france24--2020-10-13--France Covid-19 surge: More and more nurses consider quitting the profession

France Covid-19 surge : More and more nurses consider quitting the profession As Covid-19 cases surge in France , more @ @ @ @ @ the front lines , suffering burnout or psychological distress from work , consider quitting the @ @

France Covid-19 surge: More and more nurses consider quitting the profession
01:23
Video by: Shirli SITBON
As Covid-19 cases surge in France, more and more nurses working on the front lines, suffering burnout or psychological distress from work, consider quitting the profession.


france24--2020-10-13--Coronavirus in China: City of over 9 million to be tested in just five days

Coronavirus in China : City of over 9 million to be tested in just five days The Chinese city of @ @ @ @ @ will test its entire population of more than 9 million people for coronavirus , after @ @ @ @ @ appeared to be linked to a hospital treating imported infections .
China had reported no @ @ @ @ @ early August , but has remained on high alert .

Coronavirus in China: City of over 9 million to be tested in just five days
01:37
The Chinese city of Qingdao said on Monday it will test its entire population of more than 9 million people for coronavirus, after discovering 12 new infections that appeared to be linked to a hospital treating imported infections. China had reported no new domestically transmitted cases since early August, but has remained on high alert.


france24--2020-10-13--Race for the White House: Biden vows to bring people together in battleground Ohio

Race for the White House : Biden vows to bring people together in battleground Ohio Joe Biden campaigned Monday in @ @ @ @ @ the battleground map and keep President Donald Trump on the defensive in a state thought @ @ @ @ @ for Democrats after Trump 's wide margin of victory there four years ago .

Race for the White House: Biden vows to bring people together in battleground Ohio
00:37
Joe Biden campaigned Monday in Ohio, attempting to expand the battleground map and keep President Donald Trump on the defensive in a state thought to be out of reach for Democrats after Trump's wide margin of victory there four years ago.


france24--2020-10-13--Kruijswijk, Mitchelton team out of Giro after positive Covid-19 tests

Dutch title contender Steven Kruijswijk was on Tuesday pulled out of the ongoing Giro d'Italia stage race after testing positive for Covid-19 Dutch title contender Steven Kruijswijk and the entire Australian cycling team Mitchelton were on Tuesday pulled out of the ongoing Giro d'Italia stage race after testing positive for Covid-19 .
Team Jumbo-Visma 's Kruijswijk , who finished third in the 2019 Tour de France , returned a positive test along with a second rider , Sunweb 's Australian Michael Matthews .
The Mitchelton team said they had been notified of four positive results for `` staff members '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Upon receiving the results , Mitchelton-Scott immediately withdrew its team from the race and will focus on the health of its riders and staff and their safe movement to areas of quarantine , '' the team said in a statement before Tuesday 's 10th stage of the race .
Mitchelton general manager Brent Copeland added : `` As a social responsibility to our riders and staff , the peloton and the race organisation we have made the clear decision to withdraw from the Giro d ’ Italia . ''
Copeland said those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mild symptoms '' and they would now undergo a period of quarantine .
Mitchelton had already been hit by Saturday 's withdrawal of Briton Simon Yates , their lead rider and race contender who became the first rider to test positive for Covid-19 at a Grand Tour .
Yates , who was 21st in the standings ahead of Saturday 's stage with overall victory still potentially within his grasp , had tested positive for coronavirus after developing a mild fever on Friday .
Kruijswijk 's withdrawal is another blow for the Dutchman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tours who missed this year 's Tour de France with a knee injury .
`` Within the team we take a lot of measures to avoid contamination , '' said the 33-year-old , who showed no symptoms of having contracted the virus .
`` I just feel fit .
I can ’ t believe I got it .
It is a very big disappointment to get this news .
It is a pity that I have to leave the Giro this way . ''
And Team Sunweb added that the now-quarantined Matthews was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
`` All other riders and staff returned a negative test and at this stage , no other team member displays symptoms of Covid-19 , '' Sunweb said .
`` The team will continue to closely monitor all within their bubble , operating with as much discipline as possible , doing the maximum it can . ''
Giro organisers said they had carried out a total of 571 tests on Sunday and Monday .
Mitchelton aside , two other staff members , one each from Team AG2R-La Mondiale and Team Ineos Grenadiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` were entrusted to the respective teams ' doctors who ordered their isolation measures '' , organisers said .
The positive tests throw into doubt the future of the three-week Giro , which now features 21 teams and is scheduled to finish in Milan on October 25 .
Despite Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme testing positive and having to self-isolate , last month 's Grande Boucle went through to the finish line with not one rider testing positive , just four staff members from four different teams .

