france24--2020-11-12--Covid-19 vaccine 'best science news' of 2020

American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced Monday that their vaccine had proven 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 infections Data indicating that a vaccine being developed against Covid-19 is highly effective is the `` best science news of the year '' , a pharmaceutical industry association chief said , voicing hope that other vaccine candidates would show equally good results .
`` A vaccine that has 90 percent efficacy and is pretty safe , that is a historic breakthrough , '' the head of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations ( IFPMA ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced Monday that their vaccine had proven 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in ongoing Phase 3 trials involving more than 40,000 people .
`` This was the best science news of the year , '' IFPMA 's director general told AFP in an interview .
Hopes are also high that one or several of the vaccines under development will also help rein in the Covid-19 pandemic , which has killed nearly 1.3 million people out of the over 51.5 million infected .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 being tested on humans , with a handful in the most advanced Phase 3 trials .
Cueni acknowledged that more data was needed on the Pfizer and BioNTech candidate , which is based on an innovative technology that has never been approved for use before .
The companies based their announcement on interim results from the last step in their clinical trial before officially applying for approval .
Cueni voiced confidence that any major safety concerns with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would have been known .
`` We still need to see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data , '' Cueni said , but stressed : `` There is now genuine reason for optimism that these vaccines are basically considered safe . ''
He said there is still a long list of unknowns about the vaccine 's protection , including whether it will be equally effective in all age groups and how long the protection might last .
Another pressing question is whether it will not only protect a person from Covid-19 infection but also prevent that person from transmitting the virus .
But Cueni said the data so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective in preventing Covid-19 infections than the 50-percent efficacy threshold required by some regulators before considering authorisation .
This was `` big news '' , he said , particularly `` since I think there is reason to hope it wo n't be the only one . ''
`` We will see more good results . ''
Cueni said safety and efficacy data on at least four other vaccine candidates , being developed by Moderna , AstraZeneca , Novavax and Johnson & Johnson , would be known within the next few months .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be available to win approval for using one or more of the Covid-19 vaccines .
And the large developers had already scaled up their manufacturing capacities , and were each in a position to produce upwards of a billion doses next year , he said .
But Cueni acknowledged there were numerous logistical challenges to actually inoculating the huge numbers of people it would take to bring the pandemic to a halt .
And he voiced concern about high levels of vaccine hesitancy in many countries .
Pharmaceutical companies were taking that challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were going `` way above and beyond the normal regulatory requirements '' in terms transparency and data-sharing from trials .
The industry understood the importance of ensuring any authorised vaccine is trusted , he said .
`` This is not only about Covid-19 . ''
Without trust , `` the negative spillover on vaccination overall would be disastrous . ''

Geneva (AFP) –
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Data indicating that a vaccine being developed against Covid-19 is highly effective is the "best science news of the year", a pharmaceutical industry association chief said, voicing hope that other vaccine candidates would show equally good results.
"A vaccine that has 90 percent efficacy and is pretty safe, that is a historic breakthrough," the head of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), Thomas Cueni, said.
American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced Monday that their vaccine had proven 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in ongoing Phase 3 trials involving more than 40,000 people.
"This was the best science news of the year," IFPMA's director general told AFP in an interview.
Hopes are also high that one or several of the vaccines under development will also help rein in the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed nearly 1.3 million people out of the over 51.5 million infected.
There are currently more than 40 candidate vaccines against Covid-19 being tested on humans, with a handful in the most advanced Phase 3 trials.
Cueni acknowledged that more data was needed on the Pfizer and BioNTech candidate, which is based on an innovative technology that has never been approved for use before.
The companies based their announcement on interim results from the last step in their clinical trial before officially applying for approval.
- 'Reason for optimism' -
Cueni voiced confidence that any major safety concerns with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would have been known.
"We still need to see the (full) efficacy and the safety data," Cueni said, but stressed: "There is now genuine reason for optimism that these vaccines are basically considered safe."
He said there is still a long list of unknowns about the vaccine's protection, including whether it will be equally effective in all age groups and how long the protection might last.
Another pressing question is whether it will not only protect a person from Covid-19 infection but also prevent that person from transmitting the virus.
But Cueni said the data so far indicated the vaccine candidate was far more effective in preventing Covid-19 infections than the 50-percent efficacy threshold required by some regulators before considering authorisation.
This was "big news", he said, particularly "since I think there is reason to hope it won't be the only one."
"We will see more good results."
Cueni said safety and efficacy data on at least four other vaccine candidates, being developed by Moderna, AstraZeneca, Novavax and Johnson & Johnson, would be known within the next few months.
- Vaccine hesitancy -
He was optimistic that enough data would soon be available to win approval for using one or more of the Covid-19 vaccines.
And the large developers had already scaled up their manufacturing capacities, and were each in a position to produce upwards of a billion doses next year, he said.
But Cueni acknowledged there were numerous logistical challenges to actually inoculating the huge numbers of people it would take to bring the pandemic to a halt.
And he voiced concern about high levels of vaccine hesitancy in many countries.
Pharmaceutical companies were taking that challenge particularly seriously, he said, insisting they were going "way above and beyond the normal regulatory requirements" in terms transparency and data-sharing from trials.
The industry understood the importance of ensuring any authorised vaccine is trusted, he said.
"This is not only about Covid-19."
Without trust, "the negative spillover on vaccination overall would be disastrous."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-12--FA asks government to approve Iceland match at Wembley

The Football Association wants to stage England 's UEFA Nations League match against Iceland at Wembley The Football Association has asked the government to allow England 's UEFA Nations League match against Iceland on November 18 to be played at Wembley .
The game looked set to be held in another country , most likely Germany , as the Icelandic team are not currently allowed into the country due to coronavirus travel restrictions .
They play in Copenhagen on Sunday against Denmark -- a country subject to enhanced travel restrictions due to a new strain of Covid-19 .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to play our final UEFA Nations League match at Wembley Stadium , by giving travel exemption to the Icelandic team subject to strict medical protocols , '' an FA statement said .
The FA said the Icelandic players would be under strict UEFA protocols in Denmark and would be tested before travelling to England .
It said it would ensure the Icelandic team were kept in a bio-secure bubble and would receive extra testing .
`` We have agreed with the Icelandic team that they arrive on private charter to a private terminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hotel and the stadium , '' the governing body added .
`` We will also put in place additional testing over and above the multiple tests normally required for each participant and staff at the match . ''
The match against Iceland could decide whether England qualify for the knockout stages of the Nations League , so they would prefer the home advantage of playing at the national stadium .
However , the FA insists the safety of its players is of primary concern and do not want to inflict extra travel on @ @

London (AFP) –
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The Football Association has asked the government to allow England's UEFA Nations League match against Iceland on November 18 to be played at Wembley.
The game looked set to be held in another country, most likely Germany, as the Icelandic team are not currently allowed into the country due to coronavirus travel restrictions.
They play in Copenhagen on Sunday against Denmark -- a country subject to enhanced travel restrictions due to a new strain of Covid-19.
"We have asked government to consider allowing us to play our final UEFA Nations League match at Wembley Stadium, by giving travel exemption to the Icelandic team subject to strict medical protocols," an FA statement said.
The FA said the Icelandic players would be under strict UEFA protocols in Denmark and would be tested before travelling to England.
It said it would ensure the Icelandic team were kept in a bio-secure bubble and would receive extra testing.
"We have agreed with the Icelandic team that they arrive on private charter to a private terminal and will only have access to their hotel and the stadium," the governing body added.
"We will also put in place additional testing over and above the multiple tests normally required for each participant and staff at the match."
The match against Iceland could decide whether England qualify for the knockout stages of the Nations League, so they would prefer the home advantage of playing at the national stadium.
However, the FA insists the safety of its players is of primary concern and do not want to inflict extra travel on them.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-12--Armenia detains critics of Karabakh peace deal

