france24--2020-09-09--US wildfires destroy towns, turn deadly as they spread across Pacific Northwest

Fire is seen in Salem City , Oregon , US , September 8 , 2020 , in this picture obtained from social media .
Unprecedented wildfires in Oregon have all but destroyed five small towns and a record number of deaths is feared , Governor Kate Brown said on Wednesday , as families began to report casualties .
High winds and heat are stoking nearly 100 wildfires across the US West .
Oregon is the worst-hit state as an area twice the size of New York City burns .
The central Oregon community of Detroit in the hard-hit Santiam Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vida in coastal Lane County , and Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon were substantially destroyed , Brown told a news conference .
A 12-year-old boy and his grandmother died in a wildfire burning near the Santiam Valley community of Lyons , about 50 miles south of Portland , KOIN6 news reported , citing the family , who said the boy ’ s mother was in critical condition .
“ This could be the greatest loss in human lives and property due to wildfire in our state ’ s history , ” Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how many people may have died , but one of Oregon ’ s most deadly blazes was in 1936 when a fire destroyed the city of Brandon and killed 13 people .
Brown talked of rescuers saving people ’ s lives by pulling them from rivers where they took refuge from flames .
Firefighters retreated from uncontrollable blazes that forced tens of thousands to evacuate homes , some with half an hour ’ s notice .
“ It was like driving through hell , ” Jody Evans told local television station NewsChannel21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 50 miles ( 80 km ) west of Salem .
Evans fled the largest blaze in Oregon , known as the Beachie Fire , which threatened to join up with another wildfire to the west known as the Lionshead Fire .
To the south , parts of Medford , a popular retirement location with over 80,000 residents , were under evacuation orders or warnings as a growing wildfire closed a section of Interstate 5 , the primary north-south highway in the West .
As the fire moved north to Medford it heavily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phoenix , with around 5,000 , according to local police .
Brown saw no respite in the near term and requested a federal emergency declaration for the state .
“ Winds continue to feed these fires and push them into our towns and cities , ” she said , adding that thousands more Oregonians would need to evacuate over the next several hours .
Climate scientists blame global warming for extreme wet and dry seasons in the US West that have caused grasses and scrub to flourish then dry out , leaving abundant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winds are driving down the slopes of the Cascade Mountains to fan fires burning through parched forests .
“ Absolutely no area in the state is free from fire , ” said Doug Graf , chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry .
In California , all 18 National Forests were closed due to “ unprecedented and historic fire conditions ” .
In the north of the state tens of thousands of people were told to be ready to evacuate around Oroville , about 50 miles north of Sacramento , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires .
To the south , the Creek Fire , about 35 miles ( 56 km ) north of Fresno , tore through the Sierra National Forest , which was susceptible due to drought and bark beetle damage , destroying over 360 homes and structures .
“ This fire is just burning at an explosive rate , ” said Daniel Berlant , a spokesman for California ’ s state fire authority .
“ You add the winds , the dry conditions , the hot temperatures , it ’ s the perfect recipe.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 4.7 million acres in 2020 , the highest year-to-date area since 2018 , according to the National Interagency Fire Center .
Most of the fires are in western states , where 17 new large blazes were reported on Wednesday , bringing the total to 96 , which have burned more than 3.4 million acres — an area nearly the size of the US state of Connecticut .

An unprecedented spate of fierce, wind-driven wildfires in Oregon have all but destroyed five small towns, leaving a potentially high death toll in their wake, the governor said on Wednesday, as initial casualty reports began to surface.
Fire is seen in Salem City, Oregon, US, September 8, 2020, in this picture obtained from social media.
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Hundreds of miles away in northern California, three fatalities were confirmed on Wednesday from a lightning-sparked conflagration that roared back to life with greater intensity this week after firefighters had made significant headway containing it.
While more than two dozen major blazes continued to wreak havoc across wide swaths of California, the neighboring state of Oregon bore the latest brunt of wildfires plaguing much of the western United States over the past week.
01:26
Winds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour) sent flames racing tens of miles within hours, engulfing hundreds of homes as firefighters fought at least 35 large blazes across areas of Oregon roughly equal to nearly twice the size of New York City.
Several Oregon communities, including the town of Detroit in the Santiam Valley, as well as Blue River and Vida in coastal Lane County, and Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon, were substantially destroyed, Governor Kate Brown told a news conference.
“This could be the greatest loss in human lives and property due to wildfire in our state’s history,” Brown said, without providing details.
Over the last 24 hours, Oregon has experienced unprecedented fires, with devastating consequences across the state. Our number-one priority right now is saving lives. This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfires in our state’s history. — Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) September 9, 2020
Brown described rescue teams saving evacuees by pulling them from rivers where they took refuge from flames.
Pacific Northwest casualties
A 12-year-old boy and his grandmother died in a wildfire burning near the Santiam Valley community of Lyons, about 50 miles south of Portland, KOIN News reported.
Farther north, multiple blazes also raged in Washington state, where a 1-year-old boy was killed and his parents severely burned fleeing a fire in Okanogan County, police said.
In California, officials said some 64,000 people were under evacuation orders on Wednesday while crews battled 28 major fires raging across portions of the most populous US state.
About a third of those evacuees displaced in hard-hit areas of Butte County, north of Sacramento, where a wildfire has scorched more than 200,000 acres since it was ignited on Aug. 17.
The remains of three victims were found in two separate locations in that fire zone, according to Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea, bringing the total death toll from this summer’s devastating spate of California wildfires to at least 11.
Residents of more than a dozen towns including the city of Oroville were told to flee immediately or be prepared to go at a moment’s notice.
The fire raged perilously close to the outskirts of Paradise, a town largely incinerated in 2018, with 85 lives lost, in a firestorm that ranks as the deadliest in California history.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-09-09--World wildlife plummets more than two-thirds in 50 years: index

Human activity has severely degraded three quarters of all land and 40 percent of Earth 's oceans Global animal , bird and fish populations have plummeted more than two-thirds in less than 50 years due to rampant over-consumption , experts said Thursday in a stark warning to save nature in order to save ourselves .
Human activity has severely degraded three quarters of all land and 40 percent of Earth 's oceans , and our quickening destruction of nature is likely to have untold consequences on our health and livelihoods .
The Living Planet Index , which tracks more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing deforestation and agricultural expansion were the key drivers behind a 68 percent average decline in populations between 1970 and 2016 .
It warned that continued natural habitat loss increased the risk of future pandemics as humans expand their presence into ever closer contact with wild animals .
2020 's Living Planet Report , a collaboration between WWF International and the Zoological Society of London , is the 13th edition of the biennial publication tracking wildlife populations around the world .
WWF International director general Marco Lambertini told AFP of the staggering loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's an accelerating decrease that we 've been monitoring for 30 years and it continues to go in the wrong direction , '' he said .
`` In 2016 we documented a 60 percent decline , now we have a 70 percent decline .
`` All this is in a blink of an eye compared to the millions of years that many species have been living on the planet , '' Lambertini added .
The last half-decade has seen unprecedented economic growth underpinned by an explosion in global consumption of natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's ecological footprint was smaller than the Earth 's capacity to regenerate resources , the WWF now calculates we are over using the planet 's capacity by more than half .
While aided by factors such as invasive species and pollution , the biggest single driver of species lost is land-use changes : normally , industry converting forests or grasslands into farms .
This takes an immense toll on wild species , who lose their homes .
But it also requires unsustainable levels of resources to uphold : one third of all land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now dedicated to producing food .
The picture is equally dire in the ocean , where 75 percent of fish stocks are over exploited .
And while wildlife is declining rapidly , species are disappearing faster in some places than others .
The index showed that the tropical regions of Central and South America had seen a 94 percent fall in species since 1970 .
`` It is staggering .
It is ultimately an indicator of our impact on the natural world , '' said Lambertini .
The Living Planet update comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 NGOs and academic institutions , which lays out ways of arresting and reversing the losses human consumption has inflicted .
The research , published in the journal Nature , suggests that reducing food waste and favouring healthier and more environmentally friendly diets could help to `` bend the curve '' of degradation .
Coupled with radical conservation efforts , these measures could avert more than two-thirds of future biodiversity loss , the authors suggested .
`` We need to act now .
Rates of biodiversity recovery are typically much slower than those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead study author David Leclere , research scholar at the International Institute of Applied System Analysis .
`` This implies that any delay in action will allow further biodiversity losses that might take decades to restore . ''
Leclere also warned of `` irreversible '' losses to biodiversity , such as when a species goes extinct .
Lambertini said that , like public discourse on climate change , societies are increasingly concerned about the links between the health of the planet and human well-being .
`` From being sad about losing nature , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` We still have a moral duty to co-exist with life on the planet , but there 's now this new element of impact on our society , our economy and , of course , our health .

