france24--2020-07-14--US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalised for possible infection

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg participates in a discussion hosted by the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington , D.C. , U.S. , September 12 , 2019 .
US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the 87-year-old anchor of its liberal faction , has been hospitalised for a suspected infection , the court said Tuesday .
Ginsburg was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore early Tuesday after first going to her regular Washington hospital late Monday with fever and chills .
She underwent an endoscopic procedure Tuesday afternoon `` to clean out a bile duct stent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court said in a statement .
Ginsburg `` is resting comfortably and will stay in the hospital for a few days to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment . ''
One of four liberals among the nine justices , Ginsburg 's health is closely watched as Donald Trump 's administration seeks an opportunity to appoint a new justice who would tilt the court solidly in a conservative direction , potentially shifting US law and social policy for decades .
Supreme Court justices serve until they die or voluntarily retire , and Ginsburg has clung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if she leaves it could change the landscape of US justice .
Together with the centrist Chief Justice John Roberts , the four liberals have prevented a reversal of longstanding abortion rights , stronger executive powers for the president and greater involvement of religion in public life .
Hugely popular with Democrats , the unintentional social media icon is fondly known as `` The Notorious RBG , '' a riff on slain rapper The Notorious B.I.G .
She has been hospitalised several times in recent years , including for two days in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gallbladder infection .
But her hospital stays have always seen her actively participating in court activities by teleconference .
It was not clear if she took part in court discussions overnight Monday on emergency petitions over the resumption of federal executions as a convicted murdered awaited on death row in an Indiana prison .
The court ruled five to four in favour of going ahead , and hours later the murderer , Daniel Lee , was put to death , in the first federal execution in 17 years .

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the 87-year-old anchor of its liberal faction, has been hospitalised for a suspected infection, the court said Tuesday.
US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg participates in a discussion hosted by the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, on September 12, 2019.
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Ginsburg was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore early Tuesday after first going to her regular Washington hospital late Monday with fever and chills.
She underwent an endoscopic procedure Tuesday afternoon "to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last August," the court said in a statement.
Ginsburg "is resting comfortably and will stay in the hospital for a few days to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment."
One of four liberals among the nine justices, Ginsburg's health is closely watched as Donald Trump's administration seeks an opportunity to appoint a new justice who would tilt the court solidly in a conservative direction, potentially shifting US law and social policy for decades.
Supreme Court justices serve until they die or voluntarily retire, and Ginsburg has clung to her position despite her age aware that if she leaves it could change the landscape of US justice.
Together with the centrist Chief Justice John Roberts, the four liberals have prevented a reversal of longstanding abortion rights, stronger executive powers for the president and greater involvement of religion in public life.
Hugely popular with Democrats, the unintentional social media icon is fondly known as "The Notorious RBG," a riff on slain rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
She has been hospitalised several times in recent years, including for two days in May to be treated for a benign gallbladder infection.
But her hospital stays have always seen her actively participating in court activities by teleconference.
It was not clear if she took part in court discussions overnight Monday on emergency petitions over the resumption of federal executions as a convicted murdered awaited on death row in an Indiana prison.
The court ruled five to four in favour of going ahead, and hours later the murderer, Daniel Lee, was put to death, in the first federal execution in 17 years.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-14--Trump administration reverses course on order barring some foreign students

US President Donald Trump during a White House roundtable discussion on the Safe Reopening of America 's Schools on July 7 , 2020 .
The Trump administration on Tuesday abandoned its attempt to force foreign students to leave the United States if all of their classes are to be taught online this autumn , in a dramatic reversal from a policy announced just last week .
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts said the U.S. government and Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology that sued over the measure had come to a settlement that would roll back the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quo .
The universities argued the measure was unlawful and would adversely affect their academic institutions .
A flurry of lawsuits , including one brought by a coalition of state governments , were filed after Harvard 's legal action and major tech companies and dozens of colleges and universities filed `` friend-of-the-court '' briefs opposing the rule .
There are more than a million foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities , and many schools depend on revenue from foreign students , who often pay full tuition .
In March , U.S. Immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules for international students on F-1 and M-1 visas that limit the number of online courses foreign students can take if they want to remain in the United States .
The move came as schools shuttered campuses in response to the spreading coronavirus and public health lockdowns .
But on July 6 , ICE abruptly reversed the policy , blindsiding many universities and colleges that were still making their plans for the fall semester .
Many academic institutions are grappling with the logistical challenges of safely resuming classes as the coronavirus pandemic continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States , especially among young people .

The Trump administration on Tuesday abandoned its attempt to force foreign students to leave the United States if all of their classes are to be taught online this autumn, in a dramatic reversal from a policy announced just last week.
US President Donald Trump during a White House roundtable discussion on the Safe Reopening of America's Schools on July 7, 2020.
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U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts said the U.S. government and Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology that sued over the measure had come to a settlement that would roll back the new rules and restore the previous status quo.
The universities argued the measure was unlawful and would adversely affect their academic institutions.
A flurry of lawsuits, including one brought by a coalition of state governments, were filed after Harvard's legal action and major tech companies and dozens of colleges and universities filed "friend-of-the-court" briefs opposing the rule.
There are more than a million foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities, and many schools depend on revenue from foreign students, who often pay full tuition.
In March, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) waived rules for international students on F-1 and M-1 visas that limit the number of online courses foreign students can take if they want to remain in the United States.
The move came as schools shuttered campuses in response to the spreading coronavirus and public health lockdowns.
But on July 6, ICE abruptly reversed the policy, blindsiding many universities and colleges that were still making their plans for the fall semester.
Many academic institutions are grappling with the logistical challenges of safely resuming classes as the coronavirus pandemic continues unabated around the world, and surges in the United States, especially among young people.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-14--Italy returns stolen Banksy tribute to 2015 Paris attacks to France on Bastille Day

An Italian carabiniere and a French policeman unveil an artwork by British street artist Banksy during a ceremony at the French embassy in Rome , Italy , on July 14 , 2020 .
The piece was stolen from the Bataclan concert hall in Paris and found in an Italian farmhouse .
Italy on Tuesday returned to France a stolen artwork by British artist Banksy that was painted as a tribute to the victims of the 2015 Paris attacks at the Bataclan music hall .
The chief prosecutor in charge of the investigation , Michele Renzo , told the French ambassador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was occurring on Bastille Day , given the need to continue fighting for all freedoms .
“ This door brings our minds back to the memory of the tragic and distressing event , and tells us that for liberty , for our individual liberties , we will always have to fight , ” Renzo said at a ceremony in the French Embassy , where the artwork was being displayed for the holiday .
French officials last year had announced the theft of the piece , a black image appearing to depict a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bataclan ’ s emergency exit doors .
Ninety people were killed at the Bataclan on Nov. 13 , 2015 , when Islamic extremists invaded the music hall , one of several targets that night in which a total of 130 people died .
Italian authorities had announced last month that they had discovered the painted door in an attic in a country home in Abruzzo .
French Ambassador Christian Masset said the door was a “ witness ” to the attack but also an escape route .
“ Through this door which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managed to escape , ” he said .
“ Thanks to this door more lives were saved.
” Standing next to the piece after it was unveiled , Renzo said Italy was proud to return the painting to its rightful owners .
“ Recovering this symbol , handing it back to the public ’ s emotion was for us a commitment and today is a great honor , ” said Renzo , chief prosecutor in L'Aquila .