Lanciano (Italy) (AFP) –
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Dutch title contender Steven Kruijswijk and the entire Australian cycling team Mitchelton were on Tuesday pulled out of the ongoing Giro d'Italia stage race after testing positive for Covid-19.
Team Jumbo-Visma's Kruijswijk, who finished third in the 2019 Tour de France, returned a positive test along with a second rider, Sunweb's Australian Michael Matthews.
The Mitchelton team said they had been notified of four positive results for "staff members" after tests conducted on Sunday.
"Upon receiving the results, Mitchelton-Scott immediately withdrew its team from the race and will focus on the health of its riders and staff and their safe movement to areas of quarantine," the team said in a statement before Tuesday's 10th stage of the race.
Mitchelton general manager Brent Copeland added: "As a social responsibility to our riders and staff, the peloton and the race organisation we have made the clear decision to withdraw from the Giro d’Italia."
Copeland said those who tested positive "remain asymptomatic or with mild symptoms" and they would now undergo a period of quarantine.
Mitchelton had already been hit by Saturday's withdrawal of Briton Simon Yates, their lead rider and race contender who became the first rider to test positive for Covid-19 at a Grand Tour.
Yates, who was 21st in the standings ahead of Saturday's stage with overall victory still potentially within his grasp, had tested positive for coronavirus after developing a mild fever on Friday.
- 'I just feel fit' -
Kruijswijk's withdrawal is another blow for the Dutchman, a top-five finisher in all three Grand Tours who missed this year's Tour de France with a knee injury.
"Within the team we take a lot of measures to avoid contamination," said the 33-year-old, who showed no symptoms of having contracted the virus.
"I just feel fit. I can’t believe I got it. It is a very big disappointment to get this news. It is a pity that I have to leave the Giro this way."
And Team Sunweb added that the now-quarantined Matthews was also "currently asymptomatic, feels healthy".
"All other riders and staff returned a negative test and at this stage, no other team member displays symptoms of Covid-19," Sunweb said.
"The team will continue to closely monitor all within their bubble, operating with as much discipline as possible, doing the maximum it can."
Giro organisers said they had carried out a total of 571 tests on Sunday and Monday.
Mitchelton aside, two other staff members, one each from Team AG2R-La Mondiale and Team Ineos Grenadiers, also tested positive for Covid-19 and "were entrusted to the respective teams' doctors who ordered their isolation measures", organisers said.
The positive tests throw into doubt the future of the three-week Giro, which now features 21 teams and is scheduled to finish in Milan on October 25.
Despite Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme testing positive and having to self-isolate, last month's Grande Boucle went through to the finish line with not one rider testing positive, just four staff members from four different teams.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--Nagorno-Karabakh truce buckles as both sides allege violations

Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Tuesday of violating a humanitarian ceasefire agreed three days ago to quell fighting @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of lives in the past two weeks .
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part @ @ @ @ @ populated by ethnic Armenians .

Nagorno-Karabakh truce buckles as both sides allege violations
01:47
Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Tuesday of violating a humanitarian ceasefire agreed three days ago to quell fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh that has claimed hundreds of lives in the past two weeks. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but governed and populated by ethnic Armenians.


france24--2020-10-13--Belarus ramps up crackdown on protests, allows police to use lethal weapons

Belarus ramps up crackdown on protests , allows police to use lethal weapons Belarus on Monday threatened to fire on @ @ @ @ @ against President Alexander Lukashenko , as EU foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions personally targeting @ @ @ @ @ police can now use lethal weapons in the streets if needed , the Interior Ministry @ @ @ @ @ it described as the radicalisation of mass anti-government protests .