Paris (AFP) –
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Global animal, bird and fish populations have plummeted more than two-thirds in less than 50 years due to rampant over-consumption, experts said Thursday in a stark warning to save nature in order to save ourselves.
Human activity has severely degraded three quarters of all land and 40 percent of Earth's oceans, and our quickening destruction of nature is likely to have untold consequences on our health and livelihoods.
The Living Planet Index, which tracks more than 4,000 species of vertebrates, warned that increasing deforestation and agricultural expansion were the key drivers behind a 68 percent average decline in populations between 1970 and 2016.
It warned that continued natural habitat loss increased the risk of future pandemics as humans expand their presence into ever closer contact with wild animals.
2020's Living Planet Report, a collaboration between WWF International and the Zoological Society of London, is the 13th edition of the biennial publication tracking wildlife populations around the world.
WWF International director general Marco Lambertini told AFP of the staggering loss of Earth's biodiversity since 1970.
"It's an accelerating decrease that we've been monitoring for 30 years and it continues to go in the wrong direction," he said.
"In 2016 we documented a 60 percent decline, now we have a 70 percent decline.
"All this is in a blink of an eye compared to the millions of years that many species have been living on the planet," Lambertini added.
- 'Staggering' fall -
The last half-decade has seen unprecedented economic growth underpinned by an explosion in global consumption of natural resources.
Whereas until 1970, humanity's ecological footprint was smaller than the Earth's capacity to regenerate resources, the WWF now calculates we are over using the planet's capacity by more than half.
While aided by factors such as invasive species and pollution, the biggest single driver of species lost is land-use changes: normally, industry converting forests or grasslands into farms.
This takes an immense toll on wild species, who lose their homes.
But it also requires unsustainable levels of resources to uphold: one third of all land mass and three quarters of all freshwater are now dedicated to producing food.
The picture is equally dire in the ocean, where 75 percent of fish stocks are over exploited.
And while wildlife is declining rapidly, species are disappearing faster in some places than others.
The index showed that the tropical regions of Central and South America had seen a 94 percent fall in species since 1970.
"It is staggering. It is ultimately an indicator of our impact on the natural world," said Lambertini.
- 'From sad to worried' -
The Living Planet update comes alongside a study co-authored by more than 40 NGOs and academic institutions, which lays out ways of arresting and reversing the losses human consumption has inflicted.
The research, published in the journal Nature, suggests that reducing food waste and favouring healthier and more environmentally friendly diets could help to "bend the curve" of degradation.
Coupled with radical conservation efforts, these measures could avert more than two-thirds of future biodiversity loss, the authors suggested.
"We need to act now. Rates of biodiversity recovery are typically much slower than those of recent biodiversity loss," said lead study author David Leclere, research scholar at the International Institute of Applied System Analysis.
"This implies that any delay in action will allow further biodiversity losses that might take decades to restore."
Leclere also warned of "irreversible" losses to biodiversity, such as when a species goes extinct.
Lambertini said that, like public discourse on climate change, societies are increasingly concerned about the links between the health of the planet and human well-being.
"From being sad about losing nature, people are beginning to actually get worried," he said.
"We still have a moral duty to co-exist with life on the planet, but there's now this new element of impact on our society, our economy and, of course, our health.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-09--Serena, Medvedev move into US Open semi-finals

Serena Williams battled back to defeat fellow mother Tsvetana Pironkova and reach the semi-finals of the US Open Wednesday , as Daniil Medvedev booked his place in the last four .
Williams , seeded third , came from a set down to overcome the unseeded Bulgarian and keep alive her bid for a 24th singles Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows .
Her comeback included two astonishing shots with her left hand that contributed to winning points .
`` At that point I was fighting so hard .
I was just trying to do everything I can whether righty or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sluggish start saw the American lose the first 6-4 , but she fought back to take the next two 6-3 , 6-2 , in 2hr 12min inside Arthur Ashe Stadium .
`` I 'm happy to be standing here talking to you because at one point I think I was pretty close to not being here , '' Williams told an on-court interviewer .
`` I never give up and you know I just got ta keep going , '' she added .
Williams smashed 20 aces , the most she has had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the tournament to 64 so far .
The record for the most number of aces in a US Open in the women 's singles is 70 , set by Williams in 1999 when she won for the first time .
`` Sometimes when I 'm serving , I just tell myself , I do n't care if my arm falls off , I 'm going to keep serving , '' she said .
Williams is looking to match Margaret Court 's record for the most number of singles Grand Slam wins .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ since she won her 23rd at the 2017 Australian Open -- when she was already pregnant with daughter Olympia .
Williams has come close since , reaching four major finals only to come away empty handed .
Pironkova , herself a mother , only returned to tennis this year following a three-year absence from the circuit .
Pironkova 's last tournament appearance had been the 2017 Wimbledon championships when she exited in the second round .
She gave birth to her son during her break from tennis but elected to return in 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disrupted by the coronavirus shutdown .
Williams said she was in awe of Pironkova 's run to the last eight , which included high-profile scalps such as 10th seed Garbine Muguruza .
`` I could n't even do that .
I could barely win a match when I came back so she 's incredible , '' Williams said .
Williams will play either former world number one Victoria Azarenka or 16th seed Belgian Elise Mertens on Thursday for a place in Saturday 's final .
In the men 's draw , Russia 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rublev 7-6 ( 8/6 ) , 6-3 , 7-6 ( 7/5 ) .
Twenty-two-year-old Rublev raced to a 5-1 lead in the first-set tie-break before Medvedev , last year 's US Open runner-up , hauled back to win it 8-6 with an ace .
Medvedev , 24 , smashed 16 aces and won 89 percent of first-serve points .
He made 75 percent of returns to Rublev 's 54 percent .
`` One point decided two sets so it was a really tough match and Andrey was playing unbelievable actually , '' Medvedev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seed Dominic Thiem or Australia 's Alex de Minaur , seeded 21st , in the last four on Friday .
Fifth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany faces Spain 's 20th seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the competition 's other semi-final .
The disqualification of Novak Djokovic for accidentally hitting a line official with a ball during the last 16 means the US Open will crown a first-time Grand Slam winner on Sunday .

New York (AFP) –
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Serena Williams battled back to defeat fellow mother Tsvetana Pironkova and reach the semi-finals of the US Open Wednesday, as Daniil Medvedev booked his place in the last four.
Williams, seeded third, came from a set down to overcome the unseeded Bulgarian and keep alive her bid for a 24th singles Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows.
Her comeback included two astonishing shots with her left hand that contributed to winning points.
"At that point I was fighting so hard. I was just trying to do everything I can whether righty or lefty," she said.
A sluggish start saw the American lose the first 6-4, but she fought back to take the next two 6-3, 6-2, in 2hr 12min inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I'm happy to be standing here talking to you because at one point I think I was pretty close to not being here," Williams told an on-court interviewer.
"I never give up and you know I just gotta keep going," she added.
Williams smashed 20 aces, the most she has had in eight years, taking her tally for the tournament to 64 so far.
The record for the most number of aces in a US Open in the women's singles is 70, set by Williams in 1999 when she won for the first time.
"Sometimes when I'm serving, I just tell myself, I don't care if my arm falls off, I'm going to keep serving," she said.
Williams is looking to match Margaret Court's record for the most number of singles Grand Slam wins.
It has been more than three years since she won her 23rd at the 2017 Australian Open -- when she was already pregnant with daughter Olympia.
Williams has come close since, reaching four major finals only to come away empty handed.
Pironkova, herself a mother, only returned to tennis this year following a three-year absence from the circuit.
- 'Incredible' -
Pironkova's last tournament appearance had been the 2017 Wimbledon championships when she exited in the second round.
She gave birth to her son during her break from tennis but elected to return in 2020, only to see her comeback plans disrupted by the coronavirus shutdown.
Williams said she was in awe of Pironkova's run to the last eight, which included high-profile scalps such as 10th seed Garbine Muguruza.
"I couldn't even do that. I could barely win a match when I came back so she's incredible," Williams said.
Williams will play either former world number one Victoria Azarenka or 16th seed Belgian Elise Mertens on Thursday for a place in Saturday's final.
In the men's draw, Russia's Medvedev downed compatriot and childhood friend Andrey Rublev 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).
Twenty-two-year-old Rublev raced to a 5-1 lead in the first-set tie-break before Medvedev, last year's US Open runner-up, hauled back to win it 8-6 with an ace.
Medvedev, 24, smashed 16 aces and won 89 percent of first-serve points. He made 75 percent of returns to Rublev's 54 percent.
"One point decided two sets so it was a really tough match and Andrey was playing unbelievable actually," Medvedev said.
Medvedev will play either second seed Dominic Thiem or Australia's Alex de Minaur, seeded 21st, in the last four on Friday.
Fifth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany faces Spain's 20th seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the competition's other semi-final.
The disqualification of Novak Djokovic for accidentally hitting a line official with a ball during the last 16 means the US Open will crown a first-time Grand Slam winner on Sunday.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-09--Trump intentionally downplayed Covid-19 despite knowing dangers, says new book