Italy on Tuesday returned to France a stolen artwork by British artist Banksy that was painted as a tribute to the victims of the 2015 Paris attacks at the Bataclan music hall.
An Italian carabiniere and a French policeman unveil an artwork by British street artist Banksy during a ceremony at the French embassy in Rome, Italy, on July 14, 2020. The piece was stolen from the Bataclan concert hall in Paris and found in an Italian farmhouse.
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The chief prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Michele Renzo, told the French ambassador that it was significant that the handover was occurring on Bastille Day, given the need to continue fighting for all freedoms.
“This door brings our minds back to the memory of the tragic and distressing event, and tells us that for liberty, for our individual liberties, we will always have to fight,” Renzo said at a ceremony in the French Embassy, where the artwork was being displayed for the holiday.
French officials last year had announced the theft of the piece, a black image appearing to depict a person mourning that was painted on one of the Bataclan’s emergency exit doors.
Ninety people were killed at the Bataclan on Nov. 13, 2015, when Islamic extremists invaded the music hall, one of several targets that night in which a total of 130 people died.
Italian authorities had announced last month that they had discovered the painted door in an attic in a country home in Abruzzo.
French Ambassador Christian Masset said the door was a “witness” to the attack but also an escape route.
“Through this door which was an emergency exit, many people managed to escape,” he said. “Thanks to this door more lives were saved.”
Standing next to the piece after it was unveiled, Renzo said Italy was proud to return the painting to its rightful owners.
“Recovering this symbol, handing it back to the public’s emotion was for us a commitment and today is a great honor,” said Renzo, chief prosecutor in L'Aquila.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-14--Special edition: Lebanon grapples with worst economic meltdown in years

In this week 's show we 're turning our attention to Lebanon , a country whose economy has been pushed to the brink of collapse .
The Lebanese pound has lost 85 percent of its value since anti-government protests broke out last October .
Decades of government corruption and financial mismanagement has resulted in Lebanon reaching a dire situation .
We take a closer look at how the crisis is affecting ordinary people .
When anti-government protests broke out in Lebanon last year , people on the streets said they wanted those in power to look like them .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicated because the political structure is divided along sectarian lines .
We find out more with political scientist Aurélie Daher .
As the economic situation worsens , the engine of Lebanon 's economy –its middle class – is being hit hard .
Staples like beef and chicken have become too expensive , and everyday commodities like laundry detergent and nappies have also become unaffordable .
These economic realities have resulted in people going online to barter .
Our correspondents Zeina Antonios and Leila Molana-Allen report from Beirut .
And for more on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we speak to Gaelle Matar , a political activist and founder of the NGO Haddak Men B3id , which translates as `` close to you from afar '' .
It delivers food boxes to those in need .

In this week's show we're turning our attention to Lebanon, a country whose economy has been pushed to the brink of collapse. The Lebanese pound has lost 85 percent of its value since anti-government protests broke out last October. Decades of government corruption and financial mismanagement has resulted in Lebanon reaching a dire situation. We take a closer look at how the crisis is affecting ordinary people.
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When anti-government protests broke out in Lebanon last year, people on the streets said they wanted those in power to look like them. But the power-sharing arrangement in the country is complicated because the political structure is divided along sectarian lines. We find out more with political scientist Aurélie Daher.
As the economic situation worsens, the engine of Lebanon's economy –its middle class – is being hit hard. Staples like beef and chicken have become too expensive, and everyday commodities like laundry detergent and nappies have also become unaffordable. These economic realities have resulted in people going online to barter. Our correspondents Zeina Antonios and Leila Molana-Allen report from Beirut.
And for more on the situation on the ground in Lebanon, we speak to Gaelle Matar, a political activist and founder of the NGO Haddak Men B3id, which translates as "close to you from afar". It delivers food boxes to those in need.
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france24--2020-07-14--Defending minister accused of rape, Macron warns against ‘judgement by social media’

A placard reading `` No to a sexist government '' is seen at a rally outside Paris city hall on July 10 , one of several protests against the appointment of Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin .
French President Emmanuel Macron has defended his decision to put a man accused of rape in charge of the nation ’ s police forces , citing the presumption of innocence and warning that France should not adopt the “ worst of Anglo-Saxon society ” .
Questioned about the rape allegation during a Bastille Day interview on Tuesday , Macron became agitated , saying : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
... No cause can be fairly defended if you do so by ignoring the principles of our democracy.
” His decision last week to appoint Gérald Darmanin as interior minister , a position sometimes referred to in France as “ top cop ” , has infuriated French feminists who have staged several protests in recent days .
> > French feminists criticise choice of justice , interior ministers over sexism and rape claims Darmanin , who defected from the conservative Les Républicains party to serve in Macron ’ s government , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she sought his help in having a criminal record expunged in 2009 .
He has denied the claims , insisting that relations were consensual .
The charges were initially dismissed in 2018 , but last November judges ordered the case to be reopened .
A new investigation is currently underway .
In his interview on Tuesday , Macron pledged to continue pushing for tougher measures against sexual violence and for gender equality , insisting he “ shares the feminist cause ” .
However , he cautioned that justice should run its course and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim of a judgment by the street and social networks '' .
France , he added , shouldn ’ t adopt the “ worst of Anglo-Saxon society ” .
French feminist groups want Darmanin to resign , saying the appointment is a blow to victims of sexual violence and contradicts Macron ’ s promises to make gender equality a “ great cause ” of his presidency .
They ’ re also angry at the appointment of new Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti , who has ridiculed the # MeToo movement and the “ crazy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social media .
A former lawyer , Dupond-Moretti has also dismissed the world ’ s first law against catcalls and other street harassment , passed in France in 2018 , as a “ joke ” .
In his recent cabinet reshuffle , Macron replaced the high-profile women ’ s rights minister behind that law , Marlène Schiappa .
She will now work under Darmanin in a new role focusing on citizenship .
The appointments of Darmanin and Dupond-Moretti are a “ slap in the face ” against “ everyone who has campaigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former Socialist minister for the family , told French media last week .
“ It ’ s a very big problem , especially because neither of the two has made a public commitment to tackling such violence , ” Rossignol added .

French President Emmanuel Macron has defended his decision to put a man accused of rape in charge of the nation’s police forces, citing the presumption of innocence and warning that France should not adopt the “worst of Anglo-Saxon society”.
A placard reading "No to a sexist government" is seen at a rally outside Paris city hall on July 10, one of several protests against the appointment of Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
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Questioned about the rape allegation during a Bastille Day interview on Tuesday, Macron became agitated, saying: “There is the presumption of innocence. ... No cause can be fairly defended if you do so by ignoring the principles of our democracy.”
His decision last week to appoint Gérald Darmanin as interior minister, a position sometimes referred to in France as “top cop”, has infuriated French feminists who have staged several protests in recent days.
>> French feminists criticise choice of justice, interior ministers over sexism and rape claims
Darmanin, who defected from the conservative Les Républicains party to serve in Macron’s government, has been accused of raping a woman after she sought his help in having a criminal record expunged in 2009. He has denied the claims, insisting that relations were consensual.
The charges were initially dismissed in 2018, but last November judges ordered the case to be reopened. A new investigation is currently underway.
In his interview on Tuesday, Macron pledged to continue pushing for tougher measures against sexual violence and for gender equality, insisting he “shares the feminist cause”.
However, he cautioned that justice should run its course and that no one should become “the victim of a judgment by the street and social networks".
France, he added, shouldn’t adopt the “worst of Anglo-Saxon society”.
'Slap in the face'
French feminist groups want Darmanin to resign, saying the appointment is a blow to victims of sexual violence and contradicts Macron’s promises to make gender equality a “great cause” of his presidency.
They’re also angry at the appointment of new Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, who has ridiculed the #MeToo movement and the “crazy” women who “crucify” men on social media.
A former lawyer, Dupond-Moretti has also dismissed the world’s first law against catcalls and other street harassment, passed in France in 2018, as a “joke”.
In his recent cabinet reshuffle, Macron replaced the high-profile women’s rights minister behind that law, Marlène Schiappa. She will now work under Darmanin in a new role focusing on citizenship.
The appointments of Darmanin and Dupond-Moretti are a “slap in the face” against “everyone who has campaigned against gender-based violence”, Laurence Rossignol, a former Socialist minister for the family, told French media last week.
“It’s a very big problem, especially because neither of the two has made a public commitment to tackling such violence,” Rossignol added.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-07-14--US executes first federal prisoner since 2003, relatives of man’s victims disavow execution

