france24--2020-12-28--Trump says 'good news' is coming on Covid-19 relief bill as millions lose benefits

FILE PHOTO : U.S. President Donald Trump , accompanied by first lady Melania Trump , departs from the White House for holiday travel to his home in Florida , in Washington , U.S. , December 23 , 2020 .
US President Donald Trump on Sunday promised `` good news '' on a massive Covid-19 relief bill that he has so far refused to sign , but did not give further details as millions of Americans struggling through the pandemic faced the loss of unemployment benefits .
`` Good news on Covid Relief Bill .
Information to follow ! ''
the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida , without elaborating further .
For nearly a week , Trump has refused to sign the $ 900 billion relief package approved overwhelmingly by Congress following months of negotiation , calling it a `` disgrace . ''
Two federal unemployment benefit programs approved in March as part of an initial Covid relief plan expired at midnight on Saturday , cutting off an estimated 12 million Americans , according to The Century Foundation think tank .
The delay also threatened to provoke a government shutdown by Tuesday since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending bill , though lawmakers could approve another temporary extension to keep the government open .
The relief package , passed by Congress on December 21 , would extend those benefits as well as others set to expire in the days ahead .
But Trump has pushed for the $ 600 direct payments to US taxpayers spelled out in the bill to be more than tripled , and argued the legislation included too much excess spending on unrelated programs .
He did not say why he waited until the bill was already approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden , due to be sworn in January 20 after beating Trump in November 's election , warned of `` devastating consequences '' on Saturday if the president continued his refusal .
Earlier Sunday , some Republicans were urging Trump to change course , noting the bill was the result of painstaking compromise .
`` I understand he wants to be remembered for advocating for big checks , but the danger is he 'll be remembered for chaos and misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire , '' Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday .
Trump has not explicitly said whether he will veto the bill .
Congress could in theory override his veto , though it is unclear whether Republicans would choose to defy him to that degree .
Another option would be for Trump to simply do nothing , resulting in a `` pocket veto '' since Congress 's current session is due to end and a new one will begin on January 3 .
Democrats in Congress sought Thursday to approve a measure to increase the direct payments in line with what Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was seen largely as a theatrical move with little hope of passage designed to expose the rift between Republicans and the outgoing president .
Senator Bernie Sanders said Sunday that `` what the president is doing right now is unbelievably cruel . ''
`` Many millions of people are losing their extended unemployment benefits , '' he said on ABC .
`` They 're going to be evicted from their apartments because the eviction moratorium is ending . ''
Sanders urged Trump to sign the bill and said increased direct payments could @ @ @ @ @ @ @

US President Donald Trump on Sunday promised "good news" on a massive Covid-19 relief bill that he has so far refused to sign, but did not give further details as millions of Americans struggling through the pandemic faced the loss of unemployment benefits.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, departs from the White House for holiday travel to his home in Florida, in Washington, U.S., December 23, 2020.
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"Good news on Covid Relief Bill. Information to follow!" the president tweeted during his Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, without elaborating further.
For nearly a week, Trump has refused to sign the $900 billion relief package approved overwhelmingly by Congress following months of negotiation, calling it a "disgrace."
Two federal unemployment benefit programs approved in March as part of an initial Covid relief plan expired at midnight on Saturday, cutting off an estimated 12 million Americans, according to The Century Foundation think tank.
The delay also threatened to provoke a government shutdown by Tuesday since the relief package is part of a larger spending bill, though lawmakers could approve another temporary extension to keep the government open.
The relief package, passed by Congress on December 21, would extend those benefits as well as others set to expire in the days ahead.
But Trump has pushed for the $600 direct payments to US taxpayers spelled out in the bill to be more than tripled, and argued the legislation included too much excess spending on unrelated programs.
He did not say why he waited until the bill was already approved to make his views known.
President-elect Joe Biden, due to be sworn in January 20 after beating Trump in November's election, warned of "devastating consequences" on Saturday if the president continued his refusal.
'Chaos and misery'
Earlier Sunday, some Republicans were urging Trump to change course, noting the bill was the result of painstaking compromise.
"I understand he wants to be remembered for advocating for big checks, but the danger is he'll be remembered for chaos and misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire," Republican Senator Pat Toomey told Fox News on Sunday.
Trump has not explicitly said whether he will veto the bill.
Congress could in theory override his veto, though it is unclear whether Republicans would choose to defy him to that degree.
Another option would be for Trump to simply do nothing, resulting in a "pocket veto" since Congress's current session is due to end and a new one will begin on January 3.
Democrats in Congress sought Thursday to approve a measure to increase the direct payments in line with what Trump wants, but Republicans blocked it.
It was seen largely as a theatrical move with little hope of passage designed to expose the rift between Republicans and the outgoing president.
Senator Bernie Sanders said Sunday that "what the president is doing right now is unbelievably cruel."
"Many millions of people are losing their extended unemployment benefits," he said on ABC.
"They're going to be evicted from their apartments because the eviction moratorium is ending."
Sanders urged Trump to sign the bill and said increased direct payments could be approved in the coming days.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-12-28--Southee leads New Zealand charge as ailing Pakistan lose four

New Zealand 's players celebrate the wicket of Pakistan 's batsman Azhar Ali on the third day of the first cricket Test match between New Zealand and Pakistan at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui New Zealand took a dominant position in the first Test against Pakistan Monday as Tim Southee led an accurate attack that claimed four for 32 runs in an absorbing opening session on day three at Mount Maunganui .
Southee took two wickets while Kyle Jamieson and Trent Boult chimed in with one apiece as Pakistan went to lunch at 62 for five in reply to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not out six with Fawad Alam on five .
Southee needs two more wickets to become the third New Zealand bowler to pass the 300 mark after Richard Hadlee ( 431 ) and Daniel Vettori ( 361 ) .
Pakistan , who resumed the day at 30 for one , struggled against the New Zealand attack and Jamieson set up the first wicket of Abid Ali for 25 with a well executed one-two combination .
He first rocked Ali with a sharply rising ball that struck the opener on the right hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pain .
Two balls later , Jamieson fired down a fuller delivery that a wary Ali shaped to leave until he saw it nip back and was too late bringing the bat down .
Mohammad Abbas , sent in as nightwatchman when Shan Masood was dismissed late on Sunday , survived a torrid series of bouncers from Boult as he doggedly held his ground for nearly an hour .
He faced 37 balls before getting off the mark , then thick-edged Boult to the boundary to move to five before Boult found the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ross Taylor took the catch at first slip .
Southee wrapped up the session with the wickets of Azhar Ali ( five ) and Haris Sohail ( three ) in the space of five deliveries .
Azhar Ali was caught behind off an outswinger for five , and although the umpire initially said not out New Zealand sought a review which proved otherwise .
Neil Wagner bowled only four overs after being cleared to play despite X-rays showing a fractured toe where he was hit by a Shaheen Afridi yorker while batting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleared to play by a doctor providing he can tolerate the pain , '' a Black Caps spokesman said .

Mount Maunganui (New Zealand) (AFP) –
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New Zealand took a dominant position in the first Test against Pakistan Monday as Tim Southee led an accurate attack that claimed four for 32 runs in an absorbing opening session on day three at Mount Maunganui.
Southee took two wickets while Kyle Jamieson and Trent Boult chimed in with one apiece as Pakistan went to lunch at 62 for five in reply to New Zealand's 431.
Mohammad Rizwan was not out six with Fawad Alam on five.
Southee needs two more wickets to become the third New Zealand bowler to pass the 300 mark after Richard Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori (361).
Pakistan, who resumed the day at 30 for one, struggled against the New Zealand attack and Jamieson set up the first wicket of Abid Ali for 25 with a well executed one-two combination.
He first rocked Ali with a sharply rising ball that struck the opener on the right hand causing him to drop his bat in pain.
Two balls later, Jamieson fired down a fuller delivery that a wary Ali shaped to leave until he saw it nip back and was too late bringing the bat down.
Mohammad Abbas, sent in as nightwatchman when Shan Masood was dismissed late on Sunday, survived a torrid series of bouncers from Boult as he doggedly held his ground for nearly an hour.
He faced 37 balls before getting off the mark, then thick-edged Boult to the boundary to move to five before Boult found the fine edge he was looking for and Ross Taylor took the catch at first slip.
Southee wrapped up the session with the wickets of Azhar Ali (five) and Haris Sohail (three) in the space of five deliveries.
Azhar Ali was caught behind off an outswinger for five, and although the umpire initially said not out New Zealand sought a review which proved otherwise.
Neil Wagner bowled only four overs after being cleared to play despite X-rays showing a fractured toe where he was hit by a Shaheen Afridi yorker while batting on day two.
"He has been cleared to play by a doctor providing he can tolerate the pain," a Black Caps spokesman said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-27--US officials name Nashville Christmas Day 'bomber', say he died in blast

Investigators work near the site of an explosion on 2nd Avenue that occurred the day before in Nashville , Tennessee , U.S. December 26 , 2020 .
The man suspected of setting off a bomb in Nashville that ripped through the southern US city 's downtown on Christmas morning was named by authorities on Sunday as they confirmed he died in the blast .
`` We 've come to the conclusion that an individual named Anthony Warner is the bomber , he was present when the bomb went off , and that he perished in the bombing , '' federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The special agent in charge of the FBI 's Memphis field office , Doug Korneski , said that there was `` no indication that any other persons were involved , '' although he added they were still following leads .
Authorities at the press conference said that with the investigation ongoing they could not give details on any motive , but said Warner had not been on their radar prior to the blast .
Police had reportedly identified Warner , 63 , on Saturday as a `` person of interest '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a parked motorhome that blared a warning minutes before it blew up .
They had searched a house in Antioch , a neighborhood in the Nashville area , but declined to confirm at the time if they had a suspect .
Friday 's explosion in historic downtown Nashville , the United States ' country music capital , damaged about 40 buildings and injured at least three people , with the streets largely abandoned at the early hour .
Authorities found human tissue at the blast site , which Tennessee Bureau of Investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference was a match to DNA found in a vehicle Warner had used .
Police said at the time of the blast that it was an `` intentional act '' but the motive remained unclear , and FBI behavioral analysts were involved in the investigation .
Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn on Twitter praised the law enforcement officers who responded to and are investigating the bomb , and said she had asked President Donald Trump to grant Nashville a federal disaster declaration , a technical move that triggers federal assistance in repairing damage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided by the authorities , police were called to the area to respond to gunfire at 5:30 am , and officers spotted the motorhome at 6:00 am .
Fifteen minutes later , they heard an audio countdown coming from the vehicle warning of a bomb -- interspersed with music -- and the need to evacuate .
Police have not said if anyone was inside the motorhome at the time but lauded the officers who arrived at the scene and took quick action .
The motorhome was parked in front of a building for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee as well as parts of Alabama and Kentucky .
AT & T said in a statement that customers in the three states were still experiencing outages , more than 48 hours later .
The company added that more than 25 temporary cell towers and 24 trailers of disaster recovery equipment were being deployed in the region to restore service .