Dozens were arrested during protests against the peace deal in Yerevan on Wednesday Armenia on Thursday arrested 10 leading opposition figures for violently protesting against a Russian-brokered peace deal that ended weeks of fighting with Azerbaijan and sparked fury with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan .
Prosecutors announced the arrests hours ahead of a fresh demonstration called by the opposition against the accord that sees Armenia give up swathes of disputed territory in Nagorno-Karabkh to their long-standing foe .
The 10 politicians face up to a decade behind bars for their role in `` illegal violent mass disorder '' , prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stormed and ransacked government buildings on Tuesday over Pashinyan 's agreement to end the fighting .
`` We consider this to be an act of political persecution , '' said Lilit Galstyan from the opposition Dashnaktsutyun party , which saw at least two of its members detained .
`` This government has no moral right to stay in power . ''
Earlier this week , Pashinyan accused the protesters who overran government buildings of being controlled by `` oligarchs who were looting our army , our soldiers , our country for 20 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who swept to power in 2018 promising to root out endemic corruption , denounced the demonstrators for stirring up unrest when security services were on the frontlines .
At a protest in Yerevan on Wednesday police hauled off 135 people at a rally against the peace deal in front of the government headquarters where demonstrators were calling Pashinyan a `` traitor '' .
Fighting between Armenian separatists in the Nargono-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and Baku 's army erupted in late September and raged for six weeks , leaving more than 1,400 dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Critics of Pashinyan issued an ultimatum for him to resign before midnight Wednesday or face a massive protest movement after he agreed in the early hours of Tuesday to halt the fighting with Azerbaijan for control of the disputed region .
The deal stipulates that Azerbaijan 's forces will retain control over areas seized in the fighting , including the second-largest town of Shusha , while Armenia agreed to a timetable to withdraw from large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Russian peacekeepers began deploying in Karabakh on Wednesday as part of the terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a key transport artery connecting Armenia to the disputed province .
Russian military officials said the mission consisting of nearly 2,000 troops would put in place 16 observation posts in mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor .
Fighting between ex-Soviet Azerbaijan and Armenian separatists raged despite several ceasefires brokered by France , Russia and the United States that were left in tatters following mutual allegations of violations hours after they were due to take effect .
Azerbaijan has been pushing for Ankara 's involvement in a settlement and Turkish President Recep Tayyip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jointly supervise the ceasefire with Russia .
Turkey , a staunch ally of Azerbaijan , was widely accused by Western countries , Russia and Armenia of dispatching mercenaries from Syria to bolster Azerbaijan 's army .
`` No peacekeeping units of the Turkish Republic will be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh , '' Lavrov said .

Yerevan (AFP) –
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Armenia on Thursday arrested 10 leading opposition figures for violently protesting against a Russian-brokered peace deal that ended weeks of fighting with Azerbaijan and sparked fury with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Prosecutors announced the arrests hours ahead of a fresh demonstration called by the opposition against the accord that sees Armenia give up swathes of disputed territory in Nagorno-Karabkh to their long-standing foe.
The 10 politicians face up to a decade behind bars for their role in "illegal violent mass disorder", prosecutors said in a statement, after protesters stormed and ransacked government buildings on Tuesday over Pashinyan's agreement to end the fighting.
"We consider this to be an act of political persecution," said Lilit Galstyan from the opposition Dashnaktsutyun party, which saw at least two of its members detained.
"This government has no moral right to stay in power."
Earlier this week, Pashinyan accused the protesters who overran government buildings of being controlled by "oligarchs who were looting our army, our soldiers, our country for 20 years".
The 45-year-old former newspaper editor, who swept to power in 2018 promising to root out endemic corruption, denounced the demonstrators for stirring up unrest when security services were on the frontlines.
At a protest in Yerevan on Wednesday police hauled off 135 people at a rally against the peace deal in front of the government headquarters where demonstrators were calling Pashinyan a "traitor".
- No Turkish peacekeepers -
Fighting between Armenian separatists in the Nargono-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and Baku's army erupted in late September and raged for six weeks, leaving more than 1,400 dead and forcing thousands to flee their homes.
Critics of Pashinyan issued an ultimatum for him to resign before midnight Wednesday or face a massive protest movement after he agreed in the early hours of Tuesday to halt the fighting with Azerbaijan for control of the disputed region.
The deal stipulates that Azerbaijan's forces will retain control over areas seized in the fighting, including the second-largest town of Shusha, while Armenia agreed to a timetable to withdraw from large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russian peacekeepers began deploying in Karabakh on Wednesday as part of the terms of the accord and took control of a key transport artery connecting Armenia to the disputed province.
Russian military officials said the mission consisting of nearly 2,000 troops would put in place 16 observation posts in mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor.
Fighting between ex-Soviet Azerbaijan and Armenian separatists raged despite several ceasefires brokered by France, Russia and the United States that were left in tatters following mutual allegations of violations hours after they were due to take effect.
Azerbaijan has been pushing for Ankara's involvement in a settlement and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this week his country would jointly supervise the ceasefire with Russia.
Turkey, a staunch ally of Azerbaijan, was widely accused by Western countries, Russia and Armenia of dispatching mercenaries from Syria to bolster Azerbaijan's army.
"No peacekeeping units of the Turkish Republic will be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh," Lavrov said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-12--Tigray conflict threatens to ‘catalyse’ tensions elsewhere in Ethiopia

