “ less functional capacity to handle an epidemic , ” Altmann said .
But they also have an advantage : these are agricultural regions where people are outdoors more , “ and viruses like this one prefer closed spaces and are less likely to spread in a rural setting , ” he added .

Whether it's a matter of faulty detection, climatic factors or simple fluke, the remarkably low rate of coronavirus infection in African countries, with their fragile health systems, continues to puzzle – and worry – experts.
Nigeria was the first sub-Saharan country to report an official case of coronavirus, when an Italian working in the country came back from Milan on February 24 carrying the virus.
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To date, only three cases of infection have been officially recorded in Africa, one in Egypt, one in Algeria and one in Nigeria, with no deaths.
This is a remarkably small number for a continent with nearly 1.3 billion inhabitants, and barely a drop in the ocean of more than 86,000 cases and nearly 3,000 deaths recorded in some 60 countries worldwide.
Shortly after the virus appeared, specialists warned of the risks of its spreading in Africa, because of the continent’s close commercial links with Beijing and the fragility of its medical services.
“Our biggest concern continues to be the potential for Covid-19 to spread in countries with weaker health systems,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, told African Union health ministers gathered in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on February 22.
In a study published in The Lancet medical journal on the preparedness and vulnerability of African countries against the importation of Covid-19, an international team of scientists identified Algeria, Egypt and South Africa as the most likely to import new coronavirus cases into Africa, though they also have the best prepared health systems in the continent and are the least vulnerable.
‘Nobody knows’
As to why the epidemic is not more widespread in the continent, “nobody knows”, said Professor Thumbi Ndung’u, from the African Institute for Health Research in Durban, South Africa. “Perhaps there is simply not that much travel between Africa and China.”
But Ethiopian Airlines, the largest African airline, never suspended its flights to China since the epidemic began, and China Southern on Wednesday resumed its flights to Kenya. And, of course, people carrying coronavirus could enter the country from any of the other 60-odd countries with known cases.
Favourable climate factors have also been raised as a possibility.
“Perhaps the virus doesn’t spread in the African ecosystem, we don’t know,” said Professor Yazdan Yazdanpanah, head of the infectious diseases department at Bichat hospital in Paris.
This hypothesis was rejected by Professor Rodney Adam, who heads the infection control task force at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. “There is no current evidence to indicate that climate affects transmission,” he said. “While it is true that for certain infections there may be genetic differences in susceptibility...there is no current evidence to that effect for Covid-19.”
Nigeria well-equipped
The study in The Lancet found that Nigeria, a country at moderate risk of contamination, is also one of the best-equipped in the continent to handle such an epidemic.
But the scientists had not anticipated that the first case recorded in sub-Saharan Africa would be an Italian working in the country.
Little more than a week ago, “our model was based on an epidemic concentrated in China, but since then the situation has completely changed, and the virus can now come from anywhere,” Mathias Altmann, an epidemiologist at the University of Bordeaux and one of the co-authors of the report, told FRANCE 24 on Friday. The short shelf-life of studies testify to the speed of the epidemic’s spread.
The Italian who tested positive for the coronavirus in Lagos had arrived from Milan on February 24 but had no symptoms when his plane landed. He was quarantined four days later at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba. Several people from the company where he works have been contacted and officials are trying to trace other people with whom he might have had contact.
For Altmann, an expert in infectious diseases in developing countries, the fact that coronavirus appears to have entered sub-Saharan Africa through Nigeria is “actually good news”, because the country appears to be relatively well prepared for confronting the situation.
In a continent that “has had its share of epidemics and whose countries, therefore, have a huge knowledge of the field and real competence to react to this kind of situation”, Nigeria is in a very good position to confront the arrival of Covid-19, Altmann said.
“The CDC [Center for Disease Control] responsible for the entire region of West and Central Africa is located in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, which means that their organisational standard in health matters is very high,” he added.
The country was already renowned for “succeeding to pretty quickly contain the Ebola epidemic in 2014,” Altmann points out. It took the Nigerian authorities only three months to eradicate Ebola in the country. The World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control at the time congratulated Nigeria for its reactivity and “world-class epidemiological detective work”.
But despite Nigeria’s strengths, the coronavirus pathogen represents a particular challenge, in that it is hard to detect. The virus may be present in an individual who has few or no symptoms, allowing it to spread quietly in a country where, like everywhere in Africa, there is “a shortage of equipment compared to Western countries, especially in diagnostic tools”, Altmann said.
Neighbouring countries like Chad or Niger have “less functional capacity to handle an epidemic,” Altmann said. But they also have an advantage: these are agricultural regions where people are outdoors more, “and viruses like this one prefer closed spaces and are less likely to spread in a rural setting,” he added.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-03-01--Greece blocks thousands of migrants trying to enter from Turkey

A migrant crosses to the buffer zone during clashes with Greek police at the Turkey-Greece border , at Pazarkule , in Edirne district , on February 29 , 2020 .
Thousands of migrants stuck on the Turkey-Greece border clashed with Greek police on February 29 , 2020 , according to an AFP photographer at the scene .
Greek police fired tear gas at migrants who have amassed at a border crossing in the western Turkish province of Edirne , some of whom responded by hurling stones at the officers .
The clashes come as Greece bolsters its border after Ankara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from crossing into Europe following the death of 33 Turkish troops in northern Syria .
Greece has blocked nearly 10,000 migrants trying to enter from the Turkey border over the past 24 hours , a Greek government source said Sunday .
A massive influx of people swelled along the border over the weekend after Turkey 's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to open its frontier to Europe .
He is seeking to pressure EU governments over the Syrian conflict after an airstrike in Syria 's Idlib province on Thursday killed dozens of Turkish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borrell announced Sunday that foreign ministers would hold an emergency meeting next week to discuss the fall-out from the worsening Syria conflict that is driving refugees to the bloc 's borders with Turkey .
The EU `` needs to redouble efforts to address this terrible human crisis with all the means at its disposal , '' said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday .
Borrell said the meeting was being organised particularly at the request of Greece .
A Greek government source said Sunday its army and police had stopped thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0600 [ 0400 GMT ] Saturday morning to 0600 Sunday morning , 9,972 illegal entries have been averted in the Evros area , '' the government source said , referring to the northeastern region along the Turkey border .
Huge crowds tried to cross into Greece via the Kastanies Forest in the early hours of Sunday , the source said .
Greek authorities said at least 139 migrants have been arrested since Friday .
Alert changed to 'high' The EU ’ s border protection agency Frontex said on Sunday that it is preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ... have raised the alert level for all borders with Turkey to high , '' the Frontex spokeswoman said in a statement to AFP , adding : `` We have received a request from Greece for additional support .
We have already taken steps to redeploy to Greece technical equipment and additional officers . ''
Some 13,000 migrants have gathered along the Turkish-Greek border , including families with young children , the International Organization for Migration said Saturday .
Greek security forces are patrolling the Evros river shores -- a common crossing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to enter Greek territory .
On Saturday , clashes erupted along the border where Greek police fired tear gas at migrants who in turn lobbed rocks at officers .
Syria closes airspace The Syrian government said that it was closing its airspace over northwest Idlib .
The state media SANA reported a military source as saying : `` Any aircraft that violates our airspace will be treated as a hostile flight that must be shot down and prevented from achieving its objectives . ''
Erdogan threatened to open Turkey 's gates for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is harbouring as a way to pressure EU countries over the conflict in Syria .
Turkey and Russia , who back opposing forces in the conflict , have held talks to defuse tensions after the air strike left 34 Turkish troops dead , sparking fears of a broader war and a new migration crisis for Europe .
Half a million children displaced from their homes The UN says nearly a million people -- half of them children -- have been displaced by the fighting in northwest Syria since December , forced to flee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Greece became the main EU entry point for one million migrants , most of them refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war .
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed `` concern '' over the unimpeded flow of migrants from Turkey to the bloc 's external borders in Greece and Bulgaria .
`` Our top priority at this stage is to ensure that Greece and Bulgaria have our full support , '' she tweeted Saturday .
( FRANCE 24 with AFP , AP )

