france24--2020-11-22--Medvedev beats Thiem to win ATP Finals title

Daniil Medvedev came from a set down to beat Dominic Thiem 4-6 , 7-6 ( 7/2 ) , 6-4 and win the ATP Finals title in London on Sunday for the biggest tournament victory of his career .
The Russian fourth seed was second best for large periods of the match at the O2 Arena but found a way back into the contest and eventually proved too strong for the world number three .
Thiem weathered early pressure from Medvedev and secured the first break of the match in the fifth game , when the Russian served a double fault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the group stages and came back from 4-0 down in a deciding tie-break against Novak Djokovic in the semi-final , sealed the set in fortunate fashion when his forehand clipped the net and looped over Medvedev 's racket .
Medvedev , 24 , who came from one set down against Nadal in Saturday 's last-four contest , made a solid start to the second set .
But US Open champion Thiem held to love in the fourth game , looking comfortable as the giant Russian sought a way back into the match @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point in the following game but Medvedev saved it with an ace and held to keep his nose in front despite intense pressure .
Thiem had chances to break in Medvedev 's next service game but yelled in frustration as he squandered his opportunities .
The Austrian took a tumble onto the blue court at the start of the eighth game and found himself break point down but toughed it out , with Medvedev looking stronger as the set wore on .
The set went to a tie-break .
Thiem earned a mini-break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2-0 lead but the Russian stormed back , winning seven points in a row and levelling the match with an ace .
A ragged service game by Thiem in the third game of the decider left the Austrian facing three break points but he dug deep to hold .
The third seed appeared to be struggling to cope with the punishing pace and finally cracked in the fifth game , when Medvedev produced a volley at the net to break and seize the initiative .
Thiem , who also lost last year 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had to battle hard to avoid going down another break .
Medvedev kept his nerve to serve out for the match at the empty arena .

London (AFP) –
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Daniil Medvedev came from a set down to beat Dominic Thiem 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 and win the ATP Finals title in London on Sunday for the biggest tournament victory of his career.
The Russian fourth seed was second best for large periods of the match at the O2 Arena but found a way back into the contest and eventually proved too strong for the world number three.
Thiem weathered early pressure from Medvedev and secured the first break of the match in the fifth game, when the Russian served a double fault.
Thiem, who beat Rafael Nadal in the group stages and came back from 4-0 down in a deciding tie-break against Novak Djokovic in the semi-final, sealed the set in fortunate fashion when his forehand clipped the net and looped over Medvedev's racket.
Medvedev, 24, who came from one set down against Nadal in Saturday's last-four contest, made a solid start to the second set.
But US Open champion Thiem held to love in the fourth game, looking comfortable as the giant Russian sought a way back into the match.
The third seed earned a break point in the following game but Medvedev saved it with an ace and held to keep his nose in front despite intense pressure.
Thiem had chances to break in Medvedev's next service game but yelled in frustration as he squandered his opportunities.
The Austrian took a tumble onto the blue court at the start of the eighth game and found himself break point down but toughed it out, with Medvedev looking stronger as the set wore on.
The set went to a tie-break. Thiem earned a mini-break on the first point and took a 2-0 lead but the Russian stormed back, winning seven points in a row and levelling the match with an ace.
A ragged service game by Thiem in the third game of the decider left the Austrian facing three break points but he dug deep to hold.
The third seed appeared to be struggling to cope with the punishing pace and finally cracked in the fifth game, when Medvedev produced a volley at the net to break and seize the initiative.
Thiem, who also lost last year's final in London, remained under pressure and had to battle hard to avoid going down another break.
Medvedev kept his nerve to serve out for the match at the empty arena.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--Rabada reveals 'bizarre' South African training regime

Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada says South Africa 's bio-bubble in Cape Town is like a 'luxury prison' Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada revealed on Monday that the South African cricket team are training in two groups to minimise the risk of further Covid-19 infections ahead of their series against England .
Two members of the South African squad have tested positive for Covid since the squad assembled last week and two other players had to go into isolation because of their close contact with one of the infected players .
`` It 's been quite bizarre , '' Rabada told an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Cape Town .
`` We have to train in groups -– a group of non-contacts and a group of close contacts .
`` It does n't mean anyone is positive but we have to take that extra precaution . ''
Rabada did not reveal how many players were in each group but planned intra-squad matches on Saturday and Monday were cancelled , presumably to reduce the risk of infections .
He said more Covid tests would be conducted with the players `` soon '' .
Despite the unusual training arrangements , Rabada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of the first Twenty20 international against England at Newlands on Friday .
`` The team is doing well at sticking to strict rules . ''
Rabada is undergoing his second `` bio-bubble '' experience in a short period of time after starring for the Delhi Capitals , and becoming the leading wicket-taker , in the recent Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates .
There were no crowds at the IPL and there will again be no spectators at the three T20 internationals and three one-day internationals against England .
Rabada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected the standard of cricket in the IPL .
`` The competitiveness was second to none , '' he said .
`` The crowd gives that extra bit of adrenalin and that extra bit of drama and theatre .
`` There 's definitely an element missing but at the end of the day we are competitive cricketers who want to compete , to test your skill level .
I think it will be much the same in this series . ''
Rabada said living in the bubble was tough but added a note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luxury prisons that you are in but at the end of the day you have to remind yourself that you are fortunate , '' he said .
`` People have lost their jobs and people are struggling .
`` I try to remind myself that we must be grateful for the opportunity to earn some money and do what we love . ''

Cape Town (AFP) –
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Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada revealed on Monday that the South African cricket team are training in two groups to minimise the risk of further Covid-19 infections ahead of their series against England.
Two members of the South African squad have tested positive for Covid since the squad assembled last week and two other players had to go into isolation because of their close contact with one of the infected players.
"It's been quite bizarre," Rabada told an online press conference from the team hotel in Cape Town.
"We have to train in groups -– a group of non-contacts and a group of close contacts.
"It doesn't mean anyone is positive but we have to take that extra precaution."
Rabada did not reveal how many players were in each group but planned intra-squad matches on Saturday and Monday were cancelled, presumably to reduce the risk of infections.
He said more Covid tests would be conducted with the players "soon".
Despite the unusual training arrangements, Rabada said "training is going smoothly" ahead of the first Twenty20 international against England at Newlands on Friday.
"The team is doing well at sticking to strict rules."
Rabada is undergoing his second "bio-bubble" experience in a short period of time after starring for the Delhi Capitals, and becoming the leading wicket-taker, in the recent Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates.
There were no crowds at the IPL and there will again be no spectators at the three T20 internationals and three one-day internationals against England.
Rabada said the lack of crowds had not affected the standard of cricket in the IPL.
"The competitiveness was second to none," he said.
"The crowd gives that extra bit of adrenalin and that extra bit of drama and theatre.
"There's definitely an element missing but at the end of the day we are competitive cricketers who want to compete, to test your skill level. I think it will be much the same in this series."
Rabada said living in the bubble was tough but added a note of realism.
"It's like luxury prisons that you are in but at the end of the day you have to remind yourself that you are fortunate," he said.
"People have lost their jobs and people are struggling.
"I try to remind myself that we must be grateful for the opportunity to earn some money and do what we love."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--Wars and peace: Israel courts Arab world

( L-R ) Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , US President Donald Trump and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan hold up documents after signing accords at the White House on September 15 Speculation is mounting that Israel and Saudi Arabia may be about to normalise ties after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly held secret talks in the kingdom .
If a deal is done , Saudi Arabia would become the sixth Arab nation to recognise Israel after historic accords since September with the UAE , Bahrain and Sudan .
We look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Arab neighbours with whom it has fought no less than eight wars .
Israel is created on May 14 , 1948 on parts of British-mandated Palestine three years after the end of World War II , when the Nazis killed more than six million Jews .
It immediately comes under attack from its Arab neighbours , but repels them .
More than 760,000 Palestinians are either driven from their homes or flee , becoming refugees .
In 1956 , Israel attacks Egypt with Britain and France over the nationalisation of the Suez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdraw by the United States and the then-Soviet Union .
In June 1967 , Israel wins a crushing victory over its Arab neighbours in the Six-Day War , seizing the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan , the Golan Heights from Syria and the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt .
In 1973 , Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur but are held off despite initial advances .
Egyptian president Anwar Sadat becomes the first Arab leader to visit Israel in 1977 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state .
In 1978 and again in 1982 , Israel invades civil war-wracked Lebanon in a bid to halt cross-border attacks by Palestinian militants .
A second peace accord , with Jordan , comes in 1994 , formally ending 46 years of war between the two neighbours .
The first Palestinian intifada , or uprising , erupts in 1987 .
It ends in 1993 when Israel agrees to limited Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as an interim step towards a comprehensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sealed with a historic handshake between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israel premier Yitzhak Rabin , who is later assassinated by a Jewish extremist .
The second intifada breaks out in 2000 when right-wing Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon pays a provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem .
The Israeli army reoccupies much of the West Bank and begins building a separation barrier that cuts deep into occupied territory .
In 2005 , Israel withdraws all troops and settlers from Gaza after 38 years of occupation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strip after Islamist group Hamas seizes control in 2007 .
Israel launches three deadly offensives against Gaza in six years , the latest in 2014 .
In December 2017 , US President Donald Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel 's capital , a declaration condemned by the Palestinians who regard east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state .
In March 2019 , Trump recognises Israel 's 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights .
On January 28 , 2020 , Trump unveils a controversial Middle East peace plan that would pave the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West Bank .
In a surprise announcement in August , Trump says Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached an `` historic '' agreement to normalise ties .
Israel agrees to `` suspend '' annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank , without saying for how long .
On September 11 , Trump announces that Bahrain and Israel will also normalise ties .
The Palestinians condemn the accords as a `` stab in the back '' .
Weeks later , Israel approves plans for 4,948 more settler homes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sudan normalises ties as Trump agrees to take it off a US sanctions blacklist of states which allegedly sponsor terrorism .
On Monday , reports emerge that Netanyahu held secret talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the previous day .
A peace deal with Riyadh , which has said it would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not having ties with Israel until its conflict with the Palestinians is resolved , would be a massive diplomatic prize for the Jewish state .