Belarus ramps up crackdown on protests, allows police to use lethal weapons
01:41
Video by: Fraser JACKSON
Belarus on Monday threatened to fire on protesters to break up demonstrations against President Alexander Lukashenko, as EU foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions personally targeting the strongman leader. Belarus police can now use lethal weapons in the streets if needed, the Interior Ministry said, due to what it described as the radicalisation of mass anti-government protests.


france24--2020-10-14--Great Barrier Reef's corals in steep decline

Half of the Great Barrier Reef 's corals have died over the past 25 years , scientists said Wednesday , warning that climate change is irreversibly destroying the underwater ecosystem .
A study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society Journal found an alarming rate of decline across all sizes of corals since the mid-1990s on the vast World Heritage-listed reef off Australia 's northeastern coast .
Larger species , such as branching and table-shaped corals , have been affected hardest -- almost disappearing from the far northern reaches of the reef .
`` They 're typically depleted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent compared to 25 years ago , '' report co-author and James Cook University professor Terry Hughes told AFP .
`` They make the nooks and crannies that fish and other creatures depend on , so losing big three-dimensional corals changes the broader ecosystem . ''
Aside from its inestimable natural , scientific and environmental value , the 2,300-kilometre-long ( 1,400-mile-long ) reef was worth an estimated $ 4 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy before the coronavirus pandemic .
The reef is at risk of losing its coveted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- fuelled by climate change -- damaging its health .
Changes in ocean temperatures stress healthy corals , causing them to expel algae living in their tissues -- draining them of their vibrant colours in a process known as bleaching .
Back-to-back mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 prompted the government to downgrade the long-term outlook for the world 's largest living organism to `` very poor '' .
Mass bleaching was first seen on the reef in 1998 -- at the time , the hottest year on record -- but as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased , shrinking the reef and making it harder to recover .
`` A vibrant coral population has millions of small , baby corals , as well as many large ones -- the big mamas who produce most of the larvae , '' the study 's lead author Andy Dietzel , also of James Cook University , said .
`` Its resilience is compromised compared to the past , because there are fewer babies , and fewer large breeding adults . ''
On top of long-term ocean warming and associated bleaching , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish -- which eat the coral -- since 1995 .
When the starfish occur in small numbers , they are considered part of the natural ecosystem , but when a large outbreak happens , they can rapidly destroy parts of the reef .
While four mass bleaching events up to 2017 were covered by the latest research , the damage to coral species from bleaching in early 2020 is yet to be assessed .
It was the most widespread bleaching on record , impacting swathes of the southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
Hughes said scientists expected corals to continue dying off unless nations met their Paris Agreement commitment to keep the increase in global average temperature under 2 degrees Celsius ( 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit ) above pre-industrial levels .
`` It takes about a decade for a half-decent recovery for the fastest-growing species , so the chances of us getting decades between the future sixth , seventh and eighth bleaching events is close to zero because temperatures are because going up and up and up , '' he said .
If temperatures do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target , it is hoped that corals will be able to reassemble and rebuild their numbers .
Even then , Hughes said , `` we do n't think they 'll rebuild into the mix of species that we 've known historically '' .
If the rise is as much as 3 or 4 degrees Celsius , `` forget it '' , he said .
`` The trajectory is changing very , very quickly -- we 're shocked and surprised by how quickly these changes are happening -- and there 's further change ahead @ @