The man suspected of setting off a bomb in Nashville that ripped through the southern US city's downtown on Christmas morning was named by authorities on Sunday as they confirmed he died in the blast.
Investigators work near the site of an explosion on 2nd Avenue that occurred the day before in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. December 26, 2020.
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"We've come to the conclusion that an individual named Anthony Warner is the bomber, he was present when the bomb went off, and that he perished in the bombing," federal prosecutor Don Cochran told a press conference.
The special agent in charge of the FBI's Memphis field office, Doug Korneski, said that there was "no indication that any other persons were involved," although he added they were still following leads.
Authorities at the press conference said that with the investigation ongoing they could not give details on any motive, but said Warner had not been on their radar prior to the blast.
Police had reportedly identified Warner, 63, on Saturday as a "person of interest" in connection with the explosion, which came from a parked motorhome that blared a warning minutes before it blew up.
They had searched a house in Antioch, a neighborhood in the Nashville area, but declined to confirm at the time if they had a suspect.
Friday's explosion in historic downtown Nashville, the United States' country music capital, damaged about 40 buildings and injured at least three people, with the streets largely abandoned at the early hour.
Authorities found human tissue at the blast site, which Tennessee Bureau of Investigations chief David Roush confirmed at the press conference was a match to DNA found in a vehicle Warner had used.
Police said at the time of the blast that it was an "intentional act" but the motive remained unclear, and FBI behavioral analysts were involved in the investigation.
Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn on Twitter praised the law enforcement officers who responded to and are investigating the bomb, and said she had asked President Donald Trump to grant Nashville a federal disaster declaration, a technical move that triggers federal assistance in repairing damage and providing aid.
According to a timeline provided by the authorities, police were called to the area to respond to gunfire at 5:30 am, and officers spotted the motorhome at 6:00 am.
Fifteen minutes later, they heard an audio countdown coming from the vehicle warning of a bomb -- interspersed with music -- and the need to evacuate.
Police have not said if anyone was inside the motorhome at the time but lauded the officers who arrived at the scene and took quick action.
The motorhome was parked in front of a building for phone company AT&T, causing damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee as well as parts of Alabama and Kentucky.
AT&T said in a statement that customers in the three states were still experiencing outages, more than 48 hours later. The company added that more than 25 temporary cell towers and 24 trailers of disaster recovery equipment were being deployed in the region to restore service.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-12-27--Another injury blow for NBA Warriors as Chriss breaks leg

Golden State Warriors center Marquese Chriss suffered an ankle injury and broken right leg in practice and will require surgery , the NBA team said Golden State Warriors center Marquese Chriss broke his right leg in practice in Chicago and will require surgery , the NBA team said Sunday , yet another injury blow to a team trying to return to title contender status .
The Warriors said Chriss suffered a right ankle injury and fibular fracture in practice on Saturday as the team prepared for their game on Sunday against the Bulls .
`` He will undergo surgery in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his return will be determined after that , '' the Warriors said in a statement .
Chriss , the number eight selection in the 2016 NBA Draft , played for three teams in his first three seasons before signing with the Warriors in training camp last year .
By the end of the season , he was the Warriors starting center , averaging 9.3 points , 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 59 games .
So far this season , he was establishing himself as backup behind rookie James Wiseman , the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His absence will put more responsibility on the shoulders of the 19-year-old Wiseman .
The Warriors lost five-time All-Star Klay Thompson for the entire season when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a workout in November .
Thompson was a key part of the Warriors team that dominated the league with five straight runs to the NBA Finals and titles in 2015 , 2017 and 2018 .
The Warriors had hoped Thompson would play a key role in a resurgence after he missed all of the 2019-2020 with a knee injury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With Thompson sidelined and teammate Stephen Curry missing four months with a broken hand , the Warriors finished last in the Western Conference in 2020 .

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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Golden State Warriors center Marquese Chriss broke his right leg in practice in Chicago and will require surgery, the NBA team said Sunday, yet another injury blow to a team trying to return to title contender status.
The Warriors said Chriss suffered a right ankle injury and fibular fracture in practice on Saturday as the team prepared for their game on Sunday against the Bulls.
"He will undergo surgery in the coming days and a timeline for his return will be determined after that," the Warriors said in a statement.
Chriss, the number eight selection in the 2016 NBA Draft, played for three teams in his first three seasons before signing with the Warriors in training camp last year.
By the end of the season, he was the Warriors starting center, averaging 9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 59 games. So far this season, he was establishing himself as backup behind rookie James Wiseman, the second overall pick in the draft in November.
His absence will put more responsibility on the shoulders of the 19-year-old Wiseman.
The Warriors lost five-time All-Star Klay Thompson for the entire season when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a workout in November.
Thompson was a key part of the Warriors team that dominated the league with five straight runs to the NBA Finals and titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
The Warriors had hoped Thompson would play a key role in a resurgence after he missed all of the 2019-2020 with a knee injury suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals.
With Thompson sidelined and teammate Stephen Curry missing four months with a broken hand, the Warriors finished last in the Western Conference in 2020.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-27--Mavs set first-half record in 124-73 NBA rout of Clippers

Luka Doncic of Dallas shoots over Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of the Mavericks ' 124-73 NBA win The Dallas Mavericks powered to an NBA-record 50-point halftime lead on the way to a 124-73 demolition of a Los Angeles Clippers team floundering without injured Kawhi Leonard on Sunday .
Mavs point guard Luka Doncic scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half , when Dallas essentially put it out of reach , taking a 77-27 lead into the break .
According to the Elias Sports Bureau , it 's the largest NBA halftime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warriors ' 47-point halftime lead over the Sacramento Kings on November 2 , 1991 .
Josh Richardson added 21 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 18 for the Mavericks , who had opened the season with two defeats , including a 138-115 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on the same Staples Center court on Friday .
`` This was obviously our best performance of all the games , pre-season and regular season , '' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said .
`` We had some uneven effort in the first couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They knew the caliber of our opposition today and they just decided that they were going to be the hardest-playing team in the gym . ''
Paul George led the Clippers with 15 points and Serge Ibaka added 13 .
But they clearly missed Leonard , who needed eight stitches on a cut in his mouth after he collided with Ibaka in the fourth quarter of a victory at Denver on Friday .
Eight of the Clippers ' 14 turnovers came in the first half .
They opened the third quarter on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ momentum was short-lived for a team that coach Tyronn Lue said , `` did n't have a lot of pop . ''
`` I think a couple of turnovers early , we missed some shots , they got out and transitioned us early , '' Lue said .
`` They had a lot of pop tonight . ''
Lue , who took over as coach this season after the departure of Doc Rivers , said he did n't think there was anything to be learned from the defeat .
`` I think we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what has been working , '' he said .
`` It 's just an exception .
It does n't take away from what we 've been working on . ''
The halftime margin grabbed attention around the league .
Former Lakers great Magic Johnson tweeted : `` I 've never seen anything like that before in the NBA and the Clippers are at home ! ''

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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The Dallas Mavericks powered to an NBA-record 50-point halftime lead on the way to a 124-73 demolition of a Los Angeles Clippers team floundering without injured Kawhi Leonard on Sunday.
Mavs point guard Luka Doncic scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half, when Dallas essentially put it out of reach, taking a 77-27 lead into the break.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the largest NBA halftime margin ever, surpassing the Golden State Warriors' 47-point halftime lead over the Sacramento Kings on November 2, 1991.
Josh Richardson added 21 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 18 for the Mavericks, who had opened the season with two defeats, including a 138-115 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on the same Staples Center court on Friday.
"This was obviously our best performance of all the games, pre-season and regular season," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said.
"We had some uneven effort in the first couple of games. Guys were aware of it. They knew the caliber of our opposition today and they just decided that they were going to be the hardest-playing team in the gym."
Paul George led the Clippers with 15 points and Serge Ibaka added 13.
But they clearly missed Leonard, who needed eight stitches on a cut in his mouth after he collided with Ibaka in the fourth quarter of a victory at Denver on Friday.
Eight of the Clippers' 14 turnovers came in the first half. They opened the third quarter on a 10-0 scoring run, but any momentum was short-lived for a team that coach Tyronn Lue said, "didn't have a lot of pop."
"I think a couple of turnovers early, we missed some shots, they got out and transitioned us early," Lue said. "They had a lot of pop tonight."
Lue, who took over as coach this season after the departure of Doc Rivers, said he didn't think there was anything to be learned from the defeat.
"I think we throw it away, just get back to what has been working," he said. "It's just an exception. It doesn't take away from what we've been working on."
The halftime margin grabbed attention around the league. Former Lakers great Magic Johnson tweeted: "I've never seen anything like that before in the NBA and the Clippers are at home!"
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-27--Messi says Barca 'my life' but stays tight-lipped on future