US President Donald Trump leaves a White House press briefing on September 9 , 2020 in Washington , DC , after fielding questions about the coronavirus and Bob Woodward ’ s new book about him .
President Donald Trump talked privately about the severity of the coronavirus threat even as he was telling the nation the virus was no worse than the seasonal flu and insisting the government had it totally under control , according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward .
“ You just breathe the air and that ’ s how it ’ s passed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call with Woodward .
“ And so that ’ s a very tricky one .
That ’ s a very delicate one .
It ’ s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.
” “ This is deadly stuff , ” the president repeated for emphasis .
His comments were recorded by Woodward , and audio has been released .
For the White House , the book serves as an unwelcome return to a focus on Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic just as he is trying to project that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is eager to see a return to normal activity leading up to the Nov. 3 presidential election .
Trump told Woodward on March 19 that he deliberately minimized the danger .
“ I wanted to always play it down , ” the president said .
“ I still like playing it down because I don ’ t want to create a panic.
” Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said the book shows Trump “ lied to the American people.
” He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease ripped through our nation , he failed to do his job — on purpose .
It was a life or death betrayal of the American people.
” “ He had the information , ” Biden said during a campaign event in Michigan .
“ He knew how dangerous it was.
” Trump addressed questions about downplaying the pandemic threat at the White House .
“ The fact is I ’ m a cheerleader for this country .
I love our country and I don ’ t want people to be frightened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ panic , as you say , ” Trump told reporters .
“ Certainly , I ’ m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy .
We want to show confidence .
We want to show strength.
” The Washington Post , where Woodward serves as associate editor , reported excerpts of the book , “ Rage ” on Wednesday , as did CNN .
The book also covers race relations , diplomacy with North Korea and a range of other issues that have arisen during the past two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part on 18 interviews that Woodward conducted with Trump between December and July .
“ Trump never did seem willing to fully mobilize the federal government and continually seemed to push problems off on the states , ” Woodward writes of the pandemic .
“ There was no real management theory of the case or how to organize a massive enterprise to deal with one of the most complex emergencies the United States had ever faced.
” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president ’ s words to the public were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time of major challenges .
“ The president has never lied to the American public on Covid .
The president was expressing calm , and his actions reflect that , ” McEnany said .
She said Trump ’ s actions reflect that he took Covid-19 seriously .
She noted that the president put in place travel restrictions with China on Jan. 31 and said that some Democrats had criticized the move .
McEnany said “ the president never downplayed the virus.
” But Trump himself told Woodward that he was “ playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to create a panic.
” At times , Trump ’ s public comments suggested he was less interested in keeping people calm than in having them ignore the reality of the coming storm .
“ I think the virus is going to be — it ’ s going to be fine , ” Trump said on Feb. 10 — three days after telling Woodward privately it was “ deadly stuff ” and more dangerous than the seasonal flu .
Trump aides and allies said at the time said Trump was aiming to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take on the virus throughout February , even as his administration took few concrete steps to prepare for the coming pandemic .
“ There is damning truth that President Trump lied and people died , ” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York .
Schumer said that when he thinks about how many people in his state died , “ It just makes me angry.
” He added : “ How many people would be alive today if he just told Americans the truth ?
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments to Woodward showed weakness and a disdain for science .
“ What he was actually saying is , ‘ I don ’ t want anybody to think anything like this happened on my watch so I ’ m not going to call any more attention to it , ’ ” Pelosi said on MSNBC .
Woodward ’ s book is his second on the Trump White House .
The first , published in 2018 , portrayed Trump in an unflattering light , and the president fumed at staff that he was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House officials and Republicans close to the White House .
They were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations and discussed the matter on condition of anonymity .
Trump was convinced that if he had talked to Woodward , it could have led to a more favorable depiction in the book , according to the officials .
Trump had always held Woodward in high regard — he considered the journalist as the biggest star in the field — and told aides that he insisted on being interviewed if Woodward were to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several Republican senators at the Capitol declined to comment on the new book , telling reporters they hadn ’ t yet read it , even when informed of key passages about the virus .
“ I just can ’ t , can ’ t comment on it , ” Sen .
Rob Portman , R-Ohio .
“ Could we all have done things differently ?
Yes , including Congress .
We were all a little slow to recognize the severity , ” Portman added .

President Donald Trump talked privately about the severity of the coronavirus threat even as he was telling the nation the virus was no worse than the seasonal flu and insisting the government had it totally under control, according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward.
US President Donald Trump leaves a White House press briefing on September 9, 2020 in Washington, DC, after fielding questions about the coronavirus and Bob Woodward’s new book about him.
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“You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,” Trump said in a Feb. 7 call with Woodward. “And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.”
“This is deadly stuff,” the president repeated for emphasis. His comments were recorded by Woodward, and audio has been released.
For the White House, the book serves as an unwelcome return to a focus on Trump’s handling of the pandemic just as he is trying to project that the virus is under control and as he is eager to see a return to normal activity leading up to the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Trump told Woodward on March 19 that he deliberately minimized the danger. “I wanted to always play it down,” the president said. “I still like playing it down because I don’t want to create a panic.”
00:28
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said the book shows Trump “lied to the American people.” He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months.”
“While a deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job — on purpose. It was a life or death betrayal of the American people.”
“He had the information,” Biden said during a campaign event in Michigan. “He knew how dangerous it was.”
.@JoeBiden on President Trump's interview with Bob Woodward on COVID-19: "He knew and purposely played it down. Worse, he lied to the American people. He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months." pic.twitter.com/Fq00DFWP61 — CSPAN (@cspan) September 9, 2020
Trump addressed questions about downplaying the pandemic threat at the White House.
“The fact is I’m a cheerleader for this country. I love our country and I don’t want people to be frightened. I don’t want to create panic, as you say,” Trump told reporters. “Certainly, I’m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence. We want to show strength.”
The Washington Post, where Woodward serves as associate editor, reported excerpts of the book, “Rage” on Wednesday, as did CNN. The book also covers race relations, diplomacy with North Korea and a range of other issues that have arisen during the past two years.
The book is based in part on 18 interviews that Woodward conducted with Trump between December and July.
“Trump never did seem willing to fully mobilize the federal government and continually seemed to push problems off on the states,” Woodward writes of the pandemic. “There was no real management theory of the case or how to organize a massive enterprise to deal with one of the most complex emergencies the United States had ever faced.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president’s words to the public were designed to express confidence and calm at a time of major challenges.
“The president has never lied to the American public on Covid. The president was expressing calm, and his actions reflect that,” McEnany said.
She said Trump’s actions reflect that he took Covid-19 seriously. She noted that the president put in place travel restrictions with China on Jan. 31 and said that some Democrats had criticized the move.
McEnany said “the president never downplayed the virus.” But Trump himself told Woodward that he was “playing it down because I don’t want to create a panic.”
At times, Trump’s public comments suggested he was less interested in keeping people calm than in having them ignore the reality of the coming storm. “I think the virus is going to be — it’s going to be fine,” Trump said on Feb. 10 — three days after telling Woodward privately it was “deadly stuff” and more dangerous than the seasonal flu.
Trump aides and allies said at the time said Trump was aiming to prop up the economy with his rosy take on the virus throughout February, even as his administration took few concrete steps to prepare for the coming pandemic.
04:00
“There is damning truth that President Trump lied and people died,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Schumer said that when he thinks about how many people in his state died, “It just makes me angry.” He added: “How many people would be alive today if he just told Americans the truth?”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the president’s comments to Woodward showed weakness and a disdain for science.
“What he was actually saying is, ‘I don’t want anybody to think anything like this happened on my watch so I’m not going to call any more attention to it,’” Pelosi said on MSNBC.
Woodward’s book is his second on the Trump White House. The first, published in 2018, portrayed Trump in an unflattering light, and the president fumed at staff that he was not interviewed for it, according to former White House officials and Republicans close to the White House. They were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations and discussed the matter on condition of anonymity.
Trump was convinced that if he had talked to Woodward, it could have led to a more favorable depiction in the book, according to the officials. Trump had always held Woodward in high regard — he considered the journalist as the biggest star in the field — and told aides that he insisted on being interviewed if Woodward were to write again, the officials said.
Several Republican senators at the Capitol declined to comment on the new book, telling reporters they hadn’t yet read it, even when informed of key passages about the virus. “I just can’t, can’t comment on it,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
“Could we all have done things differently? Yes, including Congress. We were all a little slow to recognize the severity,” Portman added.
(AP)
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france24--2020-09-09--ByteDance in talks with US to avoid selling TikTok: report

ByteDance , the Chinese company that owns TikTok , is in talks to avoid being forced by President Donald Trump to sell the wildly popular social media app Chinese internet giant ByteDance is in talks with the US about ways it might avoid having to sell its TikTok operations here , the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday .
TikTok has been at the center of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing , and President Donald Trump gave Americans a deadline to stop doing business with TikTok 's Chinese parent company ByteDance -- effectively compelling a sale of the app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined forces with Microsoft in negotiations to buy TikTok .
Oracle is also reported to be interested in TikTok .
TikTok -- which has been downloaded 175 million times in the US and more than a billion times around the world -- has filed a lawsuit challenging the crackdown by the US government .
The suit contends that Trump 's order was a misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act because the platform is not `` an unusual and extraordinary threat . ''
Trump claims that TikTok could be used by China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , build dossiers on people for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage .
TikTok -- used by as many as a billion people worldwide to make quirky , short-form videos on their cellphones -- has repeatedly denied sharing data with Beijing .
Talks between ByteDance and the US have been taking place for months but have grown more urgent as the deadline set by Trump nears , according to the Journal report .
At least one of TikTok ’ s major investors was part of a group that met recently with representatives from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Journal reported , citing someone familiar with the matter .
Trump last week repeated his demand for a piece of the action from any sale of TikTok 's US operations for forcing such a deal .
`` Well , I told them that they have until September 15th to make a deal ; after that , we close it up in this country , '' Trump told journalists .
`` And I said that the United States has to be compensated -- well compensated -- because we are the ones that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should be compensated . ''
Critics have slammed Trump 's call for the US government to get a cut of the deal , contending that it appears unconstitutional and akin to extortion .
Meanwhile , ByteDance has vowed to `` strictly abide '' by new export rules in China which could potentially complicate a sale of the business as demanded by Trump .
China 's commerce ministry added `` civilian use '' to a list of technologies that are restricted for export .
The new regulations could make it more difficult for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app , which features clips of everything from dance routines and hair-dye tutorials to jokes about daily life and politics .