A guard tower sits along a security fence at the Federal Correctional Complex where Daniel Lewis Lee was executed on July 14 , 2020 in Terre Haute , Indiana , USA .
The federal government on Tuesday carried out its first execution in almost two decades , killing by lethal injection a man convicted of murdering an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest .
The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee came over the objection of the victims ’ relatives and following days of legal wrangling and delays .
Lee , 47 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his innocence just before he was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana .
“ I didn ’ t do it , '' Lee said .
“ I ’ ve made a lot of mistakes in my life , but I ’ m not a murderer.
” His final words were : `` You ’ re killing an innocent man.
” The decision to move forward with the execution -- the first by the Bureau of Prisons since 2003 -- drew scrutiny from civil rights groups and the relatives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued to try to halt it , citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic .
The pandemic has killed more than 135,000 people in the United States and is ravaging prisons nationwide .
Critics argued that the government was creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency for political gain .
“ The government has been trying to plow forward with these executions despite many unanswered questions about the legality of its new execution protocol , ” said Shawn Nolan , one of the attorneys for the men facing federal execution .
The developments are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections .
'This is not being done in our name' The execution of Lee , who died at 8:07 a.m. EDT , went off after a series of legal volleys that ended when the Supreme Court stepped in early Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling and allowed it to move forward .
Attorney General William Barr has said the Justice Department has a duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts , including the death penalty , and to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and those in the communities where the killings happened .
But relatives of those killed by Lee in 1996 strongly opposed that idea and long argued that Lee deserved a sentence of life in prison .
They wanted to be present to counter any contention that the execution was being done on their behalf .
“ For us it is a matter of being there and saying , ‘ This is not being done in our name ; we do not want this , ’ ” relative Monica Veillette said .
They noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reputed ringleader , Chevie Kehoe , received a life sentence .
Kehoe , of Colville , Washington , recruited Lee in 1995 to join his white supremacist organization , known as the Aryan Peoples ’ Republic .
Two years later , they were arrested for the killings of gun dealer William Mueller , his wife , Nancy , and her 8-year-old daughter , Sarah Powell , in Tilly , Arkansas , about 75 miles ( 120 kilometers ) northwest of Little Rock .
At their 1999 trial , prosecutors said Kehoe and Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Muellers as part of their plan to establish a whites-only nation .
Prosecutors said Lee and Kehoe incapacitated the Muellers and questioned Sarah about where they could find money and ammunition .
Then , they used stun guns on the victims , sealed trash bags with duct tape on their heads to suffocate them , taped rocks to their bodies and dumped them in a nearby bayou .
A U.S. District Court judge put a hold on Lee ’ s execution on Monday , over concerns from death row inmates on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and an appeals court upheld it , but the high court overturned it .
That delay came after an appeals court on Sunday overturned a hold that had been put in place last week after the victims ’ relatives argued they would be put at high risk for the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend the execution .
Lee 's execution was then set to happen at 4 a.m. EDT , but a last-minute legal question was raised by his lawyers .
The Justice Department said it filed a request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but went through with the execution .
A U.S. marshal lifted a black telephone inside the execution room -- a small square room inside the prison with green tiles and windows looking at the witness rooms -- and asked if there was anything to impede the execution .
He said there was not and the execution could proceed .
Lee had a pulse oximeter on a finger of his left hand , to monitor his oxygen level , and his arms , which had tattoos , were in black restraints .
The IV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wall .
He breathed heavily before the drug was injected and moved his legs and feet .
As the drug was being administered , he raised his head to look around .
In a few moments , his chest was no longer moving .
Lee was in the execution chamber with two men who the Bureau of Prisons would only identify as “ senior BOP officials , ” a U.S. marshal and his spiritual adviser , whom a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson described as an “ Appalachian pagan minister.
” They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also was not wearing a mask .
One of the senior Prison officials in the room declared Lee ’ s time of death at 8:07 a.m. , and the curtain closed .
Two other federal executions are scheduled for later this week , though one remains on hold in a separate legal claim .
There have been two state executions in the U.S. since the pandemic forced shutdowns nationwide in mid-March — one in Texas and one in Missouri , according to the Death Penalty Information Center .
Alabama carried out one in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level have been rare , and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 — most recently in 2003 , when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping , rape and murder of a young female soldier .
Though there hadn ’ t been a federal execution since 2003 , the Justice Department has continued to approve death penalty prosecutions and federal courts have sentenced defendants to death .
In 2014 , following a botched state execution in Oklahoma , President Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broad review of capital punishment and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs .
The attorney general said last July that the Obama-era review had been completed , clearing the way for executions to resume .
He approved a new procedure for lethal injections that replaces the three-drug combination previously used in federal executions with one drug , pentobarbital .
This is similar to the procedure used in several states , including Georgia , Missouri and Texas , but not all .
Numbers of state executions have fallen steadily since the last federal execution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Penalty Information Center .
States put to death 59 people in 2004 and 22 in 2019 , nine of which were in Texas .

The federal government on Tuesday carried out its first execution in almost two decades, killing by lethal injection a man convicted of murdering an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest.
A guard tower sits along a security fence at the Federal Correctional Complex where Daniel Lewis Lee was executed on July 14, 2020 in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA.
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The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee came over the objection of the victims’ relatives and following days of legal wrangling and delays.
Lee, 47, of Yukon, Oklahoma, professed his innocence just before he was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.
“I didn’t do it," Lee said. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I’m not a murderer.”
His final words were: "You’re killing an innocent man.”
The decision to move forward with the execution -- the first by the Bureau of Prisons since 2003 -- drew scrutiny from civil rights groups and the relatives of Lee’s victims, who had sued to try to halt it, citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has killed more than 135,000 people in the United States and is ravaging prisons nationwide.
Critics argued that the government was creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency for political gain.
“The government has been trying to plow forward with these executions despite many unanswered questions about the legality of its new execution protocol,” said Shawn Nolan, one of the attorneys for the men facing federal execution.
The developments are likely to add a new front to the national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections.
'This is not being done in our name'
The execution of Lee, who died at 8:07 a.m. EDT, went off after a series of legal volleys that ended when the Supreme Court stepped in early Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling and allowed it to move forward.
Attorney General William Barr has said the Justice Department has a duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts, including the death penalty, and to bring a sense of closure to the victims and those in the communities where the killings happened.
But relatives of those killed by Lee in 1996 strongly opposed that idea and long argued that Lee deserved a sentence of life in prison. They wanted to be present to counter any contention that the execution was being done on their behalf.
“For us it is a matter of being there and saying, ‘This is not being done in our name; we do not want this,’” relative Monica Veillette said.
They noted that Lee’s co-defendant and the reputed ringleader, Chevie Kehoe, received a life sentence.
Kehoe, of Colville, Washington, recruited Lee in 1995 to join his white supremacist organization, known as the Aryan Peoples’ Republic. Two years later, they were arrested for the killings of gun dealer William Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell, in Tilly, Arkansas, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock.
At their 1999 trial, prosecutors said Kehoe and Lee stole guns and $50,000 in cash from the Muellers as part of their plan to establish a whites-only nation.
Prosecutors said Lee and Kehoe incapacitated the Muellers and questioned Sarah about where they could find money and ammunition. Then, they used stun guns on the victims, sealed trash bags with duct tape on their heads to suffocate them, taped rocks to their bodies and dumped them in a nearby bayou.
A U.S. District Court judge put a hold on Lee’s execution on Monday, over concerns from death row inmates on how executions were to be carried out, and an appeals court upheld it, but the high court overturned it. That delay came after an appeals court on Sunday overturned a hold that had been put in place last week after the victims’ relatives argued they would be put at high risk for the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend the execution.
Lee's execution was then set to happen at 4 a.m. EDT, but a last-minute legal question was raised by his lawyers. The Justice Department said it filed a request with the court to straighten it out but went through with the execution.
A U.S. marshal lifted a black telephone inside the execution room -- a small square room inside the prison with green tiles and windows looking at the witness rooms -- and asked if there was anything to impede the execution. He said there was not and the execution could proceed.
Lee had a pulse oximeter on a finger of his left hand, to monitor his oxygen level, and his arms, which had tattoos, were in black restraints. The IV tubes were coming through a metal panel in the wall.
He breathed heavily before the drug was injected and moved his legs and feet. As the drug was being administered, he raised his head to look around. In a few moments, his chest was no longer moving.
Lee was in the execution chamber with two men who the Bureau of Prisons would only identify as “senior BOP officials,” a U.S. marshal and his spiritual adviser, whom a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson described as an “Appalachian pagan minister.” They did not wear masks, and Lee also was not wearing a mask.
One of the senior Prison officials in the room declared Lee’s time of death at 8:07 a.m., and the curtain closed.
Justice Dept: Obama-era capital punishment review complete
Two other federal executions are scheduled for later this week, though one remains on hold in a separate legal claim.
There have been two state executions in the U.S. since the pandemic forced shutdowns nationwide in mid-March — one in Texas and one in Missouri, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Alabama carried out one in early March.
Executions on the federal level have been rare, and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 — most recently in 2003, when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping, rape and murder of a young female soldier.
Though there hadn’t been a federal execution since 2003, the Justice Department has continued to approve death penalty prosecutions and federal courts have sentenced defendants to death.
In 2014, following a botched state execution in Oklahoma, President Barack Obama directed the Justice Department to conduct a broad review of capital punishment and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs.
The attorney general said last July that the Obama-era review had been completed, clearing the way for executions to resume. He approved a new procedure for lethal injections that replaces the three-drug combination previously used in federal executions with one drug, pentobarbital. This is similar to the procedure used in several states, including Georgia, Missouri and Texas, but not all.
Numbers of state executions have fallen steadily since the last federal execution, according to data compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center. States put to death 59 people in 2004 and 22 in 2019, nine of which were in Texas.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-14--#MeToo fallout at French video game company Ubisoft could signal industry shift