Messi could leave Barcelona this summer after nearly decades at the club Lionel Messi remained coy on his future at Barcelona in a long interview broadcast on Sunday in which he called the Catalan giants `` my life '' .
Speaking to Spanish TV channel La Sexta , Messi insisted that he was `` excited '' to play under coach Ronald Koeman this season despite trying to leave the club where he has played his entire senior career last summer .
He said that at the time he felt like he `` needed a change '' , but his attempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu .
Messi 's contract expires at the end of the season and from next month he will be free to negotiate a move away from Catalonia .
`` Barca is my life , I 'm in love with the club .
And the city , my children were born here , '' Messi said in an interview conducted earlier this month .
`` It 's true I had a bad time in the summer .
It came from everything that happened before the summer , how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Messi communicated his desire to leave ) , all of that .
`` I carried that into the start of the season a little bit . ''
Bartomeu stepped down in October and a new Barcelona president will be elected on January 24 , after which 33-year-old Messi is expected to begin talks over whether to extend his career-long stay .
`` I feel good right now , ready to fight for everything .
I feel excited , '' he said .
Messi said he is under no illusions over the position Barca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic likely to hamper player recruitment .
`` I know the club is going through a difficult period and that makes everything surrounding Barcelona difficult , but I am motivated , '' he said .
He described Barca 's situation as `` really bad '' and poured scorn on the idea that Neymar could make a shock return to Catalonia .
`` To do that you need money , and there is no money .
Neymar would cost a lot , '' Messi said .
Much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibility he might reunite with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City , although there are also reports of him potentially lining up alongside Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain .
Messi won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues in his four seasons under Guardiola , and was full of praise for his former boss .
`` Pep has something special .
He makes you see things in one way : how he prepares for matches , defensively , how to attack , '' he said .
`` He told you exactly how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you had to attack to win . ''

Madrid (AFP) –
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Lionel Messi remained coy on his future at Barcelona in a long interview broadcast on Sunday in which he called the Catalan giants "my life".
Speaking to Spanish TV channel La Sexta, Messi insisted that he was "excited" to play under coach Ronald Koeman this season despite trying to leave the club where he has played his entire senior career last summer.
He said that at the time he felt like he "needed a change", but his attempted exit was blocked amid a spat with former Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Messi's contract expires at the end of the season and from next month he will be free to negotiate a move away from Catalonia.
"Barca is my life, I'm in love with the club. And the city, my children were born here," Messi said in an interview conducted earlier this month.
"It's true I had a bad time in the summer. It came from everything that happened before the summer, how the season ended, the burofax (how Messi communicated his desire to leave), all of that.
"I carried that into the start of the season a little bit."
Bartomeu stepped down in October and a new Barcelona president will be elected on January 24, after which 33-year-old Messi is expected to begin talks over whether to extend his career-long stay.
"I feel good right now, ready to fight for everything. I feel excited," he said.
- Barca situation 'really bad' -
Messi said he is under no illusions over the position Barca find themselves in, with the financial problems exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic likely to hamper player recruitment.
"I know the club is going through a difficult period and that makes everything surrounding Barcelona difficult, but I am motivated," he said.
He described Barca's situation as "really bad" and poured scorn on the idea that Neymar could make a shock return to Catalonia.
"To do that you need money, and there is no money. Neymar would cost a lot," Messi said.
Much of the talk surrounding Messi's departure centred around the possibility he might reunite with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, although there are also reports of him potentially lining up alongside Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues in his four seasons under Guardiola, and was full of praise for his former boss.
"Pep has something special. He makes you see things in one way: how he prepares for matches, defensively, how to attack," he said.
"He told you exactly how the match was going to be, how you had to attack to win."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-27--Investigators name Nashville bomber, say he died in blast

In this photo from the Twitter page of the Nashville Fire Department , damage is seen on a street after an explosion in Nashville , Tennessee on December 25 , 2020 The man suspected of setting off a bomb in Nashville that ripped through the southern US city 's downtown on Christmas morning was named by authorities on Sunday as they confirmed he died in the blast .
`` We 've come to the conclusion that an individual named Anthony Warner is the bomber , he was present when the bomb went off , and that he perished in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told a press conference .
The special agent in charge of the FBI 's Memphis field office , Doug Korneski , said that there was `` no indication that any other persons were involved , '' although he added they were still following leads .
Authorities at the press conference said that with the investigation ongoing they could not give details on any motive , but said Warner had not been on their radar prior to the blast .
Police had reportedly identified Warner , 63 , on Saturday as a `` person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion , which came from a parked motorhome that blared a warning minutes before it blew up .
They had searched a house in Antioch , a neighborhood in the Nashville area , but declined to confirm at the time if they had a suspect .
Friday 's explosion in historic downtown Nashville , the United States ' country music capital , damaged about 40 buildings and injured at least three people , with the streets largely abandoned at the early hour .
Authorities found human tissue at the blast site , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed at the press conference was a match to DNA found in a vehicle Warner had used .
Police said at the time of the blast that it was an `` intentional act '' but the motive remained unclear , and FBI behavioral analysts were involved in the investigation .
Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn on Twitter praised the law enforcement officers who responded to and are investigating the bomb , and said she had asked President Donald Trump to grant Nashville a federal disaster declaration , a technical move that triggers federal assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to a timeline provided by the authorities , police were called to the area to respond to gunfire at 5:30 am , and officers spotted the motorhome at 6:00 am .
Fifteen minutes later , they heard an audio countdown coming from the vehicle warning of a bomb -- interspersed with music -- and the need to evacuate .
Police have not said if anyone was inside the motorhome at the time but lauded the officers who arrived at the scene and took quick action .
The motorhome was parked in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & T , causing damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee as well as parts of Alabama and Kentucky .
AT & T said in a statement that customers in the three states were still experiencing outages , more than 48 hours later .
The company added that more than 25 temporary cell towers and 24 trailers of disaster recovery equipment were being deployed in the region to restore service .

Washington (AFP) –
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The man suspected of setting off a bomb in Nashville that ripped through the southern US city's downtown on Christmas morning was named by authorities on Sunday as they confirmed he died in the blast.
"We've come to the conclusion that an individual named Anthony Warner is the bomber, he was present when the bomb went off, and that he perished in the bombing," federal prosecutor Don Cochran told a press conference.
The special agent in charge of the FBI's Memphis field office, Doug Korneski, said that there was "no indication that any other persons were involved," although he added they were still following leads.
Authorities at the press conference said that with the investigation ongoing they could not give details on any motive, but said Warner had not been on their radar prior to the blast.
Police had reportedly identified Warner, 63, on Saturday as a "person of interest" in connection with the explosion, which came from a parked motorhome that blared a warning minutes before it blew up.
They had searched a house in Antioch, a neighborhood in the Nashville area, but declined to confirm at the time if they had a suspect.
Friday's explosion in historic downtown Nashville, the United States' country music capital, damaged about 40 buildings and injured at least three people, with the streets largely abandoned at the early hour.
Authorities found human tissue at the blast site, which Tennessee Bureau of Investigations chief David Roush confirmed at the press conference was a match to DNA found in a vehicle Warner had used.
Police said at the time of the blast that it was an "intentional act" but the motive remained unclear, and FBI behavioral analysts were involved in the investigation.
Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn on Twitter praised the law enforcement officers who responded to and are investigating the bomb, and said she had asked President Donald Trump to grant Nashville a federal disaster declaration, a technical move that triggers federal assistance in repairing damage and providing aid.
According to a timeline provided by the authorities, police were called to the area to respond to gunfire at 5:30 am, and officers spotted the motorhome at 6:00 am.
Fifteen minutes later, they heard an audio countdown coming from the vehicle warning of a bomb -- interspersed with music -- and the need to evacuate.
Police have not said if anyone was inside the motorhome at the time but lauded the officers who arrived at the scene and took quick action.
The motorhome was parked in front of a building for phone company AT&T, causing damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee as well as parts of Alabama and Kentucky.
AT&T said in a statement that customers in the three states were still experiencing outages, more than 48 hours later. The company added that more than 25 temporary cell towers and 24 trailers of disaster recovery equipment were being deployed in the region to restore service.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-27--Chiefs seize NFL playoff bye as Steelers take division crown

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes and rallied the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs over Atlanta 17-14 to secure the team a first-round NFL playoff bye Patrick Mahomes rallied the Kansas City Chiefs over Atlanta 17-14 on Sunday to give the reigning Super Bowl champions a first-round bye and home-field edge in the NFL playoffs .
There was also plenty of heartache in the season 's penultimate weekend as losses jeopardized the playoff hopes of Indianapolis and a Cleveland squad missing key players due to Covid-19 .
Host Pittsburgh rallied late to edge Indianapolis 28-24 and secure the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Jets won only their second game by downing Cleveland 23-16 , a win ensuring NFL-worst Jacksonville , 1-14 , has the 2021 NFL Draft top pick .
Mahomes completed 24-of-44 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns , his second scoring toss a 25-yarder to Demarcus Robinson with 1:55 remaining to lift the Chiefs ahead to stay .
The Falcons set up a tying 39-yard field goal attempt by South Korean kicker Koo Young-hoe but the kick was wide right and the Chiefs sealed the AFC top seed .
Mahomes also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelce , whose seven catches for 98 yards gave him an NFL one-season tight end reception record of 1,416 yards from 105 catches in 2020 .
Pittsburgh 's Ben Roethlisberger completed 34-of-49 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns as the Steelers snapped a three-game losing skid to beat the Colts .
Indianapolis led 24-7 before `` Big Ben '' hit scoring throws of 39 yards to Diontae Johnson , 5 yards to Eric Ebron and 25 yards to JuJu Smith-Schuster and the Steelers defense stopped a late Indy drive .
The Colts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miami at 10-5 in a fight for the last three AFC playoff spots , but would need help in the final week to advance .
Tennessee ( 10-4 ) can clinch the AFC South division title with a later win at Green Bay ( 11-3 ) .
Cleveland , out of the playoffs since 2002 , had four receivers and two linebackers out due to Covid-19 tests and contact tracing and fell behind 20-3 to the lowly Jets ( 2-13 ) .
A fightback died when the Browns lost the ball on downs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lamar Jackson threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns and ran 13 times for 80 yards to spark Baltimore over the visiting New York Giants 27-13 .
New York 's loss opened the door for Washington ( 6-8 ) to clinch the NFC East division title and a playoff spot with a later home win over Carolina .
Chicago ( 8-7 ) moved ahead of Arizona ( 8-7 ) for the last NFC playoff spot by overwhelming host Jacksonville 41-17 .
The Los Angeles Rams ( 9-5 ) also hoped to clinch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Seattle ( 10-4 ) .

