france24--2020-10-26--Mourinho says attacking Spurs still far from Real deal

Jose Mourinho has said his free-scoring Tottenham Hotspur side still have a long way to go in match the attacking threat of the celebrated Real Madrid team he guided to La Liga glory .
Spurs have scored 31 goals in their last nine games in all competitions ahead of Monday 's trip to Burnley in the Premier League , with England star Harry Kane and South Korea 's Son Heung-min both in fine form this season .
Yet even that glut is overshadowed by the 121 goals that Real managed when winning La Liga in 2011/12 under the guidance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager in his native Portugal with Porto , in England with Chelsea and in Italy with Inter Milan .
At the Bernabeu , Mourinho had the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo , Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain to call upon up front in addition to a solid defensive unit .
But Tottenham , who were last crowned champions of England nearly fifty years ago , have been unusually profligate for a Mourinho team which they demonstrated while letting slip a 3-0 lead in the final 10 minutes of an extraordinary 3-3 draw with London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Real Madrid , I had amazing , amazing attacking players and we managed to build the team in a certain way , '' Mourinho said .
`` I have to be honest and say we have lots of good attacking players here but we need to give stability to the team because the team needs stability in the back to feel solid , confident -- to ( be able to ) have a go , '' he added with Spurs currently a modest 11th in the Premier League table .
`` So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Behind , we need to improve in some details -- that 's obvious . ''
Mourinho was criticised for being overly defensive during his time in charge of Manchester United and in his first season at Spurs .
But he insisted tactics were conditioned by the players at his disposal , saying : `` Depends on the team .
They can not say that about my Real Madrid team that scored 121 goals in the league .
`` If they say that about the way to finish second with Manchester United or last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to finish top six and to be in the Europa League , I think they are right . ''

London (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Jose Mourinho has said his free-scoring Tottenham Hotspur side still have a long way to go in match the attacking threat of the celebrated Real Madrid team he guided to La Liga glory.
Spurs have scored 31 goals in their last nine games in all competitions ahead of Monday's trip to Burnley in the Premier League, with England star Harry Kane and South Korea's Son Heung-min both in fine form this season.
Yet even that glut is overshadowed by the 121 goals that Real managed when winning La Liga in 2011/12 under the guidance of the much-travelled Mourinho, also a title-winning manager in his native Portugal with Porto, in England with Chelsea and in Italy with Inter Milan.
At the Bernabeu, Mourinho had the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain to call upon up front in addition to a solid defensive unit.
But Tottenham, who were last crowned champions of England nearly fifty years ago, have been unusually profligate for a Mourinho team which they demonstrated while letting slip a 3-0 lead in the final 10 minutes of an extraordinary 3-3 draw with London rivals West Ham last week.
"In Real Madrid, I had amazing, amazing attacking players and we managed to build the team in a certain way," Mourinho said.
"I have to be honest and say we have lots of good attacking players here but we need to give stability to the team because the team needs stability in the back to feel solid, confident -- to (be able to) have a go," he added with Spurs currently a modest 11th in the Premier League table.
"So we need to find that balance... Behind, we need to improve in some details -- that's obvious."
Mourinho was criticised for being overly defensive during his time in charge of Manchester United and in his first season at Spurs.
But he insisted tactics were conditioned by the players at his disposal, saying: "Depends on the team. They cannot say that about my Real Madrid team that scored 121 goals in the league.
"If they say that about the way to finish second with Manchester United or last season to try to get a way to finish top six and to be in the Europa League, I think they are right."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--'Resist the blackmail': French companies brace for Arab boycott

France 's largest employers ' federation on Monday urged companies to `` resist the blackmail '' over a product boycott by Arab countries as a backlash widens over Paris 's hardened stance against radical Islam .
French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to take the fight to Islamic radicals after the October 16 beheading of a history teacher who had shown cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed to pupils in a class discussion on free speech .
But his comments triggered protests in Muslim-majority countries at the weekend , with people burning pictures of Macron in Syria and setting fire to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Boycotts of French goods are under way in supermarkets in Qatar and Kuwait , with further calls to spurn French products in Jordan and other states .
On Monday , the head of France 's MEDEF employers ' federation said the boycott , which he described as `` foolishness '' , was clearly bad news for companies already hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic .
`` But there is no question of giving in to blackmail , '' Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux told broadcaster RMC .
`` It is a question of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a time to put principles above business . ''
He said MEDEF supported the government 's stance and urged companies `` to resist this blackmail and , unfortunately , to endure this boycott '' , which he said remained `` fairly localised '' for now .
After teacher Samuel Paty 's gruesome murder by a Chechen extremist in the name of avenging the Prophet Mohamed , Macron vowed that France would never give up cartoons such as those which in 2015 triggered a deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Macron hailed Paty as a `` hero '' for representing the secular , free-thinking values of the French republic , which include a long-cherished right to mock religion .
`` He was killed because Islamists want to take our future , '' Macron said at a memorial for Paty .
`` They will never have it . ''
Several suspected Islamic radicals have been arrested in dozens of raids since the murder , and about 50 organisations with alleged links to such individuals have been earmarked for closure by the government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to defend France 's secular values against a trend of `` Islamist separatism '' , and described Islam as a religion `` in crisis '' .
France has in recent years been forced to take a hard look at its core values , perceived by many to be threatened by Islam following a string of jihadist attacks that have killed over 240 people since 2015 .
But Macron 's stance has fuelled tension between France and the Muslim world , with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan telling his counterpart to undergo `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of members from different faith groups this way '' .
The comments prompted Paris to recall its envoy to Ankara .
Maher al-Huli , a leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas , condemned the comments by Macron `` and whoever offends the Prophet Mohammed , whether through words , actions , gestures or drawings '' .
The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Morocco have also spoken out against France .
On Monday , the Taliban in Afghanistan added its voice to the outcry , saying Macron 's comments amounted to `` a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said `` it would be better if he carefully studied Islam instead of making ignorant Islamophobic remarks '' .
The head of the Amman chamber of commerce , Khalil Haj Tawfeeq , in a letter to the French ambassador to Jordan , called on Macron to apologise to the Islamic world .
France 's Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot insisted Monday on BFMTV that there was `` no fight against French Muslims , there is simply a fight against Islamism and terrorism '' .
Fresh protests are planned Monday in the Gaza Strip and @ @ @ @

Paris (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
France's largest employers' federation on Monday urged companies to "resist the blackmail" over a product boycott by Arab countries as a backlash widens over Paris's hardened stance against radical Islam.
French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to take the fight to Islamic radicals after the October 16 beheading of a history teacher who had shown cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed to pupils in a class discussion on free speech.
But his comments triggered protests in Muslim-majority countries at the weekend, with people burning pictures of Macron in Syria and setting fire to French flags in the Libyan capital Tripoli.
Boycotts of French goods are under way in supermarkets in Qatar and Kuwait, with further calls to spurn French products in Jordan and other states.
On Monday, the head of France's MEDEF employers' federation said the boycott, which he described as "foolishness", was clearly bad news for companies already hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
"But there is no question of giving in to blackmail," Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux told broadcaster RMC. "It is a question of sticking to our republican values.
"There is a time to put principles above business."
He said MEDEF supported the government's stance and urged companies "to resist this blackmail and, unfortunately, to endure this boycott", which he said remained "fairly localised" for now.
- Islamists want 'our future' -
After teacher Samuel Paty's gruesome murder by a Chechen extremist in the name of avenging the Prophet Mohamed, Macron vowed that France would never give up cartoons such as those which in 2015 triggered a deadly attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and which Paty showed to his class.
Macron hailed Paty as a "hero" for representing the secular, free-thinking values of the French republic, which include a long-cherished right to mock religion.
"He was killed because Islamists want to take our future," Macron said at a memorial for Paty. "They will never have it."
Several suspected Islamic radicals have been arrested in dozens of raids since the murder, and about 50 organisations with alleged links to such individuals have been earmarked for closure by the government.
Earlier this month, Macron unveiled a plan to defend France's secular values against a trend of "Islamist separatism", and described Islam as a religion "in crisis".
France has in recent years been forced to take a hard look at its core values, perceived by many to be threatened by Islam following a string of jihadist attacks that have killed over 240 people since 2015.
But Macron's stance has fuelled tension between France and the Muslim world, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan telling his counterpart to undergo "mental checks" for treating "millions of members from different faith groups this way".
The comments prompted Paris to recall its envoy to Ankara.
- 'Attacking Islam' -
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has accused Macron of "attacking Islam".
Maher al-Huli, a leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, condemned the comments by Macron "and whoever offends the Prophet Mohammed, whether through words, actions, gestures or drawings".
The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Morocco have also spoken out against France.
On Monday, the Taliban in Afghanistan added its voice to the outcry, saying Macron's comments amounted to "a stand against nations".
The Taliban said "it would be better if he carefully studied Islam instead of making ignorant Islamophobic remarks".
The head of the Amman chamber of commerce, Khalil Haj Tawfeeq, in a letter to the French ambassador to Jordan, called on Macron to apologise to the Islamic world.
France's Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot insisted Monday on BFMTV that there was "no fight against French Muslims, there is simply a fight against Islamism and terrorism".
Fresh protests are planned Monday in the Gaza Strip and Tuesday in Amman.
burs-mlr/cb/txw
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Analysis: Turkey-France spat reflects deeper issues

France on Saturday said it was recalling its envoy to Turkey for consultations after comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip @ @ @ @ @ President Emmanuel Macron .
FRANCE 24 ’ s international affairs editor Philip Turle says there @ @ @ @ @ spat , including Turkey ’ s unilateralist response and intervention in Syria , a resources @ @ @ @ @ backing for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict .

Analysis: Turkey-France spat reflects deeper issues
05:52
France on Saturday said it was recalling its envoy to Turkey for consultations after comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seen as derogatory towards President Emmanuel Macron. FRANCE 24’s international affairs editor Philip Turle says there are broader issues underlying the spat, including Turkey’s unilateralist response and intervention in Syria, a resources dispute with Greece, and backing for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.


france24--2020-10-26--12 fishermen missing as Typhoon Molave drenches Philippines

A fallen power line blocks a road after tropical storm Molave hit the town of Pola , Oriental Mindoro province Searches were under way Monday for 12 fishermen in the Philippines as a typhoon swept across the archipelago , flooding low-lying areas and forcing thousands of people into emergency shelters .
Packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometres ( 80 miles ) per hour , Typhoon Molave made landfall Sunday on the southern end of the main island of Luzon before moving west across the country .
Villages and farmland in the typhoon 's path were flooded while powerful winds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said no deaths had been recorded .
Nearly 1,500 families were still sheltering in 68 evacuation centres , it added .
Coastguards were searching for 12 fishermen reported missing across three areas of the Bicol region , it said .
And at least two people were injured by a falling tree in Oriental Mindoro province , its governor told local broadcaster Teleradyo .
Rescuers were also searching for a person missing after their boat was submerged in Batangas province , south of Manila .
Seven other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forecast to start moving across the South China Sea Monday .

Pola (Philippines) (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Searches were under way Monday for 12 fishermen in the Philippines as a typhoon swept across the archipelago, flooding low-lying areas and forcing thousands of people into emergency shelters.
Packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometres (80 miles) per hour, Typhoon Molave made landfall Sunday on the southern end of the main island of Luzon before moving west across the country.
Villages and farmland in the typhoon's path were flooded while powerful winds toppled trees and power lines.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said no deaths had been recorded.
Nearly 1,500 families were still sheltering in 68 evacuation centres, it added.
Coastguards were searching for 12 fishermen reported missing across three areas of the Bicol region, it said.
And at least two people were injured by a falling tree in Oriental Mindoro province, its governor told local broadcaster Teleradyo.
Rescuers were also searching for a person missing after their boat was submerged in Batangas province, south of Manila. Seven other crew members were rescued.
Molave was forecast to start moving across the South China Sea Monday.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Belarus opposition calls nationwide strike as Lukashenko’s deadline to quit expires

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya holds up a photograph as she addresses members of the EU parliament at the EU headquarters in Brussels on September 21 , 2020 .
Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said Monday supporters were beginning a nationwide strike after her deadline expired for strongman Alexander Lukashenko to step down .
Factory workers on Monday chanted slogans , students took to the streets and police made detentions as Belarusians answered the opposition call for a national strike , local media footage showed .
Tikhanovskaya had given Lukashenko until Sunday to quit power , halt violence against protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would otherwise face a general strike from Monday .
The 66-year-old Lukashenko , accused by the opposition of stealing August elections , ignored the ultimatum , and police cracked down on the latest of a series of opposition protests on Sunday .
`` Today the People 's Strike is beginning , '' Tikhanovskaya said on her Telegram channel .
`` Employees of state factories and enterprises , transport workers and miners , teachers and students have gone on strike since this morning . ''
Tikhanovskaya called on members of private businesses , clergy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 38-year-old opposition figure , who claims to have won the August 9 election and is now based in Lithuania , an EU member state , did not provide any figures on the number of people participating .
If sustained , the strikes could open a new phase in the crisis , testing whether the opposition has the mass support it needs to bring companies across the country of 9.5 million people to a halt .
Previously , the opposition mounted some strikes at state-run factories , but they were not sustained .
Local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major state-controlled enterprises .
However , the prime minister 's spokeswoman said all the country 's major industrial companies were working normally .
Security officers in plain clothes stood next to vans outside the Minsk Tractor Works and Minsk Automobile Plant .
A witness said one person was detained .
Hundreds of students marched out of several universities in Minsk clapping and chanting as passing cars tooted their horns in support .
On one street , black-clad officers in masks poured out of vans , detaining people and dragging them away , footage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of students sprinted away after being dispersed by police , other footage , from the Nasha Niva outlet , showed .
If strikes come close to paralysing the country , it could be a further test of Russian support for its ally Lukashenko .
Since the crisis began , Moscow has backed him with a $ 1.5 billion loan and increased security cooperation , including a series of joint military exercises and a visit last week by the head of Russia 's foreign intelligence agency .
Russia even sent journalists to staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest against what they described as propaganda .
Lukashenko has been in power for 26 years .
Official results showed him the landslide winner of the August 9 election .
The opposition and Western countries say the vote was rigged , which he denies .
Around 15,000 people have since been arrested during a crackdown on mass demonstrations .
Nearly all opposition leaders fled or were jailed .
Western countries have imposed travel bans and asset freezes against some officials they accuse of election fraud and human rights abuses , but have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement with reluctance to provoke Russia .

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said Monday supporters were beginning a nationwide strike after her deadline expired for strongman Alexander Lukashenko to step down.
Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya holds up a photograph as she addresses members of the EU parliament at the EU headquarters in Brussels on September 21, 2020.
Advertising Read more
Answer a few questions to join Europe Talks and debate with another European
Factory workers on Monday chanted slogans, students took to the streets and police made detentions as Belarusians answered the opposition call for a national strike, local media footage showed.
Tikhanovskaya had given Lukashenko until Sunday to quit power, halt violence against protesters and release political prisoners, warning he would otherwise face a general strike from Monday.
The 66-year-old Lukashenko, accused by the opposition of stealing August elections, ignored the ultimatum, and police cracked down on the latest of a series of opposition protests on Sunday.
"Today the People's Strike is beginning," Tikhanovskaya said on her Telegram channel.
"Employees of state factories and enterprises, transport workers and miners, teachers and students have gone on strike since this morning."
Tikhanovskaya called on members of private businesses, clergy and athletes to join in.
The 38-year-old opposition figure, who claims to have won the August 9 election and is now based in Lithuania, an EU member state, did not provide any figures on the number of people participating.
A new phase
If sustained, the strikes could open a new phase in the crisis, testing whether the opposition has the mass support it needs to bring companies across the country of 9.5 million people to a halt. Previously, the opposition mounted some strikes at state-run factories, but they were not sustained.
Local media reported groups of strikers at many major state-controlled enterprises. However, the prime minister's spokeswoman said all the country's major industrial companies were working normally.
Security officers in plain clothes stood next to vans outside the Minsk Tractor Works and Minsk Automobile Plant. A witness said one person was detained.
Hundreds of students marched out of several universities in Minsk clapping and chanting as passing cars tooted their horns in support.
On one street, black-clad officers in masks poured out of vans, detaining people and dragging them away, footage from news website Tut.by showed. One group of students sprinted away after being dispersed by police, other footage, from the Nasha Niva outlet, showed.
Test of Russian support
If strikes come close to paralysing the country, it could be a further test of Russian support for its ally Lukashenko.
Since the crisis began, Moscow has backed him with a $1.5 billion loan and increased security cooperation, including a series of joint military exercises and a visit last week by the head of Russia's foreign intelligence agency. Russia even sent journalists to staff Belarusian state TV when employees quit in protest against what they described as propaganda.
Lukashenko has been in power for 26 years. Official results showed him the landslide winner of the August 9 election. The opposition and Western countries say the vote was rigged, which he denies.
Around 15,000 people have since been arrested during a crackdown on mass demonstrations. Nearly all opposition leaders fled or were jailed.
Western countries have imposed travel bans and asset freezes against some officials they accuse of election fraud and human rights abuses, but have had to balance their support for the pro-democracy movement with reluctance to provoke Russia.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-10-26--Colombia kills top ELN guerrilla commander

Colombia ’ s president has announced the death of a prominent National Liberation Army rebel commander .
Andres Felipe Vanegas @ @ @ @ @ alias Uriel , was said to be responsible for kidnappings , murdering human rights activists @ @ @ @ @ and the forced recruitment of minors .