France 's Ubisoft is one of the world 's largest video game publishers , with a portfolio including Assassin 's Creed and Far Cry .
After years of simmering controversy over sexism in the video game industry , change may be on its way after outrage led to a management overhaul at Ubisoft .
Following online allegations of sexual misconduct , the publisher of Assassin 's Creed and Far Cry launched a probe , resulting in the departure over the weekend of the company 's chief creative officer .
The head of human resources also left , as did the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game maker has its biggest studios .
CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot acknowledged that `` Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees '' .
The executive ousters were a high-profile victory for the # metoo movement in the male-dominated video game publishing industry that has a reputation for hostility towards women .
Accusations on social media of sexual harassment and abuse have targeted a number of video game publishers , as well as people in the gaming community around the Twitch platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developers became the targets of an online harassment campaign known as Gamergate and seen by many as a backlash to growing pressure about sexism .
Women Ubisoft employees described as `` toxic '' the work culture at the company , particularly at its Canadian studios .
One woman who asked for her name not to be used told AFP that `` working on Far Cry cost me two burnouts , psychological and sexual harassment and humiliation , and human resources never bothered to listen to me '' .
One employee said on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a team leader told her she was hired because she was `` cute '' but that `` to everyone 's surprise you do your job well '' .
She discovered a mailing list where men describe what women are wearing `` so guys can go take a look '' .
She then received comments about her looks , unwelcome invitations from superiors and was `` regularly pinched on the butt and breast '' while using a passageway between buildings .
A former employee said `` at Ubisoft people who do bad things are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and if you go to human resources or to managers they usually do nothing . ''
Another put the blame on the `` work hard , play hard '' culture inside the company .
`` That is where one creates a climate that is not safe , where inhibitions are lowered and people engage in predatory behaviour . ''
On Ubisoft 's creative teams only one in five employees are women .
Isabelle Collet , a French researcher who has long studied the issue in the IT industry overall , said `` getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcome them '' .
Collet said `` video game publishers today are real companies that should have real tools against harassment '' .
But she added that the sector was `` not necessarily worse '' than medicine or journalism .
Fanny Lignon , a researcher at France 's CNRS research institute said : `` What is annoying is that sexism can be more common in other types of media without one necessarily realising it '' .
There has been some change in the representation of women in the games themselves .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morphed from excessively voluptuous and scantily-clad to a more normal body covered by clothes appropriate for her adventures .
`` Many games are now without stereotypes , but some still engage in them extensively , and that usually includes a hypersexualisation of bodies , '' said Lignon .
`` Women are slender and well proportioned , men have more varied builds but most are young and athletic .
We end up with a vision that is similar to that presented by other media , like advertising for example , '' she added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Ubisoft 's 2018 Assassin 's Creed Odyssey for offering users choices of women characters with real bodies of warriors .
`` We 're seeing more women characters emerge that are a bit 'badass ' , '' she said .
But a brawny Abby in the game The Last of Us Part 2 released in June has kicked up a storm of comments about her `` unrealistic '' body for a woman -- illustrating that some gamer stereotypes remain well-entrenched .

After years of simmering controversy over sexism in the video game industry, change may be on its way after outrage led to a management overhaul at Ubisoft.
France's Ubisoft is one of the world's largest video game publishers, with a portfolio including Assassin's Creed and Far Cry.
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Following online allegations of sexual misconduct, the publisher of Assassin's Creed and Far Cry launched a probe, resulting in the departure over the weekend of the company's chief creative officer.
The head of human resources also left, as did the chief of operations in Canada where the game maker has its biggest studios.
CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot acknowledged that "Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees".
The executive ousters were a high-profile victory for the #metoo movement in the male-dominated video game publishing industry that has a reputation for hostility towards women.
Accusations on social media of sexual harassment and abuse have targeted a number of video game publishers, as well as people in the gaming community around the Twitch platform.
In 2014, two prominent women developers became the targets of an online harassment campaign known as Gamergate and seen by many as a backlash to growing pressure about sexism.
'Toxic'
Women Ubisoft employees described as "toxic" the work culture at the company, particularly at its Canadian studios.
One woman who asked for her name not to be used told AFP that "working on Far Cry cost me two burnouts, psychological and sexual harassment and humiliation, and human resources never bothered to listen to me".
One employee said on social media that shortly after arriving at Ubisoft a team leader told her she was hired because she was "cute" but that "to everyone's surprise you do your job well".
She discovered a mailing list where men describe what women are wearing "so guys can go take a look".
She then received comments about her looks, unwelcome invitations from superiors and was "regularly pinched on the butt and breast" while using a passageway between buildings.
A former employee said "at Ubisoft people who do bad things are unfortunately protected. They are often highly-placed and if you go to human resources or to managers they usually do nothing."
Another put the blame on the "work hard, play hard" culture inside the company.
"That is where one creates a climate that is not safe, where inhibitions are lowered and people engage in predatory behaviour."
Lara's transformation
On Ubisoft's creative teams only one in five employees are women.
Isabelle Collet, a French researcher who has long studied the issue in the IT industry overall, said "getting more women requires a willingness to better welcome them".
Collet said "video game publishers today are real companies that should have real tools against harassment".
But she added that the sector was "not necessarily worse" than medicine or journalism.
Fanny Lignon, a researcher at France's CNRS research institute said: "What is annoying is that sexism can be more common in other types of media without one necessarily realising it".
There has been some change in the representation of women in the games themselves.
In the successful Lara Croft game, the heroine morphed from excessively voluptuous and scantily-clad to a more normal body covered by clothes appropriate for her adventures.
"Many games are now without stereotypes, but some still engage in them extensively, and that usually includes a hypersexualisation of bodies," said Lignon.
"Women are slender and well proportioned, men have more varied builds but most are young and athletic. We end up with a vision that is similar to that presented by other media, like advertising for example," she added.
On the other hand, Lignon pointed to Ubisoft's 2018 Assassin's Creed Odyssey for offering users choices of women characters with real bodies of warriors.
"We're seeing more women characters emerge that are a bit 'badass'," she said.
But a brawny Abby in the game The Last of Us Part 2 released in June has kicked up a storm of comments about her "unrealistic" body for a woman -- illustrating that some gamer stereotypes remain well-entrenched.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-14--Tunisian court sentences blogger to six months in prison for reposting joke written in Koranic style

The Tunisian blogger Emna Chargui was on trial for having reposted a text about the coronavirus written in the style of the Koran .
A Tunisian court has sentenced blogger Emna Chargui to six months in prison and a $ 700 fine for reposting a Facebook joke about the coronavirus written as if it was a Koranic verse .
`` This is unfair and unjust ... this proves that there is no freedom here , '' Chargui , 27 , told Reuters from home where she had been waiting for the ruling .
She plans to appeal as allowed within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the post in May angered some conservative social media users who demanded punishment in a nation periodically polarised between secular and Islamist political wings since a revolution that introduced democracy nine years ago .
Court spokesman Mohsen Dali said the sentence was on charges of inciting hate between religions and races .
The case has brought criticism from rights groups .
Saying she was a victim of a `` repressive law '' that curtailed free speech , Amnesty International said the prosecution did not allow Chargui 's lawyer to accompany her to court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious beliefs and mental condition .