Jerusalem (AFP) –
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Speculation is mounting that Israel and Saudi Arabia may be about to normalise ties after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly held secret talks in the kingdom.
If a deal is done, Saudi Arabia would become the sixth Arab nation to recognise Israel after historic accords since September with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.
We look at the Jewish state's turbulent history with its Arab neighbours with whom it has fought no less than eight wars.
- Decades of war -
Israel is created on May 14, 1948 on parts of British-mandated Palestine three years after the end of World War II, when the Nazis killed more than six million Jews.
It immediately comes under attack from its Arab neighbours, but repels them.
More than 760,000 Palestinians are either driven from their homes or flee, becoming refugees.
In 1956, Israel attacks Egypt with Britain and France over the nationalisation of the Suez Canal. All three are forced to withdraw by the United States and the then-Soviet Union.
In June 1967, Israel wins a crushing victory over its Arab neighbours in the Six-Day War, seizing the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt.
In 1973, Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur but are held off despite initial advances.
- First peace treaty -
Egyptian president Anwar Sadat becomes the first Arab leader to visit Israel in 1977. Two years later, they sign the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state.
- Lebanon invasions -
In 1978 and again in 1982, Israel invades civil war-wracked Lebanon in a bid to halt cross-border attacks by Palestinian militants.
Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon until 2000.
- Peace with Jordan -
A second peace accord, with Jordan, comes in 1994, formally ending 46 years of war between the two neighbours.
- Intifadas, Oslo accords -
The first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, erupts in 1987.
It ends in 1993 when Israel agrees to limited Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as an interim step towards a comprehensive peace agreement.
The so-called Oslo accords are sealed with a historic handshake between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israel premier Yitzhak Rabin, who is later assassinated by a Jewish extremist.
The second intifada breaks out in 2000 when right-wing Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon pays a provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem.
- The wall and Gaza wars -
The Israeli army reoccupies much of the West Bank and begins building a separation barrier that cuts deep into occupied territory.
In 2005, Israel withdraws all troops and settlers from Gaza after 38 years of occupation.
It imposes a crippling blockade on the strip after Islamist group Hamas seizes control in 2007.
Israel launches three deadly offensives against Gaza in six years, the latest in 2014.
- Trump support -
In December 2017, US President Donald Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a declaration condemned by the Palestinians who regard east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
In March 2019, Trump recognises Israel's 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights.
On January 28, 2020, Trump unveils a controversial Middle East peace plan that would pave the way for Israel's annexation of swathes of the West Bank.
- Deals with UAE, Bahrain -
In a surprise announcement in August, Trump says Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached an "historic" agreement to normalise ties.
Israel agrees to "suspend" annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, without saying for how long.
On September 11, Trump announces that Bahrain and Israel will also normalise ties.
The Palestinians condemn the accords as a "stab in the back".
Weeks later, Israel approves plans for 4,948 more settler homes in the West Bank.
- Sudan and Saudi too? -
On October 23, Sudan normalises ties as Trump agrees to take it off a US sanctions blacklist of states which allegedly sponsor terrorism.
On Monday, reports emerge that Netanyahu held secret talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the previous day.
A peace deal with Riyadh, which has said it would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not having ties with Israel until its conflict with the Palestinians is resolved, would be a massive diplomatic prize for the Jewish state.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--Inside a Tigray town scarred by Ethiopian conflict

A resident of the Tigray town of Humera stands in a room riddled with bulletholes after the assault by Ethiopian forces A pair of burnt-out tanks now signals the entrance to the Tigray town of Humera , where the streets are lined with rubble and residents remain in shock after an Ethiopian army assault earlier this month .
The conflict between Ethiopia 's federal government and the leaders of the northern Tigray region arrived quickly in the farming town , with artillery barrages bombarding commercial buildings and homes as residents fled or cowered in terror .
A communications blackout and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult , but AFP journalists reached Tigray -- the first independent journalists to report from inside the conflict zone since fighting started -- and found the scars of conflict everywhere .
`` We did n't expect shelling , '' said Humera resident Getachew Berhane , a short , bald 42-year-old in a crisp yellow t-shirt .
`` Suddenly , we started to hear war weapons , explosions , and then people panicked . ''
`` I could n't leave my house .
I was terrified , '' he said , as an Ethiopian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
The Ethiopian army , battling forces loyal to the Tigray People 's Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , declared Humera `` liberated '' on November 12 after heavy clashes in the first days of the conflict .
The power lines remain cut in Humera , a low-slung town of pastel-painted concrete buildings that was -- until recently -- home to around 30,000 people .
A gaping hole has been punched through the brick facade of the prominent Hotel Africa , while other structures have been peppered with bullet holes and gouged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , soldiers lolled on plastic chairs beneath the shade of trees .
Elsewhere , the city 's remaining residents huddled around televisions run on diesel generators as military vehicles and tractors drove the cobbled and paved roads .
The town lies near Ethiopia 's borders with Sudan and Eritrea .
Many of Humera 's residents were among the first of the more than 30,000 Ethiopians who have fled into eastern Sudan for safety , leaving the city feeling abandoned .
Multiple people told AFP that during the battle they witnessed mortar bombs whistling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaning Eritrea .
Ethiopia 's government denies TPLF claims that Eritrea is involved in the fighting , but acknowledges making use of Eritrean territory .
At one tin-roofed residential compound , AFP was told that two women and an elderly man were killed by shelling and gunfire .
Two injured women still lay recovering from their wounds weeks later , strapped to makeshift stretchers .
One Humera resident said he knew of at least 10 people killed in his neighbourhood alone , however AFP was not permitted to visit the hospital to establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town in Ethiopia 's far northwest , a hot , dry , agricultural lowland , Humera promised prosperity before the start of the conflict .
`` This town was on the verge of development , '' said Tewodros Gebreselassie , a grim-faced , grey-bearded sesame trader .
`` But now it 's been brought back to hand-to-mouth living because of an unnecessary war . ''
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed -- last year 's Nobel Peace Prize winner -- announced military operations in Tigray on November 4 , saying they were in response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hundreds are believed to have died since , while tens of thousands have fled their homes .
The intense fighting has rolled eastwards , into the mountainous highlands and towards the regional capital Mekele , a city of half a million .
On Sunday , Abiy gave TPLF leaders 72 hours to surrender ahead of a threatened all-out assault on Mekele .
With fighting having subsided in the west of Tigray , government officials are seeking to reimpose order in Humera .
The strategy appears to be to erase TPLF control partly by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region , a move that risks inflaming ethnic tensions .
Throughout much of the west , federal soldiers are scarcely seen , instead security is maintained by Amhara 's uniformed `` special forces '' .
Civil servants have also arrived from Amhara to take over the administration of some Tigrayan towns and cities .
Daniel Wubet , an Amhara tourism official in a tracksuit and vest said he was in Humera to oversee `` peacekeeping '' , procure basic necessities for the population and `` educate '' them on the TPLF 's bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kalashnikov slung from his shoulder , has co-opted some local Tigrayans into the rebuilding exercise , among them Tewodros .
`` They said I have n't done anything wrong and that I 'm a pure Ethiopian , '' Tewodros explained of his appointment .
The presence of Amhara officials and soldiers will fuel fears of an occupation among Tigrayans , who are mired in a decades-old dispute over land that has , in the past , sparked violent clashes and continues to be a dangerous flashpoint .
Abrehu Fentahum , an elderly Amhara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he looked forward to the land being returned to Amhara control , even though Daniel and others stress that this is not their goal .
`` As long as I can remember , this land belonged to Amhara , '' until 1991 when `` it was taken by the TPLF , '' he said .
Already , visible traces of the TPLF are being expunged , its banners replaced by the green , yellow and red imperial-era flag of Amhara nationalism that now flies high at checkpoints and town squares .
These symbols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nor will the word `` Amhara '' scrawled on shuttered storefronts like a hastily graffitied claim of ownership .
Speaking to AFP by text message , TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael warned the presence of Amhara administrators and fighters would only prolong the conflict .
`` This is one of their evil plans to weaken Tigray , '' he said .
`` We 'll continue to fight until they are cleared from all places . ''