Brisbane (Australia) (AFP) –
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Half of the Great Barrier Reef's corals have died over the past 25 years, scientists said Wednesday, warning that climate change is irreversibly destroying the underwater ecosystem.
A study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society Journal found an alarming rate of decline across all sizes of corals since the mid-1990s on the vast World Heritage-listed reef off Australia's northeastern coast.
Larger species, such as branching and table-shaped corals, have been affected hardest -- almost disappearing from the far northern reaches of the reef.
"They're typically depleted by (up to) 80 or 90 percent compared to 25 years ago," report co-author and James Cook University professor Terry Hughes told AFP.
"They make the nooks and crannies that fish and other creatures depend on, so losing big three-dimensional corals changes the broader ecosystem."
Aside from its inestimable natural, scientific and environmental value, the 2,300-kilometre-long (1,400-mile-long) reef was worth an estimated $4 billion a year in tourism revenue for the Australian economy before the coronavirus pandemic.
The reef is at risk of losing its coveted world heritage status because of ocean warming -- fuelled by climate change -- damaging its health.
Changes in ocean temperatures stress healthy corals, causing them to expel algae living in their tissues -- draining them of their vibrant colours in a process known as bleaching.
Back-to-back mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 prompted the government to downgrade the long-term outlook for the world's largest living organism to "very poor".
Mass bleaching was first seen on the reef in 1998 -- at the time, the hottest year on record -- but as temperatures continue to soar it frequency has increased, shrinking the reef and making it harder to recover.
- The 'big mamas' -
"A vibrant coral population has millions of small, baby corals, as well as many large ones -- the big mamas who produce most of the larvae," the study's lead author Andy Dietzel, also of James Cook University, said.
"Its resilience is compromised compared to the past, because there are fewer babies, and fewer large breeding adults."
On top of long-term ocean warming and associated bleaching, the reef has been battered by several cyclones and two outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish -- which eat the coral -- since 1995.
When the starfish occur in small numbers, they are considered part of the natural ecosystem, but when a large outbreak happens, they can rapidly destroy parts of the reef.
While four mass bleaching events up to 2017 were covered by the latest research, the damage to coral species from bleaching in early 2020 is yet to be assessed.
It was the most widespread bleaching on record, impacting swathes of the southern reaches of the reef for the first time.
Hughes said scientists expected corals to continue dying off unless nations met their Paris Agreement commitment to keep the increase in global average temperature under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.
"It takes about a decade for a half-decent recovery for the fastest-growing species, so the chances of us getting decades between the future sixth, seventh and eighth bleaching events is close to zero because temperatures are because going up and up and up," he said.
If temperatures do stabilise later this century under the Paris target, it is hoped that corals will be able to reassemble and rebuild their numbers.
Even then, Hughes said, "we don't think they'll rebuild into the mix of species that we've known historically".
If the rise is as much as 3 or 4 degrees Celsius, "forget it", he said.
"The trajectory is changing very, very quickly -- we're shocked and surprised by how quickly these changes are happening -- and there's further change ahead."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-14--New Karabakh fighting defies ceasefire pleas as toll mounts