Greece has blocked nearly 10,000 migrants trying to enter from the Turkey border over the past 24 hours, a Greek government source said Sunday.
A migrant crosses to the buffer zone during clashes with Greek police at the Turkey-Greece border, at Pazarkule, in Edirne district, on February 29, 2020. Thousands of migrants stuck on the Turkey-Greece border clashed with Greek police on February 29, 2020, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. Greek police fired tear gas at migrants who have amassed at a border crossing in the western Turkish province of Edirne, some of whom responded by hurling stones at the officers. The clashes come as Greece bolsters its border after Ankara said it would no longer prevent refugees from crossing into Europe following the death of 33 Turkish troops in northern Syria.
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A massive influx of people swelled along the border over the weekend after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to open its frontier to Europe.
He is seeking to pressure EU governments over the Syrian conflict after an airstrike in Syria's Idlib province on Thursday killed dozens of Turkish soldiers.
In response, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday that Greece was determined to protect is borders and warned migrants not to “attempt to enter the country illegaly as they would be returned back.”
In a tweet, Mitsotakis also said that he would be visiting the country’s Evros land border with Turkey along with EU President Charles Michel on Tuesday.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced Sunday that foreign ministers would hold an emergency meeting next week to discuss the fall-out from the worsening Syria conflict that is driving refugees to the bloc's borders with Turkey.
The EU "needs to redouble efforts to address this terrible human crisis with all the means at its disposal," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday.
Borrell said the meeting was being organised particularly at the request of Greece.
Earlier on Sunday, a Greek government source announced that its army and police had stopped thousands from entering its territory.
"From 0600 [0400 GMT] Saturday morning to 0600 Sunday morning, 9,972 illegal entries have been averted in the Evros area," the government source said, referring to the northeastern region along the Turkey border.
Lesbos residents block boat
Huge crowds tried to cross into Greece via the Kastanies Forest in the early hours of Sunday, the source said.
Greek authorities said at least 139 migrants have been arrested since Friday.
Residents on the Greek island of Lesbos set fire Sunday to a disused migrant centre after blocking dozens of people from landing on a nearby beach, an AFP photographer reported.
Around 150 people gathered at the centre which was run by the UN refugee agency before some of them set it alight, after local people stopped around 50 migrants from landing their boat.
Alert changed to 'high'
The EU’s border protection agency Frontex said on Sunday that it is preparing back-up along the Greek border.
"We... have raised the alert level for all borders with Turkey to high," the Frontex spokeswoman said in a statement to AFP, adding: "We have received a request from Greece for additional support. We have already taken steps to redeploy to Greece technical equipment and additional officers."
Some 13,000 migrants have gathered along the Turkish-Greek border, including families with young children, the International Organization for Migration said Saturday.
Greek security forces are patrolling the Evros river shores -- a common crossing point -- and have issued loudspeaker warnings not to enter Greek territory.
On Saturday, clashes erupted along the border where Greek police fired tear gas at migrants who in turn lobbed rocks at officers.
Syria closes airspace
The Syrian government said that it was closing its airspace over northwest Idlib.
The state media SANA reported a military source as saying: "Any aircraft that violates our airspace will be treated as a hostile flight that must be shot down and prevented from achieving its objectives."
Erdogan threatened to open Turkey's gates for some of the 3.6 million refugees it is harbouring as a way to pressure EU countries over the conflict in Syria.
Turkey and Russia, who back opposing forces in the conflict, have held talks to defuse tensions after the air strike left 34 Turkish troops dead, sparking fears of a broader war and a new migration crisis for Europe.
Half a million children displaced from their homes
The UN says nearly a million people -- half of them children -- have been displaced by the fighting in northwest Syria since December, forced to flee in the bitter cold.
In 2015, Greece became the main EU entry point for one million migrants, most of them refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed "concern" over the unimpeded flow of migrants from Turkey to the bloc's external borders in Greece and Bulgaria.
"Our top priority at this stage is to ensure that Greece and Bulgaria have our full support," she tweeted Saturday.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP)
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france24--2020-03-01--Paris's Louvre shuts as cultural life takes a hit amid coronavirus fears

People line up at the Louvre Museum as the staff closed the museum during a staff meeting about the coronavirus outbreak , in Paris , France , March 1 , 2020 .
The spreading coronavirus epidemic shut down France 's Louvre Museum on Sunday , with workers who guard its trove of artworks fearful of being contaminated by the museum 's flow of visitors from around the world .
This is just one of many measures put in place to try and contain the disease , as the number of coronavirus cases in France passed 100 on Saturday night – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine who are in a serious condition .
“ We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere , ” said Andre Sacristin , a Louvre employee and union representative for its staffers .
“ The risk is very , very , very great , '' he said in a phone interview .
While there are no known virus infections among the museum 's 2,300 workers , “ it ’ s only a question of time , ” he said .
Also worrying staffers is that museum workers from northern Italy are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to collect works by Leonardo da Vinci that were loaned for a major exhibition , according to Sacristin .
A short statement from the Louvre said a staff meeting about virus prevention efforts stopped the museum from opening as scheduled Sunday morning .
On Sunday afternoon , would-be visitors were still waiting to get inside .
A meeting with the museum management is scheduled for Monday .
Sacristin , who will be taking part , said museum visitors should be subjected to health checks and that “ if there are cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' France ’ s most famous museum is one of many places in the country affected by the government ’ s measures to try and curb the coronavirus ’ spread .
On Saturday , France banned all indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people .
`` All gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces will be cancelled , '' said Health Minister Olivier Véran .
The same goes for events `` in an open environment where people can mix with others from areas where the virus is possibly circulating '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shaking hands , the minister said they should also cut back on “ la bise , ” the custom in France and elsewhere in Europe of giving greetings with kisses , or air kisses , on the cheeks .
These measures were decided on Saturday during an exceptional meeting of the Defence Council , chaired by President Emmanuel Macron .
They are part of the transition to stage 2 of the epidemic , on a scale of 3 .
The ban `` potentially affects hundreds of concert halls in France with more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural events '' , the French cultural workers ’ union Prodiss warned in a press release .
At the same time , Paris ’ celebrated Agricultural Show , one of the biggest commercial events in France , ended on Saturday evening 24 hours ahead of schedule , after attendance had already been substantially lower .
It attracted some 630,000 visitors in 2019 , but this year there were just 480,221 despite it lasting one day less .
“ The coronavirus has strongly contributed ” to this figure , the president of the Agricultural @ @ @ @ @ @

The spreading coronavirus epidemic shut down France's Louvre Museum on Sunday, with workers who guard its trove of artworks fearful of being contaminated by the museum's flow of visitors from around the world. This is just one of many measures put in place to try and contain the disease, as the number of coronavirus cases in France reached 130 since the end of January, including two dead and nine in a serious condition.
People line up at the Louvre Museum as the staff closed the museum during a staff meeting about the coronavirus outbreak, in Paris, France, March 1, 2020.
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“We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere,” said Andre Sacristin, a Louvre employee and union representative for its staffers.
“The risk is very, very, very great," he said in a phone interview. While there are no known virus infections among the museum's 2,300 workers, “it’s only a question of time,” he said.
Also worrying staffers is that museum workers from northern Italy are now visiting the Louvre. They have come to collect works by Leonardo da Vinci that were loaned for a major exhibition, according to Sacristin.
00:39
A short statement from the Louvre said a staff meeting about virus prevention efforts stopped the museum from opening as scheduled Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, would-be visitors were still waiting to get inside.
A meeting with the museum management is scheduled for Monday. Sacristin, who will be taking part, said museum visitors should be subjected to health checks and that “if there are cases, then the museum should be closed."
France’s most famous museum is one of many places in the country affected by the government’s measures to try and curb the coronavirus’ spread. On Saturday, France banned all indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people.
"All gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces will be cancelled," said Health Minister Olivier Véran.
The same goes for events "in an open environment where people can mix with others from areas where the virus is possibly circulating".
Having previously recommended that people avoid shaking hands, the minister said they should also cut back on “la bise,” the custom in France and elsewhere in Europe of giving greetings with kisses, or air kisses, on the cheeks.
These measures were decided on Saturday during an exceptional meeting of the Defence Council, chaired by President Emmanuel Macron. They are part of the transition to stage 2 of the epidemic, on a scale of 3.
The ban "potentially affects hundreds of concert halls in France with more than 5,000 seats, and therefore thousands of cultural events", the French cultural workers’ union Prodiss warned in a press release.
At the same time, Paris’ celebrated Agricultural Show, one of the biggest commercial events in France, ended on Saturday evening 24 hours ahead of schedule, after attendance had already been substantially lower. It attracted some 630,000 visitors in 2019, but this year there were just 480,221 despite it lasting one day less.
“The coronavirus has strongly contributed” to this figure, the president of the Agricultural show Jean-Luc Poulain told AFP.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)
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france24--2020-03-01--Netanyahu, Gantz neck and neck on eve of third Israeli elections in a year