Washington (AFP) –
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Patrick Mahomes rallied the Kansas City Chiefs over Atlanta 17-14 on Sunday to give the reigning Super Bowl champions a first-round bye and home-field edge in the NFL playoffs.
There was also plenty of heartache in the season's penultimate weekend as losses jeopardized the playoff hopes of Indianapolis and a Cleveland squad missing key players due to Covid-19.
Host Pittsburgh rallied late to edge Indianapolis 28-24 and secure the AFC North division crown while the host New York Jets won only their second game by downing Cleveland 23-16, a win ensuring NFL-worst Jacksonville, 1-14, has the 2021 NFL Draft top pick.
Mahomes completed 24-of-44 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns, his second scoring toss a 25-yarder to Demarcus Robinson with 1:55 remaining to lift the Chiefs ahead to stay.
The Falcons set up a tying 39-yard field goal attempt by South Korean kicker Koo Young-hoe but the kick was wide right and the Chiefs sealed the AFC top seed.
Mahomes also threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, whose seven catches for 98 yards gave him an NFL one-season tight end reception record of 1,416 yards from 105 catches in 2020.
Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger completed 34-of-49 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns as the Steelers snapped a three-game losing skid to beat the Colts.
Indianapolis led 24-7 before "Big Ben" hit scoring throws of 39 yards to Diontae Johnson, 5 yards to Eric Ebron and 25 yards to JuJu Smith-Schuster and the Steelers defense stopped a late Indy drive.
The Colts fell level with Cleveland, Baltimore and Miami at 10-5 in a fight for the last three AFC playoff spots, but would need help in the final week to advance.
Tennessee (10-4) can clinch the AFC South division title with a later win at Green Bay (11-3).
Cleveland, out of the playoffs since 2002, had four receivers and two linebackers out due to Covid-19 tests and contact tracing and fell behind 20-3 to the lowly Jets (2-13). A fightback died when the Browns lost the ball on downs in Jets territory in the last seconds.
Lamar Jackson threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns and ran 13 times for 80 yards to spark Baltimore over the visiting New York Giants 27-13.
New York's loss opened the door for Washington (6-8) to clinch the NFC East division title and a playoff spot with a later home win over Carolina.
Chicago (8-7) moved ahead of Arizona (8-7) for the last NFC playoff spot by overwhelming host Jacksonville 41-17.
The Los Angeles Rams (9-5) also hoped to clinch an NFC playoff spot with a victory at Seattle (10-4).
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-27--SAfrica counts more than one million virus cases

South Africa is the country on the African continent hardest-hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic South Africa has become the first African nation to record one million coronavirus cases , according to new data published by the country 's health ministry on Sunday .
Currently suffering a second wave of infections , of which the majority are a new variant of the coronavirus , South Africa is the hardest hit country on the African continent , with 1,004,413 infections and 26,735 deaths , the data showed .
As of 1900 GMT , a total 2,658,646 cases were recorded in Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP tally .
Last week , South Africa recorded a daily average of 11,700 new infections , up 39 percent over the previous week .
For three consecutive days , from Wednesday until Friday , the daily number of new cases topped 14,000 , but dropped sharply again on Saturday and Sunday .
Authorities are considering reimposing restrictions to rein in the spread of the virus , and president Cyril Ramaphosa could give a television address later this week .
Morocco is the second hardest hit African country , with 432,079 cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 131,315 cases and 7,352 fatalities , Tunisia with 130,230 infections and 4,426 deaths and Ethiopia with 122,413 and 1,901 respectively .
Africa has not been as hard hit by the coronavirus as other regions , such as Europe with more than 25 million infections , the United States with 19.5 million , Latin America and the Caribbean with 15 million , Asia with 13.7 million and the Middle East with close to four million .

Johannesburg (AFP) –
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South Africa has become the first African nation to record one million coronavirus cases, according to new data published by the country's health ministry on Sunday.
Currently suffering a second wave of infections, of which the majority are a new variant of the coronavirus, South Africa is the hardest hit country on the African continent, with 1,004,413 infections and 26,735 deaths, the data showed.
As of 1900 GMT, a total 2,658,646 cases were recorded in Africa and 62,649 fatalities, according to an AFP tally.
Last week, South Africa recorded a daily average of 11,700 new infections, up 39 percent over the previous week.
For three consecutive days, from Wednesday until Friday, the daily number of new cases topped 14,000, but dropped sharply again on Saturday and Sunday.
Authorities are considering reimposing restrictions to rein in the spread of the virus, and president Cyril Ramaphosa could give a television address later this week.
Morocco is the second hardest hit African country, with 432,079 cases and 7,240 deaths, followed by Egypt with 131,315 cases and 7,352 fatalities, Tunisia with 130,230 infections and 4,426 deaths and Ethiopia with 122,413 and 1,901 respectively.
Africa has not been as hard hit by the coronavirus as other regions, such as Europe with more than 25 million infections, the United States with 19.5 million, Latin America and the Caribbean with 15 million, Asia with 13.7 million and the Middle East with close to four million.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-27--La Rochelle cling on to Top 14 lead with Montpellier win

La Rochelle flanker Kevin Gourdon , centre , scored the only try as La Rochelle beat Montpellier La Rochelle beat Montpellier 22-9 on Sunday to maintain their Top 14 lead despite playing an hour with 14 men but the two teams immediately below both picked up bonus points to gain ground .
Racing 92 scored six tries as they beat bottom side Agen 45-10 .
In the evening , Toulouse collected their bonus when they scored their fifth try in added time to beat Bordeaux Begles , 45-23 .
Toulouse closed to a point of La Rochelle with Racing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a point further back .
In the late game , winger Gabin Villiere scored a hat-trick of tries as Toulon beat Clermont 27-9 to remain in fourth .
In La Rochelle , Ihaia West kicked the home team into a fifth minute lead but Will Skelton conceded a penalty two minutes later to allow Montpellier 's Anthony Bouthier to level .
The 2.03 metre ( six foot , eight inch ) Australian 's afternoon got worse in the 19th minute when he tackled Montpellier 's own hulking lock , the 2.02 metre Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the South African 's head , resulting in a red card .
Bouthier added further punishment by kicking the penalty to give Montpellier the lead .
West replied with a penalty three minutes later and kicked another on half time to give La Rochelle the lead at the break .
In a match played in rain and gusty wind , dominated by the packs and marred by handling errors and lost lineouts , the only try came when Montpellier made a mess of fielding the second-half kick off under their own posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 Kevin Gourdon who pounced to score .
West converted and added two more penalties while Montpellier , even with a man advantage , could only manage a penalty by Alex Lozowski in reply .
`` We had to work hard to fill the gap left by Will Skelton 's red card , '' said La Rochelle flanker Mathieu Tanguy .
`` We had more desire than they did . ''
The victory , in the opening match of the round , ensured La Rochelle would remain the top of the table after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day ' round of games .
Montpellier remain mired in 12th .
Racing responded by crossing six times in the sheltered environment of their indoor La Defense Arena .
Victor Moreaux gave visiting Agen an early lead with an 11th minute try .
Louis Dupichot , Teddy Baubigny and Kurtley Beale replied before half time .
Teddy Thomas , Jordan Joseph and Ibrahim Diallo touched down in the last 19 minutes to ensure an emphatic victory .
Racing coach Laurent Travers made 12 changes to his team and said that and the Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These players need playing time , '' he said .
`` They wanted to play , but nothing can replace competition .
It took about 20 minutes for them to get their second wind . ''
The meeting between hosts Toulouse , the Top 14 champions in 2019 , and Bordeaux-Begles , the team that led the standings when last season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic , was close until the 50th minute .
Yann Huguet , Selevasio Tolofua scored first half tries for Toulouse while Yoram Falatea and Thierry Paiva replied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three points ahead , France scrum half Antoine Dupont sidestepped through the visiting defence to score .
Matthis Lebel added another try and veteran back Maxime Medard touched down after time had expired to secure bonus point .
`` We got a scare , '' Dupont said .
`` Five points is very good from an accounting point of view , but there is a lot of room for improvement . ''