Colombia kills top ELN guerrilla commander
01:23
Colombia’s president has announced the death of a prominent National Liberation Army rebel commander. Andres Felipe Vanegas Londono, who used the alias Uriel, was said to be responsible for kidnappings, murdering human rights activists and security force members, and the forced recruitment of minors.


france24--2020-10-27--Asymptomatic virus sufferers lose antibodies sooner: study

Scientists caution that a great deal remains unknown about people 's long-term antibody response to the virus Asymptomatic coronavirus sufferers appear to lose detectable antibodies sooner than people who have exhibited Covid-19 symptoms , according to one of the biggest studies of its kind in Britain published on Tuesday .
The findings by Imperial College London and market research firm Ipsos Mori also suggest the loss of antibodies was slower in 18–24 year-olds compared to those aged 75 and over .
Overall , samples from hundreds of thousands of people across England between mid-June and late September showed the prevalence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quarter .
The research , commissioned by the British government and published Tuesday by Imperial , indicates people 's immune response to Covid-19 reduces over time following infection .
James Bethell , a junior health minister , called it `` a critical piece of research , helping us to understand the nature of Covid-19 antibodies over time '' .
But scientists involved cautioned that a great deal remains unknown about people 's long-term antibody response to the virus .
`` It remains unclear what level of immunity antibodies provide , or for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Paul Elliott , of Imperial 's School of Public Health .
The study involved 365,000 randomly-selected adults administering at home three rounds of finger prick tests for coronavirus antibodies between June 20 and September 28 .
The results showed the number of people with antibodies fell by 26.5 percent over the approximate three-month period .
Scaled up to a nationwide level , it meant the proportion of the English population with antibodies dropped from 6.0 percent to 4.4 percent , according to the study .
The decline coincided with the prevalence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the rest of Britain -- following a months-long national shutdown which was eased over the summer .
However , the research found the number of health care workers testing positive for antibodies did not change over time , potentially reflecting repeated , or higher initial , exposure to the virus .
`` This very large study has shown that the proportion of people with detectable antibodies is falling over time , '' said Helen Ward , one of the lead authors .
`` We do n't yet know whether this will leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus that causes Covid-19 , but it is essential that everyone continues to follow guidance to reduce the risk to themselves and others . ''

London (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Asymptomatic coronavirus sufferers appear to lose detectable antibodies sooner than people who have exhibited Covid-19 symptoms, according to one of the biggest studies of its kind in Britain published on Tuesday.
The findings by Imperial College London and market research firm Ipsos Mori also suggest the loss of antibodies was slower in 18–24 year-olds compared to those aged 75 and over.
Overall, samples from hundreds of thousands of people across England between mid-June and late September showed the prevalence of virus antibodies fell by more than a quarter.
The research, commissioned by the British government and published Tuesday by Imperial, indicates people's immune response to Covid-19 reduces over time following infection.
James Bethell, a junior health minister, called it "a critical piece of research, helping us to understand the nature of Covid-19 antibodies over time".
But scientists involved cautioned that a great deal remains unknown about people's long-term antibody response to the virus.
"It remains unclear what level of immunity antibodies provide, or for how long this immunity lasts," said Paul Elliott, of Imperial's School of Public Health.
The study involved 365,000 randomly-selected adults administering at home three rounds of finger prick tests for coronavirus antibodies between June 20 and September 28.
The results showed the number of people with antibodies fell by 26.5 percent over the approximate three-month period.
Scaled up to a nationwide level, it meant the proportion of the English population with antibodies dropped from 6.0 percent to 4.4 percent, according to the study.
The decline coincided with the prevalence of the virus falling dramatically across England -- and the rest of Britain -- following a months-long national shutdown which was eased over the summer.
However, the research found the number of health care workers testing positive for antibodies did not change over time, potentially reflecting repeated, or higher initial, exposure to the virus.
"This very large study has shown that the proportion of people with detectable antibodies is falling over time," said Helen Ward, one of the lead authors.
"We don't yet know whether this will leave these people at risk of reinfection with the virus that causes Covid-19, but it is essential that everyone continues to follow guidance to reduce the risk to themselves and others."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-27--Senate confirms Amy Coney Barrett to US Supreme Court in major victory for Republicans

The tally is shown as the U.S. Senate votes on the confirmation of President Donald Trump 's nominee Judge Amy @ @ @ @ @ associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Senate Chamber of the U.S. Capitol @ @ @ @ @ October 26 , 2020 .
The Republican-led U.S. Senate handed President Donald Trump a major @ @ @ @ @ by confirming his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett as he delivered a dramatic conservative @ @ @ @ @ top judicial body .
The Senate voted largely along party lines to confirm Barrett to @ @ @ @ @ unified Democratic opposition to the Republican president 's third Supreme Court appointment and creating a @ @ @ @ @ 's addition cements one of the most right-leaning Supreme Court rosters in generations .
The @ @ @ @ @ and the broader federal judiciary to the right has been a signature achievement of Trump @ @ @ @ @ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate handed President Donald Trump a major pre-election political victory on Monday by confirming his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, with the White House planning a celebratory event afterward.
US President Donald Trump applauds Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 26, 2020, after she took her oath of office and was sworn in to serve on the court.
Advertising Read more
The Senate voted 52-48, with Democrats unified in opposing Barrett's confirmation, which creates a 6-3 conservative majority on the high court. One Republican, Susan Collins, voted against the confirmation.
The ceremony planned at the White House comes a month after a similar event was linked to a Covid-19 outbreak that preceded Trump's own infection. Barrett will succeed liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month.
01:13
At the ceremony, conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will administer one of the two oaths of office that justices have to take, according to a White House official.
Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the separate judicial oath at the court on Tuesday, the court said in a statement.
Trump pressed the Senate to confirm Barrett, 48, to the lifetime post before the Nov. 3 election, which would create a 6-3 conservative majority on the top U.S. judicial body.
Senate Minority Chuck Schumer said the Republican majority was "lighting its credibility on fire" by proceeding with the vote so close to the election after blocking Democratic President Barack Obama's election-year nominee in 2016.
"The truth is this nomination is part of a decades-long effort to tilt the judiciary to the far right," he added.
Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended Barrett's nomination.
"We don't have any doubt, do we, that if the shoe was on the other foot, they'd be confirming," McConnell said. "You can't win them all, and elections have consequences."
No nominee to the Supreme Court had ever been confirmed by the Senate this close to a presidential election. Trump has been touting the appointment at campaign rallies to the cheers of his supporters.
Trump has said he expects the court to decide the outcome of the election between him and Democrat Joe Biden and wants Barrett to participate on any election-related cases that go before the justices.
Barrett, a federal appeals court judge, is Trump's third selection for the court, enabling him to remake it in dramatic fashion as part of his success in moving the broader federal judiciary to the right since taking office in 2017.
Obamacare case
Barrett is expected to participate in arguments on Nov. 10 in a case in which Trump and Republican-led states are seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act. The 2010 healthcare law, also known as Obamacare, has helped millions of Americans obtain medical insurance and barred private insurers from denying medical coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
Barrett has criticised previous rulings upholding Obamacare but said during her confirmation hearing she had no agenda to invalidate the measure.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee two weeks ago, Barrett, a favorite of Christian conservatives, irked Democrats by sidestepping questions on abortion, presidential powers, climate change, voting rights, Obamacare and other issues.
01:53
The Sept. 26 Rose Garden ceremony at which Trump named Barrett as his nominee preceded a wave of Covid-19 cases among top Republicans including Trump and first lady Melania Trump. The president spent three nights hospitalized receiving Covid-19 treatment.
The event, part of which occurred in the White House Rose Garden, was crowded with guests, many of whom did not wear masks.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told reporters that Monday's event likely would be held outdoors.
"Tonight, we'll be doing the best we can to encourage as much social distancing as possible," Meadows said.
Senator Kevin Cramer, a Republican and Trump ally, said he was not overly concerned about attending the White House event.
"I would anticipate that everybody will practice good hygiene, social distancing, whatever is appropriate," Cramer told reporters.
Several other Republican senators said they were not sure they would attend, and McConnell did not reply when asked by a reporter. Earlier this month, McConnell said he had not been at the White House since August because of its handling of COVID-19 precautions.
(REUTERS)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-10-27--Facebook content moderators call for better treatment

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is to face a grilling by the Senate over politically charged content on his platorm : but current and former Facebook content moderators say their voices are all too often ignored As Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg prepares to be grilled by a Senate committee about the handling of politically-charged posts , content moderators are insisting that properly valuing their work is key .
Two former content moderators contracted in the US to make judgment calls on posts , and one other currently tackling the same challenge took part in a conference call with reporters on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed concerns about posts intended to cause trouble or bedevil the outcome of the forthcoming election .
The worker still on the job spoke under condition of anonymity , since such positions involve non-disclosure agreements restricting what they can say about their work , '' I certainly am not supposed to tell the truth about my work in public , '' the Facebook content moderator said .
`` The truth is this work is incredibly important but it 's done completely wrong and while the policy is constantly changed the situation seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former content moderators described stressful hours spent focused on torrents of hateful , disturbing posts with little regard given to their feedback or their well-being .
They called for Facebook to find a way to make them and their colleagues full-time employees , complete with the benefits for which tech companies are renowned , instead of keeping them at arms-length by outsourcing the work .
`` Facebook could fix most of its problems if it would move away from outsourcing , value its moderators , and build them into its policy processes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Moderators are the heart of Facebook ’ s business - that 's how they should be treated . ''
Zuckerberg has pushed back against concerns about hateful or violent posts at the social network by saying the social network has invested heavily in artificial intelligence and real humans to take down content violating its policies .
The bulk of that army of content moderators are contracted and their viewpoints -- hard-won on the frontlines of the battle -- are typically ignored , according to those who took part in the press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content moderator because I believed I could help make Facebook safer for my community and other communities who use it , '' said Viana Ferguson , who left the job last year .
`` But again and again , when I tried to address content that dripped with racism , or was a clear threat , I got told to get in line , our job was to agree . ''
Zuckerberg and Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey are to testify Wednesday before a Senate committee exploring the potential to weaken legal protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what users post there .