A banner in Tel Aviv , Israel , depicting Benny Gantz , leader of Blue and White party , left , and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , as part of Blue and White party 's campaign ahead of the March 2 , 2020 , election in Israel .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz were wrapping up another bitter election campaign on Sunday , a day before voters were to cast their ballots for the third time in 12 months .
Netanyahu , Israel ’ s longest-serving leader , has been charged on several counts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his grip on power .
After inconclusive elections in April and September , the latest opinion polls put the two opponents neck and neck in a gruelling political triathlon .
According to the projections , Netanyahu ’ s right-wing Likud and Gantz ’ s centrist Blue and White alliance would win 33 seats each in the 120-member Knesset , Israel ’ s parliament , in Monday ’ s polls .
That result would be almost identical to the previous round , after which each leader tried and failed to form a government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gantz and Netanyahu ripped into each another .
Netanyahu told private Channel 12 that his opponent , a decorated former head of Israel ’ s armed forces , was “ not fit to be prime minister ” of Israel .
“ He is weak , he ’ s not a leader , ” the incumbent said .
The same interviewer earlier asked Gantz if he would join a coalition under Netanyahu if the third round also failed to produce a clear winner .
“ There is no situation in which I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has three charges against him , ” Gantz replied .
The opinion polls show that even with their respective allies – the right and Jewish Orthodox parties for Netanyahu and the centre-left for Gantz – neither side could gather the 61 seats necessary to form a viable coalition .
With a country largely jaded by three general elections in less than a year along with municipal polls in between , voter turnout is the great unknown .
That has forced candidates to put added energy into bolstering turnout .
“ I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gantz told public radio Sunday .
“ You can ’ t just sit at home clicking your tongue , saying , ‘ Oy vey !
What ’ s happening here ?
’ Voting is critical , ” he said .
In the September election , turnout unexpectedly increased 1.5 percent to 70 percent compared to April , largely due to an unexpected surge in Arab votes .
Israeli Arab parties , united in the Joint List alliance , garnered 13 Knesset seats , making them the third-largest grouping , after Blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 32 .
This time around they hope to do better still , due to Arab voters ’ opposition to US President Donald Trump ’ s controversial Middle East peace plan , which is supported by both Netanyahu and Gantz .
“ We want the fall of Netanyahu because he is the greatest inciter against Arab citizens and the godfather of the ‘ Deal of the Century ’ , ” Joint List leader Ayman Odeh said , using a common nickname for the Trump plan .
The plan endorses the Jewish state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Palestinians , who gave no input to the Trump initiative and rejected it immediately .
On Sunday Netanyahu pledged to annex key parts of the occupied West Bank within “ weeks ” if re-elected .
In an interview with Israeli public radio , he said annexation of the strategically crucial Jordan Valley and other parts of the West Bank was his top priority .
“ That will happen within weeks , two months at the most , I hope , ” he said in the interview aired 24 hours before polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defence minister Avigdor Lieberman , also an ex-Netanyahu ally , publicly accused the prime minister of engaging in empty political rhetoric .
Lieberman , who heads the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party and may again be in the position of kingmaker following Monday ’ s vote , said he had “ ironclad information ” that Netanyahu ’ s comments on the Jordan Valley were at least partly insincere .
“ A few days ago , it became clear to me that he sent a message to ( Jordan ’ s ) King Abdullah , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry , its just elections , there will be no annexation of the Jordan Valley ’ , ” Lieberman said in a TV interview .
There is another new element in this third round – the novel coronavirus .
Over the past 10 days , electioneering has shared media headlines with the global COVID-19 epidemic which has reached Israel with six officially confirmed cases of infection .
Officials have warned that fears of new coronavirus transmission in densely packed polling stations could impact voter participation .
Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan has warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the outbreak in order to diminish voter turnout .
Netanyahu ’ s graft trial opens on March 17 in Jerusalem .
In November , the 70-year-old , who has spent 14 years as prime minister , became the only head of government in the history of Israel to be indicted while in office .
Accused of receiving improper gifts and offering a media mogul lucrative regulatory changes in exchange for favourable coverage , he was charged with corruption , embezzlement and breach of trust .
Research shows that Israeli voters , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations against him , said the president of the Israeli Democracy Institute think-tank , Yohanan Plesner .
“ The numbers indicate that about a third of those who self-identify as right-wing voters are very uncomfortable , or think it is impossible , for someone to continue to serve as a prime minister after being indicted , ” Plesner told AFP .
But that “ does not necessarily mean that they are going to change their voting patterns , ” he added , explaining that personal affinity for the prime minister and his policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 percent of Likud supporters have simply rejected the indictments as baseless and “ politically motivated.
” That position is “ ludicrous , ” he said , but noted that Netanyahu had skillfully managed to persuade some that he was engaged in legitimate political “ wheeling and dealing , ” not corruption .
At the Gantz rally in Tel Aviv , Avi Regev , a long-time Netanyahu supporter , explained why he had decided to switch sides and become a Blue and White activist .
“ Bibi was a wonderful prime minister , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nickname .
But , Regev argued , Netanyahu had pivoted from being focused on Israel ’ s priorities to being consumed by his personal concerns , now including his corruption trial .
“ Today , it ’ s more , ‘ Is it good for Bibi or not ?
’ This I don ’ t like , ” he said .

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz were wrapping up another bitter election campaign on Sunday, a day before voters were to cast their ballots for the third time in 12 months.
A banner in Tel Aviv, Israel, depicting Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White party, left, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of Blue and White party's campaign ahead of the March 2, 2020, election in Israel.
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Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, has been charged on several counts of corruption but is battling fiercely to maintain his grip on power.
After inconclusive elections in April and September, the latest opinion polls put the two opponents neck and neck in a gruelling political triathlon.
According to the projections, Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud and Gantz’s centrist Blue and White alliance would win 33 seats each in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Monday’s polls.
That result would be almost identical to the previous round, after which each leader tried and failed to form a government.
In separate television interviews on Saturday evening, Gantz and Netanyahu ripped into each another.
Netanyahu told private Channel 12 that his opponent, a decorated former head of Israel’s armed forces, was “not fit to be prime minister” of Israel.
“He is weak, he’s not a leader,” the incumbent said.
The same interviewer earlier asked Gantz if he would join a coalition under Netanyahu if the third round also failed to produce a clear winner.
“There is no situation in which I will sit under Netanyahu as prime minister when he has three charges against him,” Gantz replied.
Turnout
The opinion polls show that even with their respective allies – the right and Jewish Orthodox parties for Netanyahu and the centre-left for Gantz – neither side could gather the 61 seats necessary to form a viable coalition.
With a country largely jaded by three general elections in less than a year along with municipal polls in between, voter turnout is the great unknown.
That has forced candidates to put added energy into bolstering turnout.
“I am encouraging citizens to get out and vote,” Gantz told public radio Sunday.
“You can’t just sit at home clicking your tongue, saying, ‘Oy vey! What’s happening here?’ Voting is critical,” he said.
Arab votes
In the September election, turnout unexpectedly increased 1.5 percent to 70 percent compared to April, largely due to an unexpected surge in Arab votes.
Israeli Arab parties, united in the Joint List alliance, garnered 13 Knesset seats, making them the third-largest grouping, after Blue and White’s 33 and Likud’s 32.
This time around they hope to do better still, due to Arab voters’ opposition to US President Donald Trump’s controversial Middle East peace plan, which is supported by both Netanyahu and Gantz.
“We want the fall of Netanyahu because he is the greatest inciter against Arab citizens and the godfather of the ‘Deal of the Century’,” Joint List leader Ayman Odeh said, using a common nickname for the Trump plan.
The plan endorses the Jewish state’s major priorities at the expense of the Palestinians, who gave no input to the Trump initiative and rejected it immediately.
On Sunday Netanyahu pledged to annex key parts of the occupied West Bank within “weeks” if re-elected.
In an interview with Israeli public radio, he said annexation of the strategically crucial Jordan Valley and other parts of the West Bank was his top priority.
“That will happen within weeks, two months at the most, I hope,” he said in the interview aired 24 hours before polls were scheduled to open.
But former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman, also an ex-Netanyahu ally, publicly accused the prime minister of engaging in empty political rhetoric.
Lieberman, who heads the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party and may again be in the position of kingmaker following Monday’s vote, said he had “ironclad information” that Netanyahu’s comments on the Jordan Valley were at least partly insincere.
“A few days ago, it became clear to me that he sent a message to (Jordan’s) King Abdullah, (saying) ‘Don’t worry, its just elections, there will be no annexation of the Jordan Valley’,” Lieberman said in a TV interview.
Coronavirus effect
There is another new element in this third round – the novel coronavirus.
Over the past 10 days, electioneering has shared media headlines with the global COVID-19 epidemic which has reached Israel with six officially confirmed cases of infection.
Officials have warned that fears of new coronavirus transmission in densely packed polling stations could impact voter participation.
Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan has warned against potential attempts to spread false rumours about the outbreak in order to diminish voter turnout.
Netanyahu’s trial
Netanyahu’s graft trial opens on March 17 in Jerusalem. In November, the 70-year-old, who has spent 14 years as prime minister, became the only head of government in the history of Israel to be indicted while in office.
Accused of receiving improper gifts and offering a media mogul lucrative regulatory changes in exchange for favourable coverage, he was charged with corruption, embezzlement and breach of trust.
Research shows that Israeli voters, including Netanyahu supporters, care about the criminal allegations against him, said the president of the Israeli Democracy Institute think-tank, Yohanan Plesner.
“The numbers indicate that about a third of those who self-identify as right-wing voters are very uncomfortable, or think it is impossible, for someone to continue to serve as a prime minister after being indicted,” Plesner told AFP.
But that “does not necessarily mean that they are going to change their voting patterns,” he added, explaining that personal affinity for the prime minister and his policies may prove paramount.
Plesner explained that 70 percent of Likud supporters have simply rejected the indictments as baseless and “politically motivated.”
That position is “ludicrous,” he said, but noted that Netanyahu had skillfully managed to persuade some that he was engaged in legitimate political “wheeling and dealing,” not corruption.
At the Gantz rally in Tel Aviv, Avi Regev, a long-time Netanyahu supporter, explained why he had decided to switch sides and become a Blue and White activist.
“Bibi was a wonderful prime minister,” said Regev, using the premier’s nickname.
But, Regev argued, Netanyahu had pivoted from being focused on Israel’s priorities to being consumed by his personal concerns, now including his corruption trial.
“Today, it’s more, ‘Is it good for Bibi or not?’ This I don’t like,” he said.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-03-01--Iran raises coronavirus death toll to 54