Humera (Ethiopia) (AFP) –
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A pair of burnt-out tanks now signals the entrance to the Tigray town of Humera, where the streets are lined with rubble and residents remain in shock after an Ethiopian army assault earlier this month.
The conflict between Ethiopia's federal government and the leaders of the northern Tigray region arrived quickly in the farming town, with artillery barrages bombarding commercial buildings and homes as residents fled or cowered in terror.
A communications blackout and restrictions have made reporting on the conflict difficult, but AFP journalists reached Tigray -- the first independent journalists to report from inside the conflict zone since fighting started -- and found the scars of conflict everywhere.
"We didn't expect shelling," said Humera resident Getachew Berhane, a short, bald 42-year-old in a crisp yellow t-shirt.
"Suddenly, we started to hear war weapons, explosions, and then people panicked."
"I couldn't leave my house. I was terrified," he said, as an Ethiopian government official accompanying the AFP team listened in.
The Ethiopian army, battling forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), declared Humera "liberated" on November 12 after heavy clashes in the first days of the conflict.
- Bombs 'from the north' -
The power lines remain cut in Humera, a low-slung town of pastel-painted concrete buildings that was -- until recently -- home to around 30,000 people.
A gaping hole has been punched through the brick facade of the prominent Hotel Africa, while other structures have been peppered with bullet holes and gouged by shrapnel.
In the city centre, soldiers lolled on plastic chairs beneath the shade of trees.
Elsewhere, the city's remaining residents huddled around televisions run on diesel generators as military vehicles and tractors drove the cobbled and paved roads.
The town lies near Ethiopia's borders with Sudan and Eritrea. Many of Humera's residents were among the first of the more than 30,000 Ethiopians who have fled into eastern Sudan for safety, leaving the city feeling abandoned.
Multiple people told AFP that during the battle they witnessed mortar bombs whistling in "from the north", meaning Eritrea.
Ethiopia's government denies TPLF claims that Eritrea is involved in the fighting, but acknowledges making use of Eritrean territory.
- 'Hand-to-mouth living' -
At one tin-roofed residential compound, AFP was told that two women and an elderly man were killed by shelling and gunfire.
Two injured women still lay recovering from their wounds weeks later, strapped to makeshift stretchers.
One Humera resident said he knew of at least 10 people killed in his neighbourhood alone, however AFP was not permitted to visit the hospital to establish an accurate death toll.
A crossroads town in Ethiopia's far northwest, a hot, dry, agricultural lowland, Humera promised prosperity before the start of the conflict.
"This town was on the verge of development," said Tewodros Gebreselassie, a grim-faced, grey-bearded sesame trader.
"But now it's been brought back to hand-to-mouth living because of an unnecessary war."
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed -- last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner -- announced military operations in Tigray on November 4, saying they were in response to TPLF attacks on federal army camps.
Hundreds are believed to have died since, while tens of thousands have fled their homes.
The intense fighting has rolled eastwards, into the mountainous highlands and towards the regional capital Mekele, a city of half a million.
On Sunday, Abiy gave TPLF leaders 72 hours to surrender ahead of a threatened all-out assault on Mekele.
- Outsiders move in -
With fighting having subsided in the west of Tigray, government officials are seeking to reimpose order in Humera.
The strategy appears to be to erase TPLF control partly by bringing administrators in from the neighbouring Amhara region, a move that risks inflaming ethnic tensions.
Throughout much of the west, federal soldiers are scarcely seen, instead security is maintained by Amhara's uniformed "special forces".
Civil servants have also arrived from Amhara to take over the administration of some Tigrayan towns and cities.
Daniel Wubet, an Amhara tourism official in a tracksuit and vest said he was in Humera to oversee "peacekeeping", procure basic necessities for the population and "educate" them on the TPLF's bad deeds.
Daniel, who had a Kalashnikov slung from his shoulder, has co-opted some local Tigrayans into the rebuilding exercise, among them Tewodros.
"They said I haven't done anything wrong and that I'm a pure Ethiopian," Tewodros explained of his appointment.
The presence of Amhara officials and soldiers will fuel fears of an occupation among Tigrayans, who are mired in a decades-old dispute over land that has, in the past, sparked violent clashes and continues to be a dangerous flashpoint.
Abrehu Fentahum, an elderly Amhara farmer living in western Tigray, said he looked forward to the land being returned to Amhara control, even though Daniel and others stress that this is not their goal.
"As long as I can remember, this land belonged to Amhara," until 1991 when "it was taken by the TPLF," he said.
Already, visible traces of the TPLF are being expunged, its banners replaced by the green, yellow and red imperial-era flag of Amhara nationalism that now flies high at checkpoints and town squares.
These symbols will not allay Tigrayan fears of occupation, nor will the word "Amhara" scrawled on shuttered storefronts like a hastily graffitied claim of ownership.
Speaking to AFP by text message, TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael warned the presence of Amhara administrators and fighters would only prolong the conflict.
"This is one of their evil plans to weaken Tigray," he said.
"We'll continue to fight until they are cleared from all places."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--African players in Europe: Haller hailed after 'fabulous finish'

New Ivory Coast international Sebastien Haller scored his first goal from outside the penalty area in almost 200 Dutch , German and English league matches to give West Ham a 1-0 victory at Sheffield United .
Sheffield manager Chris Wilder hailed the 56th-minute strike a `` fabulous finish '' from the 26-year-old Hammer , who was born in France but qualifies for the Ivory Coast under the FIFA parentage rule .
While Haller celebrated , another Ivory Coast forward , Nicolas Pepe , was sent off for a headbutt , leaving 10-man Arsenal to force a 0-0 draw at Leeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the performances of African stars in the major European leagues at the weekend .
Haller made the most of his chance to start for the Hammers in the absence of Michail Antonio with a stunning strike into the top corner from outside the area to earn a win at Sheffield United .
The Ivorian 's first away league goal since December moved David Moyes 's men up to eighth .
Pepe 's red card for a needless headbutt on Ezgjan Alioski was branded `` unacceptable '' by furious Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw at Leeds .
Pepe has failed to live up to his £72 million ( $ 96 mn ) price tag over the past two seasons and wasted a rare Premier League start by nudging his head into that of Alioski six minutes into the second half .
Ivory Coast midfielder Boga scored his first league goal this season , curling in the opener three minutes before the break in a 2-0 win at Hellas Verona .
Sassuolo are unbeaten this campaign and lie second , two points behind leaders AC Milan after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the battle with AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic , who scored twice in a 3-1 defeat which saw Napoli drop from third to sixth in Serie A .
The Senegalese took an elbow from the Swedish veteran in the process .
`` On TV it looks like a Mike Tyson elbow , if you see the grimace , '' complained Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso .
The Morocco international put his side ahead on the stroke of half-time as Frankfurt held title hopefuls RB Leipzig to a 1-1 draw .
Barkok picked up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between two Leipzig defenders and firing the ball past Peter Gulacsi to score only his third Bundesliga goal .
The Democratic Republic of Congo forward put his side 2-1 up in the first half in a dramatic 3-3 draw with local rivals Hoffenheim .
Having smashed his first effort against the post , Wamangituka stabbed home the rebound to score his third goal of the season and extend Stuttgart 's unbeaten run to seven games .
The Nigerian striker Awoniyi and Tunisian international Shkiri both scored in Union Berlin 's 2-1 win over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding off two defenders to prod the ball past Timo Horn midway through the first half .
It was his first goal for Union since joining them on loan from Liverpool last summer .
Shkiri put Cologne level later in the first half .
After Marcus Ingvartsen brought down Marius Wolf on the right wing , Ondrej Duda sent a curling free-kick into the box and Shkiri nodded home from close range .
The Algeria international scored a pair of headers in Montpellier 's thrilling 4-3 win over Strasbourg , upping his tally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France-born Delort had also netted in the 2-2 draw in Zimbabwe last week that sealed title-holders Algeria 's place at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations .
The Zimbabwe striker grabbed a late winner for Lyon in their 1-0 victory at Angers .
Kadewere controlled a Leo Dubois pass on his chest and volleyed in his fourth goal of the season , having scored twice off the bench in the derby victory over Saint-Etienne this month .

Paris (AFP) –
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New Ivory Coast international Sebastien Haller scored his first goal from outside the penalty area in almost 200 Dutch, German and English league matches to give West Ham a 1-0 victory at Sheffield United.
Sheffield manager Chris Wilder hailed the 56th-minute strike a "fabulous finish" from the 26-year-old Hammer, who was born in France but qualifies for the Ivory Coast under the FIFA parentage rule.
While Haller celebrated, another Ivory Coast forward, Nicolas Pepe, was sent off for a headbutt, leaving 10-man Arsenal to force a 0-0 draw at Leeds United.
Here, AFP Sport rounds up the performances of African stars in the major European leagues at the weekend.
ENGLAND
SEBASTIEN HALLER (West Ham)
Haller made the most of his chance to start for the Hammers in the absence of Michail Antonio with a stunning strike into the top corner from outside the area to earn a win at Sheffield United. The Ivorian's first away league goal since December moved David Moyes's men up to eighth.
NICOLAS PEPE (Arsenal)
Pepe's red card for a needless headbutt on Ezgjan Alioski was branded "unacceptable" by furious Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as the 10-man Gunners escaped with a draw at Leeds. Pepe has failed to live up to his £72 million ($96 mn) price tag over the past two seasons and wasted a rare Premier League start by nudging his head into that of Alioski six minutes into the second half.
ITALY
JEREMIE BOGA (Sassuolo)
Ivory Coast midfielder Boga scored his first league goal this season, curling in the opener three minutes before the break in a 2-0 win at Hellas Verona. Sassuolo are unbeaten this campaign and lie second, two points behind leaders AC Milan after eight games.
KALIDOU KOULIBALY (Napoli)
Towering defender Koulibaly lost the battle with AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored twice in a 3-1 defeat which saw Napoli drop from third to sixth in Serie A. The Senegalese took an elbow from the Swedish veteran in the process. "On TV it looks like a Mike Tyson elbow, if you see the grimace," complained Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso.
GERMANY
AYMEN BARKOK (Eintracht Frankfurt)
The Morocco international put his side ahead on the stroke of half-time as Frankfurt held title hopefuls RB Leipzig to a 1-1 draw. Barkok picked up a long ball from Evan Ndicka before darting between two Leipzig defenders and firing the ball past Peter Gulacsi to score only his third Bundesliga goal.
SILAS WAMANGITUKA (Stuttgart)
The Democratic Republic of Congo forward put his side 2-1 up in the first half in a dramatic 3-3 draw with local rivals Hoffenheim. Having smashed his first effort against the post, Wamangituka stabbed home the rebound to score his third goal of the season and extend Stuttgart's unbeaten run to seven games.
TAIWO AWONIYI (Union Berlin) and ELLYES SHKIRI (Cologne)
The Nigerian striker Awoniyi and Tunisian international Shkiri both scored in Union Berlin's 2-1 win over Cologne. Awoniyi scored the opener, holding off two defenders to prod the ball past Timo Horn midway through the first half. It was his first goal for Union since joining them on loan from Liverpool last summer. Shkiri put Cologne level later in the first half. After Marcus Ingvartsen brought down Marius Wolf on the right wing, Ondrej Duda sent a curling free-kick into the box and Shkiri nodded home from close range.
FRANCE
ANDY DELORT (Montpellier)
The Algeria international scored a pair of headers in Montpellier's thrilling 4-3 win over Strasbourg, upping his tally for the campaign to six goals. France-born Delort had also netted in the 2-2 draw in Zimbabwe last week that sealed title-holders Algeria's place at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
TINO KADEWERE (Lyon)
The Zimbabwe striker grabbed a late winner for Lyon in their 1-0 victory at Angers. Kadewere controlled a Leo Dubois pass on his chest and volleyed in his fourth goal of the season, having scored twice off the bench in the derby victory over Saint-Etienne this month.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--Israeli PM held secret talks in Saudi with Pompeo, crown prince: media