San Francisco (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
As Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg prepares to be grilled by a Senate committee about the handling of politically-charged posts, content moderators are insisting that properly valuing their work is key.
Two former content moderators contracted in the US to make judgment calls on posts, and one other currently tackling the same challenge took part in a conference call with reporters on Monday.
The former and current content moderators expressed concerns about posts intended to cause trouble or bedevil the outcome of the forthcoming election.
The worker still on the job spoke under condition of anonymity, since such positions involve non-disclosure agreements restricting what they can say about their work,
"I certainly am not supposed to tell the truth about my work in public," the Facebook content moderator said.
"The truth is this work is incredibly important but it's done completely wrong and while the policy is constantly changed the situation seems to get worse."
The current and former content moderators described stressful hours spent focused on torrents of hateful, disturbing posts with little regard given to their feedback or their well-being.
They called for Facebook to find a way to make them and their colleagues full-time employees, complete with the benefits for which tech companies are renowned, instead of keeping them at arms-length by outsourcing the work.
"Facebook could fix most of its problems if it would move away from outsourcing, value its moderators, and build them into its policy processes," said former content moderator Allison Trebacz.
"Moderators are the heart of Facebook’s business - that's how they should be treated."
Zuckerberg has pushed back against concerns about hateful or violent posts at the social network by saying the social network has invested heavily in artificial intelligence and real humans to take down content violating its policies.
The bulk of that army of content moderators are contracted and their viewpoints -- hard-won on the frontlines of the battle -- are typically ignored, according to those who took part in the press briefing.
"I became a Facebook content moderator because I believed I could help make Facebook safer for my community and other communities who use it," said Viana Ferguson, who left the job last year.
"But again and again, when I tried to address content that dripped with racism, or was a clear threat, I got told to get in line, our job was to agree."
Zuckerberg and Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey are to testify Wednesday before a Senate committee exploring the potential to weaken legal protections given to online platforms when it comes to what users post there.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--NASA to launch delicate stowing of Osiris-Rex asteroid samples

Osiris-Rex is on a mission that scientists hope will help unravel the origins of our solar system , but that hit a snag after it picked up too big of a sample from an asteroid NASA 's robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex is set to begin on Tuesday a delicate operation to store the precious particles it scooped up from the asteroid Bennu , but which were leaking into space when a flap got wedged open .
The probe is on a mission to collect fragments that scientists hope will help unravel the origins of our solar system , but that hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big of a sample .
Fragments from the asteroid 's surface are in a collector at the end of the probe 's three-meter ( 10-foot ) arm , slowly escaping into space because some rocks have prevented the compartment closing completely .
That arm is what came into contact with Bennu for a few seconds last Tuesday in the culmination of a mission launched from Earth some four years ago .
The probe is thought to have collected some 400 grams ( 14 ounces ) of fragments , far more than the minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously .
Scientists need to stow the sample in a capsule that is at the probe 's center , and the operation was moved up to Tuesday from the planned November 2 date due to the leak .
`` The abundance of material we collected from Bennu made it possible to expedite our decision to stow , '' said Dante Lauretta , project chief .
Osiris-Rex is set to come home in September 2023 , hopefully with the largest sample returned from space since the Apollo era .
The stowing operation will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it requires the team 's oversight and input unlike some of Osiris-Rex 's other operations that run autonomously .
After each step in the process the spacecraft will send information and images back to Earth so scientists can make sure everything is proceeding correctly .
The probe is so far away that it takes 18.5 minutes for its transmissions to reach Earth , and any signal from the control room requires the same amount of time to reach Osiris-Rex .

Washington (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
NASA's robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex is set to begin on Tuesday a delicate operation to store the precious particles it scooped up from the asteroid Bennu, but which were leaking into space when a flap got wedged open.
The probe is on a mission to collect fragments that scientists hope will help unravel the origins of our solar system, but that hit a snag after it picked up too big of a sample.
Fragments from the asteroid's surface are in a collector at the end of the probe's three-meter (10-foot) arm, slowly escaping into space because some rocks have prevented the compartment closing completely.
That arm is what came into contact with Bennu for a few seconds last Tuesday in the culmination of a mission launched from Earth some four years ago.
The probe is thought to have collected some 400 grams (14 ounces) of fragments, far more than the minimum of 60 grams needed, NASA said previously.
Scientists need to stow the sample in a capsule that is at the probe's center, and the operation was moved up to Tuesday from the planned November 2 date due to the leak.
"The abundance of material we collected from Bennu made it possible to expedite our decision to stow," said Dante Lauretta, project chief.
Osiris-Rex is set to come home in September 2023, hopefully with the largest sample returned from space since the Apollo era.
The stowing operation will take several days, NASA said, because it requires the team's oversight and input unlike some of Osiris-Rex's other operations that run autonomously.
After each step in the process the spacecraft will send information and images back to Earth so scientists can make sure everything is proceeding correctly.
The probe is so far away that it takes 18.5 minutes for its transmissions to reach Earth, and any signal from the control room requires the same amount of time to reach Osiris-Rex.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--More than 20 people killed in post-election unrest Guinea over past week

Supporters of the main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo of UFDG party clash with security forces after results showed President Alpha Conde winning re-election in a poll that the opposition says was unconstitutional , in Conakry , Guinea October 23 , 2020 .
A total of 21 people have been killed in unrest in Guinea following a disputed presidential election last week , state television reported on Monday , as international envoys attempted to soothe tensions in the West African nation .
The RTG state news channel said that 21 people had been killed since October 19 , including officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than figures compiled by the opposition which claims 27 have died .
President Alpha Conde , 82 , won a hotly contested October 18 election according to official results announced Saturday , setting the stage for a controversial third term .
But his main opponent Cellou Dalein Diallo , 68 , disputes the results .
He claimed victory last week , citing data his activists gathered at individual polling stations .
Diallo 's self-proclaimed victory led to a week of clashes between supporters and security forces across the nation .
The government had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 .
A diplomatic delegation from the United Nations , African Union and the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States landed in Guinea Sunday in the aftermath of the unrest .
The envoys -- who include ECOWAS Commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou and the UN special representative to West Africa , Mohamed Ibn Chambas -- met several ministers and government officials on Monday .
An ECOWAS official in Conakry said they also spoke with representatives of Guinea 's electoral commission and foreign diplomats .
Diallo told AFP that the envoys met him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police have blockaded for days .
Anti-Conde protests were due to resume in the city early Monday and many shops stayed shut , but few people ended up hitting the streets in the end .
`` In my neighbourhood , people say they are waiting to see the outcome of the joint mission , '' said a suburban resident who declined to be named .
Scars from the unrest were apparent in the Conakry neighbourhood of Wanindara -- an opposition stronghold -- with burned-out vehicles lying on the roadside .
Mohamed Saliou Camara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conde and Diallo supporters had clashed in the area .
Much of the turbulence centres on a third term for Alpha Conde , whom opponents accuse of drifting into authoritarianism .
He pushed through a new constitution in March which he argued would modernise the country .
But it also allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents .

A total of 21 people have been killed in unrest in Guinea following a disputed presidential election last week, state television reported on Monday, as international envoys attempted to soothe tensions in the West African nation.
Supporters of the main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo of UFDG party clash with security forces after results showed President Alpha Condé winning re-election in a poll that the opposition says was unconstitutional, in Conakry, Guinea October 23, 2020.
Advertising Read more
The RTG state news channel said that 21 people had been killed since October 19, including officers of the security forces – six fewer than figures compiled by the opposition which claims 27 have died.
President Alpha Condé, 82, won a hotly contested October 18 election according to official results announced Saturday, setting the stage for a controversial third term.
But his main opponent Cellou Dalein Diallo, 68, disputes the results. He claimed victory last week, citing data his activists gathered at individual polling stations.
Diallo's self-proclaimed victory led to a week of clashes between supporters and security forces across the nation.
The government had previously put the number of dead at 10.
A diplomatic delegation from the United Nations, African Union and the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States landed in Guinea Sunday in the aftermath of the unrest.
The envoys – who include ECOWAS Commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou and the UN special representative to West Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas – met several ministers and government officials on Monday.
An ECOWAS official in Conakry said they also spoke with representatives of Guinea's electoral commission and foreign diplomats.
Diallo told AFP that the envoys met him too, at his Conakry home which police have blockaded for days.
Anti-Condé protests were due to resume in the city early Monday and many shops stayed shut, but few people ended up hitting the streets in the end.
"In my neighbourhood, people say they are waiting to see the outcome of the joint mission," said a suburban resident who declined to be named.
Scars from the unrest were apparent in the Conakry neighbourhood of Wanindara – an opposition stronghold – with burned-out vehicles lying on the roadside.
Mohamed Saliou Camara, whose house was torched, said Conde and Diallo supporters had clashed in the area.
Much of the turbulence centres on a third term for Alpha Condé, whom opponents accuse of drifting into authoritarianism.
He pushed through a new constitution in March which he argued would modernise the country. But it also allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents.
(AFP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-10-26--Ibrahimovic strikes twice but Roma level three times in Milan stalemate

Double quick : AC Milan 's Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrated as the ball bounced into Antonio Mirante 's net in the second minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice but AC Milan dropped their first points of the Serie A season as Roma came from behind to draw 3-3 at the San Siro on Monday .
In a game played in an empty stadium after the imposition of a coronavirus curfew , Milan were without goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and young Norwegian striker Jens Petter Hauge , who the club announced earlier on Monday had tested positive for Covid-19 .
Veteran Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , made his debut in place of Donnarumma , and was twice caught on his line from corners and also spilled a shot in the build up to Roma 's second-half penalty .
Ibrahimovic struck after just two minutes , running onto a diagonal pass behind the defence from Rafael Leao and poking the ball past goalkeeper Antonio Mirante .
Milan 's problems at corners were not entirely the fault of Tatarusanu .
Edin Dzeko was unmarked in front of goal when he headed his team 's first equaliser after 13 minutes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the first .
Portuguese winger Leao outpaced his fullback and laid the ball back to Belgian Alexis Saelemaekers who guided a shot in from 10 yards .
French midfielder Jordan Veretout levelled from the penalty spot after 70 minutes following a clumsy challenge by Ismael Bennacer .
Ibrahimovic completed his third double in three league appearances with a penalty after 78 minutes , but had an unwitting assist as Roma levelled for a third time .
The Swede jumped to meet an 83rd minute corner but only deflected it to the far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kumbulla slid in to volley Roma 's third equaliser from close range with Tatarusanu stranded .
Milan , with 13 points , remain at the top of the standings , two points ahead of Napoli who have won all four games they have played , and Sassuolo .
Roma remained ninth .