A Tunisian court has sentenced blogger Emna Chargui to six months in prison and a $700 fine for reposting a Facebook joke about the coronavirus written as if it was a Koranic verse.
The Tunisian blogger Emna Chargui was on trial for having reposted a text about the coronavirus written in the style of the Koran.
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"This is unfair and unjust ... this proves that there is no freedom here," Chargui, 27, told Reuters from home where she had been waiting for the ruling.
She plans to appeal as allowed within 10 days.
Chargui's sharing of the post in May angered some conservative social media users who demanded punishment in a nation periodically polarised between secular and Islamist political wings since a revolution that introduced democracy nine years ago.
>>Watch: Tunisian blogger's trial to open, raises free speech questions
Court spokesman Mohsen Dali said the sentence was on charges of inciting hate between religions and races.
The case has brought criticism from rights groups.
Saying she was a victim of a "repressive law" that curtailed free speech, Amnesty International said the prosecution did not allow Chargui's lawyer to accompany her to court, where she was asked about her religious beliefs and mental condition.
Chargui blogs on freedom and women's issues.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-15--EU court scraps order for Apple to pay €13 billion in Irish taxes

The EU Commission had claimed Apple had an illegal sweetheart tax deal with Irish authorities .
A European Union high court on Wednesday ruled in favor of technology giant Apple and Ireland in its dispute with the EU over 13 billion euros ( $ 15 billion ) in back taxes .
The Luxembourg-based General Court said that the multinational does not need to pay the 13 billion euros that the EU Commission called for .
The EU Commission had claimed that Apple had an illegal sweetheart tax deal with Irish authorities .
The ruling from the EU ’ s second-highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be appealed on points of law .
The court said that ” the Commission did not succeed in showing to the requisite legal standard that there was an advantage.
” It said in a statement that “ the Commission was wrong to declare ” that Apple “ had been granted a selective economic advantage and , by extension , state aid.
” The European Commission had ordered Apple to pay for gross underpayment of tax on profits across the European bloc from 2003 to 2014 .
The Commission concluded that Cupertino , California-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland to permit Apple to report its Europe-wide profits at effective rates well under 1 % .
Even though taxation remains under the authority of its member countries , the EU is seeking to create a level playing field among the 27 nations by making sure special deals including ultra-low tax rates with multinationals , like the one between Ireland and Apple , are weeded out .
The Trump administration has said that the EU is unduly targeting U.S. companies .
The ruling comes at a time when tax income for EU nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
At a time when cash-strapped households are suffering , the EU wants to make sure multinationals making profits on the continent pay their fair share , too .
Meanwhile , the EU Commission was to unveil new plans to combat tax fraud only hours after the ruling in Luxembourg .
“ In times like these when we are passing multibillion-euro economic stimulus packages , we can not afford to waste a single cent in tax revenue “ , said EU legislator Markus Ferber of the Christian Democrat @ @ @

A European Union high court on Wednesday ruled in favor of technology giant Apple and Ireland in its dispute with the EU over 13 billion euros ($15 billion) in back taxes.
The EU Commission had claimed Apple had an illegal sweetheart tax deal with Irish authorities.
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The Luxembourg-based General Court said that the multinational does not need to pay the 13 billion euros that the EU Commission called for. The EU Commission had claimed that Apple had an illegal sweetheart tax deal with Irish authorities.
The ruling from the EU’s second-highest court on the 2016 decision can only be appealed on points of law.
The court said that ”the Commission did not succeed in showing to the requisite legal standard that there was an advantage.”
It said in a statement that “the Commission was wrong to declare” that Apple “had been granted a selective economic advantage and, by extension, state aid.”
The European Commission had ordered Apple to pay for gross underpayment of tax on profits across the European bloc from 2003 to 2014. The Commission concluded that Cupertino, California-based Apple used two shell companies incorporated in Ireland to permit Apple to report its Europe-wide profits at effective rates well under 1%.
Even though taxation remains under the authority of its member countries, the EU is seeking to create a level playing field among the 27 nations by making sure special deals including ultra-low tax rates with multinationals, like the one between Ireland and Apple, are weeded out. The Trump administration has said that the EU is unduly targeting U.S. companies.
The ruling comes at a time when tax income for EU nations is especially welcome because of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. At a time when cash-strapped households are suffering, the EU wants to make sure multinationals making profits on the continent pay their fair share, too.
Meanwhile, the EU Commission was to unveil new plans to combat tax fraud only hours after the ruling in Luxembourg.
“In times like these when we are passing multibillion-euro economic stimulus packages, we cannot afford to waste a single cent in tax revenue“, said EU legislator Markus Ferber of the Christian Democrat EPP Group.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-15--UK slave trader statue in Bristol replaced by sculpture of black protester

The new statue depicts Jen Reid , a black woman who helped pull down a monument of a British slave trader in Bristol during the city ’ s Black Lives Matter protests earlier this summer .
A statue of a slave trader removed by anti-racism protesters in Britain last month was replaced early on Wednesday – without permission – with a sculpture of a black woman who helped pull it down .
The new statue , showing Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) protester Jen Reid with her fist raised , occupies the plinth where the Edward Colston likeness stood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in southwest England .
Entitled “ A Surge of Power ” by artist Marc Quinn , the statue was put in place early on Wednesday without the knowledge of Bristol City Council .
Reid was at the early morning unveiling and told The Guardian newspaper that it was “ just incredible ” .
“ This is going to continue the conversation .
I can ’ t see it coming down in a hurry , ” she said .
The local authority had said any decision to replace the Colston statue would be taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupied the plinth since 1895 before being taken down by BLM protesters who took to the streets following the killing of African American George Floyd by police in the US city of Minnesota in May .
His death helped fuel global protests , including in the UK , where much of the focus of demonstrations has been on Britain ’ s colonial past .
Colston was a 17th century slave trader and Tory MP whose company forcibly moved large numbers of West Africans .
A native of Bristol , his name is commemorated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The impact of the march in Bristol has seen calls for other statues to be taken down , including that of colonialist Cecil Rhodes at Oxford University ’ s Oriel College .
There have also been counter-demonstrations to protect some statues , including one of Winston Churchill in London and founder of the Scout movement Robert Baden-Powell in Poole on England ’ s south coast .
Ripples from the Bristol protest have been felt elsewhere in the UK including the south coast city of Brighton and Hove , which has pledged to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Quinn ’ s previous works include self-portrait “ Self ” and a sculpture entitled “ Alison Lapper Pregnant ” , which was displayed in London ’ s Trafalgar Square .

A statue of a slave trader removed by anti-racism protesters in Britain last month was replaced early on Wednesday – without permission – with a sculpture of a black woman who helped pull it down.
The new statue depicts Jen Reid, a black woman who helped pull down a monument of a British slave trader in Bristol during the city’s Black Lives Matter protests earlier this summer.
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The new statue, showing Black Lives Matter (BLM) protester Jen Reid with her fist raised, occupies the plinth where the Edward Colston likeness stood before crowds threw it into Bristol harbour in southwest England.
Entitled “A Surge of Power” by artist Marc Quinn, the statue was put in place early on Wednesday without the knowledge of Bristol City Council.
Reid was at the early morning unveiling and told The Guardian newspaper that it was “just incredible”.
“This is going to continue the conversation. I can’t see it coming down in a hurry,” she said.
The local authority had said any decision to replace the Colston statue would be taken democratically.
Colston’s statue had occupied the plinth since 1895 before being taken down by BLM protesters who took to the streets following the killing of African American George Floyd by police in the US city of Minnesota in May.
His death helped fuel global protests, including in the UK, where much of the focus of demonstrations has been on Britain’s colonial past.
Colston was a 17th century slave trader and Tory MP whose company forcibly moved large numbers of West Africans.
A native of Bristol, his name is commemorated in many landmarks across the city.
The impact of the march in Bristol has seen calls for other statues to be taken down, including that of colonialist Cecil Rhodes at Oxford University’s Oriel College.
There have also been counter-demonstrations to protect some statues, including one of Winston Churchill in London and founder of the Scout movement Robert Baden-Powell in Poole on England’s south coast.
Ripples from the Bristol protest have been felt elsewhere in the UK including the south coast city of Brighton and Hove, which has pledged to work towards becoming an “anti-racist city”.
Quinn’s previous works include self-portrait “Self” and a sculpture entitled “Alison Lapper Pregnant”, which was displayed in London’s Trafalgar Square.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-15--Britain reverses decision to give Huawei role in 5G network for security reasons