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ( left ) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ( right ) ; the two reportedly met in secret with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Saudi city of NEOM on Sunday Israel 's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held secret talks in Saudi Arabia Sunday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , several media said , in the first reported trip by an Israeli premier to the kingdom .
The meeting , reported Monday by Israeli public broadcaster Kan and other outlets , comes weeks after the Jewish state reached historic deals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain .
Those deals , known as the Abraham Accords , were brokered by the administration of US President Donald Trump , who leaves office in less than two months .
There has been widespread speculation , within Israel and the United States , that Washington may push for other Arab states to join the Abraham Accords before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who was in Israel last week , was also at the reported talks , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has confirmed he was in Neom on the Red Sea as part of a Middle East Tour and met with Prince Mohammed , who is widely known by his initials MBS .
Publicly , Saudi Arabia has said it would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not having ties with Israel until the Jewish state 's conflict with the Palestinians is resolved .
The Palestinians have condemned the Abraham Accords as `` a stab in the back '' , urging Arab states to hold firm until Israel ends its occupation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Palestinian state .
But experts have said that Biden 's upcoming inauguration may have created urgency in Riyadh , which has dealt discreetly with Israel over a joint desire to contain common foe Iran .
Kan quoted multiple Israeli officials as saying that Netanyahu and the head of the Mossad spy agency , Yossi Cohen , `` flew yesterday to Saudi Arabia and met Pompeo and MBS in the city of Neom '' .
Prominent diplomatic correspondent Barak Ravid of Walla News and Axios reported that Netanyahu and Cohen flew on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angel .
Ravid cited flight tracker data showing Angel 's plane leaving Israel at 8:00 pm ( 1800 GMT ) on Sunday , heading to Neom and returning to Israel five hours later .
Netanyahu 's office was not immediately available to comment on the reports .
The Saudi royal court and media ministry did not immediately respond to AFP 's request for comment on the reported meeting between Netanyahu , Prince Mohammed and Pompeo .
US and Israeli officials have said more Arab states wanted to establish ties with Israel , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treaties with two Arab nations , its neighbours Egypt and Jordan .
In late August , Netanyahu said Israel was holding `` unpublicised meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders to normalise relations with the state of Israel , '' without naming any countries .
Sudan has since then agreed in principle to establish ties with Israel .
But , amid speculation that smaller Arab states like Oman were also interested in a deal , Saudi Arabi has stood out a the key target for Israel , given the kingdom 's wealth and influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry that Biden may seek to revive the Iran nuclear deal agreed between Tehran and world powers during Barack Obama 's presidency , which was scrapped by Trump .
Trump 's administration has also downplayed the importance of human rights issues in international diplomacy and was particularly cautious about criticising Saudi Arabia 's rights record , notably over the murder by Saudi agents of prominent journalist and Saudi royal critic Jamal Khashoggi .
Multiple Israeli analysts have said that the Biden administration would face a backlash from the progressive left faction of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli-Saudi peace deal without any meaningful rights reforms agreed by Riyadh .
Speaking to AFP shortly after the US vote result became clear , Netanyahu 's former envoy to Washington Michael Oren said it would likely not be `` worth Biden 's while to take on his party '' over a Saudi-Israel pact .
Oren , posted in Washington when Biden was Obama 's vice president , said the Abraham Accords could be `` perceived as a Trump policy '' by the new administration and therefore not be a priority .

Jerusalem (AFP) –
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held secret talks in Saudi Arabia Sunday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, several media said, in the first reported trip by an Israeli premier to the kingdom.
The meeting, reported Monday by Israeli public broadcaster Kan and other outlets, comes weeks after the Jewish state reached historic deals to normalise ties with two Saudi allies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Those deals, known as the Abraham Accords, were brokered by the administration of US President Donald Trump, who leaves office in less than two months.
There has been widespread speculation, within Israel and the United States, that Washington may push for other Arab states to join the Abraham Accords before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was in Israel last week, was also at the reported talks, according to Kan's diplomatic correspondent.
Pompeo has confirmed he was in Neom on the Red Sea as part of a Middle East Tour and met with Prince Mohammed, who is widely known by his initials MBS.
Publicly, Saudi Arabia has said it would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not having ties with Israel until the Jewish state's conflict with the Palestinians is resolved.
The Palestinians have condemned the Abraham Accords as "a stab in the back", urging Arab states to hold firm until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territory and agrees to the creation of a Palestinian state.
But experts have said that Biden's upcoming inauguration may have created urgency in Riyadh, which has dealt discreetly with Israel over a joint desire to contain common foe Iran.
- Late night talks -
Kan quoted multiple Israeli officials as saying that Netanyahu and the head of the Mossad spy agency, Yossi Cohen, "flew yesterday to Saudi Arabia and met Pompeo and MBS in the city of Neom".
Prominent diplomatic correspondent Barak Ravid of Walla News and Axios reported that Netanyahu and Cohen flew on a plane belonging to Israeli businessman Udi Angel.
Ravid cited flight tracker data showing Angel's plane leaving Israel at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Sunday, heading to Neom and returning to Israel five hours later.
Netanyahu's office was not immediately available to comment on the reports.
The Saudi royal court and media ministry did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on the reported meeting between Netanyahu, Prince Mohammed and Pompeo.
US and Israeli officials have said more Arab states wanted to establish ties with Israel, which before the Gulf deals only had peace treaties with two Arab nations, its neighbours Egypt and Jordan.
In late August, Netanyahu said Israel was holding "unpublicised meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders to normalise relations with the state of Israel," without naming any countries.
Sudan has since then agreed in principle to establish ties with Israel.
But, amid speculation that smaller Arab states like Oman were also interested in a deal, Saudi Arabi has stood out a the key target for Israel, given the kingdom's wealth and influence.
- Abraham accords -
Sunni Arab states and especially Israel worry that Biden may seek to revive the Iran nuclear deal agreed between Tehran and world powers during Barack Obama's presidency, which was scrapped by Trump.
Trump's administration has also downplayed the importance of human rights issues in international diplomacy and was particularly cautious about criticising Saudi Arabia's rights record, notably over the murder by Saudi agents of prominent journalist and Saudi royal critic Jamal Khashoggi.
Multiple Israeli analysts have said that the Biden administration would face a backlash from the progressive left faction of the Democratic party if it pushed for an Israeli-Saudi peace deal without any meaningful rights reforms agreed by Riyadh.
Speaking to AFP shortly after the US vote result became clear, Netanyahu's former envoy to Washington Michael Oren said it would likely not be "worth Biden's while to take on his party" over a Saudi-Israel pact.
Oren, posted in Washington when Biden was Obama's vice president, said the Abraham Accords could be "perceived as a Trump policy" by the new administration and therefore not be a priority.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--Frontrunners emerge in race for Covid-19 vaccine