San Francisco (AFP) –
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Chinese internet giant ByteDance is in talks with the US about ways it might avoid having to sell its TikTok operations here, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
TikTok has been at the center of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing, and President Donald Trump gave Americans a deadline to stop doing business with TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance -- effectively compelling a sale of the app to a US company.
Walmart has joined forces with Microsoft in negotiations to buy TikTok. Oracle is also reported to be interested in TikTok.
TikTok -- which has been downloaded 175 million times in the US and more than a billion times around the world -- has filed a lawsuit challenging the crackdown by the US government.
The suit contends that Trump's order was a misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act because the platform is not "an unusual and extraordinary threat."
Trump claims that TikTok could be used by China to track the locations of federal employees, build dossiers on people for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage.
TikTok -- used by as many as a billion people worldwide to make quirky, short-form videos on their cellphones -- has repeatedly denied sharing data with Beijing.
Talks between ByteDance and the US have been taking place for months but have grown more urgent as the deadline set by Trump nears, according to the Journal report.
At least one of TikTok’s major investors was part of a group that met recently with representatives from the Central Intelligence Agency to discuss data security, the Journal reported, citing someone familiar with the matter.
Trump last week repeated his demand for a piece of the action from any sale of TikTok's US operations for forcing such a deal.
"Well, I told them that they have until September 15th to make a deal; after that, we close it up in this country," Trump told journalists.
"And I said that the United States has to be compensated -- well compensated -- because we are the ones that are making it possible, and so we should be compensated."
Critics have slammed Trump's call for the US government to get a cut of the deal, contending that it appears unconstitutional and akin to extortion.
Meanwhile, ByteDance has vowed to "strictly abide" by new export rules in China which could potentially complicate a sale of the business as demanded by Trump.
China's commerce ministry added "civilian use" to a list of technologies that are restricted for export.
The new regulations could make it more difficult for ByteDance to sell the wildly popular video app, which features clips of everything from dance routines and hair-dye tutorials to jokes about daily life and politics.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-09--How do governments pre-order coronavirus vaccines?

One of the leading efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine has run into difficulty , as AstraZeneca temporarily halted trials @ @ @ @ @ already been placed with a number of pharmaceutical giants - but how do governments decide @ @ @ @ @ ?

How do governments pre-order coronavirus vaccines?
01:38
One of the leading efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine has run into difficulty, as AstraZeneca temporarily halted trials. Billions of pre-orders have already been placed with a number of pharmaceutical giants - but how do governments decide which companies to invest in?


france24--2020-09-09--Ominous orange sky gives San Francisco apocalytic tint

People in San Francisco and elsewhere in California woke Wednesday to a deep orange sky that triggered apocalyptic visions in a year already rife with disturbing events .
Skies so dark at times that it appeared more night than day were accompanied in some places with ash falling like snow , the cause being massive wild fires filling the air with smoke and cinders .
`` The orange skies this morning are a result of wildfire smoke in the air , '' San Francisco Bay air quality officials said in a tweet .
`` These smoke particles scatter blue light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surface , causing skies to look orange . ''
As smoke gets thick in some areas , it blocks sunlight causing dark skies , the officials explained .
Photos of the eerie scene , particularly of a San Francisco skyline fit for a dystopian science fiction film , spread quickly on social media .
`` Is there a word for 'the apocalypse is upon us burnt sienna ? '
read one tweet fired off by someone who felt using the word 'orange ' to describe the sky was being too kind .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Earth .
`` If literal fire skies do n't wake us up to climate change , then nothing will , '' tweeted YouTube influencer and Zadiko tea startup chief Zack Kornfeld .
`` Enjoy joking about how crazy this year is because we made this mess and it 's only going to get worse . ''
Dark skies blocking the sun chilled temperatures at what has historically been the warmest time year in San Francisco .
`` Geo-color imagery shows a very thick multilevel smoke deck over much of California , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet .
`` This smoke is filtering the incoming energy from the sun , causing much cooler temperatures and dark dreary red-shifted skies across many areas . ''
What were being described as `` unprecedented '' wildfires , fueled by strong winds and searing temperatures , were raging cross a wide swathe of California , Oregon and Washington on Wednesday , destroying scores of homes and businesses in the western US states and forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate .
In California , where at least eight deaths have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people trapped by the Creek Fire in the Sierra National Forest .
In Oregon , Governor Kate Brown declared the fires in the northwestern state to be a `` once-in-a-generation event . ''
Jay Inslee , the governor of neighboring Washington state , described the wildfires as `` unprecedented and heartbreaking . ''
Inslee , who campaigned for the Democratic nomination for president on a platform of battling climate change , and California Governor Gavin Newsom both blamed the effects of a changing climate for the exceptional ferocity of this year 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no patience for climate change deniers , '' Newsom said .
`` It 's completely inconsistent , that point of view , with the reality on the ground . ''

San Francisco (AFP) –
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People in San Francisco and elsewhere in California woke Wednesday to a deep orange sky that triggered apocalyptic visions in a year already rife with disturbing events.
Skies so dark at times that it appeared more night than day were accompanied in some places with ash falling like snow, the cause being massive wild fires filling the air with smoke and cinders.
"The orange skies this morning are a result of wildfire smoke in the air," San Francisco Bay air quality officials said in a tweet.
"These smoke particles scatter blue light and only allow yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface, causing skies to look orange."
As smoke gets thick in some areas, it blocks sunlight causing dark skies, the officials explained.
Photos of the eerie scene, particularly of a San Francisco skyline fit for a dystopian science fiction film, spread quickly on social media.
"Is there a word for 'the apocalypse is upon us burnt sienna?' read one tweet fired off by someone who felt using the word 'orange' to describe the sky was being too kind.
Others likened the scenes to planets other than Earth.
"If literal fire skies don't wake us up to climate change, then nothing will," tweeted YouTube influencer and Zadiko tea startup chief Zack Kornfeld.
"Enjoy joking about how crazy this year is because we made this mess and it's only going to get worse."
Dark skies blocking the sun chilled temperatures at what has historically been the warmest time year in San Francisco.
"Geo-color imagery shows a very thick multilevel smoke deck over much of California," the US National Weather Service said in a tweet.
"This smoke is filtering the incoming energy from the sun, causing much cooler temperatures and dark dreary red-shifted skies across many areas."
What were being described as "unprecedented" wildfires, fueled by strong winds and searing temperatures, were raging cross a wide swathe of California, Oregon and Washington on Wednesday, destroying scores of homes and businesses in the western US states and forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.
In California, where at least eight deaths have been reported, National Guard helicopters rescued hundreds of people trapped by the Creek Fire in the Sierra National Forest.
In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown declared the fires in the northwestern state to be a "once-in-a-generation event."
Jay Inslee, the governor of neighboring Washington state, described the wildfires as "unprecedented and heartbreaking."
Inslee, who campaigned for the Democratic nomination for president on a platform of battling climate change, and California Governor Gavin Newsom both blamed the effects of a changing climate for the exceptional ferocity of this year's blazes.
"I quite literally have no patience for climate change deniers," Newsom said. "It's completely inconsistent, that point of view, with the reality on the ground."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-09--'Very clear' US is blocking digital tax talks, says French finance minister

France accused the United States on Wednesday of seeking to undermine international talks to update cross-border taxation for the digital age and urged Europe to prepare an EU tax if the negotiations fail .
Nearly 140 countries are negotiating the first major rewrite of international tax rules in a generation to account for the rise of big digital companies like Google and Amazon .
With a blueprint for a deal due from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) next month , the aim of reaching an agreement by a year-end deadline is looking increasingly challenging .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks earlier this year after suggesting any deal should include a voluntary opt-in mechanism for U.S. companies and raising qualms about the scope of the tax .
`` It 's very clear , the United States do n't want a digital tax ( deal ) at the OECD .
So they are making obstacles that prevent us from reaching an agreement even though the technical work is done , '' French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told journalists .
The rise of big digital service companies has riled finance ministers around the globe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earn big revenues in their countries while booking the profits in lower tax countries such as Ireland .
In the absence of a global deal , some European countries have followed France in creating their own national digital services tax , which in France 's case has made it the target of U.S. threats of retaliatory tariffs .
Undaunted , Le Maire renewed a call for EU countries to go ahead with a bloc-wide tax if there 's no international agreement .
`` If the U.S. blockage is confirmed by year end , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make a formal proposal to tax digital activities in the first quarter of 2021 , '' he said .
He added he had full confidence that Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohue would live up to a promise to support such a tax , even though Dublin has shot down previous attempts at the EU level .