Members of Amhara region militias ride on their truck as they head to the mission to face the Tigray People 's Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , in Sanja , Amhara region near a border with Tigray , Ethiopia November 9 , 2020 .
Aid agencies are unable to bring food and health supplies to Ethiopia ’ s northern Tigray region , the UN warned on Thursday in the latest sign that the fighting there is intensifying .
Analysts say that federal forces are facing a tough opponent in the Tigray People ’ s Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destabilise other parts of Ethiopia .
Tigray has been increasingly isolated from the outside world since the fighting began on November 4 : Airports and roads out of the region have been closed while Internet and telephone connections have been cut off .
On November 12 the UN ’ s humanitarian office reported “ shortages of basic commodities ” affecting “ the vulnerable first and the most ” .
The same day , Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed wrote on Twitter that federal forces have “ liberated ” the western part of Tigray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have largely been cut off , it was not possible for news agencies to verify this claim .
On Wednesday , Sudanese officials said that more than 10,000 refugees from Tigray had fled across the border to their country , adding that they expect to see a total of 200,000 Ethiopian refugees .
The European Union , the African Union and the United Nations have all called for a ceasefire .
Abiy , however , tweeted on Tuesday that “ we won ’ t rest until this junta is brought to justice ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Liberation Front ( TPLF ) , the political party and armed group that runs the region bordering Eritrea .
Diplomatic and security sources told Reuters that Abiy is keen to crush his opponents in Tigray and does not want mediation .
‘ No incentive for TPLF to stay in the system ’ The TPLF dominated Ethiopia ’ s governing coalition for decades following its leading role in overthrowing the Derg – a Marxist junta led by notorious dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam – in 1991 .
That changed in 2018 , when mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group – prompted the coalition to elect Abiy as its new , reformist leader .
The Oromos are Ethiopia ’ s biggest such group , comprising around a third of the population , including Abiy .
After Abiy became prime minister in April 2018 , several high-ranking TPLF officials were prosecuted for human rights abuses and corruption .
The TPLF responded by accusing Abiy of targeting them in a politically motivated campaign .
In 2019 , the TPLF refused to join the Prosperity Party , the outfit Abiy created to merge and replace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When Abiy ’ s government delayed this year ’ s general elections until 2021 , citing Covid-19 , the TPLF accused the prime minister of using the pandemic to hold on to power beyond his mandate .
The TPLF then unilaterally held regional elections in September .
The federal government refused to accept the results .
The finance ministry stopped distributing money to the Tigrayan regional administration and said it would have to be given to lower echelons of government .
After the conflict started , the federal government went further , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dissolve the Tigrayan regional parliament .
“ This leaves TPLF leaders with no incentive to stay in the system , ” Nic Cheeseman , professor of democracy and international development at Birmingham University , wrote in a tweet .
Despite losing political influence in the rest of Ethiopia since 2018 , the TPLF remains a fighting force of up to 250,000 troops , according to the International Crisis Group .
Many of its officers were battle-hardened in the struggle against the Derg and the 1998-2000 conflict with Eritrea .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Yohannes Woldemariam , an expert on the Horn of Africa and professor of international relations at the University of Colorado .
“ This is a very , very serious situation , ” he continued .
“ You just have to look at the history of the TPLP ; it is a very experienced organisation .
So for Abiy Ahmed to try to dismiss it – that doesn ’ t seem a very realistic approach.
” “ The TPLF were in command of Ethiopian military forces for a really long time , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant number of supporters , ” added Patricia Rodrigues , an East Africa analyst at consultancy firm Control Risks .
The Ethiopian army ’ s Northern Command based in Tigray includes a large number of Tigrayan officers and troops .
It comprises more than half of the national army ’ s soldiers and mechanised divisions .
Like the TPLF , the Northern Command accrued much of its combat experience from its disproportionate role in the conflict with Eritrea .
“ It seems that large elements of the Northern Command leadership , probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the regional government or otherwise come under the regional government command after a forceful takeover , and this includes appropriating heavy weaponry , ” said William Davison , an Ethiopia expert at the International Crisis Group .
At the same time , thousands of security forces and militia fighters from the neighbouring Amhara region have been deployed to fight for the federal government against the TPLF .
A dispute between Tigray and Amhara over the border between the two regions – with Amhara claiming a slice of territory within Tigray – has festered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the Amhara region into southwest Tigray – with some participation of Amhara regular regional security forces and irregular Amhara forces at least around the border areas of western Tigray that are claimed by Amhara factions – has already significantly exacerbated this situation , ” Davison said .
“ If Amhara factions do use the federal intervention in Tigray to try and press home territorial claims , that would make the conflict even more entrenched.
” Ethnic violence has flared elsewhere in Ethiopia over recent months .
On November 1 , gunmen killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rounding them up into a schoolyard in the far west of the Oromia region , according to Amnesty International .
Survivors of the massacre told Amnesty that Amharas were targeted and “ dragged from their homes ” .
The Ethiopian government said that the Oromo Liberation Army ( OLA ) , a separatist armed group , was responsible for the mass shooting .
The previous month , some 67 people were killed in Oromia when anti-Abiy protests developed into ethnic clashes .
Abiy came to office promising to uphold Omoros ’ civil rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic framework .
He won international acclaim by forming a peace agreement with the OLA soon after becoming prime minister – in addition to the accord with Eritrea that won him the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize .
Nevertheless , the decades-long OLA insurgency has continued to simmer .
“ Because of the tension between the centre and the periphery – and Abiy Ahmed coming in on the back of protests in the Oromia region , and reshaping the federal party towards being a unitary party – you have much stronger demands within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federation for nationalist claims for autonomy , and they have only been getting louder , ” said Ahmed Soliman , a research fellow at Chatham House specialising in the Horn of Africa .
“ Some of those claims , in the environment that we now have in Ethiopia , have become much more violent , ” Soliman continued .
“ The country has seen an increasing flow of arms , not only to militant groups but also to civilians who want to protect themselves from increasing security threats around them.
” “ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a regional government , that does have the potential to catalyse other concerns about the undermining of regional autonomy , and there is a certain amount of support from other Ethiopian ethnonationalist groups for the Tigrayan cause at this point , ” Davison said .
“ Often they have a history of hostile relations with the TPLF from when it was in power – but now that the TPLF is fighting what some perceive as a dictatorial , centralising regime , then there ’ s a sort of ‘ my enemy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Aid agencies are unable to bring food and health supplies to Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the UN warned on Thursday in the latest sign that the fighting there is intensifying. Analysts say that federal forces are facing a tough opponent in the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and that the conflict threatens to further destabilise other parts of Ethiopia.
Members of Amhara region militias ride on their truck as they head to the mission to face the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), in Sanja, Amhara region near a border with Tigray, Ethiopia November 9, 2020.
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Tigray has been increasingly isolated from the outside world since the fighting began on November 4: Airports and roads out of the region have been closed while Internet and telephone connections have been cut off. On November 12 the UN’s humanitarian office reported “shortages of basic commodities” affecting “the vulnerable first and the most”.
The same day, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed wrote on Twitter that federal forces have “liberated” the western part of Tigray. But given that communications from Tigray have largely been cut off, it was not possible for news agencies to verify this claim.
On Wednesday, Sudanese officials said that more than 10,000 refugees from Tigray had fled across the border to their country, adding that they expect to see a total of 200,000 Ethiopian refugees.
The European Union, the African Union and the United Nations have all called for a ceasefire. Abiy, however, tweeted on Tuesday that “we won’t rest until this junta is brought to justice” – referring to the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the political party and armed group that runs the region bordering Eritrea. Diplomatic and security sources told Reuters that Abiy is keen to crush his opponents in Tigray and does not want mediation.
‘No incentive for TPLF to stay in the system’
The TPLF dominated Ethiopia’s governing coalition for decades following its leading role in overthrowing the Derg – a Marxist junta led by notorious dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam – in 1991. That changed in 2018, when mass protests – largely amongst the Oromo ethnic group – prompted the coalition to elect Abiy as its new, reformist leader. The Oromos are Ethiopia’s biggest such group, comprising around a third of the population, including Abiy.
After Abiy became prime minister in April 2018, several high-ranking TPLF officials were prosecuted for human rights abuses and corruption. The TPLF responded by accusing Abiy of targeting them in a politically motivated campaign. In 2019, the TPLF refused to join the Prosperity Party, the outfit Abiy created to merge and replace the ruling coalition of ethnic-based parties.
When Abiy’s government delayed this year’s general elections until 2021, citing Covid-19, the TPLF accused the prime minister of using the pandemic to hold on to power beyond his mandate.
The TPLF then unilaterally held regional elections in September. The federal government refused to accept the results. The finance ministry stopped distributing money to the Tigrayan regional administration and said it would have to be given to lower echelons of government.
After the conflict started, the federal government went further, with the Ethiopian parliament voting on November 7 to dissolve the Tigrayan regional parliament. “This leaves TPLF leaders with no incentive to stay in the system,” Nic Cheeseman, professor of democracy and international development at Birmingham University, wrote in a tweet.
‘Abiy is very mistaken’
Despite losing political influence in the rest of Ethiopia since 2018, the TPLF remains a fighting force of up to 250,000 troops, according to the International Crisis Group. Many of its officers were battle-hardened in the struggle against the Derg and the 1998-2000 conflict with Eritrea.
“I think Abiy Ahmed is very mistaken,” said Yohannes Woldemariam, an expert on the Horn of Africa and professor of international relations at the University of Colorado. “This is a very, very serious situation,” he continued. “You just have to look at the history of the TPLP; it is a very experienced organisation. So for Abiy Ahmed to try to dismiss it – that doesn’t seem a very realistic approach.”
“The TPLF were in command of Ethiopian military forces for a really long time, so they have been able to amass quite a significant number of supporters,” added Patricia Rodrigues, an East Africa analyst at consultancy firm Control Risks.
The Ethiopian army’s Northern Command based in Tigray includes a large number of Tigrayan officers and troops. It comprises more than half of the national army’s soldiers and mechanised divisions. Like the TPLF, the Northern Command accrued much of its combat experience from its disproportionate role in the conflict with Eritrea.
“It seems that large elements of the Northern Command leadership, probably the Tigrayan officers, have sided with the regional government or otherwise come under the regional government command after a forceful takeover, and this includes appropriating heavy weaponry,” said William Davison, an Ethiopia expert at the International Crisis Group.
At the same time, thousands of security forces and militia fighters from the neighbouring Amhara region have been deployed to fight for the federal government against the TPLF. A dispute between Tigray and Amhara over the border between the two regions – with Amhara claiming a slice of territory within Tigray – has festered for decades.
“The federal intervention through the Amhara region into southwest Tigray – with some participation of Amhara regular regional security forces and irregular Amhara forces at least around the border areas of western Tigray that are claimed by Amhara factions – has already significantly exacerbated this situation,” Davison said. “If Amhara factions do use the federal intervention in Tigray to try and press home territorial claims, that would make the conflict even more entrenched.”
‘My enemy’s enemy is my friend’?
Ethnic violence has flared elsewhere in Ethiopia over recent months. On November 1, gunmen killed 54 people – including children – after rounding them up into a schoolyard in the far west of the Oromia region, according to Amnesty International. Survivors of the massacre told Amnesty that Amharas were targeted and “dragged from their homes”.
The Ethiopian government said that the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), a separatist armed group, was responsible for the mass shooting. The previous month, some 67 people were killed in Oromia when anti-Abiy protests developed into ethnic clashes.
Abiy came to office promising to uphold Omoros’ civil rights while emphasising Ethiopian national unity within a democratic framework. He won international acclaim by forming a peace agreement with the OLA soon after becoming prime minister – in addition to the accord with Eritrea that won him the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Nevertheless, the decades-long OLA insurgency has continued to simmer.
“Because of the tension between the centre and the periphery – and Abiy Ahmed coming in on the back of protests in the Oromia region, and reshaping the federal party towards being a unitary party – you have much stronger demands within the many nations that make up the Ethiopian federation for nationalist claims for autonomy, and they have only been getting louder,” said Ahmed Soliman, a research fellow at Chatham House specialising in the Horn of Africa.
“Some of those claims, in the environment that we now have in Ethiopia, have become much more violent,” Soliman continued. “The country has seen an increasing flow of arms, not only to militant groups but also to civilians who want to protect themselves from increasing security threats around them.”
“When we see this federal intervention to remove a regional government, that does have the potential to catalyse other concerns about the undermining of regional autonomy, and there is a certain amount of support from other Ethiopian ethnonationalist groups for the Tigrayan cause at this point,” Davison said. “Often they have a history of hostile relations with the TPLF from when it was in power – but now that the TPLF is fighting what some perceive as a dictatorial, centralising regime, then there’s a sort of ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’ calculus.”
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france24--2020-11-12--W Series to stage support races at eight Formula One grands prix