La Rochelle (France) (AFP) –
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La Rochelle beat Montpellier 22-9 on Sunday to maintain their Top 14 lead despite playing an hour with 14 men but the two teams immediately below both picked up bonus points to gain ground.
Racing 92 scored six tries as they beat bottom side Agen 45-10. In the evening, Toulouse collected their bonus when they scored their fifth try in added time to beat Bordeaux Begles, 45-23.
Toulouse closed to a point of La Rochelle with Racing, who have played one fewer game, a point further back.
In the late game, winger Gabin Villiere scored a hat-trick of tries as Toulon beat Clermont 27-9 to remain in fourth.
In La Rochelle, Ihaia West kicked the home team into a fifth minute lead but Will Skelton conceded a penalty two minutes later to allow Montpellier's Anthony Bouthier to level.
The 2.03 metre (six foot, eight inch) Australian's afternoon got worse in the 19th minute when he tackled Montpellier's own hulking lock, the 2.02 metre Paul Willemse. Skelton's shoulder made contact with the South African's head, resulting in a red card.
Bouthier added further punishment by kicking the penalty to give Montpellier the lead.
West replied with a penalty three minutes later and kicked another on half time to give La Rochelle the lead at the break.
In a match played in rain and gusty wind, dominated by the packs and marred by handling errors and lost lineouts, the only try came when Montpellier made a mess of fielding the second-half kick off under their own posts. The bounce helped La Rochelle number 8 Kevin Gourdon who pounced to score.
West converted and added two more penalties while Montpellier, even with a man advantage, could only manage a penalty by Alex Lozowski in reply.
"We had to work hard to fill the gap left by Will Skelton's red card," said La Rochelle flanker Mathieu Tanguy.
"We had more desire than they did."
The victory, in the opening match of the round, ensured La Rochelle would remain the top of the table after what the Top 14 calls its 'Boxing Day' round of games. Montpellier remain mired in 12th.
- 'Second wind' -
Racing responded by crossing six times in the sheltered environment of their indoor La Defense Arena.
Victor Moreaux gave visiting Agen an early lead with an 11th minute try. Louis Dupichot, Teddy Baubigny and Kurtley Beale replied before half time. Teddy Thomas, Jordan Joseph and Ibrahim Diallo touched down in the last 19 minutes to ensure an emphatic victory.
Racing coach Laurent Travers made 12 changes to his team and said that and the Christmas break explained the slow start.
"These players need playing time," he said. "They wanted to play, but nothing can replace competition. It took about 20 minutes for them to get their second wind."
The meeting between hosts Toulouse, the Top 14 champions in 2019, and Bordeaux-Begles, the team that led the standings when last season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic, was close until the 50th minute.
Yann Huguet, Selevasio Tolofua scored first half tries for Toulouse while Yoram Falatea and Thierry Paiva replied for the visitors.
With Toulouse just three points ahead, France scrum half Antoine Dupont sidestepped through the visiting defence to score.
Matthis Lebel added another try and veteran back Maxime Medard touched down after time had expired to secure bonus point.
"We got a scare," Dupont said. "Five points is very good from an accounting point of view, but there is a lot of room for improvement."
Bordeaux Begles are eighth.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-27--Trucker, fisherman, scientist... the voices of Brexit

Britain is set for a new chapter after securing a hard-fought post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union They transport goods from Europe to Britain , export British produce to the EU , or recruit scientists and researchers ... AFP has spoken to six people whose lives will be directly affected when Britain leaves the EU 's single market and customs union on December 31 .
A truck driver with many years of experience under his belt , Bulgarian Dimitar Velinov , 74 , says he is expecting long queues at the UK border from January 1 .
`` To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will hinder our work , '' he explains in the garage of his employer Eurospeed , based in the outskirts of Sofia which employs more than 300 drivers .
`` I transport goods across the European Union and for me it is important to be able to do my job without problems , without having to wait at borders for one or two days , '' Velinov says .
Crossing the Channel was already difficult as for years migrants have tried to stow away illegally in lorries heading to Britain .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the driver says , complaining that he gets no sleep at all while waiting to embark from the French port of Calais to avoid heavy fines for those found carrying stowaways .
`` We want to leave , 90 percent of fishermen want to leave , '' says 26-year-old Sam Crowe from Scarborough in the north of England .
`` I still do feel like we are left in the dark a lot for what we do .
The fish that we land and the scallops and the shrimps , all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we 're not praised enough for what we do , '' he says .
Crowe , who principally catches crab in the North Sea for export to Europe and China , says he has been heartened to see UK politicians fighting for the fishing sector in negotiations .
As talks came down to the wire , European access to UK waters was a key sticking point .
`` I 've heard that they 've been fighting for our quotas and obviously I am grateful for that , '' he says .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given a new lease of life following changes expected to quotas that came with EU membership .
Fishing communities , like Scarborough where Crowe 's family have fished for generations , have been in decline for decades .
They hope Brexit will bring about a regeneration of their way of life .
`` Back in the day the harbour was full of people to welcome in the lads and help out , '' Crowe says .
`` It 's just not like that now .
Nobody 's interested . ''
`` Brexit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy , '' Greg McDonald the chief executive of Goodfish , a small company that produces plastic parts for the automotive , medical and electronics industries , tells AFP .
`` I closed a factory in March because our American customer closed their operation in the UK , '' he says .
McDonald 's company is located in the heart of England 's Midlands in Cannock , not far from Birmingham .
It is also highly dependent on the EU and exports a large part of its output to the bloc .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million pounds ( 548,000 euros , $ 668,000 ) and 20 jobs '' out of a total workforce of 110 , he says .
The entrepreneur slams Brexit as a `` political project driven by nationalist and populist governments '' and questions whether those who had voted in favour of leaving will ever benefit from it .
McDonald says he had hoped for `` minimum tariffs or no tariffs '' when Britain left the EU and he complains of `` more paperwork '' and likely `` problems at ports '' after December 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizen , but the company to which I have dedicated two decades of my life is no longer safe here and I am afraid of the future , '' says Pascal Aussignac , a French chef who has lived in London for 22 years and co-owns six premises , including a Michelin-starred restaurant and a cocktail bar .
`` 2021 could turn out to be worse than 2020 .
Are we going to survive ?
That 's the big question , '' he says .
Over the course of the year , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic and was forced to close for months .
He is also already feeling the effects of Brexit , which has already sparked a drain on the European employees needed in kitchens and restaurants .
British people do n't work in the hospitality sector , '' Aussignac says .
The ability to continue to source the local produce from France on which he has built his reputation remains uncertain .
`` I have no idea how long it will take to deliver '' after January 1 , he says .
Neuroscientist Tara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is concerned about international collaboration between laboratories , which she says was `` very easy '' with membership of the European Union .
`` The changes of regulation , if it diverges from the EU , will be more difficult to share things like brain tissues and living cells , '' says the academic who is also the director of the British Dementia Research Institute .
`` From day one , we will have more difficulties with ordering things , such as equipment , '' she cautions .
The researcher explains the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pose a `` big problem '' for British research funding , which is heavily subsidised by the EU .
`` In our university , something between 20 and 30 percent of our research funding is coming from Europe , '' she says , noting there were no plans to replace this funding at the moment .
Though `` no one will be fired on day one because of Brexit , '' some of the contracts of the 10 people she employs will not be renewable .
`` It 's a real threat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be an inevitable brain drain as European students stay away from Britain .
Wendy Williams , a 62-year-old Briton , says she feels her `` EU citizenship was stolen '' by the Brexit vote .
As of January 1 , she and her husband will not be able to travel as freely as before to their house on the Greek island of Kefalonia , bought in 2018 with all their savings , in anticipation of a retirement in the sun .
Unless they have a residence permit or a long-term visa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to visit the European Union for a total of 90 days over a six-month period .
`` We will have to calculate the days , and include any days spent elsewhere in the EU , '' she says .
`` We had planned to spend longer periods in Greece , '' Williams says , but now they will only be able to spend a quarter of their time there .
While she continues to work in the UK , where her elderly father is also based , Williams said she will not embark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visa for her family , a process she describes as `` complicated '' and `` expensive '' .
`` I am determined not to sell our Greek home but it is going to be difficult to get the benefit from it that we had hoped for , '' she says .