Many hope that vaccines will help society begin to return to a form of normality Dozens of companies , from biotech start-ups to Big Pharma , are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine , both to meet urgent medical need and for the potential payday .
Positive results from final stage trials of several vaccine candidates have raised hopes that there is light at the end of the tunnel in the quest to curb a pandemic that has already killed nearly 1.4 million people worldwide : - How many in the pipeline ?
- The World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` candidate vaccines '' at the stage of clinical trials in humans by mid-November , up from 11 in mid-June .
Eleven of them are at the most advanced `` Phase 3 '' stage , in which a vaccine 's effectiveness is tested on a large scale , generally on tens of thousands of people across several continents .
A European project led by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca on Monday said an interim analysis of its phase 3 trials showed their vaccine had an average 70 percent efficacy in trials involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug showed a 62 percent efficacy when people were given two full doses , but this rose to 90 percent in those given only a half dose initially followed by a full dose .
It said the vaccine could be stored , transported and handled `` at normal refrigerated conditions '' for at least six months and announced plans to develop up to three billion doses in 2021 , if it passes the remaining regulatory hurdles .
The announcement comes after a US-German collaboration between Pfizer and BioNTech reported early in November that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed 90 percent efficacy in preventing Covid-19 symptoms and did not produce adverse side effects among thousands of volunteers .
It has since announced further trial results showing the vaccine works 95 percent of the time .
`` Efficacy was consistent across age , gender , race and ethnicity demographics , '' the company said .
Pfizer is currently seeking Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) and expects to roll out 1.3 billion doses by the end of next year .
Also this month , US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed almost 95 percent efficacy .
Moderna plans to submit applications for emergency approval in the US and around the world within weeks , and says it expects to have approximately 20 million doses ready to ship in the US by the end of the year .
The company is on track to manufacture between 500 million to a billion doses globally in 2021 , it said .
In addition , several state-run Chinese labs are also thought to have produced among the more promising candidate vaccines .
Russia , meanwhile , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before clinical trials were completed .
Some methods for making a vaccine are tried-and-tested , while others remain experimental .
Inactivated traditional vaccines use a virus germ that has been killed , while others use a weakened or `` attenuated '' strain .
These vaccines work when the body treats the deactivated pathogen as if it were a real threat , producing antibodies to kill it without endangering the patient with full infection .
So-called `` sub-unit '' vaccines contain a fragment of the virus or bacteria they are derived from to produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vector '' varieties deliver fragments of viral DNA into cells , often hitching a lift off of other virus molecules .
For example , a measles virus modified with a coronavirus protein -- the apparatus SARS-CoV-2 uses to latch on to human cells -- can by deployed to provide immunity to Covid-19 .
Both Pfizer 's and Moderna 's vaccines are based on cutting-edge technology that uses synthetic versions of molecules called messenger RNA to hack into human cells , and effectively turn them into vaccine-making factories .
Trials of two candidate vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eli Lilly -- were `` paused '' recently over safety concerns .
But that is not necessarily bad news , said Stephen Evans , a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine .
`` The fact that trials are paused should indicate that there should be confidence that the whole process of monitoring the safety of trial participants is working well , '' he said .
Recent cases in which recovered Covid patients were infected a second time with a new strain also raise the question of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the US FDA said it would need to see two months of follow-up data after vaccination before giving emergency authorisation for any vaccine use .
`` What is different for Covid-19 vaccines is that speed of development and potential approval is much faster due to the public health emergency , '' noted the European Medicines Agency ( EMA ) .
But even that pressing need can not overcome the rules .
`` Before approval , all vaccines in the European Union are evaluated against the same high standards as any other medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .

Paris (AFP) –
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Dozens of companies, from biotech start-ups to Big Pharma, are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine, both to meet urgent medical need and for the potential payday.
Positive results from final stage trials of several vaccine candidates have raised hopes that there is light at the end of the tunnel in the quest to curb a pandemic that has already killed nearly 1.4 million people worldwide:
- How many in the pipeline? -
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 48 "candidate vaccines" at the stage of clinical trials in humans by mid-November, up from 11 in mid-June.
Eleven of them are at the most advanced "Phase 3" stage, in which a vaccine's effectiveness is tested on a large scale, generally on tens of thousands of people across several continents.
A European project led by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca on Monday said an interim analysis of its phase 3 trials showed their vaccine had an average 70 percent efficacy in trials involved 23,000 people.
The statement said the drug showed a 62 percent efficacy when people were given two full doses, but this rose to 90 percent in those given only a half dose initially followed by a full dose.
It said the vaccine could be stored, transported and handled "at normal refrigerated conditions" for at least six months and announced plans to develop up to three billion doses in 2021, if it passes the remaining regulatory hurdles.
The announcement comes after a US-German collaboration between Pfizer and BioNTech reported early in November that phase 3 trials for its mRNA vaccine showed 90 percent efficacy in preventing Covid-19 symptoms and did not produce adverse side effects among thousands of volunteers.
It has since announced further trial results showing the vaccine works 95 percent of the time.
"Efficacy was consistent across age, gender, race and ethnicity demographics," the company said.
Pfizer is currently seeking Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and expects to roll out 1.3 billion doses by the end of next year.
Also this month, US biotech firm Moderna said its vaccine also showed almost 95 percent efficacy.
Moderna plans to submit applications for emergency approval in the US and around the world within weeks, and says it expects to have approximately 20 million doses ready to ship in the US by the end of the year.
The company is on track to manufacture between 500 million to a billion doses globally in 2021, it said.
In addition, several state-run Chinese labs are also thought to have produced among the more promising candidate vaccines.
Russia, meanwhile, has already registered two Covid-19 vaccines, even before clinical trials were completed.
- What kind of vaccines? -
Some methods for making a vaccine are tried-and-tested, while others remain experimental.
Inactivated traditional vaccines use a virus germ that has been killed, while others use a weakened or "attenuated" strain.
These vaccines work when the body treats the deactivated pathogen as if it were a real threat, producing antibodies to kill it without endangering the patient with full infection.
So-called "sub-unit" vaccines contain a fragment of the virus or bacteria they are derived from to produce a similar immune response.
"Viral vector" varieties deliver fragments of viral DNA into cells, often hitching a lift off of other virus molecules.
For example, a measles virus modified with a coronavirus protein -- the apparatus SARS-CoV-2 uses to latch on to human cells -- can by deployed to provide immunity to Covid-19.
Both Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines are based on cutting-edge technology that uses synthetic versions of molecules called messenger RNA to hack into human cells, and effectively turn them into vaccine-making factories.
- Safety first -
Trials of two candidate vaccines -- made by Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly -- were "paused" recently over safety concerns.
But that is not necessarily bad news, said Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
"The fact that trials are paused should indicate that there should be confidence that the whole process of monitoring the safety of trial participants is working well," he said.
Recent cases in which recovered Covid patients were infected a second time with a new strain also raise the question of how long vaccines might last.
In October, the US FDA said it would need to see two months of follow-up data after vaccination before giving emergency authorisation for any vaccine use.
"What is different for Covid-19 vaccines is that speed of development and potential approval is much faster due to the public health emergency," noted the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
But even that pressing need cannot overcome the rules.
"Before approval, all vaccines in the European Union are evaluated against the same high standards as any other medicine," the EMA said in a statement.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--'I want to break free': Underground Paris party defies lockdown

Revellers gathered in an abandoned train tunnel in Paris on Saturday night for the secret `` I want to break free '' party .
On a darkened residential street in Paris , a gate left partly open signals the entrance to an abandoned train tunnel -- and an illegal rave party for 300 people looking for an escape from France 's Covid-19 lockdown .
`` Close the door , '' whispers a doorman hidden in the shadows , ushering towards tracks lit only by revellers ' phones .
The 15-euro ( $ 18 ) tickets for the Saturday soirée , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' were sold to members of a private Facebook group , and snapped up within hours .
But the address in the 13th Arrondissement was kept secret until the last minute , and the rules were strict : arrive alone or in groups of two or three maximum , between 8:00 and 9:00 pm .
Pulsing techno music beckoned from a vast underground cavern some 20 metres ( 65 feet ) high , festooned with lights and neon that framed the psychedelic images being projected on the walls .
Dancers swarmed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a bar .
`` We decided to mount a resistance and issue this call to hide together and party because there 's no longer any place for young people to be together , '' says the 27-year-old organiser , who declined to give his real name but asked to be called `` Alexandre . ''
`` We know how to do this now -- In less than two hours we can set up anywhere and have a very private party like this , '' he said .
If caught , Alexandre could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges of reckless endangerment .
Seated on tracks that vibrated from the blaring speakers , Ivan , 23 , and his girlfriend watched as people poured in , the majority without face masks .
`` I just got my first job , a permanent contract , and I 've been working a lot so I really needed to blow off some steam , '' he said .
`` The lockdown has knocked my life out of balance , I have n't left my apartment in a month -- this party is necessary for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is apparently widespread , since French police have had to crack down on dozens of illegal parties since the partial lockdown was announced in October to combat a new surge in coronavirus cases .
On Sunday , police shut down a party at a private home in Joinville-Le-Pont , just west of Paris , and issued fines to around 15 people for flouting the lockdown , a source close to the inquiry told AFP .
But no officers showed up to shut down the Paris party , a police source told AFP on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against secret parties when neighbours complain , about the noise especially , '' the source said .

Paris (AFP) –
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On a darkened residential street in Paris, a gate left partly open signals the entrance to an abandoned train tunnel -- and an illegal rave party for 300 people looking for an escape from France's Covid-19 lockdown.
"Close the door," whispers a doorman hidden in the shadows, ushering towards tracks lit only by revellers' phones.
The 15-euro ($18) tickets for the Saturday soirée, baptised "I Want to Break Free," were sold to members of a private Facebook group, and snapped up within hours.
But the address in the 13th Arrondissement was kept secret until the last minute, and the rules were strict: arrive alone or in groups of two or three maximum, between 8:00 and 9:00 pm.
Pulsing techno music beckoned from a vast underground cavern some 20 metres (65 feet) high, festooned with lights and neon that framed the psychedelic images being projected on the walls.
Dancers swarmed the dusty floor complete with a DJ stage and a bar.
"We decided to mount a resistance and issue this call to hide together and party because there's no longer any place for young people to be together," says the 27-year-old organiser, who declined to give his real name but asked to be called "Alexandre."
"We know how to do this now -- In less than two hours we can set up anywhere and have a very private party like this," he said.
If caught, Alexandre could be fined up to 15,000 euros on charges of reckless endangerment.
- 'Mental health' -
Seated on tracks that vibrated from the blaring speakers, Ivan, 23, and his girlfriend watched as people poured in, the majority without face masks.
"I just got my first job, a permanent contract, and I've been working a lot so I really needed to blow off some steam," he said.
"The lockdown has knocked my life out of balance, I haven't left my apartment in a month -- this party is necessary for my mental health."
The sentiment is apparently widespread, since French police have had to crack down on dozens of illegal parties since the partial lockdown was announced in October to combat a new surge in coronavirus cases.
On Sunday, police shut down a party at a private home in Joinville-Le-Pont, just west of Paris, and issued fines to around 15 people for flouting the lockdown, a source close to the inquiry told AFP.
But no officers showed up to shut down the Paris party, a police source told AFP on Sunday.
"Generally we take action against secret parties when neighbours complain, about the noise especially," the source said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--Covid and pollution: intimately linked, compound threat