Iran 's health ministry on Sunday raised the nationwide death toll from the new coronavirus to 54 as the number of confirmed infected cases jumped overnight by more than half to 978 people .
The ministry 's spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said new cases were confirmed in a number of cities , including Mashhad , which is home to Iran 's most important Shiite shrine that attracts pilgrims from across the region .
Calls by Iran 's civilian government to clerics to close such shrines to to the public have not been uniformly followed .
The shrine in Mashhad is among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new figures represent 11 more deaths than reported on Saturday and a whopping 385 new cases of infections .
The new numbers , however , bring down the percentage of deaths to infections to around 5.5 % .
Still , that is much higher than other countries , suggesting the number of infections in Iran may be much higher than current figures show .
Jahanpour said in his daily briefing that the number of cases is `` still inclining '' across Iran .
Of the 385 newly confirmed cases , 170 are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained closed for the second week .
Public buses and the metro are still operating , but are being disinfected daily there .
Authorities also doused busy streets in the capital .
The ministry spokesman said that 44 cases were also confirmed for the first time in the central Markazi province .
Also on Sunday , Iran 's state broadcaster said all flights to and from the city of Rasht , the capital of northern Gilan province , had been suspended .
It gave no reasons why .
The area of Gilan has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections after the capital , Tehran , and the holy city of Qom , the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the country .
The Revolutionary Guard said it plans to install mobile hospitals in Qom and Rasht cities , where the virus has infected high numbers of people .
The Guard has also been photographed in state media leading disinfection efforts in some cities .
Ali Reza Jalali , the head of the Guard 's medical college , told state TV that Iran is going through a “ hard time and dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is researching a possible vaccine for the disease .
There is currently no vaccine for the novel coronavirus .
Researchers around the world are working to find one , but anything widely usable is likely more than a year away .
The illness , known as COVID-19 and which originated in central China , has infected at least seven government officials in Iran , including one of its vice presidents and a senior health ministry official .
After days of assurances that the virus was largely under control , officials recently acknowledged Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands ” of people getting tested for the virus .
The first cases were not reported in Iran until Feb. 19 , the same day that the two elderly infected people died .
Since then , of the more than 1,100 cases in the Middle East , the majority trace back to Iran .
Cases from Iran have been reported in Kuwait , Bahrain , Oman , the United Arab Emirates , Qatar , Lebanon , Afghanistan , Iraq and Pakistan .
Starting on Sunday , all nurseries in the UAE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for at least two weeks to limit the spread of the virus , and Kuwait suspended school until March 12 .
The virus has infected more than 86,000 people worldwide and caused more than 2,900 deaths since emerging in China .
Iran has the world ’ s highest death toll outside of China , where there has been 2,870 deaths among close to 80,000 cases .
The outbreak in Iran has prompted its neighbors to seal their borders to Iranians , while other Gulf states have halted flights to Iran .
On Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel to certain regions of Italy and South Korea , as well as a ban on travel to Iran , due to the virus .
Ali Ahmadi , a resident in Tehran , said the U.S. has already made it difficult for Iranians , including its scientists , to travel there .
“ Now that the virus has appeared , we expect nothing less from America , ” he said , expressing widespread frustration with U.S. policies on Iran .
Islam ’ s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia have been closed to foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
The kingdom does not have any reported cases of the virus , and has halted all flights to and from China and Iran .
One of the most important Shiite shrines in the world in Iraq 's Najaf city has also closed to Iranian pilgrims after a student from Iran studying there was confirmed to have the highly infectious virus .
Saeed Moghaddam , also in Tehran , said Iranians are suffering because of a virus that came from China “ We are not the cause of this virus spreading in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ourselves , ” he said .
Also , Sudanese authorities on Sunday said the United Arab Emirates was helping evacuate some 160 Sudanese students from Wuhan , the city at the center of the virus outbreak in China .
The evacuation was scheduled Sunday but moved to Tuesday due to logistical reasons , they said .
It was unclear whether the students would be quarantined upon return in Sudan or the UAE , which has also helped evacuate Yemeni students from Wuhan .

Iran's health ministry on Sunday raised the nationwide death toll from the new coronavirus to 54 as the number of confirmed infected cases jumped overnight by more than half to 978 people.
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The ministry's spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said new cases were confirmed in a number of cities, including Mashhad, which is home to Iran's most important Shiite shrine that attracts pilgrims from across the region. Calls by Iran's civilian government to clerics to close such shrines to to the public have not been uniformly followed. The shrine in Mashhad is among those that have remained open.
The new figures represent 11 more deaths than reported on Saturday and a whopping 385 new cases of infections. The new numbers, however, bring down the percentage of deaths to infections to around 5.5%. Still, that is much higher than other countries, suggesting the number of infections in Iran may be much higher than current figures show.
Number of cases 'still inclining'
Jahanpour said in his daily briefing that the number of cases is "still inclining" across Iran.
Of the 385 newly confirmed cases, 170 are in Tehran, where schools and cinemas have remained closed for the second week. Public buses and the metro are still operating, but are being disinfected daily there. Authorities also doused busy streets in the capital.
>> Read more: Iran's deputy health minister confirms he has coronavirus despite downplaying danger
The ministry spokesman said that 44 cases were also confirmed for the first time in the central Markazi province.
Also on Sunday, Iran's state broadcaster said all flights to and from the city of Rasht, the capital of northern Gilan province, had been suspended. It gave no reasons why. The area of Gilan has some of Iran's highest number of infections after the capital, Tehran, and the holy city of Qom, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the country.
The Revolutionary Guard said it plans to install mobile hospitals in Qom and Rasht cities, where the virus has infected high numbers of people. The Guard has also been photographed in state media leading disinfection efforts in some cities.
'A hard time and dangerous period'
Ali Reza Jalali, the head of the Guard's medical college, told state TV that Iran is going through a “hard time and dangerous period." He claimed the group is researching a possible vaccine for the disease.
There is currently no vaccine for the novel coronavirus. Researchers around the world are working to find one, but anything widely usable is likely more than a year away.
The illness, known as COVID-19 and which originated in central China, has infected at least seven government officials in Iran, including one of its vice presidents and a senior health ministry official.
After days of assurances that the virus was largely under control, officials recently acknowledged Iran is preparing for the possibility of “tens of thousands” of people getting tested for the virus.
The first cases were not reported in Iran until Feb. 19, the same day that the two elderly infected people died. Since then, of the more than 1,100 cases in the Middle East, the majority trace back to Iran. Cases from Iran have been reported in Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.
Starting on Sunday, all nurseries in the UAE licensed by the education ministry were closed for at least two weeks to limit the spread of the virus, and Kuwait suspended school until March 12.
Frustration with US policies on Iran
The virus has infected more than 86,000 people worldwide and caused more than 2,900 deaths since emerging in China. Iran has the world’s highest death toll outside of China, where there has been 2,870 deaths among close to 80,000 cases.
The outbreak in Iran has prompted its neighbors to seal their borders to Iranians, while other Gulf states have halted flights to Iran. On Saturday, the U.S. announced heightened warnings about travel to certain regions of Italy and South Korea, as well as a ban on travel to Iran, due to the virus.
Ali Ahmadi, a resident in Tehran, said the U.S. has already made it difficult for Iranians, including its scientists, to travel there.
“Now that the virus has appeared, we expect nothing less from America,” he said, expressing widespread frustration with U.S. policies on Iran.
Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia have been closed to foreign pilgrims to limit the spread of the virus. The kingdom does not have any reported cases of the virus, and has halted all flights to and from China and Iran.
One of the most important Shiite shrines in the world in Iraq's Najaf city has also closed to Iranian pilgrims after a student from Iran studying there was confirmed to have the highly infectious virus.
Saeed Moghaddam, also in Tehran, said Iranians are suffering because of a virus that came from China
“We are not the cause of this virus spreading in other countries. We are battling with this ourselves,” he said.
Also, Sudanese authorities on Sunday said the United Arab Emirates was helping evacuate some 160 Sudanese students from Wuhan, the city at the center of the virus outbreak in China. The evacuation was scheduled Sunday but moved to Tuesday due to logistical reasons, they said. It was unclear whether the students would be quarantined upon return in Sudan or the UAE, which has also helped evacuate Yemeni students from Wuhan.
(AP)
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france24--2020-03-01--Death penalty and abortion films take top prizes at Berlin film festival

Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof on Saturday won the top prize at the Berlin film festival for `` There Is No Evil '' , a searingly critical work about the death penalty in his country .
Rasoulof , 48 , is currently banned from leaving Iran and was unable to accept the Golden Bear in person .
Accepting the award on his behalf , producer Farzad Pak thanked `` the amazing cast and crew who , put their lives in danger to be on this film . ''
The film tells four loosely related individual stories about the death penalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the families of the victims .
Industry magazine `` Variety '' called it Rasoulof 's `` most openly critical statement yet '' .
Rasoulof was sentenced to a year in prison last year for `` attacking the security of the state '' , and banned from making films for life .
Speaking to a news conference via mobile phone , the director said his latest film was about `` taking responsibility '' under despotism .
`` You can try to put aside your own responsibility and pass the buck to the government ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
Teenage abortion drama The runner-up jury prize went to Eliza Hittman 's teenage abortion drama `` Never Rarely Sometimes Always '' , which had been a favourite among critics .
Sidney Flanigan plays a 17-year-old from Pennsylvania forced to travel to New York in order to abort an unplanned pregnancy .
Hailed for its empathy and emotion , female solidarity is at the heart of the film , in which male characters are marginalised and often predatory .
Audiences and critics were particularly enthralled by an intense , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers personal questions at a clinic .
`` While I was researching this film , I spent a tremendous amount of time inside planned parenthood and other clinics , '' said Hittman .
She added that she had been `` humbled '' by that experience , before addressing the nurses and social workers who work in such clinics .
`` I want to thank them for their incredible service to our countries , for protecting the lives and rights of all people with uteruses . ''
Hittman 's success came in the wake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over jury president Jeremy Irons ' past comments on abortion and women 's rights .
In a 2016 interview with the Guardian , Irons had said abortion `` harms a woman '' and that the church was `` right to say it was a sin '' .
At his opening press conference , the jury head was forced to clarify that he supported `` wholeheartedly the right of women to have an abortion should they so decide '' .
The debate over women 's representation and the # MeToo movement continued throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday of Harvey Weinstein 's conviction for rape and sexual assault .
New festival directors Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek also came under fire for picking one fewer female-directed film than in the previous year .
And there was widespread outrage over the Russian film `` DAU : Natasha '' , whose cinematographer Juergen Juerges won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution on Saturday .
Part of the sprawling , controversial Russian art project `` DAU '' , it was widely slammed for an interrogation scene which included a graphic sexual assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also forced to deny rumours of abuse on set .
Ahead of the awards ceremony , a handful of protesters outside the venue held up a banner reading `` DAU = violence and abuse '' .
Yet Juerges disputed those claims , saying that director Ilya Khrzhanovsky `` may push boundaries professionally , but he does not cross them '' .
Nazi past scandal Another German , Paula Beer , won Best Actress for her role in Christian Petzold 's water-themed romance `` Undine '' .
The award for Best Actor went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the mental and physical struggles of painter Antonio Ligabue in `` Hidden Away '' .
`` I dedicate this prize to all the outcasts , all the people who are a little bit strange , '' said the 39-year-old .
Germano also featured in `` Bad Tales '' by Italian brothers Fabio and Damiano D'Innocenzo , which won Best Screenplay .
The award for Best Director went to South Korea 's Hong Sangsoo for `` The Woman Who Ran '' , a minimalistic film about a woman whose husband is away on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described the film as a `` charming look at smart women dealing with annoying men '' .
`` Delete History '' , a French comedy about society in the age of the internet , won the `` 70th anniversary Silver Bear '' .
The prize replaced the traditional `` Alfred Bauer Prize '' , which was removed from the list of `` Silver Bears '' after it emerged that Berlinale founding director Bauer was a high-ranking Nazi .
( AFP )

Dissident Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof on Saturday won the top prize at the Berlin film festival for "There Is No Evil", a searingly critical work about the death penalty in his country.
Advertising Read more
Rasoulof, 48, is currently banned from leaving Iran and was unable to accept the Golden Bear in person.
Accepting the award on his behalf, producer Farzad Pak thanked "the amazing cast and crew who, put their lives in danger to be on this film."
The film tells four loosely related individual stories about the death penalty in Iran, from the executioner to the families of the victims.
Industry magazine "Variety" called it Rasoulof's "most openly critical statement yet".
Rasoulof was sentenced to a year in prison last year for "attacking the security of the state", and banned from making films for life.
Speaking to a news conference via mobile phone, the director said his latest film was about "taking responsibility" under despotism.
"You can try to put aside your own responsibility and pass the buck to the government... but (people) can say no," he said.
Teenage abortion drama
The runner-up jury prize went to Eliza Hittman's teenage abortion drama "Never Rarely Sometimes Always", which had been a favourite among critics.
Sidney Flanigan plays a 17-year-old from Pennsylvania forced to travel to New York in order to abort an unplanned pregnancy.
Hailed for its empathy and emotion, female solidarity is at the heart of the film, in which male characters are marginalised and often predatory.
Audiences and critics were particularly enthralled by an intense, single-shot scene in which Flanigan's character answers personal questions at a clinic.
"While I was researching this film, I spent a tremendous amount of time inside planned parenthood and other clinics," said Hittman.
She added that she had been "humbled" by that experience, before addressing the nurses and social workers who work in such clinics.
"I want to thank them for their incredible service to our countries, for protecting the lives and rights of all people with uteruses."
Hittman's success came in the wake of a controversy earlier in the festival over jury president Jeremy Irons' past comments on abortion and women's rights.
In a 2016 interview with the Guardian, Irons had said abortion "harms a woman" and that the church was "right to say it was a sin".
At his opening press conference, the jury head was forced to clarify that he supported "wholeheartedly the right of women to have an abortion should they so decide".
The debate over women's representation and the #MeToo movement continued throughout the festival, fuelled in part by news Monday of Harvey Weinstein's conviction for rape and sexual assault.
New festival directors Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek also came under fire for picking one fewer female-directed film than in the previous year.
And there was widespread outrage over the Russian film "DAU: Natasha", whose cinematographer Juergen Juerges won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution on Saturday.
Part of the sprawling, controversial Russian art project "DAU", it was widely slammed for an interrogation scene which included a graphic sexual assault.
The makers of the film were also forced to deny rumours of abuse on set.
Ahead of the awards ceremony, a handful of protesters outside the venue held up a banner reading "DAU = violence and abuse".
Yet Juerges disputed those claims, saying that director Ilya Khrzhanovsky "may push boundaries professionally, but he does not cross them".
Nazi past scandal
Another German, Paula Beer, won Best Actress for her role in Christian Petzold's water-themed romance "Undine".
The award for Best Actor went to Italy's Elio Germano for his portrayal of the mental and physical struggles of painter Antonio Ligabue in "Hidden Away".
"I dedicate this prize to all the outcasts, all the people who are a little bit strange," said the 39-year-old.
Germano also featured in "Bad Tales" by Italian brothers Fabio and Damiano D'Innocenzo, which won Best Screenplay.
The award for Best Director went to South Korea's Hong Sangsoo for "The Woman Who Ran", a minimalistic film about a woman whose husband is away on a business trip.
Industry magazine IndieWire described the film as a "charming look at smart women dealing with annoying men".
"Delete History", a French comedy about society in the age of the internet, won the "70th anniversary Silver Bear".
The prize replaced the traditional "Alfred Bauer Prize", which was removed from the list of "Silver Bears" after it emerged that Berlinale founding director Bauer was a high-ranking Nazi.
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-02-29--Trump calls for calm as first coronavirus death reported in US

Dr. Jeff Duchin , Health Officer , Public Health of Seattle and King County speaks about the first patient death from novel coronavirus in the United States during a news conference in Seattle , Washington , U.S. February 29 , 2020 .
The first death from the coronavirus has been confirmed on US soil , in Washington state , health officials said Saturday , after a handful of cases of unknown origin were detected , indicating the disease was spreading in the country .
The first fatality from the novel coronavirus has been confirmed on US soil , as President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to panic .
Health officials said the man who died in Washington state was one of a handful with no known links to global hot zones to have contracted the virus -- indicating that the pathogen was now likely spreading in communities .
The death occurred in King County , the most populous in the state and home to Seattle , a city of more than 700,000 people , officials told AFP .
The victim was in his 50s and had `` underlying health conditions , '' said Jeff Duchin , public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It is a sad day in our state as we learn that a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19 , '' Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement , sending condolences to the victim 's loved ones .
Inslee declared a state of emergency over coronavirus , freeing up funding for state agencies and allowing the use of the Washington National Guard , if necessary .
Speaking at a White House news conference Trump said that `` additional cases in the United States are likely , '' but added that `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recover . ''
`` Our country is prepared for any circumstance , '' Trump insisted , calling on `` the media and politicians and everybody else involved not to do anything to incite panic . ''
He took a more measured tone a day after accusing Democrats of politicising the virus and referring to the epidemic as a Democrat `` hoax '' .
Trump identified the victim as `` a wonderful woman , '' but the CDC later said it had misinformed the president in an earlier briefing .
Washington state also reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus in a health care worker and the first possible outbreak in a nursing home .
This comes after the states of Oregon and California confirmed late last week the first instances of infected US patients who had not traveled overseas or come in contact with anyone known to be ill. '' While there is still much to learn about the unfolding situations in California , Oregon and Washington , preliminary information raises the level of concern about the immediate threat for COVID-19 for certain communities in the United States , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more cases' Trump said he would meet with leaders of big pharmaceutical groups at the White House on Monday to discuss treatments and efforts to develop a vaccine to combat the virus .
The president said the number of cases detected by the US public health system now stood at 22 .
Combined with patients who were repatriated from abroad , the overall number of infected on US soil is now about 70 .
`` We will see more cases , '' Health Secretary Alex Azar told the White House press conference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for the vast majority of individuals who contract the novel coronavirus , they will experience mild to moderate symptoms . ''
Their treatment will be to remain at home and treat the symptoms as they would the flu , he added .
The president and other officials also announced a more complete ban on travel from Iran , which has seen a rapid spread of the disease , and encouraged Americans to avoid travel to hard-hit areas in Italy and South Korea .
Vice President Mike Pence , charged by Trump to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an existing ban on travel from Iran had been expanded to include any foreign national who has visited the Islamic republic within the last 14 days .
Trump also said the United States was ready to assist Iran with its coronavirus outbreak and that `` all they have to do is ask . ''
An American citizen died of the new coronavirus in early February at the Chinese epicenter of the global outbreak , the city of Wuhan , the US embassy confirmed at the time .
Worldwide , the virus has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with more than 2,900 people killed and over 85,000 infected since it was first detected at an animal market in Wuhan late last year .