London (AFP) –
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They transport goods from Europe to Britain, export British produce to the EU, or recruit scientists and researchers... AFP has spoken to six people whose lives will be directly affected when Britain leaves the EU's single market and customs union on December 31.
- Dimitar Velinov, lorry driver -
A truck driver with many years of experience under his belt, Bulgarian Dimitar Velinov, 74, says he is expecting long queues at the UK border from January 1.
"To me, Brexit means logistical chaos, which will hinder our work," he explains in the garage of his employer Eurospeed, based in the outskirts of Sofia which employs more than 300 drivers.
"I transport goods across the European Union and for me it is important to be able to do my job without problems, without having to wait at borders for one or two days," Velinov says.
Crossing the Channel was already difficult as for years migrants have tried to stow away illegally in lorries heading to Britain.
But Brexit will make it even more so, the driver says, complaining that he gets no sleep at all while waiting to embark from the French port of Calais to avoid heavy fines for those found carrying stowaways.
- Sam Crowe, fisherman -
"We want to leave, 90 percent of fishermen want to leave," says 26-year-old Sam Crowe from Scarborough in the north of England.
"I still do feel like we are left in the dark a lot for what we do. The fish that we land and the scallops and the shrimps, all that is the freshest food on this planet and we're not praised enough for what we do," he says.
Crowe, who principally catches crab in the North Sea for export to Europe and China, says he has been heartened to see UK politicians fighting for the fishing sector in negotiations. As talks came down to the wire, European access to UK waters was a key sticking point.
"I've heard that they've been fighting for our quotas and obviously I am grateful for that," he says.
The fisherman feels the UK fishing industry will be given a new lease of life following changes expected to quotas that came with EU membership.
Fishing communities, like Scarborough where Crowe's family have fished for generations, have been in decline for decades. They hope Brexit will bring about a regeneration of their way of life.
"Back in the day the harbour was full of people to welcome in the lads and help out," Crowe says. "It's just not like that now. Nobody's interested."
- Greg McDonald, entrepreneur -
"Brexit was never good news for the British economy," Greg McDonald the chief executive of Goodfish, a small company that produces plastic parts for the automotive, medical and electronics industries, tells AFP.
"I closed a factory in March because our American customer closed their operation in the UK," he says.
McDonald's company is located in the heart of England's Midlands in Cannock, not far from Birmingham. It is also highly dependent on the EU and exports a large part of its output to the bloc.
"It's probably cost us half a million pounds (548,000 euros, $668,000) and 20 jobs" out of a total workforce of 110, he says.
The entrepreneur slams Brexit as a "political project driven by nationalist and populist governments" and questions whether those who had voted in favour of leaving will ever benefit from it.
McDonald says he had hoped for "minimum tariffs or no tariffs" when Britain left the EU and he complains of "more paperwork" and likely "problems at ports" after December 31.
- Pascal Aussignac, restauranteur -
"I have become a British citizen, but the company to which I have dedicated two decades of my life is no longer safe here and I am afraid of the future," says Pascal Aussignac, a French chef who has lived in London for 22 years and co-owns six premises, including a Michelin-starred restaurant and a cocktail bar.
"2021 could turn out to be worse than 2020. Are we going to survive? That's the big question," he says. Over the course of the year, he has already suffered the shock of the coronavirus pandemic and was forced to close for months.
He is also already feeling the effects of Brexit, which has already sparked a drain on the European employees needed in kitchens and restaurants.
British people don't work in the hospitality sector," Aussignac says.
The ability to continue to source the local produce from France on which he has built his reputation remains uncertain.
"I have no idea how long it will take to deliver" after January 1, he says.
- Tara Spires-Jones, academic -
Neuroscientist Tara Spires-Jones, from the University of Edinburgh, is concerned about international collaboration between laboratories, which she says was "very easy" with membership of the European Union.
"The changes of regulation, if it diverges from the EU, will be more difficult to share things like brain tissues and living cells," says the academic who is also the director of the British Dementia Research Institute.
"From day one, we will have more difficulties with ordering things, such as equipment," she cautions.
The researcher explains the end of the Brexit transition period will pose a "big problem" for British research funding, which is heavily subsidised by the EU.
"In our university, something between 20 and 30 percent of our research funding is coming from Europe," she says, noting there were no plans to replace this funding at the moment.
Though "no one will be fired on day one because of Brexit," some of the contracts of the 10 people she employs will not be renewable.
"It's a real threat," she says, warning there would also be an inevitable brain drain as European students stay away from Britain.
- Wendy Williams, homeowner in Greece -
Wendy Williams, a 62-year-old Briton, says she feels her "EU citizenship was stolen" by the Brexit vote.
As of January 1, she and her husband will not be able to travel as freely as before to their house on the Greek island of Kefalonia, bought in 2018 with all their savings, in anticipation of a retirement in the sun.
Unless they have a residence permit or a long-term visa, British citizens will now only be able to visit the European Union for a total of 90 days over a six-month period.
"We will have to calculate the days, and include any days spent elsewhere in the EU," she says.
"We had planned to spend longer periods in Greece," Williams says, but now they will only be able to spend a quarter of their time there.
While she continues to work in the UK, where her elderly father is also based, Williams said she will not embark on the process of obtaining a two-year visa for her family, a process she describes as "complicated" and "expensive".
"I am determined not to sell our Greek home but it is going to be difficult to get the benefit from it that we had hoped for," she says.
ved-cdu-ds-csp/jxb
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-28--Du Plessis prospers as Sri Lanka suffer more injury blows

Faf du Plessis made his highest first-class score as he reached tea on 177 not out Former captain Faf du Plessis led South Africa to a dominant position as Sri Lanka suffered more injury blows on the third day of the first Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Monday .
Du Plessis made a career-best 177 not out as South Africa reached 565 for six at tea , a first innings lead of 169 .
Sri Lanka , already without opening bowler Kasun Rajitha , who pulled up with a groin injury in the sixth over of the innings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga during an afternoon in which South Africa added 130 runs for the loss of one wicket .
Kumara left the field with what appeared to be a groin injury after bowling the first ball of a new spell soon after lunch , while Hasaranga landed on the ball while diving on the boundary almost immediately after dismissing Wiaan Mulder - Sri Lanka 's only success between lunch and tea .
Hasaranga returned to the field in time to bowl two overs before tea .
Sri Lanka were also missing Dhananjaya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the rest of the two-match series with a grade two muscle tear after the first day 's play .
Although primarily a batsman , De Silva is also a useful off-spinner .
Because of the spate of injuries , captain Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis were called into action as emergency bowlers .
Du Plessis shared a fifth wicket stand of 179 with Temba Bavuma , who made 71 before he flashed at a ball from the medium-paced Dasun Shanaka and immediately started walking back to the dressing room as the ball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marais Erasmus was not called upon to make a decision .
Replays showed there had been no contact between bat and ball , with no spike showing on the ultra-edge .
A clear gap was visible as the ball went past the bat .
The boundary which brought up Du Plessis ' century also made the former captain the ninth South African to reach 4000 Test runs .
His hundred was scored off 151 balls and included 15 fours .

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Former captain Faf du Plessis led South Africa to a dominant position as Sri Lanka suffered more injury blows on the third day of the first Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Monday.
Du Plessis made a career-best 177 not out as South Africa reached 565 for six at tea, a first innings lead of 169.
Sri Lanka, already without opening bowler Kasun Rajitha, who pulled up with a groin injury in the sixth over of the innings, lost fast bowler Lasith Kumara and leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga during an afternoon in which South Africa added 130 runs for the loss of one wicket.
Kumara left the field with what appeared to be a groin injury after bowling the first ball of a new spell soon after lunch, while Hasaranga landed on the ball while diving on the boundary almost immediately after dismissing Wiaan Mulder - Sri Lanka's only success between lunch and tea. Hasaranga returned to the field in time to bowl two overs before tea.
Sri Lanka were also missing Dhananjaya de Silva, who was ruled out of the rest of the two-match series with a grade two muscle tear after the first day's play. Although primarily a batsman, De Silva is also a useful off-spinner.
Because of the spate of injuries, captain Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis were called into action as emergency bowlers.
Du Plessis shared a fifth wicket stand of 179 with Temba Bavuma, who made 71 before he flashed at a ball from the medium-paced Dasun Shanaka and immediately started walking back to the dressing room as the ball carried to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. Umpire Marais Erasmus was not called upon to make a decision.
Replays showed there had been no contact between bat and ball, with no spike showing on the ultra-edge. A clear gap was visible as the ball went past the bat.
The boundary which brought up Du Plessis' century also made the former captain the ninth South African to reach 4000 Test runs. His hundred was scored off 151 balls and included 15 fours.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-28--17 fishermen feared dead after trawler sinks in Arctic Russia

The boat sank near the remote Novaya Zemlya archipelago in northern Russia , a frozen Arctic area home to polar bears .
Seventeen fishermen were missing and feared dead on Monday after a Russian trawler capsized during a storm and sank in the freezing waters of the Barents Sea .
Officials said that two people had been rescued by a passing vessel but hopes were quickly fading that more survivors could be found during a snowstorm over the Arctic waters .
At a government meeting Monday Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin expressed his condolences to families of the victims and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
`` A tragedy struck today in the Barents Sea , '' Mishustin said .
`` People died , '' he added , without providing further details .
Officials said that a search-and-rescue operation was underway but that poor weather conditions had complicated the task .
`` There is a heavy snowstorm , waves are up to four meters high and temperatures are at around 20-25 degrees Celsius below zero , '' Alexei Barinov , spokesman for the emergencies ministry in the northwestern region of Murmansk , told AFP .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miracle , '' he added .
However a source familiar with the details of the search efforts told AFP that there was little hope of finding survivors .
`` A person can not last for more than 15 minutes in these conditions , '' the source said .
The privately-owned boat , called Onega , sank near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Barents Sea at around 6:20 am ( 0330 GMT ) , said Ruslan Nazarov , head of the emergencies ministry 's Murmansk branch .
Officials believe the Russian-flagged vessel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capsized after ice buildup caused it to tilt over .
The disaster struck when the crew was hauling out a net with the catch , said the spokesman for the maritime and river transport agency Rosmorrechflot , Alexei Kravchenko .
`` The vessel lost its balance and instantly capsized , '' he told AFP .
Three vessels and an Il-38 maritime patrol plane were dispatched to the scene , officials said .
Kravchenko said that not a single body had yet been found even though the two survivors had seen a crew member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 2015 , a Russian trawler sank in the Okhotsk Sea off Kamchatka .
Of the 132 people on board the Dalniy Vostok , just 63 were rescued .
In December 2011 , a drilling rig capsized and sank off Sakhalin Island during a storm .
More than 50 people were killed or went missing .