The UK has backtracked on the decision to let Huawei play a role in the construction of its 5G networks due to security concerns .
Britain on Tuesday backtracked on plans to give Chinese telecommunications company Huawei a role in the U.K. ’ s new high-speed mobile phone network amid security concerns fueled by rising tensions between Beijing and Western powers .
Britain said it decided to prohibit Huawei from working on the so-called 5G system after U.S. sanctions made it impossible to ensure the security of equipment made by the Chinese company .
The U.S. had also threatened to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of concerns that Huawei ’ s involvement could allow the Chinese government to infiltrate U.K. networks .
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told Parliament the decision would delay the rollout of 5G technology and increase costs by up to 2 billion pounds ( $ 2.5 billion ) , but that it had to be done .
“ This has not been an easy decision , but it is the right one , ” he said .
The decision forces British telecoms operators to stop buying 5G equipment from Huawei by the end of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove Huawei gear that has already been used in the network , which is currently under construction .
Fifth generation , or 5G , networks are expected to usher in a new wave of wireless innovation , with super-fast speeds and low signal delay that will help the development of self-driving cars , remote surgery and factory robots .
Critically for telecoms operators , the government opted not to order them to rip out equipment manufactured by Huawei and used in earlier systems , such as the existing 4G network .
Such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telecoms systems .
Still , the decision marks a major retreat for Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who in January sought to balance economic and security pressures by agreeing to give Huawei a limited role in the 5G network .
Under the earlier ruling , Huawei would have been limited to providing 35 % of equipment such as radios and antennas , with the company barred from supplying core components of the system .
But the move set up a diplomatic clash with the U.S. , which is involved in a wide-ranging trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off security cooperation unless Britain dumped Huawei .
Amid continued pressure to remove Huawei from communication networks entirely , the U.S. in May imposed new sanctions that will bar companies around the world from using American-made machinery or software to produce chips for the Chinese company .
U.S. officials claim that under Chinese law the government could force Huawei to give it access to foreign networks it has helped build .
Huawei denies this , saying that countries such as Britain have already developed oversight procedures to ensure there are no security breaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a growing international consensus that Huawei and other untrusted vendors pose a threat to national security , as they remain beholden to the Chinese Communist Party , ” said Robert O ’ Brien , who is in Europe this week .
“ We look forward to working with the U.K. , as well as our many other partners and allies , to spur innovation , promote vendor diversity in the 5G supply chain , and ensure 5G security free from dangerous manipulations.
” Johnson also came under pressure from rebels in his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new Hong Kong security law and its treatment of ethnic Uighurs in China ’ s far west Xinjiang region , as well as Huawei ’ s links to the Chinese government .
Two weeks ago , members of Parliament debated Huawei ’ s entanglement in Xinjiang following an Associated Press report on forced birth control measures in the region , pressing the government to cut ties with the company on human rights grounds .
Ten Conservative lawmakers this week sent a letter to Johnson demanding that he remove Huawei from “ the U.K. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour Party ’ s spokeswoman on communications issues , Chi Omwurah , decried the government ’ s flip-flop approach and said it would have a dire impact on the future .
“ It has been clear for some time that there are serious questions over whether Huawei should be allowed to control large sections of our country ’ s telecoms networks , yet the government refused to face reality , ” she said .
“ Their approach to our 5G capability , Huawei and our national security has been incomprehensibly negligent.
” Huawei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatens to move “ Britain into the digital slow lane , push up bills and deepen the digital divide.
” “ The American motive for these activities is one of protecting American jobs , ″ Huawei UK Vice President Jeremy Thompson told The Associated Press , arguing that the United States.
, despite its global might , is behind the curve when it comes to wireless technology .
“ The U.S. have under-invested in wireless consistently since the second generation .
Here we are in the fifth , ″ he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result , they ’ re behind the rest of the world.
” The controversy has put Huawei at the vortex of tensions between China and Britain .
Last fall , the U.K. called on China to give the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights free access to Xinjiang .
More recently , Johnson ’ s government has criticized China ’ s decision to impose a sweeping new national security law on Hong Kong .
Britain accused the Beijing government of a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration under which the U.K. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1997 , and announced it would open a special route to citizenship for up to 3 million eligible residents of the city .
China ’ s ambassador to Britain , Liu Xiaoming , last week decried what he described as “ gross interference ” in Chinese affairs .
“ Britain can only be great , ” he said , when it has an independent foreign policy , adding that it sets a bad precedent to “ make your policy in the morning and change it in evening.
” “ It also sends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China business community , ” Liu said , suggesting Chinese companies might think twice about investing in Britain .
“ They are all watching how you handle Huawei.
” Rana Mitter , an Oxford University history professor specializing in China , said that the security law — combined with broader resentment about the way China handled information about the coronavirus — created increased wariness among Britain ’ s politicians and the public .
But for China , it ’ s the way Britain has handled the Huawei issue that is the major problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huawei isn ’ t a good idea , this could have been done more discreetly , Mitter said .
“ I think the immediate reaction from China is going to be pretty incandescent , ” he said .
“ They ’ re going to be very , very angry about the reversal of the decision , not just because of the decision itself , but because in a sense , it has made them lose face .
“ Having said yes , back in January , the British government has now done a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But I think that China will maybe made to feel as if it ’ s been made essentially to suffer the consequences of that U-turn in public .
”

Britain on Tuesday backtracked on plans to give Chinese telecommunications company Huawei a role in the U.K.’s new high-speed mobile phone network amid security concerns fueled by rising tensions between Beijing and Western powers.
The UK has backtracked on the decision to let Huawei play a role in the construction of its 5G networks due to security concerns.
Advertising Read more
Britain said it decided to prohibit Huawei from working on the so-called 5G system after U.S. sanctions made it impossible to ensure the security of equipment made by the Chinese company.
The U.S. had also threatened to sever an intelligence-sharing arrangement with Britain because of concerns that Huawei’s involvement could allow the Chinese government to infiltrate U.K. networks.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told Parliament the decision would delay the rollout of 5G technology and increase costs by up to 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion), but that it had to be done.
“This has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one,” he said.
The decision forces British telecoms operators to stop buying 5G equipment from Huawei by the end of this year but gives them until 2027 to remove Huawei gear that has already been used in the network, which is currently under construction.
04:22
Fifth generation, or 5G, networks are expected to usher in a new wave of wireless innovation, with super-fast speeds and low signal delay that will help the development of self-driving cars, remote surgery and factory robots.
Critically for telecoms operators, the government opted not to order them to rip out equipment manufactured by Huawei and used in earlier systems, such as the existing 4G network. Such a decision might have caused havoc in U.K. telecoms systems.
Still, the decision marks a major retreat for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who in January sought to balance economic and security pressures by agreeing to give Huawei a limited role in the 5G network. Under the earlier ruling, Huawei would have been limited to providing 35% of equipment such as radios and antennas, with the company barred from supplying core components of the system.
But the move set up a diplomatic clash with the U.S., which is involved in a wide-ranging trade dispute with China and threatened to cut off security cooperation unless Britain dumped Huawei. Amid continued pressure to remove Huawei from communication networks entirely, the U.S. in May imposed new sanctions that will bar companies around the world from using American-made machinery or software to produce chips for the Chinese company.
U.S. officials claim that under Chinese law the government could force Huawei to give it access to foreign networks it has helped build. Huawei denies this, saying that countries such as Britain have already developed oversight procedures to ensure there are no security breaches.
U.S. welcomes decision
President Donald Trump’s national security adviser applauded Britain’s decision.
“The reported U.K. action reflects a growing international consensus that Huawei and other untrusted vendors pose a threat to national security, as they remain beholden to the Chinese Communist Party,” said Robert O’Brien, who is in Europe this week. “We look forward to working with the U.K., as well as our many other partners and allies, to spur innovation, promote vendor diversity in the 5G supply chain, and ensure 5G security free from dangerous manipulations.”
Johnson also came under pressure from rebels in his own Conservative Party who criticized China’s new Hong Kong security law and its treatment of ethnic Uighurs in China’s far west Xinjiang region, as well as Huawei’s links to the Chinese government.
Two weeks ago, members of Parliament debated Huawei’s entanglement in Xinjiang following an Associated Press report on forced birth control measures in the region, pressing the government to cut ties with the company on human rights grounds. Ten Conservative lawmakers this week sent a letter to Johnson demanding that he remove Huawei from “the U.K.’s critical national infrastructure.”
The Labour Party’s spokeswoman on communications issues, Chi Omwurah, decried the government’s flip-flop approach and said it would have a dire impact on the future.
“It has been clear for some time that there are serious questions over whether Huawei should be allowed to control large sections of our country’s telecoms networks, yet the government refused to face reality,” she said. “Their approach to our 5G capability, Huawei and our national security has been incomprehensibly negligent.”
Huawei expressed disappointment, saying that the decision threatens to move “Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills and deepen the digital divide.”
“The American motive for these activities is one of protecting American jobs,″ Huawei UK Vice President Jeremy Thompson told The Associated Press, arguing that the United States., despite its global might, is behind the curve when it comes to wireless technology.
“The U.S. have under-invested in wireless consistently since the second generation. Here we are in the fifth,″ he said. “They’ve under-invested. And as a result, they’re behind the rest of the world.”
The controversy has put Huawei at the vortex of tensions between China and Britain.
‘Gross interference’
Last fall, the U.K. called on China to give the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights free access to Xinjiang.
More recently, Johnson’s government has criticized China’s decision to impose a sweeping new national security law on Hong Kong. Britain accused the Beijing government of a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration under which the U.K. returned control of Hong Kong to China in 1997, and announced it would open a special route to citizenship for up to 3 million eligible residents of the city.
China’s ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, last week decried what he described as “gross interference” in Chinese affairs.
“Britain can only be great,” he said, when it has an independent foreign policy, adding that it sets a bad precedent to “make your policy in the morning and change it in evening.”
“It also sends out a very bad message to the China business community,” Liu said, suggesting Chinese companies might think twice about investing in Britain. “They are all watching how you handle Huawei.”
Rana Mitter, an Oxford University history professor specializing in China, said that the security law — combined with broader resentment about the way China handled information about the coronavirus — created increased wariness among Britain’s politicians and the public.
But for China, it’s the way Britain has handled the Huawei issue that is the major problem. Even if Britain decides that buying Huawei isn’t a good idea, this could have been done more discreetly, Mitter said.
“I think the immediate reaction from China is going to be pretty incandescent,” he said. “They’re going to be very, very angry about the reversal of the decision, not just because of the decision itself, but because in a sense, it has made them lose face.
“Having said yes, back in January, the British government has now done a pretty exact U-turn and said absolutely no. But I think that China will maybe made to feel as if it’s been made essentially to suffer the consequences of that U-turn in public.”
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-15--Covid-19 vaccine developed by US biotech firm Moderna enters final stage trial