Milan (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice but AC Milan dropped their first points of the Serie A season as Roma came from behind to draw 3-3 at the San Siro on Monday.
In a game played in an empty stadium after the imposition of a coronavirus curfew, Milan were without goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and young Norwegian striker Jens Petter Hauge, who the club announced earlier on Monday had tested positive for Covid-19.
Veteran Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu, who joined Milan in September, made his debut in place of Donnarumma, and was twice caught on his line from corners and also spilled a shot in the build up to Roma's second-half penalty.
Ibrahimovic struck after just two minutes, running onto a diagonal pass behind the defence from Rafael Leao and poking the ball past goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.
Milan's problems at corners were not entirely the fault of Tatarusanu. Edin Dzeko was unmarked in front of goal when he headed his team's first equaliser after 13 minutes.
Milan started the second half as they had the first. Portuguese winger Leao outpaced his fullback and laid the ball back to Belgian Alexis Saelemaekers who guided a shot in from 10 yards.
French midfielder Jordan Veretout levelled from the penalty spot after 70 minutes following a clumsy challenge by Ismael Bennacer.
Ibrahimovic completed his third double in three league appearances with a penalty after 78 minutes, but had an unwitting assist as Roma levelled for a third time.
The Swede jumped to meet an 83rd minute corner but only deflected it to the far post where Roma's Albanian defender Marash Kumbulla slid in to volley Roma's third equaliser from close range with Tatarusanu stranded.
Milan, with 13 points, remain at the top of the standings, two points ahead of Napoli who have won all four games they have played, and Sassuolo. Roma remained ninth.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--'Worst time to resign' says under-fire Barca president

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says it would be bad for the club if he stepped down early Under-pressure Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu suggested Monday that `` now would be the worst time '' to leave his post .
Bartomeu faces a vote of no confidence after turbulent times at the Camp Nou , not least the stand off with club legend Lionel Messi who was blocked from leaving this summer .
Speaking after a board meeting Bartomeu said : `` There are lots of issues .
I believe that it would be the worst time to leave Barca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A caretaker board would assume control until new elections should Bartomeu stand down .
A petition against him passed the required 16,250 signatures last month .
In the referendum which Bartomeu wants to be held on November 15/16 , his opponents will need two thirds of the votes cast to remove him .
Presidential elections would likely be held in January or February , slightly ahead of the scheduled date in March .
Bartomeu is not running .
His departure could affect the future of Messi , who explained in September how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key reason for his attempt to leave .
Victor Font is one of the leading candidates to succeed Bartomeu and has linked his campaign to the arrival of Messi 's former teammate Xavi Hernandez as coach , although Font suggested this week Ronald Koeman could also continue with Xavi taking up a different role .
Joan Laporta , the president who appointed Pep Guardiola coach in 2008 , is also in the running .
Bartomeu 's opponents want to stage the referendum next week , but coronavirus social distancing restrictions could mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November .
`` When we receive the official reply from the regional government ( on when the referendum can take place ) the board will meet again '' to make a decision , Bartomeu added .

Barcelona (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Under-pressure Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu suggested Monday that "now would be the worst time" to leave his post.
Bartomeu faces a vote of no confidence after turbulent times at the Camp Nou, not least the stand off with club legend Lionel Messi who was blocked from leaving this summer.
Speaking after a board meeting Bartomeu said: "There are lots of issues. I believe that it would be the worst time to leave Barca to an interim management board".
A caretaker board would assume control until new elections should Bartomeu stand down.
A petition against him passed the required 16,250 signatures last month.
In the referendum which Bartomeu wants to be held on November 15/16, his opponents will need two thirds of the votes cast to remove him.
Presidential elections would likely be held in January or February, slightly ahead of the scheduled date in March. Bartomeu is not running.
His departure could affect the future of Messi, who explained in September how the way the club is run had been a key reason for his attempt to leave.
Victor Font is one of the leading candidates to succeed Bartomeu and has linked his campaign to the arrival of Messi's former teammate Xavi Hernandez as coach, although Font suggested this week Ronald Koeman could also continue with Xavi taking up a different role.
Joan Laporta, the president who appointed Pep Guardiola coach in 2008, is also in the running.
Bartomeu's opponents want to stage the referendum next week, but coronavirus social distancing restrictions could mean the vote being conducted around Spain later in November.
"When we receive the official reply from the regional government (on when the referendum can take place) the board will meet again" to make a decision, Bartomeu added.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Son and Kane to the rescue for lacklustre Spurs

Son Heung-min pounced to steal a 1-0 win for lacklustre Tottenham on Monday , linking up with Harry Kane yet again as Jose Mourinho 's side climbed to fifth in the Premier League table .
The early weeks of the season have seen a string of unusual results and an off-colour Spurs looked likely to leave Turf Moor frustrated .
But South Korea forward Son scored his eighth league goal of the season in the 76th minute , heading in from close range after a headed pass from Kane .
Tottenham hammered Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they charged into an early 3-0 lead against West Ham in their following game .
But they were pegged back by the Hammers in the closing minutes of that match and were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw .
Their attacking momentum vanished at Turf Moor , where they struggled to make an impression against Sean Dyche 's side , who remain without a win this season .
Kane was able to get behind Burnley 's defence in the early minutes following a Toby Alderweireld ball over the top but the England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wide and his shot sailed harmlessly over .
There was a lengthy stoppage as Alderweireld needed treatment on a bloody right eyebrow after being caught inadvertently by Ashley Barnes ' flailing arm in an aerial challenge .
The Belgian had his head bandaged before play continued .
Slightly against the run of play , Burnley had the ball in the back of the net when Barnes seemingly sprang the offside trap and buried the ball past Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris .
However , the flag went up at the end of the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of other Burnley players had strayed a couple of yards offside .
It was not until the 38th minute that the game had its first shot on target , Ashley Westwood bringing a low save out of Lloris after Josh Brownhill had stolen the ball off Tanguy Ndombele on the edge of the area .
Johann Berg Gudmundsson then cut in from the right and forced Lloris into action once more as Burnley ended the half on top .
Tottenham again struggled to find their fluency in the early stages of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the lead .
James Tarkowski put a header wide from close range before Mourinho threw on Erik Lamela to replace Lucas Moura in the 57th minute .
Kane came to the rescue from another Tarkowski effort , heading off the line .
Tottenham were in front in the 76th minute when Lamela 's corner was flicked on by Kane and headed into the top corner at the back post by Son .
This time there was no collapse as they held on for a third win of the season .

Burnley (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Son Heung-min pounced to steal a 1-0 win for lacklustre Tottenham on Monday, linking up with Harry Kane yet again as Jose Mourinho's side climbed to fifth in the Premier League table.
The early weeks of the season have seen a string of unusual results and an off-colour Spurs looked likely to leave Turf Moor frustrated.
But South Korea forward Son scored his eighth league goal of the season in the 76th minute, heading in from close range after a headed pass from Kane.
Tottenham hammered Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford earlier this month and turned on the style as they charged into an early 3-0 lead against West Ham in their following game.
But they were pegged back by the Hammers in the closing minutes of that match and were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw.
Their attacking momentum vanished at Turf Moor, where they struggled to make an impression against Sean Dyche's side, who remain without a win this season.
Kane was able to get behind Burnley's defence in the early minutes following a Toby Alderweireld ball over the top but the England striker's first touch took him too wide and his shot sailed harmlessly over.
There was a lengthy stoppage as Alderweireld needed treatment on a bloody right eyebrow after being caught inadvertently by Ashley Barnes' flailing arm in an aerial challenge. The Belgian had his head bandaged before play continued.
Slightly against the run of play, Burnley had the ball in the back of the net when Barnes seemingly sprang the offside trap and buried the ball past Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
However, the flag went up at the end of the move and a replay confirmed Barnes and a couple of other Burnley players had strayed a couple of yards offside.
It was not until the 38th minute that the game had its first shot on target, Ashley Westwood bringing a low save out of Lloris after Josh Brownhill had stolen the ball off Tanguy Ndombele on the edge of the area.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson then cut in from the right and forced Lloris into action once more as Burnley ended the half on top.
Tottenham again struggled to find their fluency in the early stages of the second half, with Burnley threatening to take the lead.
James Tarkowski put a header wide from close range before Mourinho threw on Erik Lamela to replace Lucas Moura in the 57th minute.
Kane came to the rescue from another Tarkowski effort, heading off the line.
Tottenham were in front in the 76th minute when Lamela's corner was flicked on by Kane and headed into the top corner at the back post by Son.
This time there was no collapse as they held on for a third win of the season.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Jones eager to see if 'apprentice sushi chef' Umaga makes the grade