The first death from the coronavirus has been confirmed on US soil, in Washington state, health officials said Saturday, after a handful of cases of unknown origin were detected, indicating the disease was spreading in the country.
Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health of Seattle and King County speaks about the first patient death from novel coronavirus in the United States during a news conference in Seattle, Washington, U.S. February 29, 2020.
Advertising Read more
The first fatality from the novel coronavirus has been confirmed on US soil, as President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Americans not to panic.
Health officials said the man who died in Washington state was one of a handful with no known links to global hot zones to have contracted the virus -- indicating that the pathogen was now likely spreading in communities.
The death occurred in King County, the most populous in the state and home to Seattle, a city of more than 700,000 people, officials told AFP.
The victim was in his 50s and had "underlying health conditions," said Jeff Duchin, public health officer for Seattle and King County.
"It is a sad day in our state as we learn that a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19," Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement, sending condolences to the victim's loved ones.
Inslee declared a state of emergency over coronavirus, freeing up funding for state agencies and allowing the use of the Washington National Guard, if necessary.
Speaking at a White House news conference Trump said that "additional cases in the United States are likely," but added that "healthy individuals should be able to fully recover."
"Our country is prepared for any circumstance," Trump insisted, calling on "the media and politicians and everybody else involved not to do anything to incite panic."
He took a more measured tone a day after accusing Democrats of politicising the virus and referring to the epidemic as a Democrat "hoax".
Trump identified the victim as "a wonderful woman," but the CDC later said it had misinformed the president in an earlier briefing.
Washington state also reported on Saturday the country's first case of coronavirus in a health care worker and the first possible outbreak in a nursing home.
This comes after the states of Oregon and California confirmed late last week the first instances of infected US patients who had not traveled overseas or come in contact with anyone known to be ill.
"While there is still much to learn about the unfolding situations in California, Oregon and Washington, preliminary information raises the level of concern about the immediate threat for COVID-19 for certain communities in the United States," the CDC said.
'We will see more cases'
Trump said he would meet with leaders of big pharmaceutical groups at the White House on Monday to discuss treatments and efforts to develop a vaccine to combat the virus.
The president said the number of cases detected by the US public health system now stood at 22. Combined with patients who were repatriated from abroad, the overall number of infected on US soil is now about 70.
"We will see more cases," Health Secretary Alex Azar told the White House press conference.
02:08
"But it's important to remember, for the vast majority of individuals who contract the novel coronavirus, they will experience mild to moderate symptoms."
Their treatment will be to remain at home and treat the symptoms as they would the flu, he added.
The president and other officials also announced a more complete ban on travel from Iran, which has seen a rapid spread of the disease, and encouraged Americans to avoid travel to hard-hit areas in Italy and South Korea.
Vice President Mike Pence, charged by Trump to lead efforts against the virus, said that an existing ban on travel from Iran had been expanded to include any foreign national who has visited the Islamic republic within the last 14 days.
Trump also said the United States was ready to assist Iran with its coronavirus outbreak and that "all they have to do is ask."
An American citizen died of the new coronavirus in early February at the Chinese epicenter of the global outbreak, the city of Wuhan, the US embassy confirmed at the time.
Worldwide, the virus has hit about 60 countries across the globe, with more than 2,900 people killed and over 85,000 infected since it was first detected at an animal market in Wuhan late last year.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-02-29--France bans large public gatherings to slow coronavirus spread

France is banning all indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people to slow the spread of a coronavirus epidemic .
The cancellation of large gatherings in confined spaces was announced by Health Minister Olivier Véran after special government meetings Saturday .
Across the country , `` all gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces will be cancelled , '' the health minister said .
The same goes for events `` in an open environment where people can mix with others from areas where the virus is possibly circulating '' .
Having previously recommended that people avoid shaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also cut back on “ la bise , ” the custom in France and elsewhere in Europe of giving greetings with kisses , or air kisses , on the cheeks .
The tightened restrictions on public gatherings had an immediate impact .
A major four-day trade show in Cannes for property investors was postponed from March to June .
Accordingly , the Paris half-marathon scheduled for Sunday will not take place , although Ligue 1 football matches will still go ahead .
`` These measures are provisional and we will undoubtedly have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued .
`` They are restrictive measures and we hope that they last for some time because that would allow us to contain the spread of the virus . ''
Public gatherings are being banned completely in the Oise region north of Paris that has seen a cluster of cases , and in a town in the Alps that has also seen infections , he said .
People can `` do their shopping '' but must avoid `` unnecessary travel '' and `` work from home if possible '' , Véran continued .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus in France , taking to 73 the number of people affected since the end of January .
Two people have died , a 60-year-old French teacher and an 80-year-old Chinese tourist .

France is banning all indoor public gatherings of more than 5,000 people to slow the spread of a coronavirus epidemic.
Advertising Read more
The cancellation of large gatherings in confined spaces was announced by Health Minister Olivier Véran after special government meetings Saturday.
Across the country, "all gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces will be cancelled," the health minister said. The same goes for events "in an open environment where people can mix with others from areas where the virus is possibly circulating".
Having previously recommended that people avoid shaking hands, the minister said they should also cut back on “la bise,” the custom in France and elsewhere in Europe of giving greetings with kisses, or air kisses, on the cheeks.
The tightened restrictions on public gatherings had an immediate impact. A major four-day trade show in Cannes for property investors was postponed from March to June.
Accordingly, the Paris half-marathon scheduled for Sunday will not take place, although Ligue 1 football matches will still go ahead.
"These measures are provisional and we will undoubtedly have to modify them over time," Véran continued. "They are restrictive measures and we hope that they last for some time because that would allow us to contain the spread of the virus."
Public gatherings are being banned completely in the Oise region north of Paris that has seen a cluster of cases, and in a town in the Alps that has also seen infections, he said. People can "do their shopping" but must avoid "unnecessary travel" and "work from home if possible", Véran continued.
Véran said there were 16 new cases of coronavirus in France, taking to 73 the number of people affected since the end of January. Two people have died, a 60-year-old French teacher and an 80-year-old Chinese tourist.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)
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france24--2020-02-29--Slovakia's anti-graft opposition party wins parliamentary elections by wide margin