Researchers hold air pollution responsible for a range of diseases and studies suggest it can make Covid-19 deadlier Lockdowns may have temporarily cleared up the skies above big cities this year but experts warn that air pollution remains a Covid-19 threat multiplier , as well a health hazard that will far outlast the pandemic .
As governments ordered temporary confinement measures to battle multiple virus waves , several studies have charted a marked increase in air quality in the US , China , and Europe .
In Spain , for example , levels of atmospheric nitrous oxide ( NO2 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions -- plummeted 62 percent during the spring lockdown period .
France and Italy saw falls of 52 and 48 percent , respectively , according to the European Environment Agency .
Since air pollution kills roughly seven million worldwide people each year , such falls are bound to have prevented deaths .
Paola Crippa , assistant professor at Notre Dame 's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences , told AFP that lockdowns probably prevented around 2,190 air pollution-linked deaths in Europe and 24,200 in China .
`` When we consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respiratory problems , cardiovascular diseases , lung cancers and ischaemic heart diseases because of lower levels of air pollution -- the number of averted fatalities is much larger , '' she said .
In Europe , as many as 29,000 long-term air pollution fatalities may have been averted , she said , with up to 287,000 in China .
Lauri Myllyvirta , lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air ( CREA ) , said that unless there is an immediate rebound in pollution levels , populations would benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The long-term exposure of pretty much everyone in Europe would have been reduced because much less fossil fuels were burned in 2020 , '' he told AFP .
The lives saved by cleaner air are all the proof campaigners need to continue to push for better air quality regulation going forward , even and especially once the pandemic ends .
But there is a more pressing reason to act , according to research .
One study published recently in the journal Cardiovascular Research found that long-term exposure to fine PM2.5 particulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent higher risk of dying from Covid-19 .
In east Asia , that figure is closer to 30 percent , the study found .
This is because the novel coronavirus and PM2.5 both cause severe lung conditions , so one compounds the other in patients sick with Covid-19 .
`` They do the same thing : the vasculature inflammation in the lungs , secondary pneumonia , hypertension and also triggering ( heart attacks ) and heart failure , '' Thomas Munzel , from the University of Mainz 's Centre for Cardiology , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes pre-existing lung conditions more likely , `` when you have already cardiovascular disease you are in particular danger when you get an infection with Covid , '' he said .
Recent analysis of air quality across more than 3,000 US counties showed that an increase in airborne particulate matter of 1 microgram/m3 corresponded with an 11 percent increased risk of dying of Covid-19 .
Authors of the study , published earlier this month in Science Advances , warned against overreacting to the findings , stressing that far more work was needed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing that remains unclear is what impact exposure to air pollution has on people infected with SARS-CoV-2 .
`` I 'm pretty convinced short term reduction of air pollution has an impact , but we do n't have the data yet , '' said Munzel .
Clues are beginning to emerge on how air pollution interacts with the coronavirus , particularly as to the role of the ACE-2 receptor , which facilitates entry in to cells .
Described in the Journal of Infection back in Spring as the `` double hit hypothesis '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particles damage this receptor and make it easier for the virus to infect more cells .
This scenario could potentially be compounded by chronic NO2 exposure , which is known to weaken the lungs .
And with the arrival of winter -- `` pollution season '' as Myllyvirta put it -- experts have called for continued vigilance as the world grabbles with the second Covid-19 .

Paris (AFP) –
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Lockdowns may have temporarily cleared up the skies above big cities this year but experts warn that air pollution remains a Covid-19 threat multiplier, as well a health hazard that will far outlast the pandemic.
As governments ordered temporary confinement measures to battle multiple virus waves, several studies have charted a marked increase in air quality in the US, China, and Europe.
In Spain, for example, levels of atmospheric nitrous oxide (NO2) -- associated with a host of lung conditions -- plummeted 62 percent during the spring lockdown period.
France and Italy saw falls of 52 and 48 percent, respectively, according to the European Environment Agency.
Since air pollution kills roughly seven million worldwide people each year, such falls are bound to have prevented deaths.
Paola Crippa, assistant professor at Notre Dame's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, told AFP that lockdowns probably prevented around 2,190 air pollution-linked deaths in Europe and 24,200 in China.
"When we consider the long-term effect too -- avoided chronic respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancers and ischaemic heart diseases because of lower levels of air pollution -- the number of averted fatalities is much larger," she said.
In Europe, as many as 29,000 long-term air pollution fatalities may have been averted, she said, with up to 287,000 in China.
Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), said that unless there is an immediate rebound in pollution levels, populations would benefit long term from the cleaner lockdown air.
"The long-term exposure of pretty much everyone in Europe would have been reduced because much less fossil fuels were burned in 2020," he told AFP.
- 'Particular danger' -
The lives saved by cleaner air are all the proof campaigners need to continue to push for better air quality regulation going forward, even and especially once the pandemic ends.
But there is a more pressing reason to act, according to research.
One study published recently in the journal Cardiovascular Research found that long-term exposure to fine PM2.5 particulate matter could be linked to a 15 percent higher risk of dying from Covid-19.
In east Asia, that figure is closer to 30 percent, the study found.
This is because the novel coronavirus and PM2.5 both cause severe lung conditions, so one compounds the other in patients sick with Covid-19.
"They do the same thing: the vasculature inflammation in the lungs, secondary pneumonia, hypertension and also triggering (heart attacks) and heart failure," Thomas Munzel, from the University of Mainz's Centre for Cardiology, told AFP.
And since air pollution exposure makes pre-existing lung conditions more likely, "when you have already cardiovascular disease you are in particular danger when you get an infection with Covid," he said.
- Double hit -
Recent analysis of air quality across more than 3,000 US counties showed that an increase in airborne particulate matter of 1 microgram/m3 corresponded with an 11 percent increased risk of dying of Covid-19.
Authors of the study, published earlier this month in Science Advances, warned against overreacting to the findings, stressing that far more work was needed on this budding area of research.
One thing that remains unclear is what impact exposure to air pollution has on people infected with SARS-CoV-2.
"I'm pretty convinced short term reduction of air pollution has an impact, but we don't have the data yet," said Munzel.
Clues are beginning to emerge on how air pollution interacts with the coronavirus, particularly as to the role of the ACE-2 receptor, which facilitates entry in to cells.
Described in the Journal of Infection back in Spring as the "double hit hypothesis", the idea is that fine pollution particles damage this receptor and make it easier for the virus to infect more cells.
This scenario could potentially be compounded by chronic NO2 exposure, which is known to weaken the lungs.
And with the arrival of winter -- "pollution season" as Myllyvirta put it -- experts have called for continued vigilance as the world grabbles with the second Covid-19.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--World's top surgical glove maker shuts factories due to coronavirus

A worker on the production line of a Top Glove factory in Shah Alam , near Kuala Lumpur , in August 2020 A Malaysian company that is the world 's biggest manufacturer of surgical gloves will close over half of its factories after a surge in coronavirus cases among workers , authorities said Monday .
Top Glove has seen a huge jump in demand since the start of the pandemic as countries scrambled to stock up on protective equipment , pushing up both its profits and share price .
But there has been a cluster of virus outbreaks among Top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-paid migrant workers -- at factories in an industrial area near the capital , Kuala Lumpur .
More than 1,000 cases were recorded Monday , prompting the government to order the plants to close .
`` Based on advice from the ministry of health , it was agreed at a special meeting today to shut down 28 Top Glove factories ... in stages to allow the workers to undergo tests and quarantine , '' said Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob .
He did not say when the closures would begin .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- and many of its workers are from Nepal and live in crowded dormitory complexes .
Top Glove did not immediately respond to requests for comment , and it was not clear how the closures would affect its operations .
The company can produce more than 70 billion gloves a year and is a major global supplier .
Malaysia is battling a resurgent outbreak of the coronavirus which has infected more than 56,000 people and killed 337 .
The country 's glove manufacturers -- and other industries -- have long been accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States in July banned the import of gloves from two Top Glove subsidiaries over concerns about forced labour .

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) –
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A Malaysian company that is the world's biggest manufacturer of surgical gloves will close over half of its factories after a surge in coronavirus cases among workers, authorities said Monday.
Top Glove has seen a huge jump in demand since the start of the pandemic as countries scrambled to stock up on protective equipment, pushing up both its profits and share price.
But there has been a cluster of virus outbreaks among Top Glove employees -- many of whom are low-paid migrant workers -- at factories in an industrial area near the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
More than 1,000 cases were recorded Monday, prompting the government to order the plants to close.
"Based on advice from the ministry of health, it was agreed at a special meeting today to shut down 28 Top Glove factories... in stages to allow the workers to undergo tests and quarantine," said Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He did not say when the closures would begin.
The company operates 47 factories -- 41 in Malaysia -- and many of its workers are from Nepal and live in crowded dormitory complexes.
Top Glove did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it was not clear how the closures would affect its operations.
The company can produce more than 70 billion gloves a year and is a major global supplier.
Malaysia is battling a resurgent outbreak of the coronavirus which has infected more than 56,000 people and killed 337.
The country's glove manufacturers -- and other industries -- have long been accused of mistreating migrant workers, and the United States in July banned the import of gloves from two Top Glove subsidiaries over concerns about forced labour.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--US Presidential election: Swing states closer to certifying wins for Biden

US Presidential election : Swing states closer to certifying wins for Biden US President Donald Trump 's campaign and his @ @ @ @ @ of judicial defeats in their bid to prevent states from certifying President-Elect Joe Biden as @ @ @ @ @ 3 presidential election .
FRANCE 24 's International Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert explains .