Moscow (AFP) –
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Seventeen fishermen were missing and feared dead on Monday after a Russian trawler capsized during a storm and sank in the freezing waters of the Barents Sea.
Officials said that two people had been rescued by a passing vessel but hopes were quickly fading that more survivors could be found during a snowstorm over the Arctic waters.
At a government meeting Monday Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin expressed his condolences to families of the victims and tasked officials with providing them with necessary support.
"A tragedy struck today in the Barents Sea," Mishustin said. "People died," he added, without providing further details.
Officials said that a search-and-rescue operation was underway but that poor weather conditions had complicated the task.
"There is a heavy snowstorm, waves are up to four meters high and temperatures are at around 20-25 degrees Celsius below zero," Alexei Barinov, spokesman for the emergencies ministry in the northwestern region of Murmansk, told AFP.
"We are hoping for a New Year's miracle," he added.
However a source familiar with the details of the search efforts told AFP that there was little hope of finding survivors.
"A person cannot last for more than 15 minutes in these conditions," the source said.
The privately-owned boat, called Onega, sank near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Barents Sea at around 6:20 am (0330 GMT), said Ruslan Nazarov, head of the emergencies ministry's Murmansk branch.
Ten minutes later a passing vessel rescued two fishermen, Nazarov told reporters.
Officials believe the Russian-flagged vessel, which had been operating since 1979, capsized after ice buildup caused it to tilt over.
The disaster struck when the crew was hauling out a net with the catch, said the spokesman for the maritime and river transport agency Rosmorrechflot, Alexei Kravchenko.
"The vessel lost its balance and instantly capsized," he told AFP.
Three vessels and an Il-38 maritime patrol plane were dispatched to the scene, officials said.
Kravchenko said that not a single body had yet been found even though the two survivors had seen a crew member die in front of them.
Maritime accidents are fairly common in Russia.
In April 2015, a Russian trawler sank in the Okhotsk Sea off Kamchatka. Of the 132 people on board the Dalniy Vostok, just 63 were rescued.
In December 2011, a drilling rig capsized and sank off Sakhalin Island during a storm. More than 50 people were killed or went missing.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-28--Second Taiwan-born panda cub makes media debut

A second Taiwan-born giant panda made her media debut on Monday , clambering over a wooden climbing frame and playing with sawdust to the sound of clicking cameras .
The cub was born on June 28 to Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan , who were gifted by China in 2008 to mark then warming relations between the two rivals .
China usually only loans its pandas to foreign zoos , but gave the breeding pair -- whose names combine to mean `` reunion '' or `` unity '' .
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island back into the fold , by force if necessary .
Yuan Bao , which means `` round baby '' in Chinese , was unveiled to some 150 reporters and invited guests alongside her mother at Taipei Zoo .
Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je said the cub had `` grown well '' .
She now weighs over 13 kilogrammes ( 30 pounds ) , up from 186 grams ( 6.5 ounces ) at birth .
Taiwan 's zoo has seen a flurry of births this year , including a gorilla , koala , Malayan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birth to a daughter Yuan Zai in 2013 -- the first giant panda born in Taiwan .
The family has been the top attraction at the zoo .
According to the World Wildlife Fund , just over 1,800 are believed remaining in the wild .

Taipei (AFP) –
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A second Taiwan-born giant panda made her media debut on Monday, clambering over a wooden climbing frame and playing with sawdust to the sound of clicking cameras.
The cub was born on June 28 to Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, who were gifted by China in 2008 to mark then warming relations between the two rivals.
China usually only loans its pandas to foreign zoos, but gave the breeding pair -- whose names combine to mean "reunion" or "unity".
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day bring the self-ruled democratic island back into the fold, by force if necessary.
Yuan Bao, which means "round baby" in Chinese, was unveiled to some 150 reporters and invited guests alongside her mother at Taipei Zoo.
Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je said the cub had "grown well".
She now weighs over 13 kilogrammes (30 pounds), up from 186 grams (6.5 ounces) at birth.
Taiwan's zoo has seen a flurry of births this year, including a gorilla, koala, Malayan tapir and pangolin.
Yuan Yuan gave birth to a daughter Yuan Zai in 2013 -- the first giant panda born in Taiwan. The family has been the top attraction at the zoo.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, just over 1,800 are believed remaining in the wild.
© 2020 AFP


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france24--2020-12-28--Sri Lanka welcomes first tourists despite new coronavirus strain

Sri Lanka welcomed its first foreign tourists in nine months Monday even as a new deadlier strain of the coronavirus gripped the island .
A charter flight carrying 185 passengers from Ukraine landed at a little-used airport south of the capital , which has been stricken by a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths .
In less than three months , the official number of coronavirus fatalities has risen from 13 to 191 , while the number of infections has gone from 3,300 to more than 41,000 .
Still , authorities hope the Ukrainian arrivals will be the first of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure on the tourism-reliant economy that was shut down in March .
The visitors , who had to produce coronavirus-free certificates before departure , were tested again on arrival at Rajapaksa International airport .
They will be confined to their hotels for the duration of their holiday .
`` This is a pilot project to test our systems , '' government spokesman Ramesh Pathirana said , adding that there would be a review after one month .
Sri Lanka 's international borders remain closed , with the exception of repatriation flights and charters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sri Lanka is also scheduled to host a two-Test cricket tour by England next month .
The moves come despite authorities announcing a deadlier coronavirus strain .
Minister for COVID Disease Control , Sudharshini Fernandopulle , said the strain was more infectious than one which spread in Sri Lanka between January and October .

Colombo (AFP) –
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Sri Lanka welcomed its first foreign tourists in nine months Monday even as a new deadlier strain of the coronavirus gripped the island.
A charter flight carrying 185 passengers from Ukraine landed at a little-used airport south of the capital, which has been stricken by a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths.
In less than three months, the official number of coronavirus fatalities has risen from 13 to 191, while the number of infections has gone from 3,300 to more than 41,000.
Still, authorities hope the Ukrainian arrivals will be the first of thousands of foreigners to visit -- easing pressure on the tourism-reliant economy that was shut down in March.
The visitors, who had to produce coronavirus-free certificates before departure, were tested again on arrival at Rajapaksa International airport.
They will be confined to their hotels for the duration of their holiday.
"This is a pilot project to test our systems," government spokesman Ramesh Pathirana said, adding that there would be a review after one month.
Sri Lanka's international borders remain closed, with the exception of repatriation flights and charters approved by local health authorities.
But Sri Lanka is also scheduled to host a two-Test cricket tour by England next month.
The moves come despite authorities announcing a deadlier coronavirus strain.
Minister for COVID Disease Control, Sudharshini Fernandopulle, said the strain was more infectious than one which spread in Sri Lanka between January and October.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-28--Coronavirus pandemic: France begins rolling out vaccine campaign


france24--2020-12-28--More work needed to identify risk from Nigeria strain, says researcher

Professor Christian Happi , director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases ( ACEGID ) at Ede , southeastern Nigeria A researcher who identified a novel coronavirus variant in Nigeria has cautioned against automatic assumptions that it poses similar risks to strains that have emerged elsewhere .
The new strain was uncovered last week by scientists at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases ( ACEGID ) in southeastern Nigeria .
ACEGID director Christian Happi said the variant was found in two out of 200 samples of virus collected from patients between August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ samples were taken from the same state in Nigeria at different times .
They show a variant `` different to the one that has been circulating in Nigeria , different from the one in South Africa and different from the one in the UK , '' he said in an interview with AFP .
Britain tightened restrictions after finding a new strain there that it said was more contagious than initial forms of the virus .
South Africa says a new strain detected there could explain the rapid spread of a second wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Happi stressed that scientists were racing to unlock knowledge about the Nigeria strain and urged people not to `` extrapolate . ''
`` We have no idea , no evidence to say that this variant is linked to the spike we are seeing in Nigeria or not , '' said Happi , explaining that samples from the latest cases were being analysed for an answer .
Nigeria has recorded more than 82,000 cases of Covid-19 , of which 1,246 were fatal .
Compared to the country 's population of some 200 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the tally of cases has been rising by several hundred a day since the start of December .
There has been a major increase in Lagos , Nigeria 's economic capital , prompting the authorities there to reinstate a curfew and gatherings of more than 50 people .
But the number of deaths in Nigeria has not experienced a proportionate surge .
Happi , a Cameroon-raised , Harvard-trained professor of molecular biology , works in a state-of-the-art lab in Ede , southeastern Nigeria .
It is one of only 12 in Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track mutations -- telltale changes that can be used to build a family tree of the microbe .
From this , the scientists at Ede believe the variant evolved `` within Nigeria , I don ’ t think it was imported from anywhere , '' said Happi .
`` When changes occur , what matters most , what we ’ re focusing on , is the spike protein , '' he said , referring to the prong-like protein by which coronavirus latches onto a cell and infects it .
Happi said there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a discovery of this kind .
But he cautioned strongly against automatically assuming that what happened in one population setting would also happen elsewhere .
`` A lot of the models drawn at the onset of the pandemic , all got it wrong , '' he said .
`` They were saying by now that a third of the African population would be dead .
So people need to think , '' he said .
`` It is very wrong to assume models based on knowledge that are not accurate or on assumptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe or the US and transpose it to a continent like Africa -- we are genetically different , we are immunologically different . ''
All of Africa has recorded 2.4 million cases , according to an AFP tally -- just 3.6 percent of the global tally , although testing is also far less widespread .
The continent 's death toll of 57,000 is less than a fifth of that of the United States .
John Nkengasong , head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention , the African Union 's health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked to understand the Nigerian variant .
`` Give us some time , '' he said in a videoconference from Addis Ababa .
`` It 's still very early . ''
Nkengasong appealed to Africans not to let down their guard , warning of the danger of a second wave of infection .