France accused the United States on Wednesday of seeking to undermine international talks to update cross-border taxation for the digital age and urged Europe to prepare an EU tax if the negotiations fail.
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Nearly 140 countries are negotiating the first major rewrite of international tax rules in a generation to account for the rise of big digital companies like Google and Amazon.
With a blueprint for a deal due from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) next month, the aim of reaching an agreement by a year-end deadline is looking increasingly challenging.
Washington called for a pause in the talks earlier this year after suggesting any deal should include a voluntary opt-in mechanism for U.S. companies and raising qualms about the scope of the tax.
"It's very clear, the United States don't want a digital tax (deal) at the OECD. So they are making obstacles that prevent us from reaching an agreement even though the technical work is done," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told journalists.
The rise of big digital service companies has riled finance ministers around the globe because such firms are often able to earn big revenues in their countries while booking the profits in lower tax countries such as Ireland.
In the absence of a global deal, some European countries have followed France in creating their own national digital services tax, which in France's case has made it the target of U.S. threats of retaliatory tariffs.
Undaunted, Le Maire renewed a call for EU countries to go ahead with a bloc-wide tax if there's no international agreement.
"If the U.S. blockage is confirmed by year end, we are counting on the European Union to make a formal proposal to tax digital activities in the first quarter of 2021," he said.
He added he had full confidence that Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohue would live up to a promise to support such a tax, even though Dublin has shot down previous attempts at the EU level.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-09-09--Six-major PGA 'super season' begins with US Open tuneup

A US PGA Tour `` super season '' with six major tournaments and a Tokyo Olympic showdown tees off Thursday with a US Open tuneup event launching a coronavirus-scrambled 2020-21 campaign .
Four days after Dustin Johnson captured the Tour Championship and his third triumph since a June restart after a COVID-19 shutdown , the PGA launches a new season with the Safeway Open at Napa , California .
Phil Mickelson , fresh off a victory in his 50-and-over tour debut , and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth are among those playing ahead of next week 's US Open at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June by the deadly virus pandemic .
With the Masters shuffled from its normal April spot to November and next year 's events scheduled to be staged as usual , the planned programme features 50 events , the tour 's most since 1975 , including Olympic golf next July after the majors conclude with the British Open , which went unplayed this year .
There will be no Asian swing in the 2020-21 campaign , with an event in Shanghai wiped out and tournaments in Japan and South Korea shifted to US venues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Masters .
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan dubbed the 2020-21 campaign `` a super season '' despite the loss of the Ryder Cup , postponed to next September after the 2021 Tour Championship .
`` If you 're a golf fan , this is a dream season with more significant events than ever before , including the Olympic Games , '' Monahan said .
`` What more can you ask for ? ''
Golf fans could ask for a chance to purchase tickets and watch an event , but there has been no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the US Open and Masters saying those events will be played without spectators in 2020 .
`` We will continue our adaptive work through the fall and into 2021 as we look toward reintroducing pro-ams , corporate partner activations and spectators when we feel it is safe to do so , '' Monahan said .
The major schedule after next week sees the Masters on November 12-15 , and a return to Augusta National on April 8-11 , the PGA Championship next May 20-23 at Kiawah Island , South Carolina , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pines in San Diego and the British Open on July 15-18 at England 's Royal St. George 's with the Olympic tournament two weeks later .
Profitable pro-am events will return at an event in the Dominican Republic later this month , but virus containment and development of a vaccine will likely play major roles in when spectators can attend US PGA events again .
`` We 're encouraged by the fact that you 're continuing to see more options , which creates more potential for a quicker return of our fans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel like it 's safe to return fans out here , that 's when fans will return . ''
Monahan talked about a window of six to eight weeks for making decisions about spectators so stands can be constructed and that events are making multiple plans looking ahead .
After a few weeks of stumbles with positive COVID-19 tests , the PGA settled into a rhythm without positive tests , allowing completion of the virus-hit 2019-20 season and the start of a new campaign .
`` It 's humbling to think about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Monahan said .
`` It has n't been perfect , and we 're not claiming victory by any stretch .
In fact , we continue to learn and adapt .
`` But I 'm so proud of the team we put into place in March to help solve this giant jigsaw puzzle .
I 'm also very thankful for the collaboration with golf 's governing bodies , with our reimagined schedule that also includes events into the fall .
`` I 'm also proud of our player membership for adapting quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've understood and been a big part of the changes we needed to make along the way as we 've learned and adapted to this crisis . ''

San Francisco (AFP) –
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A US PGA Tour "super season" with six major tournaments and a Tokyo Olympic showdown tees off Thursday with a US Open tuneup event launching a coronavirus-scrambled 2020-21 campaign.
Four days after Dustin Johnson captured the Tour Championship and his third triumph since a June restart after a COVID-19 shutdown, the PGA launches a new season with the Safeway Open at Napa, California.
Phil Mickelson, fresh off a victory in his 50-and-over tour debut, and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth are among those playing ahead of next week's US Open at Winged Foot, which was postponed from June by the deadly virus pandemic.
With the Masters shuffled from its normal April spot to November and next year's events scheduled to be staged as usual, the planned programme features 50 events, the tour's most since 1975, including Olympic golf next July after the majors conclude with the British Open, which went unplayed this year.
There will be no Asian swing in the 2020-21 campaign, with an event in Shanghai wiped out and tournaments in Japan and South Korea shifted to US venues, serving as October tuneups for the Masters.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan dubbed the 2020-21 campaign "a super season" despite the loss of the Ryder Cup, postponed to next September after the 2021 Tour Championship.
"If you're a golf fan, this is a dream season with more significant events than ever before, including the Olympic Games," Monahan said. "What more can you ask for?"
Golf fans could ask for a chance to purchase tickets and watch an event, but there has been no PGA event yet planned with spectators, with the US Open and Masters saying those events will be played without spectators in 2020.
"We will continue our adaptive work through the fall and into 2021 as we look toward reintroducing pro-ams, corporate partner activations and spectators when we feel it is safe to do so," Monahan said.
The major schedule after next week sees the Masters on November 12-15, and a return to Augusta National on April 8-11, the PGA Championship next May 20-23 at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, the US Open on June 17-20 at Torrey Pines in San Diego and the British Open on July 15-18 at England's Royal St. George's with the Olympic tournament two weeks later.
Profitable pro-am events will return at an event in the Dominican Republic later this month, but virus containment and development of a vaccine will likely play major roles in when spectators can attend US PGA events again.
"We're encouraged by the fact that you're continuing to see more options, which creates more potential for a quicker return of our fans," Monahan said. "When we feel like it's safe to return fans out here, that's when fans will return."
Monahan talked about a window of six to eight weeks for making decisions about spectators so stands can be constructed and that events are making multiple plans looking ahead.
- 'Humbling' virus fight -
After a few weeks of stumbles with positive COVID-19 tests, the PGA settled into a rhythm without positive tests, allowing completion of the virus-hit 2019-20 season and the start of a new campaign.
"It's humbling to think about what has been accomplished with our successful return," Monahan said. "It hasn't been perfect, and we're not claiming victory by any stretch. In fact, we continue to learn and adapt.
"But I'm so proud of the team we put into place in March to help solve this giant jigsaw puzzle. I'm also very thankful for the collaboration with golf's governing bodies, with our reimagined schedule that also includes events into the fall.
"I'm also proud of our player membership for adapting quickly and successfully following the protocols. They've understood and been a big part of the changes we needed to make along the way as we've learned and adapted to this crisis."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-09--Tiffany & Co to sue LVMH after French retailer cancels multibillion offer

US jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co on Wednesday said it was suing to enforce a November 2019 merger agreement with LVMH after the French luxury giant called off a planned $ 16.2 billion ( €13.7bn ) acquisition , saying the French government had requested a delay to assess the threat of proposed US tariffs .
The New York-based jewelry company dismissed LVMH ’ s argument that the French government had requested the closing of the deal – which would have been the biggest of its kind in the luxury goods sector – be postponed , saying it has no basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that LVMH hadn ’ t even attempted to seek the required antitrust approvals .
“ We believe that LVMH will seek to use any available means in an attempt to avoid closing the transaction on the agreed terms , '' said Roger Farah , chairman of Tiffany , in a statement .
Tiffany said Wednesday that it hoped a court based in the US state of Delaware would hand down a ruling before November 24 , and order LVMH `` to comply with its obligations and complete the transaction on the agreed terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LVMH 's largest-ever acquisition , enabling it to bolster its presence in the US , currently its second-largest market .
The tussle illustrates the extent to which trade squabbles and the coronavirus pandemic have affected the luxury goods sector .
LVMH said its board had decided not to tie the knot following `` a succession of events which undermine the acquisition of Tiffany & Co '' , notably US threats to slap tariffs on French products .
The French luxury goods giant said it had learnt of a letter from French Foreign Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deal in reaction to Washington 's threat to levy taxes on French products .
The letter , signed by Le Drian , urged LVMH to delay the closing of the acquisition from November 24 to January 6 , 2021 , given the threat of additional US tariffs against French products .
LVMH 's Financial Director Jean-Jacques Guiony told reporters that the group had been obliged to comply , and given it had no desire to extend negotiations , it could not complete the deal .
A French government source , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political value '' and was meant to alert LVMH to the risks of pursuing the deal just as France wrangles with the United States over trade tariffs – but it was not binding .
`` They are free to take the letter into account or not , '' the source said , adding that the French government was not a stakeholder in the firm .
According to a translated version of the letter released by Tiffany , Le Drian urged LVMH to take action at a time when the government was trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on sectors like luxury goods from January .
`` In order to support the steps taken vis-à-vis the American government , you should defer the closing of the pending Tiffany transaction until January 6 , 2021 , '' the letter distributed by Tiffany read .
LVMH – which is led by billionaire Bernard Arnault and owns brands such as Louis Vuitton , Dior and Moet & Chandon – had pursued Tiffany , one of the world 's most famous jewelry houses , known for its wedding rings and diamonds .
The coronavirus crashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as lockdowns meant tens of millions of dollars in losses from closed stores .
Arnault had described Tiffany as `` an emblematic brand , an American icon that will become a little bit French '' .
Founded in 1837 and headquartered on Fifth Avenue in New York , Tiffany has long symbolised US sophistication , most memorably in the 1961 film `` Breakfast at Tiffany 's '' starring Audrey Hepburn , based on the Truman Capote novella .
Tiffany , meanwhile , sought to benefit from LVMH 's extensive global network and promotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of $ 65 million ( €55m ) during the three months from February to April 2020 .

US jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co on Wednesday said it was suing to enforce a November 2019 merger agreement with LVMH after the French luxury giant called off a planned $16.2 billion (€13.7bn) acquisition, saying the French government had requested a delay to assess the threat of proposed US tariffs.
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The New York-based jewelry company dismissed LVMH’s argument that the French government had requested the closing of the deal – which would have been the biggest of its kind in the luxury goods sector – be postponed, saying it has no basis in French law.
Tiffany also said that LVMH hadn’t even attempted to seek the required antitrust approvals.
“We believe that LVMH will seek to use any available means in an attempt to avoid closing the transaction on the agreed terms," said Roger Farah, chairman of Tiffany, in a statement.
Tiffany said Wednesday that it hoped a court based in the US state of Delaware would hand down a ruling before November 24, and order LVMH "to comply with its obligations and complete the transaction on the agreed terms".
The takeover would have been LVMH's largest-ever acquisition, enabling it to bolster its presence in the US, currently its second-largest market.
The tussle illustrates the extent to which trade squabbles and the coronavirus pandemic have affected the luxury goods sector.
A letter from Le Drian
LVMH said its board had decided not to tie the knot following "a succession of events which undermine the acquisition of Tiffany & Co", notably US threats to slap tariffs on French products.
The French luxury goods giant said it had learnt of a letter from French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian directing it to defer the deal in reaction to Washington's threat to levy taxes on French products.
The letter, signed by Le Drian, urged LVMH to delay the closing of the acquisition from November 24 to January 6, 2021, given the threat of additional US tariffs against French products.
LVMH's Financial Director Jean-Jacques Guiony told reporters that the group had been obliged to comply, and given it had no desire to extend negotiations, it could not complete the deal.
A French government source, however, told Reuters the letter had a "political value" and was meant to alert LVMH to the risks of pursuing the deal just as France wrangles with the United States over trade tariffs – but it was not binding.
"They are free to take the letter into account or not," the source said, adding that the French government was not a stakeholder in the firm.
According to a translated version of the letter released by Tiffany, Le Drian urged LVMH to take action at a time when the government was trying to dissuade US authorities from slapping retaliatory tariffs on sectors like luxury goods from January.
"In order to support the steps taken vis-à-vis the American government, you should defer the closing of the pending Tiffany transaction until January 6, 2021," the letter distributed by Tiffany read.
Iconic New York brand
LVMH – which is led by billionaire Bernard Arnault and owns brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Moet & Chandon – had pursued Tiffany, one of the world's most famous jewelry houses, known for its wedding rings and diamonds.
The coronavirus crashed the party however, and Tiffany suffered as lockdowns meant tens of millions of dollars in losses from closed stores.
Arnault had described Tiffany as "an emblematic brand, an American icon that will become a little bit French".
Founded in 1837 and headquartered on Fifth Avenue in New York, Tiffany has long symbolised US sophistication, most memorably in the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" starring Audrey Hepburn, based on the Truman Capote novella.
Tiffany, meanwhile, sought to benefit from LVMH's extensive global network and promotional power. It recorded a net loss of $65 million (€55m) during the three months from February to April 2020.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-09-09--Big drop in vaping among US youth: data

Big drop in vaping among US youth: data

The number of American middle and high schoolers using e-cigarettes declined dramatically in 2020 compared to last year , an official report showed Wednesday .
The drop came after a large outbreak of e-cigarette linked lung disease last year , and after the US government made legal changes to curb youth vaping .
About 3.6 million young people in the US were current ( in the past 30 days ) e-cigarette users in 2020 , down from 5.4 million in 2019 , according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey .
`` Although the decline in e-cigarette use among our Nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achievement , our work is far from over , '' said Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) .
`` Youth e-cigarette use remains an epidemic , and CDC is committed to supporting efforts to protect youth from this preventable health risk . ''
The self-administered survey was taken between January 16 and March 16 by around 20,000 grade 6-12 school students , who are generally aged between 11 and 18 .
The end date was before most regions in the US had gone into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a major driver of the reported decline .
Last year 's outbreak of vaping-associated lung injury , which led to 2,700 hospitalizations and 60 deaths , could have been a deterrent .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) eventually identified Vitamin E acetate , an additive in certain illicit THC-vaping products , as a primary culprit .
In 2020 , approximately one in five high school students and one in 20 middle school students were current e-cigarette users .
Last year the equivalent figures were just over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 10 middle school students .
E-cigarettes entered the US market in 2007 and have been the most commonly used tobacco product among American youths since 2014 .
To curb youth vaping , the Trump administration earlier this year barred flavors from smaller e-cigarettes that use pods , such as those made by market leader Juul .
US lawmakers also raised the federal minimum age for tobacco and e-cigarette sales from 18 to 21 in December 2019 .
The 2020 survey showed that flavors such as fruit , mint or menthol remained favored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of high school vapers reported using flavors and 74 percent of middle school vapers reported the same .
Pre-filled pod or cartridge-based e-cigarettes were the most commonly used device among youth vapers .
However , from 2019 to 2020 , disposable e-cigarette use increased from two percent to 27 percent among high school users ( a 1,000 percent increase ) .
Disposable e-cigarette use grew from three percent to 15 percent among middle school users , or a 400 percent rise .

Washington (AFP) –
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The number of American middle and high schoolers using e-cigarettes declined dramatically in 2020 compared to last year, an official report showed Wednesday.
The drop came after a large outbreak of e-cigarette linked lung disease last year, and after the US government made legal changes to curb youth vaping.
About 3.6 million young people in the US were current (in the past 30 days) e-cigarette users in 2020, down from 5.4 million in 2019, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey.
"Although the decline in e-cigarette use among our Nation's youth is a notable public health achievement, our work is far from over," said Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"Youth e-cigarette use remains an epidemic, and CDC is committed to supporting efforts to protect youth from this preventable health risk."
The self-administered survey was taken between January 16 and March 16 by around 20,000 grade 6-12 school students, who are generally aged between 11 and 18.
The end date was before most regions in the US had gone into Covid-19 lockdowns so school closures were probably not a major driver of the reported decline.
Last year's outbreak of vaping-associated lung injury, which led to 2,700 hospitalizations and 60 deaths, could have been a deterrent.
- Flavored e-cigarettes remain popular -
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eventually identified Vitamin E acetate, an additive in certain illicit THC-vaping products, as a primary culprit.
In 2020, approximately one in five high school students and one in 20 middle school students were current e-cigarette users.
Last year the equivalent figures were just over a quarter of high school students and one in 10 middle school students.
E-cigarettes entered the US market in 2007 and have been the most commonly used tobacco product among American youths since 2014.
To curb youth vaping, the Trump administration earlier this year barred flavors from smaller e-cigarettes that use pods, such as those made by market leader Juul.
Tank-based rechargeable vaping devices, primarily sold in vape shops, were left exempt.
US lawmakers also raised the federal minimum age for tobacco and e-cigarette sales from 18 to 21 in December 2019.
The 2020 survey showed that flavors such as fruit, mint or menthol remained favored by youth e-cigarette users.
Eighty-three percent of high school vapers reported using flavors and 74 percent of middle school vapers reported the same.
Pre-filled pod or cartridge-based e-cigarettes were the most commonly used device among youth vapers.
However, from 2019 to 2020, disposable e-cigarette use increased from two percent to 27 percent among high school users (a 1,000 percent increase).
Disposable e-cigarette use grew from three percent to 15 percent among middle school users, or a 400 percent rise.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-10--Dutch outdoor classes avoid coronavirus 'digital misery'