Eddie Jones likened England newcomer Jacob Umaga to a trainee sushi chef ahead of the Wasps fly-half 's possible Test debut against Italy in Rome this weekend .
England could be crowned Six Nations champions if they win in the coronavirus-delayed final round on Saturday and the result of a match between title rivals France and Ireland falls in their favour .
But they will face perennial strugglers Italy without fly-half George Ford and full-back Elliot Daly because of respective Achilles and shin injuries .
And that may mean England captain Owen Farrell starts at fly-half for the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia in Japan last year following six successive Tests at inside centre .
As a result the uncapped Umaga , the only other fly-half included in a 36-man squad announced Monday , could make his Test debut off the bench a week after scoring a fine solo try for Wasps in their English Premiership final defeat by Exeter at a rainswept Twickenham .
England-born Umaga is the nephew of former New Zealand captain Tana Umaga but it is the 22-year-old 's innate qualities , rather than his family history , that have caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way he attacks the line , '' Jones , whose England side were beaten by South Africa in the World Cup final , told reporters .
`` You saw that when he scored that try ( in the Premiership final ) .
`` They ( Wasps ) got a couple of quick rucks and he just hits the line flat , through the hole , runs the holes , beats the full-back , scores .
`` They 're the things you ca n't coach and they ’ re the things you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australian veteran coach Jones , previously in charge of his native Wallabies and Japan , added the modern game , with its emphasis on scoring off one pass from heavily contested rucks against tight defence , meant `` you need really instinctive players that can take the opportunity ... That 's why I like Umaga '' .
Asked if Umaga was ready for international rugby , Jones gave a typically colourful reply .
`` No 10s ( fly-halves ) are like sushi chefs , '' he said .
`` It generally takes you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making sushi .
No 10s are the same . ''
Jones added : `` He ( Umaga ) is at the start of the apprenticeship and he might graduate very quickly and be able to make sushi at the corner stall and then he might be able to make sushi at a five-star restaurant . ''
Developing his theme , Jones pointed to the career of World Cup-winning New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter .
`` Look at the example of Daniel Carter .
He was at his best at 35 , the complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they need them , kicks to the corner , then when there 's a line break he is in on it . ''
Jones , a schoolboy and Randwick club contemporary of Mark Ella , a brilliantly talented fly-half with ball in hand and a star of Australia 's 1984 Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland , added : `` You look at a ten when Mark Ella played , he had probably 15 metres between him and the defence line .
`` Now when the ten has the ball , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to bang them .
`` The ability to make decisions quickly is extraordinarily difficult .
With those young guys I think you have got to be patient , you have got to allow them to come through . ''
Jones ' preparations for the Italy match were disrupted by the cancellation of Sunday 's warm-up game against the Barbarians after several of the invitational club 's players , including former England captain Chris Robshaw , breached coronavirus regulations .
`` I 've been around a while so I just accepted it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and worked out a Plan B , '' explained Jones .
`` We had the same situation with the typhoon in Japan ( that saw England 's World Cup pool match against France called off ) so we moved on .
`` This time , it was just a bit of a different typhoon . ''

London (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Eddie Jones likened England newcomer Jacob Umaga to a trainee sushi chef ahead of the Wasps fly-half's possible Test debut against Italy in Rome this weekend.
England could be crowned Six Nations champions if they win in the coronavirus-delayed final round on Saturday and the result of a match between title rivals France and Ireland falls in their favour.
But they will face perennial strugglers Italy without fly-half George Ford and full-back Elliot Daly because of respective Achilles and shin injuries.
And that may mean England captain Owen Farrell starts at fly-half for the first time since a World Cup quarter-final victory over Australia in Japan last year following six successive Tests at inside centre.
As a result the uncapped Umaga, the only other fly-half included in a 36-man squad announced Monday, could make his Test debut off the bench a week after scoring a fine solo try for Wasps in their English Premiership final defeat by Exeter at a rainswept Twickenham.
England-born Umaga is the nephew of former New Zealand captain Tana Umaga but it is the 22-year-old's innate qualities, rather than his family history, that have caught Jones' eye.
"I like the way he attacks the line," Jones, whose England side were beaten by South Africa in the World Cup final, told reporters.
"You saw that when he scored that try (in the Premiership final).
"They (Wasps) got a couple of quick rucks and he just hits the line flat, through the hole, runs the holes, beats the full-back, scores.
"They're the things you can't coach and they’re the things you're always looking for in players."
- 'Instinctive players' -
Australian veteran coach Jones, previously in charge of his native Wallabies and Japan, added the modern game, with its emphasis on scoring off one pass from heavily contested rucks against tight defence, meant "you need really instinctive players that can take the opportunity...That's why I like Umaga".
Asked if Umaga was ready for international rugby, Jones gave a typically colourful reply.
"No 10s (fly-halves) are like sushi chefs," he said.
"It generally takes you about 10 years before you can start making sushi. No 10s are the same."
Jones added: "He (Umaga) is at the start of the apprenticeship and he might graduate very quickly and be able to make sushi at the corner stall and then he might be able to make sushi at a five-star restaurant."
Developing his theme, Jones pointed to the career of World Cup-winning New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter.
"Look at the example of Daniel Carter. He was at his best at 35, the complete package: calm, takes field goals when they need them, kicks to the corner, then when there's a line break he is in on it."
Jones, a schoolboy and Randwick club contemporary of Mark Ella, a brilliantly talented fly-half with ball in hand and a star of Australia's 1984 Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland, added: "You look at a ten when Mark Ella played, he had probably 15 metres between him and the defence line.
"Now when the ten has the ball, they literally have three metres before someone is going to bang them.
"The ability to make decisions quickly is extraordinarily difficult. With those young guys I think you have got to be patient, you have got to allow them to come through."
Jones' preparations for the Italy match were disrupted by the cancellation of Sunday's warm-up game against the Barbarians after several of the invitational club's players, including former England captain Chris Robshaw, breached coronavirus regulations.
"I've been around a while so I just accepted it and quickly went up to my room and worked out a Plan B," explained Jones.
"We had the same situation with the typhoon in Japan (that saw England's World Cup pool match against France called off) so we moved on.
"This time, it was just a bit of a different typhoon."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Dodgers can end drought with one more World Series win over Rays

The Los Angeles Dodgers , one win away from ending a 32-year World Series title drought , are trying to keep their focus on the nuts and bolts of Tuesday 's game six against the Tampa Bay Rays .
`` It 's human nature , '' manager Dave Roberts said Monday , acknowledging that with the Dodgers up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series he ca n't help contemplating what it would mean to hoist the Major League Baseball trophy after coming up short in 2017 and 2018 .
`` But I just really do n't let my mind go there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after catching his breath on the rest day Monday `` I 'll starting thinking about game six and that 's all I 'm thinking about . ''
Roberts and the Dodgers have the luxury now of having two chances to seal the triumph , while game six is do-or-die for the Rays .
But Tampa Bay , built with the third-lowest payroll in the major leagues according to Spotrac , have a resilient bunch , beating the New York Yankees 2-1 in a decisive game five to reach the American League Championship Series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven against the Houston Astros .
`` We expect to win this thing , '' Rays pitcher Ryan Thompson said Monday .
`` We expect to win the next two games . ''
The Rays will send ace pitcher Blake Snell to the mound on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington , Texas , the first neutral venue for a World Series in baseball history .
Some 11,500 fans -- little more than a quarter of the ballpark 's capacity -- have been admitted to games this World Series , which caps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the coronavirus pandemic .
On Tuesday , the Rays will be looking for a strong start from Snell , and also for some early runs that would allow a deep Rays bullpen to take over and hopefully hold the Dodgers in check the rest of the way .
`` We 're going to get aggressive tomorrow , '' Rays manager Kevin Cash said .
`` If we can somehow get a lead and limit them , we 've got some of the big guys back in the bullpen who are ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to get a lead and then get aggressive to where we feel we can limit whatever offense is out there , '' Cash said , although he admitted the Rays had n't been able to put that into practice consistently .
`` They 're up one- , two- or three-nothing by the second or third inning every night it feels like , '' Cash said .
Dodgers hitters have found multiple ways to hurt the Rays .
Justin Turner has two first-inning home runs in the series .
Mookie Betts led off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corey Seager is batting .471 and Max Muncy leads the Dodgers in runs-batted-in .
The Dodgers have hit multiple homers in eight straight post-season games .
Catcher Austin Barnes had both a homer and a safety squeeze bunt to score a run in the Dodgers ' game-three victory .
The Rays sensational rookie Randy Arozarena has set the single post-season record for home runs during the Series and the record for most hits in a post-season .
Brandon Lowe has broken out of a slump with multiple homers in the Series , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cash said he would again consider lineup changes in a bid to spark more offense .
Rookie pitcher Tony Gonsolin will start game six on Tuesday , leaving ace Walker Buehler in reserve for a potential game seven .
Gonsolin was the Dodgers ' `` opening '' pitcher in a game-two defeat , giving up a home run to Lowe in 1 1/3 innings , but Roberts says he hopes Gonsolin will go deeper into the game on Tuesday .
`` I hope to get five or six innings , that would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want him to go as long as he possibly can . ''
And even with the comfort of Buehler in the background , Roberts wants the Dodgers to finish off the Rays on Tuesday -- before they have time to remember the game-seven loss to the Houston Astros in 2017 .
`` The goal is to win ( Tuesday ) , '' Roberts said .
`` We know that 's a very , very good ballclub -- our focus is to win game six and that 's it . ''