Abuja (AFP) –
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A researcher who identified a novel coronavirus variant in Nigeria has cautioned against automatic assumptions that it poses similar risks to strains that have emerged elsewhere.
The new strain was uncovered last week by scientists at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) in southeastern Nigeria.
ACEGID director Christian Happi said the variant was found in two out of 200 samples of virus collected from patients between August 3 and October 9.
The two samples were taken from the same state in Nigeria at different times.
They show a variant "different to the one that has been circulating in Nigeria, different from the one in South Africa and different from the one in the UK," he said in an interview with AFP.
Britain tightened restrictions after finding a new strain there that it said was more contagious than initial forms of the virus.
South Africa says a new strain detected there could explain the rapid spread of a second wave that has especially affected younger people.
Happi stressed that scientists were racing to unlock knowledge about the Nigeria strain and urged people not to "extrapolate."
"We have no idea, no evidence to say that this variant is linked to the spike we are seeing in Nigeria or not," said Happi, explaining that samples from the latest cases were being analysed for an answer.
Nigeria has recorded more than 82,000 cases of Covid-19, of which 1,246 were fatal.
Compared to the country's population of some 200 million people, this number is tiny.
However, the tally of cases has been rising by several hundred a day since the start of December. There has been a major increase in Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital, prompting the authorities there to reinstate a curfew and gatherings of more than 50 people.
But the number of deaths in Nigeria has not experienced a proportionate surge.
- Virus mutation -
Happi, a Cameroon-raised, Harvard-trained professor of molecular biology, works in a state-of-the-art lab in Ede, southeastern Nigeria.
It is one of only 12 in Africa designed to sequence viral genetic code and track mutations -- telltale changes that can be used to build a family tree of the microbe.
From this, the scientists at Ede believe the variant evolved "within Nigeria, I don’t think it was imported from anywhere," said Happi.
"When changes occur, what matters most, what we’re focusing on, is the spike protein," he said, referring to the prong-like protein by which coronavirus latches onto a cell and infects it.
Happi said there was a "tendency to extrapolate" after a discovery of this kind.
But he cautioned strongly against automatically assuming that what happened in one population setting would also happen elsewhere.
- African difference? -
"A lot of the models drawn at the onset of the pandemic, all got it wrong," he said.
"They were saying by now that a third of the African population would be dead. So people need to think," he said.
"It is very wrong to assume models based on knowledge that are not accurate or on assumptions that are dependent on data obtained from Europe or the US and transpose it to a continent like Africa -- we are genetically different, we are immunologically different."
All of Africa has recorded 2.4 million cases, according to an AFP tally -- just 3.6 percent of the global tally, although testing is also far less widespread. The continent's death toll of 57,000 is less than a fifth of that of the United States.
John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the African Union's health agency, also urged patience as scientists worked to understand the Nigerian variant.
"Give us some time," he said in a videoconference from Addis Ababa. "It's still very early."
Nkengasong appealed to Africans not to let down their guard, warning of the danger of a second wave of infection.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-28--Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul given five-year prison sentence

Saudi women 's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has been handed a prison sentence of five years and eight months .
A Saudi terrorism court handed rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul a prison sentence of five years and eight months on Monday , with two years and 10 months of the term suspended .
FRANCE 24 's correspondant in Riyadh , Saeed Al Jaber , said that with time served Hathloul could be released as soon as March .
A Saudi court on Monday sentenced prominent women 's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison , local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has drawn international condemnation and as Riyadh faces new U.S. scrutiny .
Hathloul , 31 , has been held since 2018 following her arrest along with at least a dozen other women 's rights activist .
The verdict , reported by Sabq and al-Shark al-Awsat newspapers , poses an early challenge to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 's relationship with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden , who has described Riyadh as a `` pariah '' for its human rights record .
Hathloul was charged with seeking to change the Saudi political system and harming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The court suspended two years and 10 months of her sentence , or time served since Hathloul was arrested on May 15 , 2018 , the newspapers said .
> > The Interview : 'This is the time to release my sister' United Nations human rights experts have called the charges against her spurious , and along with leading rights groups and lawmakers in the United States and Europe have called for her release .
The detentions of women activitsts occured shortly before and after the kingdom lifted a ban on women driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as part of reforms introduced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that were also accompanied by a crackdown on dissent and an anti-corruption purge .
Hathloul 's sentencing came just nearly three weeks after a Riyadh court jailed U.S.-Saudi physician Walid al-Fitaihi for six years , despite U.S. pressure to release him , in a case rights groups have called politically motivated .

A Saudi terrorism court handed rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul a prison sentence of five years and eight months on Monday, with two years and 10 months of the term suspended. FRANCE 24's correspondant in Riyadh, Saeed Al Jaber, said that with time served Hathloul could be released as soon as March.
Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has been handed a prison sentence of five years and eight months.
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A Saudi court on Monday sentenced prominent women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison, local media reported, in a trial that has drawn international condemnation and as Riyadh faces new U.S. scrutiny.
Hathloul, 31, has been held since 2018 following her arrest along with at least a dozen other women's rights activist.
The verdict, reported by Sabq and al-Shark al-Awsat newspapers, poses an early challenge to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's relationship with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who has described Riyadh as a "pariah" for its human rights record.
Hathloul was charged with seeking to change the Saudi political system and harming national security, local media said. The court suspended two years and 10 months of her sentence, or time served since Hathloul was arrested on May 15, 2018, the newspapers said.
>> The Interview: 'This is the time to release my sister'
United Nations human rights experts have called the charges against her spurious, and along with leading rights groups and lawmakers in the United States and Europe have called for her release.
The detentions of women activitsts occured shortly before and after the kingdom lifted a ban on women driving, which many activists had long championed, as part of reforms introduced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that were also accompanied by a crackdown on dissent and an anti-corruption purge.
Hathloul's sentencing came just nearly three weeks after a Riyadh court jailed U.S.-Saudi physician Walid al-Fitaihi for six years, despite U.S. pressure to release him, in a case rights groups have called politically motivated.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-12-28--Security team for Philippines' Duterte gets unauthorised Covid-19 vaccine

Catholic devotees attend a Christmas eve mass maintaining social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus , outside the Quiapo church in Manila Members of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte 's security team have received a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine , officials said Monday -- the first people in the country to be officially immunised despite no regulatory approval .
The Philippines is in talks with several pharmaceutical firms , including Britain 's AstraZeneca , US company Pfizer and China 's Sinopharm , to secure 60 million doses for a vaccination drive starting as early as the second quarter of 2021 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country 's Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) , which is required before it can be rolled out across the country of 110 million people .
But the Presidential Security Group ( PSG ) -- which is tasked with protecting Duterte -- said some of its personnel have already been inoculated .
`` The PSG administered Covid-19 vaccine to its personnel performing close-in security operations to the President , '' unit chief Brigadier General Jesus Durante said in a statement , without specifying how many got the drug .
Asked if Duterte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president was still waiting `` for the perfect or appropriate vaccine '' .
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Sinopharm drug was given to the soldiers , confirming Duterte 's comments at the weekend that `` a select few '' had been inoculated with the Chinese vaccine .
Roque did not explain how the drug was obtained or the number of doses received .
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not respond to AFP 's request for comment .
Duterte has previously expressed confidence in vaccines made by China and Russia , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the very first jab of Moscow 's controversial `` Sputnik V '' .
Roque played down concerns about the safety of the Sinopharm drug , saying it was meant to send a message of hope to Filipinos .
`` The news is that the vaccine is already here and if we can not be given Western vaccines , our friend and neighbour China is willing to give us vaccines , '' Roque said .
`` It 's not prohibited under the law to get inoculated with an unregistered ( vaccine ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling . ''
More than 470,000 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the Philippines and authorities fear a post-Christmas surge in infections .
The FDA issued a statement Monday warning against the use of unauthorised vaccines , noting there was `` no guarantee on the safety , quality and efficacy '' of a drug that has not undergone technical evaluation by the regulator .
So far , the Philippines has signed a deal with AstraZeneca for 2.6 million doses of its vaccine and hopes to secure another 30 million from the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has applied for emergency use authorisation for its vaccine .
China has four vaccines , including Sinopharm , in the final stages of development and is well advanced with mass human testing in a number of countries .
But , unlike vaccines being developed by Moderna , AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson , little information has been published about the safety or efficacy of the Chinese drugs .

Manila (AFP) –
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Members of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's security team have received a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine, officials said Monday -- the first people in the country to be officially immunised despite no regulatory approval.
The Philippines is in talks with several pharmaceutical firms, including Britain's AstraZeneca, US company Pfizer and China's Sinopharm, to secure 60 million doses for a vaccination drive starting as early as the second quarter of 2021.
No vaccine has been approved by the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is required before it can be rolled out across the country of 110 million people.
But the Presidential Security Group (PSG) -- which is tasked with protecting Duterte -- said some of its personnel have already been inoculated.
"The PSG administered Covid-19 vaccine to its personnel performing close-in security operations to the President," unit chief Brigadier General Jesus Durante said in a statement, without specifying how many got the drug.
Asked if Duterte had been immunised, Durante said the president was still waiting "for the perfect or appropriate vaccine".
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Sinopharm drug was given to the soldiers, confirming Duterte's comments at the weekend that "a select few" had been inoculated with the Chinese vaccine.
Roque did not explain how the drug was obtained or the number of doses received. The Chinese embassy in Manila did not respond to AFP's request for comment.
Duterte has previously expressed confidence in vaccines made by China and Russia, even offering himself up as a guinea pig for the very first jab of Moscow's controversial "Sputnik V".
Roque played down concerns about the safety of the Sinopharm drug, saying it was meant to send a message of hope to Filipinos.
"The news is that the vaccine is already here and if we cannot be given Western vaccines, our friend and neighbour China is willing to give us vaccines," Roque said.
"It's not prohibited under the law to get inoculated with an unregistered (vaccine). What is illegal is the distribution and selling."
- 'No guarantee on safety' -
More than 470,000 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the Philippines and authorities fear a post-Christmas surge in infections.
The FDA issued a statement Monday warning against the use of unauthorised vaccines, noting there was "no guarantee on the safety, quality and efficacy" of a drug that has not undergone technical evaluation by the regulator.
So far, the Philippines has signed a deal with AstraZeneca for 2.6 million doses of its vaccine and hopes to secure another 30 million from the company using public and private funding.
Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorisation for its vaccine.
China has four vaccines, including Sinopharm, in the final stages of development and is well advanced with mass human testing in a number of countries.
But, unlike vaccines being developed by Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, little information has been published about the safety or efficacy of the Chinese drugs.
© 2020 AFP