Some classes for Middelburg students are now held under trees , rather than in classrooms A Dutch university is holding open-air classes in parks , public squares and parking lots to limit the number of lectures taking place online because of the coronavirus pandemic .
At the foot of a majestic church in the historic centre of the city of Middelburg , science professor Edward Nieuwenhuis demonstrates an experiment on a bench in front of 25 students bundled up in jackets .
With a noisy street-cleaning lorry in the background , and a group of tourists nearby , Nieuwenhuis has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from University College Roosevelt can hear .
It 's the first time he 's given his introduction to life sciences outdoors since the university returned from a shutdown because of the spread of Covid-19 .
Until now classes have been half in person , and half working from home .
`` I think it 's really great because you can move around , you can see each other without a screen and digital interfaces , so it 's wonderful .
I really like it , '' Nieuwenhuis told AFP .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're not in class , you 're just learning because you want to . ''
The Netherlands , which has recorded more than 75,000 coronavirus cases and 6,244 deaths , has lighter restrictions than many other European countries but the government has warned people to be careful after a recent resurgence .
Nowadays in Middelburg , it 's not uncommon to see a philosophy professor under a tree discussing Socrates or a history teacher by a car park talking about the fall of the Berlin Wall .
Nieuwenhuis said outdoor learning could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will stick even when corona disappears .
I 'm sure that we will give a lot of classes outside , '' he said .
Students at the university , where around 60 percent of students are from countries outside the Netherlands , are also enjoying the fresh air .
`` I really like the feeling of being outside .
And just knowing that you can keep enough distance , which you just ca n't do in a classroom , '' said Anje Boswijk , a 21-year-old Dutch student .
`` Whenever I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get more distracted , and I get less motivated to pay attention . ''
Ediz Klont , 18 , a Dutch-Turkish-American student who wants to be a surgeon , said the outdoor classes were `` very engaging '' .
`` After many months of quarantine and online classes , this is really inspiring and fun to have classes outside , '' Klont said .
`` Outside , we have more social interaction , so people feel happier , like me , I 'm very happy when I see people next to me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the plan is the Dutch weather .
The low-lying country bordering the North Sea has a famously windy and rainy climate that can quickly ruin plans for any outdoor gathering .
But in a country where people love to tell anyone complaining about the rain that `` you 're not made of sugar '' , attitudes are practical .
`` Today it was a little bit cold to be outside .
But if you come prepared for that and just bring an extra sweater .
For the next time , I 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really doable , '' said Anje Boswijk .
`` I think that as long as it does n't rain , it should be ok. Everybody should just bring enough layers .
We can all bring umbrellas . ''
Nieuwenhuis , the teacher , even pictures camp fires and blankets for when winter sets in .
And after months of enduring `` eternal problems '' with online classes `` this is nothing '' , he adds .
`` Compared to the digital misery that we are in , this is really wonderful , '' @ @ @

Middelburg (Netherlands) (AFP) –
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A Dutch university is holding open-air classes in parks, public squares and parking lots to limit the number of lectures taking place online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
At the foot of a majestic church in the historic centre of the city of Middelburg, science professor Edward Nieuwenhuis demonstrates an experiment on a bench in front of 25 students bundled up in jackets.
With a noisy street-cleaning lorry in the background, and a group of tourists nearby, Nieuwenhuis has to raise his voice so the students from University College Roosevelt can hear.
It's the first time he's given his introduction to life sciences outdoors since the university returned from a shutdown because of the spread of Covid-19. Until now classes have been half in person, and half working from home.
"I think it's really great because you can move around, you can see each other without a screen and digital interfaces, so it's wonderful. I really like it," Nieuwenhuis told AFP.
"It's more relaxed, it feels like you're not in class, you're just learning because you want to."
The Netherlands, which has recorded more than 75,000 coronavirus cases and 6,244 deaths, has lighter restrictions than many other European countries but the government has warned people to be careful after a recent resurgence.
Nowadays in Middelburg, it's not uncommon to see a philosophy professor under a tree discussing Socrates or a history teacher by a car park talking about the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Nieuwenhuis said outdoor learning could be the future.
"I hope that it will stick even when corona disappears. I'm sure that we will give a lot of classes outside," he said.
'Inspiring and fun' -
Students at the university, where around 60 percent of students are from countries outside the Netherlands, are also enjoying the fresh air.
"I really like the feeling of being outside. And just knowing that you can keep enough distance, which you just can't do in a classroom," said Anje Boswijk, a 21-year-old Dutch student.
"Whenever I'm following a lesson online, I get more distracted, and I get less motivated to pay attention."
Ediz Klont, 18, a Dutch-Turkish-American student who wants to be a surgeon, said the outdoor classes were "very engaging".
"After many months of quarantine and online classes, this is really inspiring and fun to have classes outside," Klont said.
"Outside, we have more social interaction, so people feel happier, like me, I'm very happy when I see people next to me," he added.
- 'Bring an extra sweater' -
The only hitch in the plan is the Dutch weather. The low-lying country bordering the North Sea has a famously windy and rainy climate that can quickly ruin plans for any outdoor gathering.
But in a country where people love to tell anyone complaining about the rain that "you're not made of sugar", attitudes are practical.
"Today it was a little bit cold to be outside. But if you come prepared for that and just bring an extra sweater. For the next time, I'll be better prepared. But it was really doable," said Anje Boswijk.
"I think that as long as it doesn't rain, it should be ok. Everybody should just bring enough layers. We can all bring umbrellas."
Nieuwenhuis, the teacher, even pictures camp fires and blankets for when winter sets in.
And after months of enduring "eternal problems" with online classes "this is nothing", he adds.
"Compared to the digital misery that we are in, this is really wonderful," said Nieuwenhuis.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-10--Deadlock in Arab League over UAE-Israel deal

Arab foreign ministers have failed to back a Palestinian-drafted resolution condemning the United Arab Emirates ' normalisation of relations with Israel without a comprehensive Midde East peace Arab foreign ministers failed to reach agreement on a draft resolution condemning last month 's normalisation deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel , the Arab League said late Wednesday .
`` The meeting saw a serious and comprehensive discussion but no consensus was reached on the resolution proposed by the Palestinian delegation , '' the League 's assistant secretary general , Hossam Zaki , told a Cairo news conference .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their Wednesday videoconference , Zaki added .
`` The Palestinian side preferred not to release a draft resolution without including the concepts it was putting forward , '' he said .
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki had urged fellow ministers to take `` a position that rejects this step ( normalisation ) , otherwise our meeting will be considered a blessing or collusion with it , or a cover for it and this will not be accepted by the State of Palestine '' .
The UAE 's normalisation of relations with Israel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone and air links , broke with years of Arab League policy on the Middle East conflict and was condemned by the Palestinians as a `` betrayal '' .
In 2002 , the 22-member bloc adopted a Saudi-proposed peace plan , renewed as recently as 2017 .
It offered normalisation only in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967 , a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and a just solution for Palestinian refugees and their descendants , who now number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Nations .
The Arab plan has been pushed aside by the Trump administration , which after several delays unveiled a controversial peace blueprint of its own in January .
It promised US blessing for Israel 's eventual annexation of swathes of the occupied West Bank , including the strategic Jordan Valley and all Jewish settlements .
The UAE government hailed a clause in its US-brokered normalisation deal that appeared to put any Israeli annexations on hold .
But Israel retorted that any delay would be short-lived and that its annexation plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that `` the rest of the decisions regarding Palestine did not change the basic tenets established previously ... such as the rejection of the so-called US peace plan ... and the rights of Palestinian refugees . ''
But he said nothing about any League policy on its members following the UAE down the path of normalisation .
Trump will host a signing ceremony for the agreement on September 15 .
The UAE will be only the third Arab country to sign a deal with Israel after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 @

Cairo (AFP) –
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Arab foreign ministers failed to reach agreement on a draft resolution condemning last month's normalisation deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the Arab League said late Wednesday.
"The meeting saw a serious and comprehensive discussion but no consensus was reached on the resolution proposed by the Palestinian delegation," the League's assistant secretary general, Hossam Zaki, told a Cairo news conference.
No replacement resolution was adopted by ministers during their Wednesday videoconference, Zaki added.
"The Palestinian side preferred not to release a draft resolution without including the concepts it was putting forward," he said.
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki had urged fellow ministers to take "a position that rejects this step (normalisation), otherwise our meeting will be considered a blessing or collusion with it, or a cover for it and this will not be accepted by the State of Palestine".
The UAE's normalisation of relations with Israel, which has already seen the opening of phone and air links, broke with years of Arab League policy on the Middle East conflict and was condemned by the Palestinians as a "betrayal".
In 2002, the 22-member bloc adopted a Saudi-proposed peace plan, renewed as recently as 2017.
It offered normalisation only in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967, a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and a just solution for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, who now number more than five million, according to the United Nations.
The Arab plan has been pushed aside by the Trump administration, which after several delays unveiled a controversial peace blueprint of its own in January.
It promised US blessing for Israel's eventual annexation of swathes of the occupied West Bank, including the strategic Jordan Valley and all Jewish settlements.
The UAE government hailed a clause in its US-brokered normalisation deal that appeared to put any Israeli annexations on hold.
But Israel retorted that any delay would be short-lived and that its annexation plans remained on the table.
Zaki stressed that "the rest of the decisions regarding Palestine did not change the basic tenets established previously... such as the rejection of the so-called US peace plan... and the rights of Palestinian refugees."
But he said nothing about any League policy on its members following the UAE down the path of normalisation.
Trump will host a signing ceremony for the agreement on September 15.
The UAE will be only the third Arab country to sign a deal with Israel after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-10--Huge fire at Beirut port weeks after deadly blast

A huge column of black smoke billows into the sky over Beirut as the city 's port is again engulfed by fire just weeks after a devastating dockside explosion A huge fire raged in Beirut port on Thursday , AFP correspondents said , sparking alarm among Lebanese still reeling from a devastating dockside explosion that disfigured the capital last month .
Thick black columns of smoke rose into the sky , as the army said the blaze had engulfed a warehouse storing oil and tyres .
It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze .
`` Operations have begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will take part , '' the military said in a statement on Twitter .
Social media users posted video footage , which sparked alarm among Beirut residents only just recovering from the country 's deadliest peace-time disaster .
`` Insane fire at the port , causing a panic all across Beirut .
We just ca n't catch a break , '' Human Rights Watch researcher Aya Majzoub wrote on Twitter .
The August 4 explosion of hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser at the port killed more than 190 people , wounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital .
The blast sparked widespread outrage after it emerged authorities had been aware of the presence of the huge stockpile , and prompted the government to resign .
Human rights researcher Omar Nashabe tweeted : `` Where are we living ?
This is the scene of the crime a month ago !
Where is the judiciary ?
Where is the state ?
Where is responsibility ? ''
The port blast piled new misery on Lebanese already battling the coronavirus pandemic and the country 's worst economic crisis in decades , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the population .