Supporters react as Ordinary People and Independent Personalities ( OLaNO ) party leader Igor Matovic arrives at his party 's headquarters during the parliamentary election , in Trnava , Slovakia , February 29 , 2020 .
Slovak voters handed a resounding victory to the centre-right , anti-graft OLaNO opposition party in Saturday 's general election , dominated by an angry backlash over the 2018 murder of a journalist probing corruption in the eurozone state .
Having vowed to immediately push through anti-corruption measures when in office , OLaNO leader Igor Matovic galvanised voter outrage over the murder of Jan Kuciak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their deaths exposed .
`` We will try to create the best government Slovakia has ever had , with the help of the other leaders of the democratic opposition , '' Matovic told journalists as he claimed victory after the exit poll results were announced .
`` It was the death of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova that woke up Slovakia . ''
Outgoing Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini conceded defeat as partial official results showed OLaNO outpacing his populist-left Smer-SD by six percentage points .
`` Congratulations to the election winner , good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Matovic , adding `` he has good marketing , but we will be interested in how he will handle his office . ''
OLaNO took 24.87 percent of the vote , ahead of 18.73 percent for the governing populist-left Smer-SD party , while the conservative We Are Family scored 8.34 percent , the liberal Freedom and Solidarity ( SaS ) won 5.67 percent and the fellow liberal `` For the People '' of ex-president Andrej Kiska mustered 5.43 percent of the vote , according to returns from 82.76 percent of polling stations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition partners as it has ruled out teaming up with the far-right Our Slovakia LSNS party , which scored 8.27 percent support .
When asked by journalists about a possible coalition with OLaNO , Pellegrini quipped `` never say never '' .
`` But you have to put this question to Igor Matovic whether he would be willing to do so or not , '' he added .
Matovic told reporters that he had agreed via telephone to meet with President Zuzana Caputova on `` Monday or Tuesday '' and that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties that make it into parliament on Sunday .
Earlier on Saturday , Caputova said she would consider the `` coalition potential '' of party leaders when deciding whom to task with creating a government .
Analysts have indicated that OLaNO will have the option of considering several opposition parties for a coalition .
`` There is a chance that this new government will last until the end of its term , '' said Slovakia analyst Tomas Koziak , the Rector of the University of Political Sciences based in Kutna Hora , Czech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in opposition for a very long time , therefore their top politicians are thirsty for power .
Power is the strongest glue , '' Koziak told AFP .
Allegedly a hit ordered by a businessman with connections to politicians , the killings of Kuciak and Kusnirova have become a lightning rod for public outrage at graft in public life .
`` Change is much needed here , '' said Daniela Jonasova , a 35-year-old office clerk , who told AFP she voted for OLaNO at a Bratislava polling station .
Analysts suggest that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MP but unpredictable politician , could become premier if he manages to unify the splintered opposition .
An eccentric self-made millionaire and former media boss , Matovic set up `` Ordinary People and Independent Personalities -- OLaNO '' a decade ago .
According to Bratislava-based political analyst Radoslav Stefancik , `` the election is primarily about the desire for decency in politics '' .
`` Instead of protesting against the ruling Smer-SD party on the streets , people will do so in polling stations , '' Stefancik told AFP .
The double murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times and toppled Fico as prime minister , with his party colleague Peter Pellegrini taking up the reins .
It also propelled Zuzana Caputova , a liberal lawyer and anti-graft activist , out of nowhere to win last year 's presidential race in the country of 5.4 million people .
Heavily dependent on car-making , economic growth in the Slovak economy is projected to slow to 2.2 percent this year , according to the European Commission 's latest forecast .
Unemployment is relatively low and stood at around 5.6 percent in late 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the electorate , official results showed , up from 59.8 in 2016 .

Slovak voters handed a resounding victory to the centre-right, anti-graft OLaNO opposition party in Saturday's general election, dominated by an angry backlash over the 2018 murder of a journalist probing corruption in the eurozone state.
Supporters react as Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO) party leader Igor Matovic arrives at his party's headquarters during the parliamentary election, in Trnava, Slovakia, February 29, 2020.
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Having vowed to immediately push through anti-corruption measures when in office, OLaNO leader Igor Matovic galvanised voter outrage over the murder of Jan Kuciak and his fiancee and the high-level graft their deaths exposed.
"We will try to create the best government Slovakia has ever had, with the help of the other leaders of the democratic opposition," Matovic told journalists as he claimed victory after the exit poll results were announced.
"It was the death of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova that woke up Slovakia."
Outgoing Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini conceded defeat as partial official results showed OLaNO outpacing his populist-left Smer-SD by six percentage points.
"Congratulations to the election winner, good health, good luck," Pellegrini told Matovic, adding "he has good marketing, but we will be interested in how he will handle his office."
OLaNO took 24.87 percent of the vote, ahead of 18.73 percent for the governing populist-left Smer-SD party, while the conservative We Are Family scored 8.34 percent, the liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) won 5.67 percent and the fellow liberal "For the People" of ex-president Andrej Kiska mustered 5.43 percent of the vote, according to returns from 82.76 percent of polling stations.
The result suggests Smer-SD lacks obvious coalition partners as it has ruled out teaming up with the far-right Our Slovakia LSNS party, which scored 8.27 percent support.
When asked by journalists about a possible coalition with OLaNO, Pellegrini quipped "never say never".
"But you have to put this question to Igor Matovic whether he would be willing to do so or not," he added.
'Coalition potential'
Matovic told reporters that he had agreed via telephone to meet with President Zuzana Caputova on "Monday or Tuesday" and that he would begin talks with leaders of other opposition parties that make it into parliament on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, Caputova said she would consider the "coalition potential" of party leaders when deciding whom to task with creating a government.
Analysts have indicated that OLaNO will have the option of considering several opposition parties for a coalition.
"There is a chance that this new government will last until the end of its term," said Slovakia analyst Tomas Koziak, the Rector of the University of Political Sciences based in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic.
"These parties have been in opposition for a very long time, therefore their top politicians are thirsty for power. Power is the strongest glue," Koziak told AFP.
Allegedly a hit ordered by a businessman with connections to politicians, the killings of Kuciak and Kusnirova have become a lightning rod for public outrage at graft in public life.
"Change is much needed here," said Daniela Jonasova, a 35-year-old office clerk, who told AFP she voted for OLaNO at a Bratislava polling station.
Analysts suggest that OLaNO's Matovic, a 46-year-old media-savvy MP but unpredictable politician, could become premier if he manages to unify the splintered opposition.
Decency in politics
An eccentric self-made millionaire and former media boss, Matovic set up "Ordinary People and Independent Personalities -- OLaNO" a decade ago.
According to Bratislava-based political analyst Radoslav Stefancik, "the election is primarily about the desire for decency in politics".
"Instead of protesting against the ruling Smer-SD party on the streets, people will do so in polling stations," Stefancik told AFP.
The double murder triggered the largest anti-government protests since communist times and toppled Fico as prime minister, with his party colleague Peter Pellegrini taking up the reins.
It also propelled Zuzana Caputova, a liberal lawyer and anti-graft activist, out of nowhere to win last year's presidential race in the country of 5.4 million people.
Heavily dependent on car-making, economic growth in the Slovak economy is projected to slow to 2.2 percent this year, according to the European Commission's latest forecast.
Unemployment is relatively low and stood at around 5.6 percent in late 2019.
Turnout tallied at 63.94 percent of the electorate, official results showed, up from 59.8 in 2016.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-01--Afghan truce to continue, but Ghani rejects prisoner release

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Sunday that a seven-day partial truce would continue , but he rejected a key component of a new US-Taliban deal that calls for the release of thousands of insurgent prisoners .
The so-called `` reduction in violence '' period , which saw attacks plummet across Afghanistan , ran for the week preceding Saturday 's signing of a historic accord between the US and the Taliban in Doha .
The agreement spells out a withdrawal timeline of 14 months for all foreign forces , provided the Taliban honour several pledges and enter talks with Kabul for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The reduction in violence will continue with a goal to reach a full ceasefire , '' Ghani told a press conference .
`` General ( Scott ) Miller has told Taliban to do so .
It is expected ( to continue ) , '' he added , referring to the US commander in charge of foreign forces in Afghanistan .
A Taliban source did not immediately comment .
The partial truce saw scenes of jubilant Afghans dancing in the street as hopes rose that Afghanistan 's 18-year-old war might finally come to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bumpy road ahead , Ghani pushed back against a clause in the deal that calls for the Taliban to release up to 1,000 prisoners and for the Afghan government to release around 5,000 insurgent captives .
Ghani 's government was not part of the Doha accord , so while the agreement states that the `` United States commits to completing this goal '' of releasing the Taliban prisoners , it is unclear how that can happen if Kabul is not on board .
Any prisoner release is `` not in the authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the authority of the Afghan government '' , Ghani said .
`` It could be included in the agenda of the intra-Afghan talks , but can not be a prerequisite for talks . ''
'More relaxed' The Taliban had , until now , refused to negotiate with Ghani 's administration -- which they considered a US puppet regime -- but the withdrawal agreement hinges on Kabul and the insurgents reaching a separate peace deal through `` intra-Afghan '' negotiations .
Ghani , who is mired in a political crisis following fraud allegations over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks slated to start March 10 , reportedly in Oslo .
Ghani 's questioning of the prisoner release points to tough negotiations ahead in a country still riven by tribal and ethnic rivalries , and where squabbling leaders and warlords seem incapable of finding common ground on important issues .
Washington has pointedly not congratulated Ghani on his election win , announced last week after months of delays , while his top rival Abdullah Abdullah has vowed to set up a parallel administration .
Despite lingering uncertainty about what the deal means for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relieved to walk the streets without fear of Taliban attacks .
`` I feel much more at peace today after the deal , more relaxed , '' one policeman told AFP on condition of anonymity .
( AFP )