The all-female W Series is linking up with Formula 1 next season to stage eight races on grand prix weekends , organisers announced on Thursday .
The locations and dates of the rounds will be announced in due course .
The W Series was launched in 2019 , with drivers using identical 1.8-litre Formula 3 cars , but the 2020 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The last two races of 2020 season , in the United States and Mexico , had been scheduled to feature on the F1 support-race bill .
Formula One unveiled a 23-race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the season starting in Australia on March 21 .
W Series chief executive officer Catherine Bond Muir said the tie-up with F1 would boost the global reach of the competition .
`` After such a successful inaugural season , we at W Series are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Formula 1 for 2021 and beyond , '' she said .
`` Formula 1 is by some margin the world ’ s premier motor racing series , and , when we promised that W Series would be bigger and better in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always our ultimate objective . ''
Earlier this year F1 chiefs launched the `` We Race as One '' initiative to tackle inequality .
F1 's motorsport managing director Ross Brawn , said : `` It is a really important moment for us to welcome W Series as partners for eight races this season .
`` They have been a beacon to many since they began racing in 2019 .
We believe it is incredibly important to give everyone the chance to reach the highest levels of our sport . ''
The W @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in motorsport , with the aim of equipping drivers with the skills to compete against male drivers .
The last woman to start an F1 grand prix was Lella Lombardi in 1976 .

Istanbul (AFP) –
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The all-female W Series is linking up with Formula 1 next season to stage eight races on grand prix weekends, organisers announced on Thursday.
The locations and dates of the rounds will be announced in due course.
The W Series was launched in 2019, with drivers using identical 1.8-litre Formula 3 cars, but the 2020 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The last two races of 2020 season, in the United States and Mexico, had been scheduled to feature on the F1 support-race bill.
Formula One unveiled a 23-race calendar for 2021 earlier this week, with the season starting in Australia on March 21.
W Series chief executive officer Catherine Bond Muir said the tie-up with F1 would boost the global reach of the competition.
"After such a successful inaugural season, we at W Series are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Formula 1 for 2021 and beyond," she said.
"Formula 1 is by some margin the world’s premier motor racing series, and, when we promised that W Series would be bigger and better in the future, partnering with Formula 1 was always our ultimate objective."
Earlier this year F1 chiefs launched the "We Race as One" initiative to tackle inequality.
F1's motorsport managing director Ross Brawn, said: "It is a really important moment for us to welcome W Series as partners for eight races this season.
"They have been a beacon to many since they began racing in 2019. We believe it is incredibly important to give everyone the chance to reach the highest levels of our sport."
The W Series was launched to boost female participation in motorsport, with the aim of equipping drivers with the skills to compete against male drivers.
The last woman to start an F1 grand prix was Lella Lombardi in 1976.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-13--Bangladeshi star's comeback after Islamist death threats

For years Sufi singer Rita Dewan captivated millions of followers in Bangladesh with her haunting ballads , but nowadays she lives in fear each performance will be her last For years Sufi singer Rita Dewan captivated millions of followers in Bangladesh with her haunting ballads .
Today , she lives in fear each performance will be her last .
Accused of defaming Islam and targeted by religious radicals -- a growing force in the Muslim majority country -- she spent months in hiding to escape death threats .
Rarely going out in daylight , she and her family fled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whilst living underground .
`` YouTube is flooded with videos of Mullahs calling for my beheading , '' she tells AFP in tears .
`` I was too afraid to go to the toilet even .
In rural areas they are mainly outside .
I felt like [ extremists ] would find me and decapitate me . ''
Sufi Islam is considered deviant by conservative Muslim groups who oppose its mystical interpretation of the Koran .
The movement still has tens of millions of followers worldwide , but in Bangladesh the rise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In recent years , some two dozen Sufis have been killed by extremists in the South Asian country , some hacked to death .
Sufism has a long tradition in art and academia ranging from the poet Rumi to mathematician Omar Khayyam to modern Pakistani star Rahet Ali Khan .
But Sufis beliefs are increasingly under attack as un-Islamic and conservatives want to introduce strict blasphemy laws in Bangladesh , with the death penalty for offenders .
Dewan has been under pressure since a Youtube clip she appeared in went viral , attracting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she makes comments about Islam in a singing duel against another artist , who plays a God .
Conservatives have filed at least four cases against Dewan accusing her of damaging religious sentiments and defaming Islam , a charge currently punishable by life in jail .
She insists the clip was taken out of context and shows just a few minutes of an eight-hour performance .
The star apologised but it was too late to stop the threats .
`` Some Mullahs have used their sermons to brand me a coward prostitute and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can find me , '' she explains .
The star is to make a first appearance in court on Sunday but decided to come out of hiding to perform an eight-hour show for fans at a famed Sufi shrine .
The 38-year-old said her `` ecstasy '' at being able to perform again was tempered by terror after seeing two men in the crowd she feared were fundamentalists who might harm her .
They left after two songs , but experts say such intimidatory tactics are not unusual .
Saymon Zakaria , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ art is now under threat from those who want a hardline Islam imposed in the country .
`` The situation is very critical , '' Zakaria told AFP .
Rights researcher Rezaur Rahman Lenin said the cases against Dewan were part of a pattern to `` censor artistic works '' .
`` Artists and their performance are barred , and artists and academics detained and judicially harassed and persecuted on the grounds of insulting or hurting religious feelings , '' he said .
Male Sufi singer Shariat Sarker spent more than six months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of defaming Islam and is now in hiding because of death threats .
Dewan has already missed more than 60 shows because of police concerns about safety and security and says that as a result she has lost thousands of dollars in earnings .
`` All of a sudden we became poor .
My husband and my daughter are part of my team .
All members of my troupe suffered .
It 's a harrowing time . ''
The star , who left school at the age of nine to train as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is unsure how she can carry on .
Despite her recent show many shrines are still reluctant to work with her .
The court case makes Dewan fear for her own future but she remains defiant that the art will endure .
`` No matter how powerful these Mullahs are this Sufi music tradition will live on in this country .
Mullahs have called these songs haram -- prohibited in Islam -- but nowhere in the Koran is it said that music is haram , '' she insists .
`` I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forever .
It has been going on for centuries .
People love it .
It is pure joy .
And Sufis will live here .
It was the Sufis who brought Islam here centuries ago , not the hardliners .
Bangladesh is the land of Sufis . ''

DOHAR (Bangladesh) (AFP) –
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For years Sufi singer Rita Dewan captivated millions of followers in Bangladesh with her haunting ballads.
Today, she lives in fear each performance will be her last.
Accused of defaming Islam and targeted by religious radicals -- a growing force in the Muslim majority country -- she spent months in hiding to escape death threats.
Rarely going out in daylight, she and her family fled to rural shanties and often went without food whilst living underground.
"YouTube is flooded with videos of Mullahs calling for my beheading," she tells AFP in tears. "I was too afraid to go to the toilet even. In rural areas they are mainly outside. I felt like [extremists] would find me and decapitate me."
Sufi Islam is considered deviant by conservative Muslim groups who oppose its mystical interpretation of the Koran.
The movement still has tens of millions of followers worldwide, but in Bangladesh the rise of hardliners has meant numbers are dropping.
In recent years, some two dozen Sufis have been killed by extremists in the South Asian country, some hacked to death.
Sufism has a long tradition in art and academia ranging from the poet Rumi to mathematician Omar Khayyam to modern Pakistani star Rahet Ali Khan.
But Sufis beliefs are increasingly under attack as un-Islamic and conservatives want to introduce strict blasphemy laws in Bangladesh, with the death penalty for offenders.
- Agony and ecstasy -
Dewan has been under pressure since a Youtube clip she appeared in went viral, attracting a storm of criticism.
In it she makes comments about Islam in a singing duel against another artist, who plays a God.
Conservatives have filed at least four cases against Dewan accusing her of damaging religious sentiments and defaming Islam, a charge currently punishable by life in jail.
She insists the clip was taken out of context and shows just a few minutes of an eight-hour performance.
The star apologised but it was too late to stop the threats.
"Some Mullahs have used their sermons to brand me a coward prostitute and told people to kill me if they can find me," she explains.
The star is to make a first appearance in court on Sunday but decided to come out of hiding to perform an eight-hour show for fans at a famed Sufi shrine.
The 38-year-old said her "ecstasy" at being able to perform again was tempered by terror after seeing two men in the crowd she feared were fundamentalists who might harm her.
They left after two songs, but experts say such intimidatory tactics are not unusual.
Saymon Zakaria, a Bangladeshi researcher on traditional music said Sufi art is now under threat from those who want a hardline Islam imposed in the country.
"The situation is very critical," Zakaria told AFP .
- 'Harrowing time' -
Rights researcher Rezaur Rahman Lenin said the cases against Dewan were part of a pattern to "censor artistic works".
"Artists and their performance are barred, and artists and academics detained and judicially harassed and persecuted on the grounds of insulting or hurting religious feelings," he said.
Male Sufi singer Shariat Sarker spent more than six months in jail this year after being accused of defaming Islam and is now in hiding because of death threats.
Dewan has already missed more than 60 shows because of police concerns about safety and security and says that as a result she has lost thousands of dollars in earnings.
"All of a sudden we became poor. My husband and my daughter are part of my team. All members of my troupe suffered. It's a harrowing time."
The star, who left school at the age of nine to train as a singer and regularly performed to vast crowds, is unsure how she can carry on.
Despite her recent show many shrines are still reluctant to work with her.
The court case makes Dewan fear for her own future but she remains defiant that the art will endure.
"No matter how powerful these Mullahs are this Sufi music tradition will live on in this country. Mullahs have called these songs haram -- prohibited in Islam -- but nowhere in the Koran is it said that music is haram," she insists.
"I am sure this music tradition will live on forever. It has been going on for centuries. People love it. It is pure joy. And Sufis will live here. It was the Sufis who brought Islam here centuries ago, not the hardliners. Bangladesh is the land of Sufis."
sa/tw/lto
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-13--Messi denied as Argentina held by Paraguay in World Cup qualifying