US Presidential election: Swing states closer to certifying wins for Biden
05:45
US President Donald Trump's campaign and his allies have suffered a string of judicial defeats in their bid to prevent states from certifying President-Elect Joe Biden as the winner of the Nov. 3 presidential election. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert explains.


france24--2020-11-23--Astra/Oxford seek coronavirus vaccine approval after 'effective' trials

Early results suggested there were 131 cases of Covid-19 among the participants but none was serious British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford said on Monday they will seek regulatory approval for their coronavirus vaccine after `` effective '' trials , in the latest potential boost to curbing the global outbreak .
The partners announced that while the vaccine showed an average 70-percent effectiveness , the level jumped to 90 percent depending on dosage .
Manufacturers Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna last week said trials of their vaccines showed effectiveness above 90 percent in what was hailed as a breakthrough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` There are still further safety checks ahead but these are fantastic results , '' he said .
Despite varying outcomes , AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot insisted his firm 's vaccine would have an `` immediate impact '' .
`` AstraZeneca will now immediately prepare regulatory submission of the data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval , '' he said .
The firm said it would look to develop up to three billion doses of the vaccine in 2021 after passing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius ( -94 degrees Fahrenheit ) -- much colder than temperatures of a standard freezer .
That has prompted questions about distribution and storage , as well as higher costs , particularly for lower-income countries .
But the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine could be stored , transported and handled `` at normal refrigerated conditions '' of between two and eight degrees Celsius for at least six months .
The vaccine showed 90 percent efficacy when given as a half-dose followed by a full-dose at least one month apart .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ full doses in the same period .
`` We think that by giving a smaller first dose that we 're priming the immune system differently , we 're setting it up better to respond , '' Andrew Pollard , chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial , told an online press conference .
Peter Openshaw , professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London , said a combination of half and full doses `` is great news , potentially increasing the number of people that can be vaccinated and reducing costs '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Brazil have taken part in the Astra/Oxford trials , with the number expected to rise to up to 60,000 thanks to testing also in other countries .
Early results suggested there were 131 cases of Covid-19 among the participants but none was serious .
Pollard said the latest findings suggested the drug was `` an effective vaccine that will save many lives '' .
`` Excitingly , we 've found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90 percent effective and if this dosing regime is used , more people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he added .
`` Today 's announcement is only possible thanks to the many volunteers in our trial , and the hard-working and talented team of researchers based around the world . ''
US biotech giant Pfizer and German partner BioNTech have already sought approval to roll out their coronavirus vaccine early .
The move has been seen as a welcome first step towards relief as surging infections prompt a return to shutdowns that traumatised nations and the global economy earlier this year .
G20 leaders on Sunday said they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fair distribution of coronavirus vaccines worldwide and support poor countries , whose economies have been ravaged by the crisis .
But although the club of the world 's richest nations adopted a unified tone , German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was concerned that no major vaccine agreements had yet been struck for poorer nations .
Gillies O'Bryan-Tear , from the UK Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine , said the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine had a `` great advantage '' over Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna .
`` It can be manufactured easily and transported at ordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so can be transported and stored using the existing vaccine cold chain infrastructure .
`` The group has promised to provide the vaccine not-for-profit to developing nations , '' he said .

London (AFP) –
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British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford said on Monday they will seek regulatory approval for their coronavirus vaccine after "effective" trials, in the latest potential boost to curbing the global outbreak.
The partners announced that while the vaccine showed an average 70-percent effectiveness, the level jumped to 90 percent depending on dosage.
Manufacturers Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna last week said trials of their vaccines showed effectiveness above 90 percent in what was hailed as a breakthrough in stopping the spread of the virus.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the announcement "incredibly exciting".
"There are still further safety checks ahead but these are fantastic results," he said.
Despite varying outcomes, AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot insisted his firm's vaccine would have an "immediate impact".
"AstraZeneca will now immediately prepare regulatory submission of the data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval," he said.
The firm said it would look to develop up to three billion doses of the vaccine in 2021 after passing regulatory hurdles.
Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine has to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit) -- much colder than temperatures of a standard freezer.
That has prompted questions about distribution and storage, as well as higher costs, particularly for lower-income countries.
But the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine could be stored, transported and handled "at normal refrigerated conditions" of between two and eight degrees Celsius for at least six months.
The vaccine showed 90 percent efficacy when given as a half-dose followed by a full-dose at least one month apart. The result was 62 percent as two full doses in the same period.
"We think that by giving a smaller first dose that we're priming the immune system differently, we're setting it up better to respond," Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, told an online press conference.
Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said a combination of half and full doses "is great news, potentially increasing the number of people that can be vaccinated and reducing costs".
- 'Save many lives' -
More than 23,000 adults in the UK and Brazil have taken part in the Astra/Oxford trials, with the number expected to rise to up to 60,000 thanks to testing also in other countries.
Early results suggested there were 131 cases of Covid-19 among the participants but none was serious.
Pollard said the latest findings suggested the drug was "an effective vaccine that will save many lives".
"Excitingly, we've found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90 percent effective and if this dosing regime is used, more people could be vaccinated with planned vaccine supply," he added.
"Today's announcement is only possible thanks to the many volunteers in our trial, and the hard-working and talented team of researchers based around the world."
US biotech giant Pfizer and German partner BioNTech have already sought approval to roll out their coronavirus vaccine early.
The move has been seen as a welcome first step towards relief as surging infections prompt a return to shutdowns that traumatised nations and the global economy earlier this year.
G20 leaders on Sunday said they would "spare no effort" to ensure the fair distribution of coronavirus vaccines worldwide and support poor countries, whose economies have been ravaged by the crisis.
But although the club of the world's richest nations adopted a unified tone, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was concerned that no major vaccine agreements had yet been struck for poorer nations.
Gillies O'Bryan-Tear, from the UK Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, said the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine had a "great advantage" over Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
"It can be manufactured easily and transported at ordinary fridge (not freezer) temperatures, so can be transported and stored using the existing vaccine cold chain infrastructure.
"The group has promised to provide the vaccine not-for-profit to developing nations," he said.
burs-bcp/phz/pma
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--Arteta alarmed by growing Arsenal injury list after Leeds draw

Willian added to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta 's growing injury worries as he went off with a muscular injury in the 0-0 draw with Leeds United Mikel Arteta is frustrated at Arsenal 's growing injury list after losing two more players in their goalless draw at Leeds as his team prepares for six matches in the next three weeks .
With Thomas Partey , Pablo Mari and Gabriel Martinelli all sidelined heading into Sunday 's game , winger Willian and Bukayo Saka failed to finish the contest after respectively picking up a muscular problem and what appeared to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kolasinac were also unavailable at Elland Road after testing positive for Covid-19 on international duty , while Nicolas Pepe was sent off for an apparent headbutt which could lead to a three-match suspension .
`` We had it really difficult for different reasons because we lost two players on international duty , '' said Arteta .
`` We have now lost two players to injury and one through suspension and we have an incredible amount of games coming up . ''
Arsenal begin their packed schedule -- a run which also includes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tottenham Hotspur -- with a Europa League game away at Norwegian side Molde on Thursday .
The Gunners are 11th in the Premier League following Sunday 's stalemate , seven points behind Spurs and reigning champions Liverpool .
`` Every team is going to face challenges with the amount of fixtures we have , '' Arteta said .
`` We will see what happens but we will put a team ( out against Molde ) to compete in the way that we do now .
Let 's hope that we can get some @ @ @ @ @ @

London (AFP) –
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Mikel Arteta is frustrated at Arsenal's growing injury list after losing two more players in their goalless draw at Leeds as his team prepares for six matches in the next three weeks.
With Thomas Partey, Pablo Mari and Gabriel Martinelli all sidelined heading into Sunday's game, winger Willian and Bukayo Saka failed to finish the contest after respectively picking up a muscular problem and what appeared to be a knee injury.
Mohamed Elneny and Sead Kolasinac were also unavailable at Elland Road after testing positive for Covid-19 on international duty, while Nicolas Pepe was sent off for an apparent headbutt which could lead to a three-match suspension.
"We had it really difficult for different reasons because we lost two players on international duty," said Arteta.
"We have now lost two players to injury and one through suspension and we have an incredible amount of games coming up."
Arsenal begin their packed schedule -- a run which also includes a north London derby with Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur -- with a Europa League game away at Norwegian side Molde on Thursday.
The Gunners are 11th in the Premier League following Sunday's stalemate, seven points behind Spurs and reigning champions Liverpool.
"Every team is going to face challenges with the amount of fixtures we have," Arteta said.
"We will see what happens but we will put a team (out against Molde) to compete in the way that we do now. Let's hope that we can get some (players) back."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--'Carrefour murderer!': Brazil sees more protests after black man killed by security guards

'Carrefour murderer ! '
: Brazil sees more protests after black man killed by security guards New demonstrations against racism @ @ @ @ @ supermarkets in Brazil to protest the death of a black man beaten to death by @ @ @ @ @ Alegre store branch .
A video taken Thursday night in the southern city showed 40-year-old @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly being punched in the face and head by a security guard while he is @ @ @ @ @ a Carrefour market .
FRANCE 24 's Pierre Le Duff tells us more .