More than two weeks of fighting between the Caucasus rivals has left almost 600 dead , including 73 civilians Armenian and Azerbaijani forces engaged in new fighting on Tuesday over the Nagorno-Karabakh region despite pleas to observe a ceasefire , as the Red Cross warned hundreds of thousands were already affected by the conflict .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the sides to observe a ceasefire agreed only four days ago in Moscow , while the group of powers seeking a solution to the conflict warned of `` catastrophic consequences '' unless immediate steps were taken .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caucasus rivals has left almost 600 dead , including 73 civilians , according to a tally based on partial tolls from both sides .
The Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan , overwhelmingly populated by Armenians , has been controlled by Armenians since a 1990s war that erupted as the Soviet Union fell .
But Azerbaijan has never hidden its desire to win back control and no state has ever recognised Nagorno-Karabakh 's declaration of independence .
The fighting has been the most intense since a 1994 ceasefire ended the initial post-Soviet war .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoners and dead has been too much to implement .
`` Civilians are dying or suffering life-changing injuries , '' said International Committee of the Red Cross Eurasia regional director Martin Schuepp in a statement .
`` Homes , businesses and once-busy streets are being reduced to rubble . ''
He said hundreds of thousands of people across the region were affected , with healthcare services coming under strain and even attacked in some cases .
The Nagorno-Karabakh separatist authorities accused Azerbaijan of launching an offensive in the south , north and northeast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused Armenians of launching strikes on the districts of Goranboy , Terter and Agdam -- Azerbaijani territory outside Nagorno-Karabakh .
An AFP correspondent in Terter close to the front line reported hearing heavy shelling nearby and seeing a rocket launcher drive by as Azerbaijani forces sought to fire up into the mountains .
`` We 've been here for 16 days , '' said Akiif Aslamiv , 62 , who has been hunkering down in a basement in Terter .
`` Every day they shell us , even during the ceasefire .
Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The daily fighting has made a mockery of the ceasefire agreed between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in the early hours of Saturday in Moscow after 11 hours of talks .
`` The United States calls on Azerbaijan and Armenia to implement their commitments to a ceasefire as agreed and cease targeting civilian areas , '' Pompeo , whose administration has faced accusations of a lack of engagement in ending the fighting , wrote on Twitter .
The search for a long-term solution to the conflict , one of the most enduring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soviet Union , is in the hands of the Minsk Group of regional powers chaired by France , Russia and the US .
But both sides are heavily entrenched in their views and three decades of diplomacy has brought little progress .
The Minsk Group co-chairs said they were alarmed by the continued fighting and urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan `` to take immediate steps '' fully implement the Moscow ceasefire .
Otherwise there could be `` catastrophic consequences for the region '' , they added in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyst with Tbilisi-based think tank the Georgian Strategic Analysis Centre , said the current conflict was doing nothing to end the stalemate .
`` What is clear is that Azerbaijan did achieve some military success , but not anything dramatic .
We ca n't say Baku is close to taking control of Karabakh , '' he told AFP .
Concerns remain over the role of Turkey , which has strongly backed Azerbaijan and has been widely accused of dispatching pro-Ankara Syrian militia to assist Baku .
Ankara on Tuesday said it wanted four-way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Turkey .
`` Since Russia is on Armenia 's side and we , Turkey , support Azerbaijan , let 's meet as a foursome to discuss resolving these problems , '' said Ibrahim Kalin , the Turkish presidency 's head of communications .
`` If the Minsk Group has n't been able to find a solution for more than 30 years , it 's time to find a new mechanism . ''
According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , 1,450 such fighters have gone to Azerbaijan including 250 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said 119 of them had died , of whom 78 had been repatriated to Syria .
Armenia is part of a regional Russia-led security group but Moscow has so far refused to become drawn in to the conflict .
Yet analysts say Turkey 's involvement will put further strain on the alliance between President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
Iran 's arch-enemy Israel has supplied drones to Azerbaijan and Baku 's ally Turkey is now also a major producer .
Armenia , meanwhile , has home-produced drones .