Lionel Messi and Argentina had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires Argentina had to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier at La Bombonera on Thursday , and Lionel Messi had what might have been a winning goal disallowed in the second half .
A Nicolas Gonzalez goal brought Argentina back level after Angel Romero 's penalty put Paraguay in front at the home of Boca Juniors , where fans were absent because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The result ends Argentina 's perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2022 finals in Qatar , after Lionel Scaloni 's team claimed narrow wins last month at home to Ecuador and away to Bolivia .
They thought they had gone in front in the 58th minute when Giovani Lo Celso pulled the ball back for captain Messi to sidefoot low into the net , but the goal was eventually disallowed by the Brazilian officials for a foul by Gonzalez at the beginning of the move .
At least Argentina recovered from falling behind midway through the first half , when Romero -- who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ converted a penalty awarded for a foul by Lucas Martinez Quarta on Newcastle United 's Miguel Almiron .
The home side lost midfielder Exequiel Palacios to injury soon after , but his replacement Lo Celso delivered the corner for VfB Stuttgart forward Gonzalez to head in the equaliser four minutes before half-time .
After his disallowed goal , a frustrated Messi also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar by Paraguay goalkeeper Anthony Silva .
Paraguay remain unbeaten having previously drawn with Peru and won in Venezuela .
The sides are in action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peru in Lima and Paraguay host Bolivia .
Thursday 's other game in South American qualifying saw Ecuador claim a second win in three outings in the round-robin tournament as Carlos Gruezo 's late penalty gave them a 3-2 victory over Bolivia in La Paz .
The action continues on Friday with Brazil notably hosting Venezuela in Sao Paulo as they chase a third straight win in qualifying .
They will be without Neymar , who has not recovered from an adductor injury suffered playing for Paris Saint-Germain recently .

Buenos Aires (AFP) –
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Argentina had to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier at La Bombonera on Thursday, and Lionel Messi had what might have been a winning goal disallowed in the second half.
A Nicolas Gonzalez goal brought Argentina back level after Angel Romero's penalty put Paraguay in front at the home of Boca Juniors, where fans were absent because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The result ends Argentina's perfect start in their bid to qualify for the 2022 finals in Qatar, after Lionel Scaloni's team claimed narrow wins last month at home to Ecuador and away to Bolivia.
They thought they had gone in front in the 58th minute when Giovani Lo Celso pulled the ball back for captain Messi to sidefoot low into the net, but the goal was eventually disallowed by the Brazilian officials for a foul by Gonzalez at the beginning of the move.
At least Argentina recovered from falling behind midway through the first half, when Romero -- who plays in Argentina for San Lorenzo -- converted a penalty awarded for a foul by Lucas Martinez Quarta on Newcastle United's Miguel Almiron.
The home side lost midfielder Exequiel Palacios to injury soon after, but his replacement Lo Celso delivered the corner for VfB Stuttgart forward Gonzalez to head in the equaliser four minutes before half-time.
After his disallowed goal, a frustrated Messi also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar by Paraguay goalkeeper Anthony Silva.
Paraguay remain unbeaten having previously drawn with Peru and won in Venezuela.
The sides are in action again on Tuesday, when Argentina play Peru in Lima and Paraguay host Bolivia.
Thursday's other game in South American qualifying saw Ecuador claim a second win in three outings in the round-robin tournament as Carlos Gruezo's late penalty gave them a 3-2 victory over Bolivia in La Paz.
The action continues on Friday with Brazil notably hosting Venezuela in Sao Paulo as they chase a third straight win in qualifying.
They will be without Neymar, who has not recovered from an adductor injury suffered playing for Paris Saint-Germain recently.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-13--Seeking asylum in Greece -- an interminable waiting game

According to UN figures , there are around 186,200 refugees and asylum-seekers in Greece It can be months or even years before the thousands of migrants waiting in camps on Greek islands or on the mainland finally receive the prize they crave : asylum .
Omar Singh , a young man from Burkina Faso , arrived on the island of Lesbos over a year ago .
And he may have to wait until December 2021 before he is granted an interview to determine his right to stay -- a long drawn-out procedure he says is `` driving me mad .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't even 18 .
I was living in horrible conditions in the Moria ( camp ) -- I fled the fire there in September and now I am in a new camp where my tent leaks when it rains , '' Omar says .
But it is the interminable waiting that is worst .
`` West Africans and single men are not priority cases , '' he complains .
Nadir Sawaf , from Syria , is living in a container at the Skaramangas camp outside Athens and says he has been waiting four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has a scheduled meeting with immigration authorities next week .
`` I hope it wo n't be cancelled '' owing to the coronavirus lockdown now in force until the end of the month .
Nadir found himself stranded on Lesbos weeks after Turkey and the EU signed an agreement in March 2016 on managing the flow of migrants .
His first asylum application was rejected on the grounds that , under that deal , Turkey was deemed a safe country .
But `` Turkey is not a safe country for Syrians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria , '' Nadir protests .
Unable to appeal because he was unable to afford a lawyer , he complains that he remains `` stuck in Greece -- without papers , without work , without my family . ''
According to the UN Refugee Agency ( UNHCR ) , Greece hosted approximately 186,200 refugees and asylum-seekers at the end of 2019 .
In November last year , the Greek government voted through a law designed to speed up procedures .
And according to the ministry for migration , 87,622 asylum claims were filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year earlier .
But `` this improvement is above all the result of fewer arrivals this year , '' which were down by 73 percent , says Stella Nanou , UNHCR 's spokeswoman in Greece .
Spyros-Vlad Oikonomou of the Greek council for refugees says migrants ' rights must be upheld even as procedures are streamlined .
`` Often there are procedural mistakes -- an interview is botched or an asylum seeker did not explain himself well .
It is vital that candidates ( with claims ) thrown out have appeals dealt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being speeded up for new arrivals , asylum seekers who came last year can find themselves waiting for years for their cases to be dealt with .
`` The long wait has a strong psychological impact on refugees .
For two years they have no access to education , the labour market .
Instead of integrating they are isolated in the camps , '' says Oikonomou .
Greece has welcomed EU efforts to set up a bloc-wide response to the migration issue , with `` tough controls '' on external borders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win their claim to stay .
As Brussels looks to get to grips with the issue , conservative Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has stressed the need for a `` balanced '' approach and the `` fair '' sharing out of responsibilities across the bloc .
Like Italy and Spain , Greece 's geographical position on the EU 's southern edge has made it one of the major points of arrival in the bloc for migrants .
Abo Ahmad , a 28-year-old Syrian , says he grew tired of waiting in Greece .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he left and made his way to Hanover in Germany , instead .
`` In Greece I had no financial assistance , no right to a place to live and could n't get work .
`` In Germany , I had my own room , a monthly allowance of 300 euros and I 've been working in a restaurant for a week .
I believe in my future again , '' he says .