A 3D-printed coronavirus model .
The upcoming Phase 3 trial will recruit 30,000 participants in the US .
Researchers will then track them over two years to determine whether they are protected against infection by the virus .
US biotech firm Moderna said Tuesday it would enter the final stage of human trials for its Covid-19 vaccine on July 27 , to test how well it protects people in the real world .
The announcement came as the results from an earlier trial intended to prove the vaccine was safe and triggered antibody production were published .
The upcoming Phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US , with half to receive the vaccine at 100 microgram dose levels , and the other half to receive a placebo .
Researchers will then track them over two years to determine whether they are protected against infection by the virus .
Or , if they do get infected , whether the vaccine prevents symptoms from developing .
If they do get symptoms , the vaccine can still be considered a success if it stops severe cases of Covid-19 .
The study should run until October 27 , 2022 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The announcement came shortly after the New England Journal of Medicine published results from the first stage of Moderna 's vaccine trial , which showed the first 45 participants all developed antibodies to the virus .
Moderna is considered to be in a leading position in the global race to find a vaccine against the coronavirus , which has infected more than 13.2 million people and killed 570,000 .
But scientists caution that the first vaccines to come to market may not be the most effective or safest .
Moderna had previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first stages of its trial , called Phase 1 in May .
The early results were called `` encouraging '' by Anthony Fauci , director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , which is co-developing the vaccine .
But some in the scientific community said they would reserve judgment until they saw the full results in peer-reviewed form .
According to the paper , 45 participants were split into three groups to test doses of 25 micrograms , 100 micrograms and 250 micrograms .
They were given a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later .
After the first round , antibody levels were found to be higher with higher doses .
Following the second round , participants had higher levels of antibodies than most patients who have had Covid-19 and gone on to generate their own antibodies .
More than half the participants experienced mild or moderate side effects , which is considered normal .
The side effects included fatigue , chills , headache , body ache and pain at the injection site .
Three participants did not receive their second dose .
They included one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legs , and two who missed their window because they had COVID-19 symptoms , but their tests later returned negative .
Amesh Adalja , an infectious diseases specialist at Johns Hopkins University , said it was encouraging that the participants developed high levels of an advanced class of antibodies .
He added , however : `` You have to be very limited in how much you can extrapolate from a phase one clinical trial , because you want to see how this works when a person is exposed to the actual virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ new class of vaccine that uses genetic material – in the form of RNA – to encode the information needed to grow the virus 's spike protein inside the human body , in order to trigger an immune response .
The spike protein is a part of the virus that it uses to invade human cells , but by itself the protein is relatively harmless .
The advantage of this technology is that it bypasses the need to manufacture viral proteins in the lab , helping to ramp up mass production .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received regulatory approval .
Early work using this technology backfired by making hosts more , not less , susceptible to infection , David Lo , a professor of biomedical sciences at University of California Riverside told AFP .
`` One of the things we certainly want to look out for is whether there is a long term effect where the immune response ... potentially develops an immunologic tolerance which would actually be detrimental to protection , '' he said .

US biotech firm Moderna said Tuesday it would enter the final stage of human trials for its Covid-19 vaccine on July 27, to test how well it protects people in the real world.
A 3D-printed coronavirus model. The upcoming Phase 3 trial will recruit 30,000 participants in the US. Researchers will then track them over two years to determine whether they are protected against infection by the virus.
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The announcement came as the results from an earlier trial intended to prove the vaccine was safe and triggered antibody production were published.
The upcoming Phase 3 trial will recruit 30,000 participants in the US, with half to receive the vaccine at 100 microgram dose levels, and the other half to receive a placebo.
Researchers will then track them over two years to determine whether they are protected against infection by the virus. Or, if they do get infected, whether the vaccine prevents symptoms from developing.
If they do get symptoms, the vaccine can still be considered a success if it stops severe cases of Covid-19.
The study should run until October 27, 2022, but preliminary results should be available long before.
The announcement came shortly after the New England Journal of Medicine published results from the first stage of Moderna's vaccine trial, which showed the first 45 participants all developed antibodies to the virus.
Moderna is considered to be in a leading position in the global race to find a vaccine against the coronavirus, which has infected more than 13.2 million people and killed 570,000.
But scientists caution that the first vaccines to come to market may not be the most effective or safest.
Encouraging results
Moderna had previously published "interim results" from the first stages of its trial, called Phase 1 in May.
The early results were called "encouraging" by Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is co-developing the vaccine.
But some in the scientific community said they would reserve judgment until they saw the full results in peer-reviewed form.
According to the paper, 45 participants were split into three groups to test doses of 25 micrograms, 100 micrograms and 250 micrograms.
They were given a second dose of the same amount 28 days later.
After the first round, antibody levels were found to be higher with higher doses.
Following the second round, participants had higher levels of antibodies than most patients who have had Covid-19 and gone on to generate their own antibodies.
More than half the participants experienced mild or moderate side effects, which is considered normal.
The side effects included fatigue, chills, headache, body ache and pain at the injection site.
Three participants did not receive their second dose.
They included one who developed a skin rash on both legs, and two who missed their window because they had COVID-19 symptoms, but their tests later returned negative.
Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases specialist at Johns Hopkins University, said it was encouraging that the participants developed high levels of an advanced class of antibodies.
He added, however: "You have to be very limited in how much you can extrapolate from a phase one clinical trial, because you want to see how this works when a person is exposed to the actual virus."
The Moderna vaccine belongs to a new class of vaccine that uses genetic material – in the form of RNA – to encode the information needed to grow the virus's spike protein inside the human body, in order to trigger an immune response.
The spike protein is a part of the virus that it uses to invade human cells, but by itself the protein is relatively harmless.
The advantage of this technology is that it bypasses the need to manufacture viral proteins in the lab, helping to ramp up mass production.
No vaccines based on this platform have previously received regulatory approval.
Early work using this technology backfired by making hosts more, not less, susceptible to infection, David Lo, a professor of biomedical sciences at University of California Riverside told AFP.
"One of the things we certainly want to look out for is whether there is a long term effect where the immune response... potentially develops an immunologic tolerance which would actually be detrimental to protection," he said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-15--Trump ends Hong Kong’s special status, penalizes China; Beijing vows to retaliate