Beirut (AFP) –
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A huge fire raged in Beirut port on Thursday, AFP correspondents said, sparking alarm among Lebanese still reeling from a devastating dockside explosion that disfigured the capital last month.
Thick black columns of smoke rose into the sky, as the army said the blaze had engulfed a warehouse storing oil and tyres.
It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze.
"Operations have begun to extinguish the fire and army helicopters will take part," the military said in a statement on Twitter.
Social media users posted video footage, which sparked alarm among Beirut residents only just recovering from the country's deadliest peace-time disaster.
"Insane fire at the port, causing a panic all across Beirut. We just can't catch a break," Human Rights Watch researcher Aya Majzoub wrote on Twitter.
The August 4 explosion of hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser at the port killed more than 190 people, wounded thousands and ravaged large parts of the capital.
The blast sparked widespread outrage after it emerged authorities had been aware of the presence of the huge stockpile, and prompted the government to resign.
Human rights researcher Omar Nashabe tweeted: "Where are we living? This is the scene of the crime a month ago! Where is the judiciary? Where is the state? Where is responsibility?"
The port blast piled new misery on Lebanese already battling the coronavirus pandemic and the country's worst economic crisis in decades, which has seen poverty rates double to more than half the population.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-10--Belgian Congo's 'children of sin' demand justice

Lea Mujinga Tavares ( R ) and Simone Vandenbroeck are among the women suing Belgium Torn from their parents , brought up in a convent then abandoned when the Belgian Congo gained independence .
Five mixed-race women , among the last living witnesses to one of the darkest chapters in Europe 's colonial history in Africa , are now seeking justice .
Lea , Monique , Noelle , Simone and Marie-Jose are now more than 70 years old , mothers and grandmothers in their own right , but they can never forget their childhoods .
Now they have filed suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's former colonial power for a `` crime against humanity '' .
The first procedural hearing takes place Thursday in Brussels .
Belgium apologised to the mixed-race descendants of its white colonists in 2019 -- but it will take more than that to heal the harm done .
`` My father was Portuguese .
He went to his country for a holiday .
The trip was long .
When he came back , he could n't find me because the Belgian state had kidnapped me .
I was two years old , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AFP .
`` I was placed in the convent of Katende , in Kasai province , like other children before me .
My mother was Congolese , two children were taken away from her . ''
When she arrived , the nuns took her clothes and dressed her in a `` rough little dress '' , she recalls at her daughter 's home in the suburbs of Brussels .
In the mornings , there was no bread or milk , but only rice prepared with palm oil -- `` I could n't eat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a woven mat and a thin blanket .
The children were not beaten or abused , they could go to school , and some even become attached to the their hosts at the convent .
But , `` in retrospect , having become a mother and grandmother , we tell ourselves that it was n't normal .
How did we manage to cope ? ''
Malnutrition has left her with after-effects from which she still suffers .
Simone Ngalula 's mother , married to a Belgian agricultural scientist , was forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his death .
`` She was told : 'Your husband is dead .
You wo n't know how to raise a white man 's children .
We 'll take care of it , '' says Simone , according to the story she pieced together with her mother , with whom she was reunited when she was around ten years old .
`` I was n't weaned when I arrived .
I cried all day long , according to what I was told , '' she told AFP .
`` We lived in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sang together , '' recalls Simone , a warm woman whom Lea considers a sister .
As mixed-race children , they felt discriminated against .
`` At school , they used to call us 'café au lait ' ( coffee with milk ) .
We were n't accepted , '' recalls Simone .
They called us `` children of sin .
A white man could n't marry a black woman .
The child born of this union was a child of prostitution , '' confides Lea .
Her mother visited her at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years old , but it was not until adolescence that they met again .
`` Today I want to know why I was taken away from my family .
We became wards of the Belgian state .
How do you make up for a lost life , a broken life ?
`` I 'm waiting for reparation .
I have lived with this serious trauma .
I could n't talk about it to my husband or my children . ''
The five have demanded `` a provisional sum of 50,000 euros '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ongoing torment .
At independence in 1960 , children still in the convent were supposed to have been repatriated with the nuns to Belgium .
The evacuation did not take place .
The girls , including Simone , were abandoned and militiamen arrived , ostensibly to guard them .
The older ones went into hiding .
The surviving younger children ca n't dwell on what happened next .
`` We , the little ones , they make us sit on the floor and spread our legs .
'We 'll show you how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Simone says .
After the death of a Belgian husband , Lea came to Belgium with her children in 1988 .
She wrote to Queen Fabiola , who advised her to apply for welfare .
`` An abandonment , a tearing , '' that pushed her to act .
`` When I found my sisters again there was the same anxiety in their eyes .
So I said , 'the only psychologist for this is justice , ' '' she concludes , her voice trembling .

Brussels (AFP) –
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Torn from their parents, brought up in a convent then abandoned when the Belgian Congo gained independence.
Five mixed-race women, among the last living witnesses to one of the darkest chapters in Europe's colonial history in Africa, are now seeking justice.
Lea, Monique, Noelle, Simone and Marie-Jose are now more than 70 years old, mothers and grandmothers in their own right, but they can never forget their childhoods.
Now they have filed suit in Belgium demanding reparations from central Africa's former colonial power for a "crime against humanity".
The first procedural hearing takes place Thursday in Brussels.
Belgium apologised to the mixed-race descendants of its white colonists in 2019 -- but it will take more than that to heal the harm done.
"My father was Portuguese. He went to his country for a holiday. The trip was long. When he came back, he couldn't find me because the Belgian state had kidnapped me. I was two years old," Lea Tavares Mujinga, 74, told AFP.
"I was placed in the convent of Katende, in Kasai province, like other children before me. My mother was Congolese, two children were taken away from her."
When she arrived, the nuns took her clothes and dressed her in a "rough little dress", she recalls at her daughter's home in the suburbs of Brussels.
In the mornings, there was no bread or milk, but only rice prepared with palm oil -- "I couldn't eat it".
She had no bed but a woven mat and a thin blanket.
The children were not beaten or abused, they could go to school, and some even become attached to the their hosts at the convent.
But, "in retrospect, having become a mother and grandmother, we tell ourselves that it wasn't normal. How did we manage to cope?"
Malnutrition has left her with after-effects from which she still suffers.
- "I wasn't weaned" -
Simone Ngalula's mother, married to a Belgian agricultural scientist, was forced to bring her children to the convent after his death.
"She was told: 'Your husband is dead. You won't know how to raise a white man's children. We'll take care of it," says Simone, according to the story she pieced together with her mother, with whom she was reunited when she was around ten years old.
"I wasn't weaned when I arrived. I cried all day long, according to what I was told," she told AFP.
"We lived in a group. We suffered together, we sang together," recalls Simone, a warm woman whom Lea considers a sister.
As mixed-race children, they felt discriminated against. "At school, they used to call us 'café au lait' (coffee with milk). We weren't accepted," recalls Simone.
They called us "children of sin. A white man couldn't marry a black woman. The child born of this union was a child of prostitution," confides Lea.
Her mother visited her at the convent when Lea was six or seven years old, but it was not until adolescence that they met again.
"Today I want to know why I was taken away from my family. We became wards of the Belgian state. How do you make up for a lost life, a broken life?
"I'm waiting for reparation. I have lived with this serious trauma. I couldn't talk about it to my husband or my children."
The five have demanded "a provisional sum of 50,000 euros" and the appointment of an expert to assess their ongoing torment.
At independence in 1960, children still in the convent were supposed to have been repatriated with the nuns to Belgium.
- Royal 'abandonment' -
The evacuation did not take place. The girls, including Simone, were abandoned and militiamen arrived, ostensibly to guard them.
The older ones went into hiding. The surviving younger children can't dwell on what happened next.
"We, the little ones, they make us sit on the floor and spread our legs. 'We'll show you how we bring children into the world'," Simone says.
After the death of a Belgian husband, Lea came to Belgium with her children in 1988. She wrote to Queen Fabiola, who advised her to apply for welfare.
"An abandonment, a tearing," that pushed her to act.
"When I found my sisters again there was the same anxiety in their eyes. So I said, 'the only psychologist for this is justice,'" she concludes, her voice trembling.
© 2020 AFP