Athens (AFP) –
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It can be months or even years before the thousands of migrants waiting in camps on Greek islands or on the mainland finally receive the prize they crave: asylum.
Omar Singh, a young man from Burkina Faso, arrived on the island of Lesbos over a year ago.
And he may have to wait until December 2021 before he is granted an interview to determine his right to stay -- a long drawn-out procedure he says is "driving me mad."
"When I arrived I wasn't even 18. I was living in horrible conditions in the Moria (camp) -- I fled the fire there in September and now I am in a new camp where my tent leaks when it rains," Omar says.
But it is the interminable waiting that is worst. "West Africans and single men are not priority cases," he complains.
Nadir Sawaf, from Syria, is living in a container at the Skaramangas camp outside Athens and says he has been waiting four years for papers to remain in Greece.
He has a scheduled meeting with immigration authorities next week. "I hope it won't be cancelled" owing to the coronavirus lockdown now in force until the end of the month.
Nadir found himself stranded on Lesbos weeks after Turkey and the EU signed an agreement in March 2016 on managing the flow of migrants.
His first asylum application was rejected on the grounds that, under that deal, Turkey was deemed a safe country.
But "Turkey is not a safe country for Syrians -- they are forced to return to Syria," Nadir protests.
Unable to appeal because he was unable to afford a lawyer, he complains that he remains "stuck in Greece -- without papers, without work, without my family."
- Sharp drop in arrivals -
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Greece hosted approximately 186,200 refugees and asylum-seekers at the end of 2019.
In November last year, the Greek government voted through a law designed to speed up procedures.
And according to the ministry for migration, 87,622 asylum claims were filed in October, down 38 percent from a year earlier.
But "this improvement is above all the result of fewer arrivals this year," which were down by 73 percent, says Stella Nanou, UNHCR's spokeswoman in Greece.
Spyros-Vlad Oikonomou of the Greek council for refugees says migrants' rights must be upheld even as procedures are streamlined.
"Often there are procedural mistakes -- an interview is botched or an asylum seeker did not explain himself well. It is vital that candidates (with claims) thrown out have appeals dealt with correctly."
While the process is being speeded up for new arrivals, asylum seekers who came last year can find themselves waiting for years for their cases to be dealt with.
"The long wait has a strong psychological impact on refugees. For two years they have no access to education, the labour market. Instead of integrating they are isolated in the camps," says Oikonomou.
- 'Tired of waiting' -
Greece has welcomed EU efforts to set up a bloc-wide response to the migration issue, with "tough controls" on external borders and the rejection of migrants deemed unlikely to win their claim to stay.
As Brussels looks to get to grips with the issue, conservative Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has stressed the need for a "balanced" approach and the "fair" sharing out of responsibilities across the bloc.
Like Italy and Spain, Greece's geographical position on the EU's southern edge has made it one of the major points of arrival in the bloc for migrants.
Abo Ahmad, a 28-year-old Syrian, says he grew tired of waiting in Greece.
And after two and a half years, he left and made his way to Hanover in Germany, instead.
"In Greece I had no financial assistance, no right to a place to live and couldn't get work.
"In Germany, I had my own room, a monthly allowance of 300 euros and I've been working in a restaurant for a week. I believe in my future again," he says.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-13--Glamourous and worldly: Five things to know about Vikings

People dressed as Vikings throw flaming torches into their reconstructed longboat at a festival in the Shetland Islands In popular culture they 're depicted as ruthless warriors who pillaged and plundered .
That reputation is not totally undeserved , but is only part of the picture .
Here are five things to know about Vikings .
Where does their name come from ?
Like many things about them , the etymology of the word `` viking '' is uncertain .
In Old Norse , an old Scandinavian language , the word appears as `` vikingr '' , which designates a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a practice .
`` The Scandinavians never spoke of themselves as Vikings , as an identity for anybody Scandinavian .
The word rather meant an activity , to go raiding , or a person who was doing that , '' explains Jan Bill , a professor of Viking archaeology and curator of Oslo 's Viking Ship Museum .
`` But today , practice is to use 'Viking ' to describe anybody Scandinavian from the Viking period , '' he adds , referring to the period from around the mid-eighth to mid-11th centuries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were big tradesmen who forged a vast network of contacts from the Caspian Sea to Greenland .
It has been debated for years , but it is very likely that .
Some objects recovered from ship graves -- three such ships are on display in very good condition at the Oslo museum -- bear witness to the rich and varied nature of their contacts .
is a small leather bag containing , found on one of the two women buried with the longship dug up at Oseberg .
`` The seeds may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or to grow hemp plants whose fibres were used for textiles and rope , '' says Jan Bill .
Other finds at various Viking sites include textiles and beads from the Orient , as well as coins from the Arab world -- often broken into pieces as the Vikings did n't use them for currency but rather for their weight in silver and other precious metals .
dating back to this period was also found on the Swedish island of Helgo .
The word `` drakkar '' is sometimes purported to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasionally featured an ornamental dragon on the bow .
But some historians insist that the term is as recent as the 19th century , inspired by the modern Swedish word for dragon , `` drake '' in singular and `` drakar '' in plural .
That word is similar , but not exactly the same , as the word used in Old Norse .
`` There are actually seven instances of ships being called 'dreki ' , or 'drekar ' in plural , in poems from the Viking Age , '' says Jan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technical term , though , rather poetic . ''
Historians do however agree that light longships , powered by oars and/or sails , were known for their speed and flexibility , capable of crossing oceans and , thanks to their shallow draught , sailing upriver .
The famous American comic strip depicts a heavy red-bearded Viking with a horned helmet and shaggy tunic .
But according to experts , the Vikings were more glamourous than that .
`` Their clothing was very colourful .
They loved jewellery and bling , '' says archaeologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oslo 's Museum of Cultural History .
`` Far from the drab style in which they 're portrayed , they spent a lot of time on their appearance .
They washed and brushed their hair and beards regularly , '' she says .
And the horned helmet ?
`` A modern invention from the Romantic period , '' Jan Bill says dismissively .
`` None of the few helmets found from the Viking Age , or the preceding centuries , have horns . ''
The `` mistake '' is attributed to costume designer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added horns to the warriors ' helmets in a performance of Richard Wagner 's Ring Cycle opera , inspired by Nordic mythology .
Urban legend also attributes the modern act of clinking drinking glasses to the Vikings .
They purportedly clinked their mugs so violently that some of their beer or mead would slosh into the other person 's mug , thereby ensuring that their drink was n't poisoned .
But there 's no evidence to support that theory .
And contrary to popular belief , Vikings did not drink out of their @ @ @ @ @

Halden (Norway) (AFP) –
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In popular culture they're depicted as ruthless warriors who pillaged and plundered. That reputation is not totally undeserved, but is only part of the picture. Here are five things to know about Vikings.
Where does their name come from?
Like many things about them, the etymology of the word "viking" is uncertain.
In Old Norse, an old Scandinavian language, the word appears as "vikingr", which designates a person, while "viking" designates a practice.
"The Scandinavians never spoke of themselves as Vikings, as an identity for anybody Scandinavian. The word rather meant an activity, to go raiding, or a person who was doing that," explains Jan Bill, a professor of Viking archaeology and curator of Oslo's Viking Ship Museum.
"But today, practice is to use 'Viking' to describe anybody Scandinavian from the Viking period," he adds, referring to the period from around the mid-eighth to mid-11th centuries.
Exposed to cannabis and Buddha
Apart from their pillaging, the Vikings were big tradesmen who forged a vast network of contacts from the Caspian Sea to Greenland.
It has been debated for years, but it is very likely that .
Some objects recovered from ship graves -- three such ships are on display in very good condition at the Oslo museum -- bear witness to the rich and varied nature of their contacts.
is a small leather bag containing , found on one of the two women buried with the longship dug up at Oseberg.
"The seeds may have been for recreational or medicinal purposes, or to grow hemp plants whose fibres were used for textiles and rope," says Jan Bill.
Other finds at various Viking sites include textiles and beads from the Orient, as well as coins from the Arab world -- often broken into pieces as the Vikings didn't use them for currency but rather for their weight in silver and other precious metals.
dating back to this period was also found on the Swedish island of Helgo.
'Drakkar' or not 'drakkar'?
The word "drakkar" is sometimes purported to be a Viking-era word for a longship, which occasionally featured an ornamental dragon on the bow.
But some historians insist that the term is as recent as the 19th century, inspired by the modern Swedish word for dragon, "drake" in singular and "drakar" in plural.
That word is similar, but not exactly the same, as the word used in Old Norse.
"There are actually seven instances of ships being called 'dreki', or 'drekar' in plural, in poems from the Viking Age," says Jan Bill.
"It was not a technical term, though, rather poetic."
Historians do however agree that light longships, powered by oars and/or sails, were known for their speed and flexibility, capable of crossing oceans and, thanks to their shallow draught, sailing upriver.
The anti-Hagar
The famous American comic strip depicts a heavy red-bearded Viking with a horned helmet and shaggy tunic.
But according to experts, the Vikings were more glamourous than that.
"Their clothing was very colourful. They loved jewellery and bling," says archaeologist Camilla Cecilie Wenn of the University of Oslo's Museum of Cultural History.
"Far from the drab style in which they're portrayed, they spent a lot of time on their appearance. They washed and brushed their hair and beards regularly," she says.
And the horned helmet? "A modern invention from the Romantic period," Jan Bill says dismissively.
"None of the few helmets found from the Viking Age, or the preceding centuries, have horns."
The "mistake" is attributed to costume designer Carl Emil Doepler, who in 1876 added horns to the warriors' helmets in a performance of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle opera, inspired by Nordic mythology.
Clinking to toast?
Urban legend also attributes the modern act of clinking drinking glasses to the Vikings.
They purportedly clinked their mugs so violently that some of their beer or mead would slosh into the other person's mug, thereby ensuring that their drink wasn't poisoned.
But there's no evidence to support that theory.
And contrary to popular belief, Vikings did not drink out of their enemies' skulls either.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-13--US blasts WADA proposal to penalize member countries that fail to pay