'Carrefour murderer!': Brazil sees more protests after black man killed by security guards
01:42
New demonstrations against racism took place Sunday outside Carrefour supermarkets in Brazil to protest the death of a black man beaten to death by white guards at a Porto Alegre store branch. A video taken Thursday night in the southern city showed 40-year-old welder Joao Alberto Silveira Freitas repeatedly being punched in the face and head by a security guard while he is being restrained by another at a Carrefour market. FRANCE 24's Pierre Le Duff tells us more.


france24--2020-11-23--Belgian policeman on trial over Kurdish toddler's death

The parents of Mawda Shawri attended the start of the trial A toddler 's clothes were hung before the court in the Belgian city of Mons on Monday in protest against what activists say is a `` dehumanising '' anti-immigration policy that cost a two-year-old her life .
Inside , a police officer went on trial for firing the shot that killed Mawda , one of two dozen Iraqi Kurdish migrants packed into a van in an attempt to reach Britain from France that ended in tragedy in May 2018 .
But , for refugees ' rights groups supporting her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' of undocumented immigration is in the dock alongside him .
The hearing was suspended shortly after it began while the court sorted out some translation problems .
Outside , a handful of protesters cried out : `` Justice for Mawda . ''
During the investigation , the 48-year-old officer , not yet publicly named in court , said he had intended to shoot out a tyre to halt the suspect vehicle during a high-speed chase , but his car swerved violently and the bullet went astray .
He is charged with `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Mawda 's parents argue this should be increased to reflect a deliberate killing .
`` To take out his weapon , load it and fire it towards a van full of migrants -- it 's not just a lack of due care , we should not minimise it like that , '' lawyer Selma Benkhelifa said .
The tragedy caused a scandal in Belgium and became a symbol of the dangers that migrants still face even after they have left often war-torn homelands to travel across the European union .
The officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father-of-two with eight years ' experience in the police .
He was appearing in court alongside the driver of the van and the alleged people smuggler , both Iraqi Kurds .
The officer does not deny he drew and fired his gun to halt the fleeing vehicle , but insists he did not know migrants were inside .
He says he felt `` wiped out '' when he discovered little Mawda had received a fatal head wound as she crouched with her parents behind the driver .
`` It 's a horror to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death of a child , '' his lawyer Laurent Kennes told AFP .
`` He feels that everything has fallen on him , that he has to carry the errors of the state prosecutors , of migration policy . ''
Mawda 's parents , who left Iraq in 2015 and intended to head to Britain , ended up settling in Belgium after her death after they were granted leave to remain on humanitarian grounds .
The parents were represented at the two-day hearing by three lawyers and with the backing of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrity support .
Rights activists in Belgium argue that deaths are made more likely by what they see as the `` dehumanisation '' of refugees and the `` criminalisation '' of migration .
The parents ' team were seeking to bring police tactics and cooperation between French and Belgian services into question .
On the night of May 16 , 2018 , when the migrants ' van set off from Grande-Synthe in northern France , French investigators placed a GPS tracker on board .
But the Belgian police did not know it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intercept the traffickers on a motorway south of Brussels .
The police officer could face five years in jail for involuntary homicide .
The Kurdish defendants are charged with dangerous driving , aggravated by the death .

Mons (Belgium) (AFP) –
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A toddler's clothes were hung before the court in the Belgian city of Mons on Monday in protest against what activists say is a "dehumanising" anti-immigration policy that cost a two-year-old her life.
Inside, a police officer went on trial for firing the shot that killed Mawda, one of two dozen Iraqi Kurdish migrants packed into a van in an attempt to reach Britain from France that ended in tragedy in May 2018.
But, for refugees' rights groups supporting her grieving parents, Europe's "criminalisation" of undocumented immigration is in the dock alongside him.
The hearing was suspended shortly after it began while the court sorted out some translation problems. Outside, a handful of protesters cried out: "Justice for Mawda."
During the investigation, the 48-year-old officer, not yet publicly named in court, said he had intended to shoot out a tyre to halt the suspect vehicle during a high-speed chase, but his car swerved violently and the bullet went astray.
He is charged with "involuntary homicide". But lawyers acting for Mawda's parents argue this should be increased to reflect a deliberate killing.
"To take out his weapon, load it and fire it towards a van full of migrants -- it's not just a lack of due care, we should not minimise it like that," lawyer Selma Benkhelifa said.
The tragedy caused a scandal in Belgium and became a symbol of the dangers that migrants still face even after they have left often war-torn homelands to travel across the European union.
The officer who fired the fatal shot is a father-of-two with eight years' experience in the police.
He was appearing in court alongside the driver of the van and the alleged people smuggler, both Iraqi Kurds.
The officer does not deny he drew and fired his gun to halt the fleeing vehicle, but insists he did not know migrants were inside.
He says he felt "wiped out" when he discovered little Mawda had received a fatal head wound as she crouched with her parents behind the driver.
"It's a horror to carry the image of someone responsible for the death of a child," his lawyer Laurent Kennes told AFP.
"He feels that everything has fallen on him, that he has to carry the errors of the state prosecutors, of migration policy."
Mawda's parents, who left Iraq in 2015 and intended to head to Britain, ended up settling in Belgium after her death after they were granted leave to remain on humanitarian grounds.
- Celebrity support -
The parents were represented at the two-day hearing by three lawyers and with the backing of a citizen activist group that has mobilised international celebrity support.
Rights activists in Belgium argue that deaths are made more likely by what they see as the "dehumanisation" of refugees and the "criminalisation" of migration.
The parents' team were seeking to bring police tactics and cooperation between French and Belgian services into question.
On the night of May 16, 2018, when the migrants' van set off from Grande-Synthe in northern France, French investigators placed a GPS tracker on board.
But the Belgian police did not know it was already under surveillance when they tried to intercept the traffickers on a motorway south of Brussels.
The police officer could face five years in jail for involuntary homicide. The Kurdish defendants are charged with dangerous driving, aggravated by the death.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-23--FIFA ban African football chief Ahmad Ahmad for 5 years for corruption

The head of African football Ahmad Ahmad has been suspended by FIFA for five years for corruption , the global governing body announced on Monday .
Ahmad , from Madagascar , has been president of the Confederation of African Football ( CAF ) since March 2017 and was standing for re-election in 2021 when FIFA banned him for `` governance issues '' .
In their statement , FIFA said Ahmad had `` breached his duty of loyalty , offered gifts and other benefits , mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President '' .
Ahmad has also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) by FIFA for the misdeeds , which related to `` the organisation and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca '' and his involvement in CAF ’ s dealings with a sports equipment company .
The 60-year-old , who last week stood down from his post for 20 days after testing positive for coronavirus , can appeal the ban `` from all football-related activity '' at the Court of Arbitration for Sport ( CAS ) .
In April 2019 he was accused of a series of offences by former CAF official Amr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter that Ahmad had paid bribes to directors , made personal use of CAF funds and sexually harassed a number of employees .
Two months later he was arrested in Paris while at the FIFA Congress ahead of that year 's women 's World Cup as part of a probe into corruption , but was released a day later without charge .
Ahmad 's bid to remain head of CAF was being challenged by Augustin Senghor , the president of the Senegalese Football Federation .
Mauritania 's Ahmed Yahya , Ivory Coast 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Motsepe have also thrown their hats in the ring .
Last month former CAF senior vice-president Kwesi Nyantakyi had his lifetime ban from football for breaking FIFA bribery and corruption rules reduced to 15 years .
Nyantakyi quit his positions as Ahmad 's number two and president of Ghana 's football association two years ago after being secretly filmed accepting a $ 65,000 bribe from journalists posing as businessmen who wanted to invest in Ghanaian football .
The official also agreed to a fictional sponsorship deal created by the reporters , which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars designed for Ghanaian football to a company he runs .

Lausanne (AFP) –
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The head of African football Ahmad Ahmad has been suspended by FIFA for five years for corruption, the global governing body announced on Monday.
Ahmad, from Madagascar, has been president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since March 2017 and was standing for re-election in 2021 when FIFA banned him for "governance issues".
In their statement, FIFA said Ahmad had "breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President".
Ahmad has also been fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($220,000) by FIFA for the misdeeds, which related to "the organisation and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca" and his involvement in CAF’s dealings with a sports equipment company.
The 60-year-old, who last week stood down from his post for 20 days after testing positive for coronavirus, can appeal the ban "from all football-related activity" at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In April 2019 he was accused of a series of offences by former CAF official Amr Fahmy, who informed FIFA in a letter that Ahmad had paid bribes to directors, made personal use of CAF funds and sexually harassed a number of employees.
Two months later he was arrested in Paris while at the FIFA Congress ahead of that year's women's World Cup as part of a probe into corruption, but was released a day later without charge.
Ahmad's bid to remain head of CAF was being challenged by Augustin Senghor, the president of the Senegalese Football Federation.
Mauritania's Ahmed Yahya, Ivory Coast's Jacques Anouma and South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe have also thrown their hats in the ring.
Last month former CAF senior vice-president Kwesi Nyantakyi had his lifetime ban from football for breaking FIFA bribery and corruption rules reduced to 15 years.
Nyantakyi quit his positions as Ahmad's number two and president of Ghana's football association two years ago after being secretly filmed accepting a $65,000 bribe from journalists posing as businessmen who wanted to invest in Ghanaian football.
The official also agreed to a fictional sponsorship deal created by the reporters, which they told Nyantakyi would have funnelled millions of dollars designed for Ghanaian football to a company he runs.
© 2020 AFP