Arlington (United States) (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
The Los Angeles Dodgers, one win away from ending a 32-year World Series title drought, are trying to keep their focus on the nuts and bolts of Tuesday's game six against the Tampa Bay Rays.
"It's human nature," manager Dave Roberts said Monday, acknowledging that with the Dodgers up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series he can't help contemplating what it would mean to hoist the Major League Baseball trophy after coming up short in 2017 and 2018.
"But I just really don't let my mind go there," he said, adding that after catching his breath on the rest day Monday "I'll starting thinking about game six and that's all I'm thinking about."
Roberts and the Dodgers have the luxury now of having two chances to seal the triumph, while game six is do-or-die for the Rays.
But Tampa Bay, built with the third-lowest payroll in the major leagues according to Spotrac, have a resilient bunch, beating the New York Yankees 2-1 in a decisive game five to reach the American League Championship Series, where they won a deciding game seven against the Houston Astros.
"We expect to win this thing," Rays pitcher Ryan Thompson said Monday. "We expect to win the next two games."
The Rays will send ace pitcher Blake Snell to the mound on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, the first neutral venue for a World Series in baseball history.
Some 11,500 fans -- little more than a quarter of the ballpark's capacity -- have been admitted to games this World Series, which caps a season upended, and shortened, by the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, the Rays will be looking for a strong start from Snell, and also for some early runs that would allow a deep Rays bullpen to take over and hopefully hold the Dodgers in check the rest of the way.
"We're going to get aggressive tomorrow," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "If we can somehow get a lead and limit them, we've got some of the big guys back in the bullpen who are ready to go.
"That's our strategy, to get a lead and then get aggressive to where we feel we can limit whatever offense is out there," Cash said, although he admitted the Rays hadn't been able to put that into practice consistently.
"They're up one-, two- or three-nothing by the second or third inning every night it feels like," Cash said.
Dodgers hitters have found multiple ways to hurt the Rays.
Justin Turner has two first-inning home runs in the series. Mookie Betts led off game five with a searing double. Corey Seager is batting .471 and Max Muncy leads the Dodgers in runs-batted-in.
The Dodgers have hit multiple homers in eight straight post-season games.
Catcher Austin Barnes had both a homer and a safety squeeze bunt to score a run in the Dodgers' game-three victory.
The Rays sensational rookie Randy Arozarena has set the single post-season record for home runs during the Series and the record for most hits in a post-season.
- Gonsolin gets start -
Brandon Lowe has broken out of a slump with multiple homers in the Series, but the Rays offense has largely underperformed and Cash said he would again consider lineup changes in a bid to spark more offense.
Rookie pitcher Tony Gonsolin will start game six on Tuesday, leaving ace Walker Buehler in reserve for a potential game seven.
Gonsolin was the Dodgers' "opening" pitcher in a game-two defeat, giving up a home run to Lowe in 1 1/3 innings, but Roberts says he hopes Gonsolin will go deeper into the game on Tuesday.
"I hope to get five or six innings, that would be great," Roberts said. I want him to go as long as he possibly can."
And even with the comfort of Buehler in the background, Roberts wants the Dodgers to finish off the Rays on Tuesday -- before they have time to remember the game-seven loss to the Houston Astros in 2017.
"The goal is to win (Tuesday)," Roberts said. "We know that's a very, very good ballclub -- our focus is to win game six and that's it."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Thousands flee homes near LA as wildfire rages

Smoke from the Glass Fire hangs heavy over a vineyard outside of Calistoga in Napa Valley , California on September 30 , 2020 Some 60,000 people fled their homes near Los Angeles on Monday as a wildfire raged across more than 2,000 acres ( 800 hectares ) with high winds grounding firefighting aircraft .
The so-called Silverado Fire erupted early in the morning in the foothills of Irvine , about 37 miles ( 60 kilometers ) southeast of Los Angeles , and quickly spread , fueled by dry windy conditions .
`` It 's nuts -- even inside the car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my throat stung , '' said Frederic Tournadre , a French man whose company in Irvine sent all its employees home .
The National Weather Service warned that the combination of low humidity , dry vegetation and strong winds had created `` the most dangerous fire weather conditions '' this year .
It said the region will remain under a red flag warning -- signifying a high risk of wildfire -- through Tuesday evening .
`` New fire ignitions in Los Angeles and Ventura counties will likely have very rapid fire growth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotting , resulting in a significant threat to life and property , '' the Weather Service said .
The Silverado Fire is burning as California and much of the US west is under major fire risk because of dry conditions and strong seasonal winds .
More than four million acres have been devoured this season by flames in California alone , where 31 people have died in some of the largest fires in the state 's history .
Evacuations have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic which has hit the Golden State hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The state fire agency Cal Fire said Monday that more than 4,000 firefighters are battling 22 wildfires , with 34 million people under red flag warnings .
It said that wind gusts upwards of 80 miles ( 130 kilometers ) an hour were expected in mountain areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties .
The critical fire weather prompted Southern California Edison to shut off power to hundreds of customers in the two counties in a precautionary move to avert any electrical equipment from sparking blazes .

Los Angeles (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Some 60,000 people fled their homes near Los Angeles on Monday as a wildfire raged across more than 2,000 acres (800 hectares) with high winds grounding firefighting aircraft.
The so-called Silverado Fire erupted early in the morning in the foothills of Irvine, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, and quickly spread, fueled by dry windy conditions.
"It's nuts -- even inside the car, my eyes, my nose and my throat stung," said Frederic Tournadre, a French man whose company in Irvine sent all its employees home.
The National Weather Service warned that the combination of low humidity, dry vegetation and strong winds had created "the most dangerous fire weather conditions" this year.
It said the region will remain under a red flag warning -- signifying a high risk of wildfire -- through Tuesday evening.
"New fire ignitions in Los Angeles and Ventura counties will likely have very rapid fire growth, extreme fire behavior, and long range spotting, resulting in a significant threat to life and property," the Weather Service said.
The Silverado Fire is burning as California and much of the US west is under major fire risk because of dry conditions and strong seasonal winds.
More than four million acres have been devoured this season by flames in California alone, where 31 people have died in some of the largest fires in the state's history.
Evacuations have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic which has hit the Golden State hard and hampered the work of firefighters.
The state fire agency Cal Fire said Monday that more than 4,000 firefighters are battling 22 wildfires, with 34 million people under red flag warnings.
It said that wind gusts upwards of 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour were expected in mountain areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
The critical fire weather prompted Southern California Edison to shut off power to hundreds of customers in the two counties in a precautionary move to avert any electrical equipment from sparking blazes.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Facebook takes mobile games into the cloud

Facebook is launching mobile games but they wo n't be available on iPhones or iPads for now Facebook on Monday put its spin on cloud gaming by letting players instantly hop into an array of mobile games at the social network without downloading apps -- but wo n't be offering the service for Apple iOS devices .
Vice president of play Jason Rubin noted that Facebook is not spinning off a cloud gaming service along the lines of Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud , which offer console-quality titles hosted online .
The new Facebook capability is designed to let players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ switch to downloaded mobile apps without losing any progress it would n't synch with iPhones due to `` control '' exerted by Apple , according to Rubin .
`` Unfortunately , we 're not launching cloud games on iOS , so only Android and web players will enjoy integrated cloud games on Facebook while we work on alternative options for iOS , '' Rubin said in a blog post .
`` Apple treats games differently and continues to exert control over a very precious resource.
`` Excluding iPhones and iPads from the Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Apple for its tight grip on the App Store , which is the sole source of content for the company 's coveted mobile devices but takes a 30 percent cut of transactions .
Some developers say Apple takes too big a bite of the revenue and maintains rigid policies that may hamstring services competing with those of the iPhone maker .
Fortnite-maker Epic Games has taken Apple to court over the practice .
Apple has argued its App Store delivers billions of dollars to independent developers , and that its practices are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Only those playing with Android-powered mobile devices or through web browsers will be able to integrate with cloud games on Facebook for now , Rubin said .
Games made available in the cloud at Facebook can be accessed instantly in the application or in browsers , according to Rubin .
Some 200,000 people per week played cloud-streamed games at Facebook during a trial run in a few regions , according to Rubin .
`` We love console and PC gaming and both formats will be around for a long time , '' Rubin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will increase -- not replace -- the options to jump into great games . ''
Gaming at Facebook dates back to its early days when `` Farmville '' by Zynga was an obsession for many users .
The initial set of games includes Asphalt 9 : Legends by Gameloft and PGA TOUR Golf Shootout by Concrete Software .