Tensions between the World Anti-Doping Agency and the United States flared Thursday as a US government representative called a proposal to sanction countries that withdraw agreed upon funding `` a direct attack on the United States . ''
A virtual meeting of WADA 's Foundation Board saw officials from both the global watch-dog and the United States voicing the need for cooperation .
But Anthony Jones , representative of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy ( ONDCP ) , bristled at a proposal to punish member countries that opt out of funding .
That 's just what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power to do in June , accusing WADA of failing to implement governance reforms .
The United States contributed $ 2.7 million ( 2.2 million euros ) to WADA 's 2020 budget of $ 37.4 million .
During virtual meetings this week , WADA 's executive committee and Foundation Board discussed possible sanctions against member countries that fail to pay up , saying the US threat exposed a gap in the WADA Code .
And WADA on Thursday touted multiple reforms it is undertaking after criticism not only from the United States but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations for lack of transparency and independence .
In particular , WADA has decided to appoint two independent members to its Executive Committee , whose twelve members are composed equally of representatives of the Olympic movement and governments .
It also set up a working group to propose new reforms and evaluate those already implemented .
For WADA President Witold Banka , these are `` significant improvements towards greater independence and better representation of athletes and national anti-doping organizations .
`` These reforms are just the beginning , '' Banka added as both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the need for cooperation between the agency and the United States .
`` I am ready to work hand-in-hand with our colleagues with the United States , '' Banka said .
`` We need each other , we need to work collaboratively for the future of anti-doping . ''
The United States is at odds with WADA over several issues , including WADA 's reservations about the Rodchenkov Act -- legislation making its way through the US Congress that would allow criminal prosecution of doping .
WADA argues the law could undermine its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sport while not applying to US professional and college athletes .
In other matters discussed at this week 's meetings , Niggli acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic could create `` holes '' in the drug testing programmes of some countries in the run-up to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics .
`` We are following the evolution of the situation , we need to look at the list of athletes who can go to the Games in the coming months and make sure that there are not places in the world where because of Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no testing for a while , '' he said .

Montreal (AFP) –
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Tensions between the World Anti-Doping Agency and the United States flared Thursday as a US government representative called a proposal to sanction countries that withdraw agreed upon funding "a direct attack on the United States."
A virtual meeting of WADA's Foundation Board saw officials from both the global watch-dog and the United States voicing the need for cooperation.
But Anthony Jones, representative of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), bristled at a proposal to punish member countries that opt out of funding.
That's just what the ONDCP recommended US lawmakers be given the power to do in June, accusing WADA of failing to implement governance reforms.
The United States contributed $2.7 million (2.2 million euros) to WADA's 2020 budget of $37.4 million.
During virtual meetings this week, WADA's executive committee and Foundation Board discussed possible sanctions against member countries that fail to pay up, saying the US threat exposed a gap in the WADA Code.
And WADA on Thursday touted multiple reforms it is undertaking after criticism not only from the United States but also from athlete groups and national anti-doping organizations for lack of transparency and independence.
In particular, WADA has decided to appoint two independent members to its Executive Committee, whose twelve members are composed equally of representatives of the Olympic movement and governments.
It also set up a working group to propose new reforms and evaluate those already implemented.
For WADA President Witold Banka, these are "significant improvements towards greater independence and better representation of athletes and national anti-doping organizations.
"These reforms are just the beginning," Banka added as both he and WADA director-general Olivier Niggli stressed the need for cooperation between the agency and the United States.
"I am ready to work hand-in-hand with our colleagues with the United States," Banka said. "We need each other, we need to work collaboratively for the future of anti-doping."
The United States is at odds with WADA over several issues, including WADA's reservations about the Rodchenkov Act -- legislation making its way through the US Congress that would allow criminal prosecution of doping.
WADA argues the law could undermine its own efforts to police doping in international sport while not applying to US professional and college athletes.
In other matters discussed at this week's meetings, Niggli acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic could create "holes" in the drug testing programmes of some countries in the run-up to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
"We are following the evolution of the situation, we need to look at the list of athletes who can go to the Games in the coming months and make sure that there are not places in the world where because of Covid, there was a big hole and no testing for a while," he said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-13--Painstaking race against time to uncover Viking ship's secrets

Archaeologists hunt for clues in an excavated Viking burial ship in Norway Inch by inch , they gently pick through the soil in search of thousand-year-old relics .
Racing against onsetting mould yet painstakingly meticulous , archaeologists in Norway are exhuming a rare Viking ship grave in hopes of uncovering the secrets within .
Who is buried here ?
Under which ritual ?
What is left of the burial offerings ?
And what can they tell us about the society that lived here ?
Now reduced to tiny fragments almost indistinguishable from the turf that covers it , the 20-metre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slew of questions .
The team of archaeologists is rushing to solve at least some of the mystery before the structure is entirely ravaged by microscopic fungi .
It 's an exhilarating task : there has n't been a Viking ship to dig up in more than a century .
The last was in 1904 when the Oseberg longship was excavated , not far away on the other side of the Oslo Fjord , in which the remains of two women were discovered among the finds .
`` We have very few burial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dig , Camilla Cecilie Wenn of the University of Oslo 's Museum of Cultural History .
`` I 'm incredibly lucky , few archaeologists get such an opportunity in their career . ''
Under a giant grey and white tent placed in the middle of ancient burial grounds near the southeastern town of Halden , a dozen workers in high visibility vests kneel or lie on the ground , examining the earth .
Buried underground , the contours of the longship were detected in 2018 by geological radar equipment , as experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first test digs revealed the ship 's advanced state of decomposition , the decision was taken to quickly excavate it .
So far , only parts of the keel have been dug out in reasonable condition .
Analyses of the pieces have determined that the ship was probably raised on land around the ninth century , placed in a pit and buried under a mound of earth as a final resting place .
But for whom ?
`` If you 're buried with a ship , then it 's clear you were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wenn says .
A king ?
A queen ?
A Viking nobleman , known as a jarl ?
The answer may lie in the bones or objects yet to be found -- weapons , jewels , vessels , tools , etc -- that are typical in graves from the Viking Age , from the mid-eighth to mid-11th centuries .
The site has however been disturbed several times , accelerating the ship 's disintegration and reducing the chance of finding relics .
At the end of the 19th century , the burial mound was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely destroying the upper part of the hull and damaging what is believed to have been the funeral chamber .
It 's also possible that the grave may have been plundered long before that , by other Vikings keen to get their hands on some of the precious burial offerings and to symbolically assert their power and legitimacy .
So far the archaeologists ' bounty is pretty meagre : lots of iron rivets used for the boat 's assembly , most heavily corroded over time , as well as a few bones .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be human , '' says field assistant Karine Fure Andreassen , as she leans over a large , orange-tinged bone .
`` This is not a Viking chief we 're looking at unfortunately , it 's probably a horse or cattle . ''
`` It 's a sign of power .
You were so rich that an animal could be sacrificed to be put in your grave , '' she explains .
Beside the tent , Jan Berge looks like he 's panning for gold .
He 's sifting soil and spraying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little nugget from the past .
`` Make an exceptional find ?
I doubt it , '' admits the archaeologist .
`` The most precious items have probably already been taken .
And anything made of iron or organic material has eroded over time or completely disappeared . ''
But Berge , whose big bushy beard gives him the air of a Viking , is not easily discouraged .
`` I 'm not here for a treasure hunt , '' he says .
`` What interests me is finding out what happened here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how to interpret the actions of the time . ''