US President Donald Trump gives a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington , DC , on July 14 , 2020 .
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday stripped Hong Kong of preferential trade treatment and authorized sanctions on banks over China ’ s clampdown in the financial hub , infuriating Beijing which vowed to retaliate .
In a discursive news conference dominated by attacks on his domestic rivals , Trump declared himself to be the toughest president ever on China , a country he is increasingly positioning as his nemesis ahead of November elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an executive order on Hong Kong as he predicted decline for the restless city , on which Beijing recently imposed a tough new security law .
“ Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China – no special privileges , no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies , ” Trump said in the White House Rose Garden .
“ Their freedom has been taken away ; their rights have been taken away , ” Trump added .
“ And with it goes Hong Kong , in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to compete with free markets .
A lot of people will be leaving Hong Kong.
” Trump also said he had signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act , which authorises sanctions against Chinese officials and Hong Kong police seen as infringing on the city ’ s autonomy – and , crucially , any banks that make significant transactions with them .
Lawmakers hope the new law will force all but provincial Chinese banks to choose between abetting Beijing ’ s efforts in Hong Kong , or being able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world ’ s largest economy .
“ This law gives my administration powerful new tools to hold responsible the individuals and the entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong ’ s freedom , ” Trump said .
China on Wednesday vowed to retaliate , saying the Hong Kong Autonomy Act “ maliciously slanders ” its legislation in Hong Kong .
“ China will make necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests , and impose sanctions on relevant US personnel and entities , ” the Chinese foreign ministry said .
The White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act , a tougher follow-up to a law last year , limits the president ’ s leeway to waive sanctions .
But the act enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support , meaning Congress could likely override any presidential veto .
“ Today , the United States made clear to China that it can not continue its assault on freedom and human rights in Hong Kong without severe repercussions , ” said Senator Chris Van Hollen , a Democrat who spearheaded the law .
“ The Chinese government ’ s aggression merits this swift rebuke , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank , said “ Hong Kong will suffer and China will likely gain ” from the move .
She said the US action will have a “ devastating impact on Hong Kong as the financial gateway to Western markets ” while raising the profile of mainland Chinese markets for foreign firms and governments looking to bankroll global supply chains out of Asia .
Beijing defied international warnings by imposing the security law , which criminalises subversion and other offences in Hong Kong , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the territory back in 1997 .
The law has sent a chill through the financial hub , which last year saw massive and sometimes destructive pro-democracy protests .
China has quickly put the law to use , on Monday warning that a primary among pro-democracy parties in which 600,000 Hong Kongers participated was a “ serious provocation.
” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed the primary and called for Hong Kong ’ s legislative elections due in September to be “ equally free and fair.
” Trump has stepped up pressure on China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic , news of which Beijing suppressed when the illness first emerged in Wuhan .
Critics both at home and abroad accuse Trump of seeking to divert attention from criticism of his handling of Covid-19 in the United States , which has suffered by far the highest death toll of any country .
On Monday , Pompeo also stepped up the tone on the dispute-rife South China Sea , declaring most of Beijing ’ s claims to be illegal .
The Trump administration last week imposed sanctions on senior Chinese officials over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims .

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday stripped Hong Kong of preferential trade treatment and authorized sanctions on banks over China’s clampdown in the financial hub, infuriating Beijing which vowed to retaliate.
US President Donald Trump gives a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 14, 2020.
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In a discursive news conference dominated by attacks on his domestic rivals, Trump declared himself to be the toughest president ever on China, a country he is increasingly positioning as his nemesis ahead of November elections.
Trump announced that he had issued an executive order on Hong Kong as he predicted decline for the restless city, on which Beijing recently imposed a tough new security law.
“Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China – no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies,” Trump said in the White House Rose Garden.
“Their freedom has been taken away; their rights have been taken away,” Trump added.
“And with it goes Hong Kong, in my opinion, because it will no longer be able to compete with free markets. A lot of people will be leaving Hong Kong.”
Trump also said he had signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which authorises sanctions against Chinese officials and Hong Kong police seen as infringing on the city’s autonomy – and, crucially, any banks that make significant transactions with them.
Lawmakers hope the new law will force all but provincial Chinese banks to choose between abetting Beijing’s efforts in Hong Kong, or being able to conduct transactions in US dollars and operate in the world’s largest economy.
“This law gives my administration powerful new tools to hold responsible the individuals and the entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong’s freedom,” Trump said.
China on Wednesday vowed to retaliate, saying the Hong Kong Autonomy Act “maliciously slanders” its legislation in Hong Kong.
“China will make necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests, and impose sanctions on relevant US personnel and entities,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.
‘Swift rebuke’
The White House acknowledged concerns that the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, a tougher follow-up to a law last year, limits the president’s leeway to waive sanctions.
But the act enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support, meaning Congress could likely override any presidential veto.
“Today, the United States made clear to China that it cannot continue its assault on freedom and human rights in Hong Kong without severe repercussions,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who spearheaded the law.
“The Chinese government’s aggression merits this swift rebuke,” he said.
But Julia Friedlander, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, said “Hong Kong will suffer and China will likely gain” from the move.
She said the US action will have a “devastating impact on Hong Kong as the financial gateway to Western markets” while raising the profile of mainland Chinese markets for foreign firms and governments looking to bankroll global supply chains out of Asia.
Beijing defied international warnings by imposing the security law, which criminalises subversion and other offences in Hong Kong, to which it promised autonomy before Britain handed the territory back in 1997.
The law has sent a chill through the financial hub, which last year saw massive and sometimes destructive pro-democracy protests.
China has quickly put the law to use, on Monday warning that a primary among pro-democracy parties in which 600,000 Hong Kongers participated was a “serious provocation.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed the primary and called for Hong Kong’s legislative elections due in September to be “equally free and fair.”
Trump has stepped up pressure on China on multiple fronts, especially on the coronavirus pandemic, news of which Beijing suppressed when the illness first emerged in Wuhan.
Critics both at home and abroad accuse Trump of seeking to divert attention from criticism of his handling of Covid-19 in the United States, which has suffered by far the highest death toll of any country.
On Monday, Pompeo also stepped up the tone on the dispute-rife South China Sea, declaring most of Beijing’s claims to be illegal.
The Trump administration last week imposed sanctions on senior Chinese officials over the incarceration of more than one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-15--UAE delays Mars probe launch for second time due to bad weather

The UAE ’ s space mission to Mars is a first such mission for the Arab world .
The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday it would delay the launch of its “ Hope ” Mars probe for a second time , again due to bad weather .
The probe was originally due to be launched from Japan on Wednesday but had been postponed until Friday for the same reason .
“ After extensive meetings , the UAESpaceAgency and MBRSpaceCentre , through discussions with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , announce a further delay of the Mars Hope Probe launch , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
It cited “ unstable weather conditions at the launch site in Tanegashima Island in Japan ” and said a new launch date would be announced within 24 hours .
The UAE , made up of seven emirates , is set to be the first Arab nation to send a probe to Mars .
The probe is one of three racing to the Red Planet , with Chinese and US rockets also taking advantage of the Earth and Mars being unusually close : a mere hop of 55 million kilometres ( 34 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Al-Amal in Arabic – is expected to start orbiting Mars by February 2021 , marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE .
Once there , it will loop the planet for a whole Martian year of 687 Earth days .
The goal is to provide a comprehensive image of weather dynamics in the Red Planet ’ s atmosphere .

The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday it would delay the launch of its “Hope” Mars probe for a second time, again due to bad weather.
The UAE’s space mission to Mars is a first such mission for the Arab world.
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The probe was originally due to be launched from Japan on Wednesday but had been postponed until Friday for the same reason.
“After extensive meetings, the UAESpaceAgency and MBRSpaceCentre, through discussions with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, announce a further delay of the Mars Hope Probe launch,” Dubai’s media office tweeted on Wednesday.
The UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, have announced a delay of the Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe launch due to the weather conditions at the launch site of Tanegashima Island in Japan. — Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) July 14, 2020
It cited “unstable weather conditions at the launch site in Tanegashima Island in Japan” and said a new launch date would be announced within 24 hours.
The UAE, made up of seven emirates, is set to be the first Arab nation to send a probe to Mars.
The probe is one of three racing to the Red Planet, with Chinese and US rockets also taking advantage of the Earth and Mars being unusually close: a mere hop of 55 million kilometres (34 million miles).
“Hope” – Al-Amal in Arabic – is expected to start orbiting Mars by February 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE.
Once there, it will loop the planet for a whole Martian year of 687 Earth days.
The goal is to provide a comprehensive image of weather dynamics in the Red Planet’s atmosphere.
(AFP)
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