San Francisco (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Facebook on Monday put its spin on cloud gaming by letting players instantly hop into an array of mobile games at the social network without downloading apps -- but won't be offering the service for Apple iOS devices.
Vice president of play Jason Rubin noted that Facebook is not spinning off a cloud gaming service along the lines of Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud, which offer console-quality titles hosted online.
The new Facebook capability is designed to let players start games at the social network then switch to downloaded mobile apps without losing any progress it wouldn't synch with iPhones due to "control" exerted by Apple, according to Rubin.
"Unfortunately, we're not launching cloud games on iOS, so only Android and web players will enjoy integrated cloud games on Facebook while we work on alternative options for iOS," Rubin said in a blog post.
"Apple treats games differently and continues to exert control over a very precious resource. "
Excluding iPhones and iPads from the Facebook cloud games offering is the latest dig at Apple for its tight grip on the App Store, which is the sole source of content for the company's coveted mobile devices but takes a 30 percent cut of transactions.
Some developers say Apple takes too big a bite of the revenue and maintains rigid policies that may hamstring services competing with those of the iPhone maker. Fortnite-maker Epic Games has taken Apple to court over the practice.
Apple has argued its App Store delivers billions of dollars to independent developers, and that its practices are reasonable compared with other digital marketplaces.
Only those playing with Android-powered mobile devices or through web browsers will be able to integrate with cloud games on Facebook for now, Rubin said.
Games made available in the cloud at Facebook can be accessed instantly in the application or in browsers, according to Rubin. Some 200,000 people per week played cloud-streamed games at Facebook during a trial run in a few regions, according to Rubin.
"We love console and PC gaming and both formats will be around for a long time," Rubin said.
"We believe cloud gaming will increase -- not replace -- the options to jump into great games."
Gaming at Facebook dates back to its early days when "Farmville" by Zynga was an obsession for many users.
The initial set of games includes Asphalt 9: Legends by Gameloft and PGA TOUR Golf Shootout by Concrete Software.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Scotland's Maitland out of Wales game after Barbarians bubble breach

Sean Maitland has been ruled out of Scotland 's Six Nations Championship finale away to Wales on Saturday after his part in breaches of coronavirus protocols that saw the Barbarians ' game against England cancelled .
Saracens and Scotland wing Maitland , a veteran of 48 Tests , was among the players from the invitational Barbarians whose unauthorised trip to a restaurant breached efforts to maintain a hygiene bubble , with officials subsequently calling off last Sunday 's match at Twickenham .
In March , Maitland scored two tries as Scotland ended title-chasing France 's hopes of a Grand Slam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Scotland coach Gregor Townsend , in a Scottish Rugby statement issued Monday , confirmed the 32-year-old Maitland 's absence from this weekend 's trip to Llanelli .
`` We are working hard to ensure our training camp remains secure in terms of Covid protocols and , as such , Sean 's actions last week with the Barbarians mean that he wo n't be able to rejoin our group now and we will review the situation in the coming weeks , '' he said .
Glasgow wing Ratu Tagive has now joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Exeter trio of Stuart Hogg , Jonny Gray and Sam Skinner fresh from helping the Chiefs win the English Premiership final a week after their European Champions Cup triumph .
Scotland , currently fourth in the standings , are aiming for their first win in Wales since 2002 .
The behind closed doors game has been moved to Llanelli 's Parc Y Scarlets after the pandemic saw Cardiff 's Principality Stadium commissioned as a field hospital by the Welsh government .

Edinburgh (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Sean Maitland has been ruled out of Scotland's Six Nations Championship finale away to Wales on Saturday after his part in breaches of coronavirus protocols that saw the Barbarians' game against England cancelled.
Saracens and Scotland wing Maitland, a veteran of 48 Tests, was among the players from the invitational Barbarians whose unauthorised trip to a restaurant breached efforts to maintain a hygiene bubble, with officials subsequently calling off last Sunday's match at Twickenham.
In March, Maitland scored two tries as Scotland ended title-chasing France's hopes of a Grand Slam with a shock 28-17 win at Murrayfield.
But Scotland coach Gregor Townsend, in a Scottish Rugby statement issued Monday, confirmed the 32-year-old Maitland's absence from this weekend's trip to Llanelli.
"We are working hard to ensure our training camp remains secure in terms of Covid protocols and, as such, Sean's actions last week with the Barbarians mean that he won't be able to rejoin our group now and we will review the situation in the coming weeks," he said.
Glasgow wing Ratu Tagive has now joined up with the squad as have the Exeter trio of Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray and Sam Skinner fresh from helping the Chiefs win the English Premiership final a week after their European Champions Cup triumph.
Scotland, currently fourth in the standings, are aiming for their first win in Wales since 2002.
The behind closed doors game has been moved to Llanelli's Parc Y Scarlets after the pandemic saw Cardiff's Principality Stadium commissioned as a field hospital by the Welsh government.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Pope to celebrate Christmas without congregation: report

Pope Francis ( pictured October 25 , 2020 ) was deprived of a congregation at Easter when he had to celebrate mass at Saint Peter 's with very few people present , due to the coronavirus Pope Francis will have to forego meeting Catholics at the annual Advent and Christmas masses in the Vatican owing to the resurgent coronavirus pandemic , the specialist Catholic News Agency ( CNA ) reported on Monday .
The 83-year-old pontiff was deprived of a congregation at Easter when he had to celebrate mass at Saint Peter 's with very few people present .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vatican , its foreign minister informed them that Christmas ceremonies would take `` a private form '' this year .
Members of the diplomatic corps would not be present , and events would be made available online , a document seen by CNA said .
Tens of thousands of Catholics typically visit Rome in December to attend services at the Vatican .
The pope has scheduled a prayer on Saint Peter 's Square on December 8 in lieu of a public appearance to honour the Virgin Mary , but he is still due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver his traditional Urbi and Orbi message to the world .
The Argentinian-born pontiff is fond of greeting the public , but since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Italy he has had to curtail his agenda , cancelling trips , receptions and ceremonies .
Italy has re-imposed restrictions to battle a second wave of the pandemic , and officials face a backlash after ordering restaurants and bars to shut from 6:00 pm and theatres , cinemas and gyms to close for a month .
The virus has killed more than 37,000 people in Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent days to protest curbs on social activities .

Vatican City (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Pope Francis will have to forego meeting Catholics at the annual Advent and Christmas masses in the Vatican owing to the resurgent coronavirus pandemic, the specialist Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported on Monday.
The 83-year-old pontiff was deprived of a congregation at Easter when he had to celebrate mass at Saint Peter's with very few people present.
In a letter to foreign envoys to the Vatican, its foreign minister informed them that Christmas ceremonies would take "a private form" this year.
Members of the diplomatic corps would not be present, and events would be made available online, a document seen by CNA said.
Tens of thousands of Catholics typically visit Rome in December to attend services at the Vatican.
The pope has scheduled a prayer on Saint Peter's Square on December 8 in lieu of a public appearance to honour the Virgin Mary, but he is still due to celebrate mass on Christmas Eve and deliver his traditional Urbi and Orbi message to the world.
The Argentinian-born pontiff is fond of greeting the public, but since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Italy he has had to curtail his agenda, cancelling trips, receptions and ceremonies.
Italy has re-imposed restrictions to battle a second wave of the pandemic, and officials face a backlash after ordering restaurants and bars to shut from 6:00 pm and theatres, cinemas and gyms to close for a month.
The virus has killed more than 37,000 people in Italy, but thousands have also turned out in recent days to protest curbs on social activities.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-26--Newcastle owner Ashley calls for cut in Premier League pay-per-view fee

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has called the Premier League 's controversial pay-per-view arrangements `` not acceptable '' as clubs prepare to discuss the policy at a shareholders ' meeting on Tuesday .
Matches played after October 's internationals that were not selected for regular television broadcast were made available on a pay-per-view basis on Sky Sports or BT Sport at £14.95 ( $ 19 ) each .
Fans ' groups have urged a price cut , with many supporters opting to donate to food banks and other charitable causes instead of paying the fee .
Premier League chief executive Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` defensible '' while BT Sport said it was simply covering its costs .
Ashley , who explained his initial vote in favour of the pay-per-view proposal as being due to a lack of `` realistic or viable alternatives '' , has now proposed a reduced-price version .
`` I am calling on the Premier League to immediately act and review its current pay-per-view arrangements for live matches in the UK , '' he said in a statement .
`` Charging £14.95 for single televised matches in the current climate it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supporters have overwhelmingly rejected this offer and the Premier League must now act .
`` Why not make it much more accessible at £4.95 per match until Christmas ? ''
Ashley suggested profits from the reduced-price scheme should be divided equally between the English top-flight and lower-league clubs .
Premier League clubs had hoped to welcome back some fans to stadiums from October but the government has imposed an indefinite delay due to the rise in coronavirus cases .
The league has warned that English football will lose £100 million for every month @ @ @ @ @ @

London (AFP) –
Advertising Read more
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has called the Premier League's controversial pay-per-view arrangements "not acceptable" as clubs prepare to discuss the policy at a shareholders' meeting on Tuesday.
Matches played after October's internationals that were not selected for regular television broadcast were made available on a pay-per-view basis on Sky Sports or BT Sport at £14.95 ($19) each.
Fans' groups have urged a price cut, with many supporters opting to donate to food banks and other charitable causes instead of paying the fee.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said earlier this month the price was "defensible" while BT Sport said it was simply covering its costs.
Ashley, who explained his initial vote in favour of the pay-per-view proposal as being due to a lack of "realistic or viable alternatives", has now proposed a reduced-price version.
"I am calling on the Premier League to immediately act and review its current pay-per-view arrangements for live matches in the UK," he said in a statement.
"Charging £14.95 for single televised matches in the current climate it is not acceptable to any football fan. Supporters have overwhelmingly rejected this offer and the Premier League must now act.
"Why not make it much more accessible at £4.95 per match until Christmas?"
Ashley suggested profits from the reduced-price scheme should be divided equally between the English top-flight and lower-league clubs.
Premier League clubs had hoped to welcome back some fans to stadiums from October but the government has imposed an indefinite delay due to the rise in coronavirus cases.
The league has warned that English football will lose £100 million for every month supporters remain barred from grounds.
© 2020 AFP