Halden (Norway) (AFP) –
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Inch by inch, they gently pick through the soil in search of thousand-year-old relics. Racing against onsetting mould yet painstakingly meticulous, archaeologists in Norway are exhuming a rare Viking ship grave in hopes of uncovering the secrets within.
Who is buried here? Under which ritual? What is left of the burial offerings? And what can they tell us about the society that lived here?
Now reduced to tiny fragments almost indistinguishable from the turf that covers it, the 20-metre (65-foot) wooden longship raises a slew of questions.
The team of archaeologists is rushing to solve at least some of the mystery before the structure is entirely ravaged by microscopic fungi.
It's an exhilarating task: there hasn't been a Viking ship to dig up in more than a century.
The last was in 1904 when the Oseberg longship was excavated, not far away on the other side of the Oslo Fjord, in which the remains of two women were discovered among the finds.
"We have very few burial ships," says the head of the dig, Camilla Cecilie Wenn of the University of Oslo's Museum of Cultural History.
"I'm incredibly lucky, few archaeologists get such an opportunity in their career."
Under a giant grey and white tent placed in the middle of ancient burial grounds near the southeastern town of Halden, a dozen workers in high visibility vests kneel or lie on the ground, examining the earth.
Buried underground, the contours of the longship were detected in 2018 by geological radar equipment, as experts searched the known Viking site.
When the first test digs revealed the ship's advanced state of decomposition, the decision was taken to quickly excavate it.
- Viking VIP -
So far, only parts of the keel have been dug out in reasonable condition.
Analyses of the pieces have determined that the ship was probably raised on land around the ninth century, placed in a pit and buried under a mound of earth as a final resting place.
But for whom? "If you're buried with a ship, then it's clear you were a VIP in your lifetime," Wenn says.
A king? A queen? A Viking nobleman, known as a jarl? The answer may lie in the bones or objects yet to be found -- weapons, jewels, vessels, tools, etc -- that are typical in graves from the Viking Age, from the mid-eighth to mid-11th centuries.
The site has however been disturbed several times, accelerating the ship's disintegration and reducing the chance of finding relics.
At the end of the 19th century, the burial mound was razed to make space for farmland, entirely destroying the upper part of the hull and damaging what is believed to have been the funeral chamber.
It's also possible that the grave may have been plundered long before that, by other Vikings keen to get their hands on some of the precious burial offerings and to symbolically assert their power and legitimacy.
- Animal bones -
So far the archaeologists' bounty is pretty meagre: lots of iron rivets used for the boat's assembly, most heavily corroded over time, as well as a few bones.
"These bones are too big to be human," says field assistant Karine Fure Andreassen, as she leans over a large, orange-tinged bone.
"This is not a Viking chief we're looking at unfortunately, it's probably a horse or cattle."
"It's a sign of power. You were so rich that an animal could be sacrificed to be put in your grave," she explains.
Beside the tent, Jan Berge looks like he's panning for gold. He's sifting soil and spraying it with water in hopes of finding a little nugget from the past.
"Make an exceptional find? I doubt it," admits the archaeologist. "The most precious items have probably already been taken. And anything made of iron or organic material has eroded over time or completely disappeared."
But Berge, whose big bushy beard gives him the air of a Viking, is not easily discouraged.
"I'm not here for a treasure hunt," he says. "What interests me is finding out what happened here, how the funeral was carried out, how to interpret the actions of the time."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-13--'No evidence' of lost or changed votes: US election officials

Senior US federal and state election officials said Thursday that there was `` no evidence '' that votes were lost or changed , or voting systems corrupted , in the presidential election .
The officials , responsible for election security across the country , rejected claims made by President Donald Trump and Republicans that fraud and lost ballots led to his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in last week 's election .
`` The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history , '' they said in a statement .
`` There is no evidence that any voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , or was in any way compromised , '' they said .
`` While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections , we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections , and you should too . ''
The statement was issued by the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council , a public-private umbrella group under the primary federal election security body , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association of State Election Directors and the National Association of Secretaries of State -- the officials who manage elections at the state level -- and by the chairman of the US Election Assistance Commission .
It came hours after Trump retweeted a baseless claim that an election equipment maker `` deleted '' 2.7 million votes for him nationwide and switched hundreds of thousand from him to Biden in Pennsylvania and other states .
It was the latest in a series of bogus assertions Trump and Republicans have put forth in order to reject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dominion Voting Systems , and the Pennsylvania Department of States flatly denied Trump 's claims .
The statement from the election security officials also came amid reports that Trump could fire the head of CISA , Chris Krebs , who has made a strong effort to stifle unsupported allegations of fraud that have surfaced while the votes have been counted around the country .
Despite that , rumors and conspiracy theories of a corrupted vote that allegedly `` robbed '' Trump have flooded the internet , and Republicans and the Trump campaign have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irregularities .
So far none have been substantiated in court .
The statement said that election officials across the country are currently `` reviewing and double-checking '' their state and local results prior to certifying the numbers .
`` When states have close elections , many will recount ballots .
All of the states with close results in the 2020 presidential race have paper records of each vote , allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary , '' the officials said .

Washington (AFP) –
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Senior US federal and state election officials said Thursday that there was "no evidence" that votes were lost or changed, or voting systems corrupted, in the presidential election.
The officials, responsible for election security across the country, rejected claims made by President Donald Trump and Republicans that fraud and lost ballots led to his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in last week's election.
"The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history," they said in a statement.
"There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised," they said.
"While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too."
The statement was issued by the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council, a public-private umbrella group under the primary federal election security body, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
It was signed by the heads of the National Association of State Election Directors and the National Association of Secretaries of State -- the officials who manage elections at the state level -- and by the chairman of the US Election Assistance Commission.
It came hours after Trump retweeted a baseless claim that an election equipment maker "deleted" 2.7 million votes for him nationwide and switched hundreds of thousand from him to Biden in Pennsylvania and other states.
It was the latest in a series of bogus assertions Trump and Republicans have put forth in order to reject Biden's victory.
The company, Dominion Voting Systems, and the Pennsylvania Department of States flatly denied Trump's claims.
The statement from the election security officials also came amid reports that Trump could fire the head of CISA, Chris Krebs, who has made a strong effort to stifle unsupported allegations of fraud that have surfaced while the votes have been counted around the country.
Despite that, rumors and conspiracy theories of a corrupted vote that allegedly "robbed" Trump have flooded the internet, and Republicans and the Trump campaign have filed multiple lawsuits around the country claiming irregularities.
So far none have been substantiated in court.
The statement said that election officials across the country are currently "reviewing and double-checking" their state and local results prior to certifying the numbers.
"When states have close elections, many will recount ballots. All of the states with close results in the 2020 presidential race have paper records of each vote, allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary," the officials said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-11-13--Twitter says flagged 300,000 'misleading' election tweets

Multiple tweets from US President Donald Trump in the days following the November 3 , 2020 election were marked by warning labels from the social media network Twitter labeled 300,000 tweets related to the US presidential election as `` potentially misleading '' in the two weeks surrounding the vote , making up 0.2 percent of election-related posts , the company said Thursday .
The social network said the labels were issued between October 27 and November 11 , one week before and after the US presidential election on November 3 -- which Democrat Joe Biden won over incumbent Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 456 were covered over by a warning message and had engagement features limited -- users could not like , retweet or reply to the posts , said Vijaya Gadde , Twitter 's head of legal , policy and trust and safety , in a blog post .
She estimated that 74 percent of people who saw the problematic tweets did so after they had been labeled as misleading or flagged with a warning message , and sharing of the posts , as a result , declined by about 29 percent .
During the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American users ' pages which were seen 389 million times that `` reminded people that election results were likely to be delayed , and that voting by mail is safe and legitimate , '' Gadde added .
Nearly half of Trump 's tweets were flagged by the platform in the days following the election , as the president claimed , without evidence , that he had won and that the process had been tainted by massive fraud .

Washington (AFP) –
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Twitter labeled 300,000 tweets related to the US presidential election as "potentially misleading" in the two weeks surrounding the vote, making up 0.2 percent of election-related posts, the company said Thursday.
The social network said the labels were issued between October 27 and November 11, one week before and after the US presidential election on November 3 -- which Democrat Joe Biden won over incumbent Donald Trump.
Of the 300,000 flagged tweets, 456 were covered over by a warning message and had engagement features limited -- users could not like, retweet or reply to the posts, said Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's head of legal, policy and trust and safety, in a blog post.
She estimated that 74 percent of people who saw the problematic tweets did so after they had been labeled as misleading or flagged with a warning message, and sharing of the posts, as a result, declined by about 29 percent.
During the election period, Twitter posted messages on American users' pages which were seen 389 million times that "reminded people that election results were likely to be delayed, and that voting by mail is safe and legitimate," Gadde added.
Nearly half of Trump's tweets were flagged by the platform in the days following the election, as the president claimed, without evidence, that he had won and that the process had been tainted by massive fraud.
© 2020 AFP