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Sunday that a seven-day partial truce would continue, but he rejected a key component of a new US-Taliban deal that calls for the release of thousands of insurgent prisoners.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani gestures as he speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul on March 1, 2020.
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The so-called "reduction in violence" period, which saw attacks plummet across Afghanistan, ran for the week preceding Saturday's signing of a historic accord between the US and the Taliban in Doha.
The agreement spells out a withdrawal timeline of 14 months for all foreign forces, provided the Taliban honour several pledges and enter talks with Kabul for a more comprehensive peace deal.
"The reduction in violence will continue with a goal to reach a full ceasefire," Ghani told a press conference.
"General (Scott) Miller has told Taliban to do so. It is expected (to continue)," he added, referring to the US commander in charge of foreign forces in Afghanistan.
A Taliban source did not immediately comment.
The partial truce saw scenes of jubilant Afghans dancing in the street as hopes rose that Afghanistan's 18-year-old war might finally come to an end.
But in a sign of the bumpy road ahead, Ghani pushed back against a clause in the deal that calls for the Taliban to release up to 1,000 prisoners and for the Afghan government to release around 5,000 insurgent captives.
Ghani's government was not part of the Doha accord, so while the agreement states that the "United States commits to completing this goal" of releasing the Taliban prisoners, it is unclear how that can happen if Kabul is not on board.
Any prisoner release is "not in the authority of the US, it is in the authority of the Afghan government", Ghani said.
"It could be included in the agenda of the intra-Afghan talks, but cannot be a prerequisite for talks."
'More relaxed'
The Taliban had, until now, refused to negotiate with Ghani's administration -- which they considered a US puppet regime -- but the withdrawal agreement hinges on Kabul and the insurgents reaching a separate peace deal through "intra-Afghan" negotiations.
Ghani, who is mired in a political crisis following fraud allegations over his re-election, was referring to upcoming talks slated to start March 10, reportedly in Oslo.
Ghani's questioning of the prisoner release points to tough negotiations ahead in a country still riven by tribal and ethnic rivalries, and where squabbling leaders and warlords seem incapable of finding common ground on important issues.
Washington has pointedly not congratulated Ghani on his election win, announced last week after months of delays, while his top rival Abdullah Abdullah has vowed to set up a parallel administration.
Despite lingering uncertainty about what the deal means for Afghanistan, Kabul residents said they were relieved to walk the streets without fear of Taliban attacks.
"I feel much more at peace today after the deal, more relaxed," one policeman told AFP on condition of anonymity.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-03-01--Guinea’s opposition wants referendum scrapped, calls to keep up anti-govt protests

Guinea 's opposition on Saturday called for the cancellation of a referendum on changing the constitution , as fresh protests against President Alpha Conde 's government broke out in the capital Conakry .
Conde on Friday announced the referendum , originally planned for Sunday , would be postponed -- possibly for two weeks -- following growing domestic and international criticism over the ballot .
The referendum will decide whether to adopt a new constitution , which includes bans on female circumcision and underage marriage in the West African country .
But the proposal has sparked huge protests since October over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits -- allowing Conde to run for a third spell in office later this year .
The draft constitution would extend the presidential terms to six years , potentially permitting Conde , 81 , to govern for another 12 .
Opposition leaders promised to keep up the protests despite the postponement .
`` The fight continues until Alpha Conde leaves power under the current Constitution , '' said Ibrahima Diallo , part of the FNDC alliance opposing the new constitution .
`` We will continue the struggle until the complete withdrawal ... of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ en masse , '' he added .
Conde was elected in 2010 and re-elected for a final five-year term in 2015 . '
A slight postponement' Speaking on national television , the president said on Friday he had decided in favour of a `` slight postponement '' because of `` national and regional responsibilities '' .
The delay concerns both the constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections that were also planned to be held on Sunday .
Conde 's announcement followed criticism of the electoral process by several international organisations .
While Conde did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new vote , a letter from the leader to the West African bloc ECOWAS , seen by AFP , said the new poll should take place within two weeks .
Since October , the demonstrations over the reforms -- led by the Front National for the Defence of the Constitution or FNDC -- have sometimes turned violent .
At least 30 protesters and one gendarme have been killed to date , according to an AFP tally .
'Axis of democracy' Wanindara , a suburb of the capital Conakry and an opposition stronghold has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence .
Many Guinean opposition supporters call the suburb and surrounding areas surrounding the `` axis of democracy . ''
It is the `` axis of evil '' to its detractors .
Guinea 's main opposition leader , Cellou Diallo , said on Twitter Saturday that `` Alpha Conde 's postponement speech is more like a declaration of war against the opposition and the FNDC '' .
The FNDC released a statement calling for a new protest on March 5 and demanding that Conde `` and his mafia clan '' step down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday urging all parties `` to engage in nonviolent civil dialogue '' .
One Western diplomat in Conakry expressed scepticism that a vote in two weeks would be any fairer .
`` This changes nothing , '' he said .
Sekou Conde , of the ruling party , said the `` postponement is purely for technical reasons , '' referring to examples of sacked polling stations .
`` It has nothing to do with the electoral roll , '' he said .
'Major controversy ' But the International Organisation of La Francophonie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million of the 7.7 million names on the electoral roll this week .
The African Union cancelled an electoral observation mission to Guinea on Friday , citing a `` major controversy '' with the roll .
The EU has also cast doubt on the poll 's credibility .
But Sekou Conde , speaking to AFP earlier this week , said the issue of the electoral roll was a `` false debate '' since the opposition attacked it in previous elections that had drawn less criticism .
In opposition districts in Conakry on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponement of the election .
Groups of youngsters blocked one of the city 's main thoroughfares , the Route le Prince , and hurled rocks at security forces , who zipped around in armoured cars .
Wearing riot gear , gendarmes fired tear-gas canisters from rifles , or from vehicle-mounted gun turrets , into the narrow dirt roads leading off from the highway .
But an FNDC protest observer , who declined to be named for security reasons , said people were protesting because of the `` macabre project '' of the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many deaths , too many arrests , too many serious wounds , '' he said .
`` People are determined to see it through to the end , '' the observer added .

Guinea's opposition on Saturday called for the cancellation of a referendum on changing the constitution, as fresh protests against President Alpha Conde's government broke out in the capital Conakry.
Advertising Read more
Conde on Friday announced the referendum, originally planned for Sunday, would be postponed -- possibly for two weeks -- following growing domestic and international criticism over the ballot.
The referendum will decide whether to adopt a new constitution, which includes bans on female circumcision and underage marriage in the West African country.
But the proposal has sparked huge protests since October over fears that it will reset presidential term limits -- allowing Conde to run for a third spell in office later this year.
The draft constitution would extend the presidential terms to six years, potentially permitting Conde, 81, to govern for another 12.
Opposition leaders promised to keep up the protests despite the postponement.
"The fight continues until Alpha Conde leaves power under the current Constitution," said Ibrahima Diallo, part of the FNDC alliance opposing the new constitution.
"We will continue the struggle until the complete withdrawal ... of this new constitution that the people reject en masse," he added.
Conde was elected in 2010 and re-elected for a final five-year term in 2015.
'A slight postponement'
Speaking on national television, the president said on Friday he had decided in favour of a "slight postponement" because of "national and regional responsibilities".
The delay concerns both the constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections that were also planned to be held on Sunday.
Conde's announcement followed criticism of the electoral process by several international organisations.
While Conde did not publicly announce a date for the new vote, a letter from the leader to the West African bloc ECOWAS, seen by AFP, said the new poll should take place within two weeks.
Since October, the demonstrations over the reforms -- led by the Front National for the Defence of the Constitution or FNDC -- have sometimes turned violent.
At least 30 protesters and one gendarme have been killed to date, according to an AFP tally.
'Axis of democracy'
Wanindara, a suburb of the capital Conakry and an opposition stronghold has seen some of the worst of the violence.
Many Guinean opposition supporters call the suburb and surrounding areas surrounding the "axis of democracy." It is the "axis of evil" to its detractors.
Guinea's main opposition leader, Cellou Diallo, said on Twitter Saturday that "Alpha Conde's postponement speech is more like a declaration of war against the opposition and the FNDC".
The FNDC released a statement calling for a new protest on March 5 and demanding that Conde "and his mafia clan" step down.
The United States also issued a statement on Saturday urging all parties "to engage in nonviolent civil dialogue".
One Western diplomat in Conakry expressed scepticism that a vote in two weeks would be any fairer. "This changes nothing," he said.
Sekou Conde, of the ruling party, said the "postponement is purely for technical reasons," referring to examples of sacked polling stations.
"It has nothing to do with the electoral roll," he said.
'Major controversy'
But the International Organisation of La Francophonie has pointed to problems verifying around 2.5 million of the 7.7 million names on the electoral roll this week.
The African Union cancelled an electoral observation mission to Guinea on Friday, citing a "major controversy" with the roll. The EU has also cast doubt on the poll's credibility.
But Sekou Conde, speaking to AFP earlier this week, said the issue of the electoral roll was a "false debate" since the opposition attacked it in previous elections that had drawn less criticism.
In opposition districts in Conakry on Saturday, fresh protests broke out following the postponement of the election.
Groups of youngsters blocked one of the city's main thoroughfares, the Route le Prince, and hurled rocks at security forces, who zipped around in armoured cars.
Wearing riot gear, gendarmes fired tear-gas canisters from rifles, or from vehicle-mounted gun turrets, into the narrow dirt roads leading off from the highway.
But an FNDC protest observer, who declined to be named for security reasons, said people were protesting because of the "macabre project" of the new constitution.
"There have been too many deaths, too many arrests, too many serious wounds," he said.
"People are determined to see it through to the end," the observer added.
(AFP)
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