Terter (Azerbaijan) (AFP) –
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Armenian and Azerbaijani forces engaged in new fighting on Tuesday over the Nagorno-Karabakh region despite pleas to observe a ceasefire, as the Red Cross warned hundreds of thousands were already affected by the conflict.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the sides to observe a ceasefire agreed only four days ago in Moscow, while the group of powers seeking a solution to the conflict warned of "catastrophic consequences" unless immediate steps were taken.
More than two weeks of fighting between the Caucasus rivals has left almost 600 dead, including 73 civilians, according to a tally based on partial tolls from both sides.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, overwhelmingly populated by Armenians, has been controlled by Armenians since a 1990s war that erupted as the Soviet Union fell.
But Azerbaijan has never hidden its desire to win back control and no state has ever recognised Nagorno-Karabakh's declaration of independence.
The fighting has been the most intense since a 1994 ceasefire ended the initial post-Soviet war. Even a humanitarian truce to allow exchanges of prisoners and dead has been too much to implement.
"Civilians are dying or suffering life-changing injuries," said International Committee of the Red Cross Eurasia regional director Martin Schuepp in a statement.
"Homes, businesses and once-busy streets are being reduced to rubble."
He said hundreds of thousands of people across the region were affected, with healthcare services coming under strain and even attacked in some cases.
- Heavy shelling -
The Nagorno-Karabakh separatist authorities accused Azerbaijan of launching an offensive in the south, north and northeast of the region.
Baku in turn accused Armenians of launching strikes on the districts of Goranboy, Terter and Agdam -- Azerbaijani territory outside Nagorno-Karabakh.
An AFP correspondent in Terter close to the front line reported hearing heavy shelling nearby and seeing a rocket launcher drive by as Azerbaijani forces sought to fire up into the mountains.
"We've been here for 16 days," said Akiif Aslamiv, 62, who has been hunkering down in a basement in Terter. "Every day they shell us, even during the ceasefire. Today and yesterday it was non-stop."
The daily fighting has made a mockery of the ceasefire agreed between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in the early hours of Saturday in Moscow after 11 hours of talks.
"The United States calls on Azerbaijan and Armenia to implement their commitments to a ceasefire as agreed and cease targeting civilian areas," Pompeo, whose administration has faced accusations of a lack of engagement in ending the fighting, wrote on Twitter.
The search for a long-term solution to the conflict, one of the most enduring problems left after the fall of the Soviet Union, is in the hands of the Minsk Group of regional powers chaired by France, Russia and the US.
But both sides are heavily entrenched in their views and three decades of diplomacy has brought little progress.
The Minsk Group co-chairs said they were alarmed by the continued fighting and urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan "to take immediate steps" fully implement the Moscow ceasefire.
Otherwise there could be "catastrophic consequences for the region", they added in a statement.
Gela Vasadze, an analyst with Tbilisi-based think tank the Georgian Strategic Analysis Centre, said the current conflict was doing nothing to end the stalemate.
"What is clear is that Azerbaijan did achieve some military success, but not anything dramatic. We can't say Baku is close to taking control of Karabakh," he told AFP.
- High Syrian toll -
Concerns remain over the role of Turkey, which has strongly backed Azerbaijan and has been widely accused of dispatching pro-Ankara Syrian militia to assist Baku.
Ankara on Tuesday said it wanted four-way talks between Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.
"Since Russia is on Armenia's side and we, Turkey, support Azerbaijan, let's meet as a foursome to discuss resolving these problems," said Ibrahim Kalin, the Turkish presidency's head of communications.
"If the Minsk Group hasn't been able to find a solution for more than 30 years, it's time to find a new mechanism."
According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 1,450 such fighters have gone to Azerbaijan including 250 in the last week alone.
The observatory said 119 of them had died, of whom 78 had been repatriated to Syria.
Armenia is part of a regional Russia-led security group but Moscow has so far refused to become drawn in to the conflict.
Yet analysts say Turkey's involvement will put further strain on the alliance between President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Iran's arch-enemy Israel has supplied drones to Azerbaijan and Baku's ally Turkey is now also a major producer. Armenia, meanwhile, has home-produced drones.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-14--What is English football's 'Project Big Picture' and who stands to benefit?

Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester United are behind plans for English football reform New proposals backed by Liverpool and Manchester United for wide-ranging reform of English football have been criticised by the UK government , Premier League and fans ' groups .
The so-called `` Project Big Picture '' has been labelled a `` power grab '' by the Premier League 's biggest and wealthiest clubs , taking advantage of the dire financial position of the English Football League ( EFL ) -- which comprises the three divisions directly beneath the top flight -- amid the coronavirus crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman Rick Parry , back the plan as a means of addressing the imbalance in resources between the top and bottom of the football pyramid .
AFP Sport looks at what `` Project Big Picture '' proposes and who could gain from it : The principal difference on the field would be the reduction of the Premier League from 20 to 18 teams with the overall number of clubs in the top four English divisions shrinking from 92 to 90 .
Only two teams would be automatically promoted to and relegated from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tier joining third , fourth and fifth in the second-tier Championship for the traditional end-of-season play-offs .
The League Cup and season curtain-raiser , the Community Shield , would also be scrapped , providing more space in the calendar for lucrative pre-season tours and potentially more matches in European club competition for the biggest clubs .
The Premier League would provide an instant £250 million ( $ 325 million ) cash injection to the EFL to prevent clubs going bust at a time when they are without match-day revenue due to coronavirus restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided to the English Football Association , which also has mounting coronavirus costs due to international games behind closed doors , notably to help women 's football .
There is also more funding for the lower leagues in the long-term .
In future , Premier League and EFL broadcast rights would be sold together and 25 percent distributed down the divisions .
The principal objection to the plans is that the power will be concentrated in the hands of the `` big six '' - United , Liverpool , Arsenal , Chelsea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , a majority of 14 from the 20 Premier League clubs is required for any significant decisions to be passed with each club having one vote .
Under the proposals , the `` big six '' and the other three longest-serving Premier League members - currently Everton , Southampton and West Ham United - would hold the balance of power with only six of those nine needed to vote in major rule changes .
That would include the power to approve or block takeovers of other clubs , for example the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell through .
Moreover , each club could sell the rights of up to eight live matches a season direct to fans over their own channels .
That would be far more lucrative for the bigger clubs with huge worldwide fanbases , but is likely to reduce collective TV deals , where the EFL 's 25 percent share comes from .
Parachute payments for clubs relegated from the Premier League would also be abolished .
Who is backing it ?
Parry , formerly the Liverpool chief executive , has been the most vocal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of warning that EFL clubs face a £200 million black hole in their finances with games being held behind closed doors .
Despite being behind the proposals , Liverpool and United are yet to comment publicly .
However , the plans have received considerable support from clubs throughout the EFL .
Who is against it ?
A powerful alliance of the Premier League , government and supporters groups has warned about selling control over the game to a small band of clubs .
The Football Supporters Association described the plans on Tuesday as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by billionaire owners who do not understand or care about our football culture '' .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the project was the `` type of backroom dealing that undermines trust in football governance '' , while the Premier League warned some of the plans would have a `` damaging impact on the whole game . ''
What comes next ?
Even in the unlikely event that a majority of Premier League clubs backed the plans , they would not come into force until 2022/23 .
However , with such strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just be the starting point for negotiations on how to balance the interests of the biggest clubs with protecting the football pyramid .
The most pressing need is that for a bailout of the EFL -- The chairman of fourth-tier London club Leyton Orient , Nigel Travis , has claimed some clubs will disappear within six weeks without financial support .

London (AFP) –
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New proposals backed by Liverpool and Manchester United for wide-ranging reform of English football have been criticised by the UK government, Premier League and fans' groups.
The so-called "Project Big Picture" has been labelled a "power grab" by the Premier League's biggest and wealthiest clubs, taking advantage of the dire financial position of the English Football League (EFL) -- which comprises the three divisions directly beneath the top flight -- amid the coronavirus crisis.
But many in the EFL, including chairman Rick Parry, back the plan as a means of addressing the imbalance in resources between the top and bottom of the football pyramid.
AFP Sport looks at what "Project Big Picture" proposes and who could gain from it:
Competition reform
The principal difference on the field would be the reduction of the Premier League from 20 to 18 teams with the overall number of clubs in the top four English divisions shrinking from 92 to 90.
Only two teams would be automatically promoted to and relegated from the Premier League with third-bottom in the top tier joining third, fourth and fifth in the second-tier Championship for the traditional end-of-season play-offs.
The League Cup and season curtain-raiser, the Community Shield, would also be scrapped, providing more space in the calendar for lucrative pre-season tours and potentially more matches in European club competition for the biggest clubs.
Revenue sharing
The Premier League would provide an instant £250 million ($325 million) cash injection to the EFL to prevent clubs going bust at a time when they are without match-day revenue due to coronavirus restrictions.
A further £100 million would be provided to the English Football Association, which also has mounting coronavirus costs due to international games behind closed doors, notably to help women's football.
There is also more funding for the lower leagues in the long-term. In future, Premier League and EFL broadcast rights would be sold together and 25 percent distributed down the divisions.
What's the catch?
The principal objection to the plans is that the power will be concentrated in the hands of the "big six" - United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
At the moment, a majority of 14 from the 20 Premier League clubs is required for any significant decisions to be passed with each club having one vote.
Under the proposals, the "big six" and the other three longest-serving Premier League members - currently Everton, Southampton and West Ham United - would hold the balance of power with only six of those nine needed to vote in major rule changes.
That would include the power to approve or block takeovers of other clubs, for example the Saudi-backed deal for Newcastle United that recently fell through.
Moreover, each club could sell the rights of up to eight live matches a season direct to fans over their own channels. That would be far more lucrative for the bigger clubs with huge worldwide fanbases, but is likely to reduce collective TV deals, where the EFL's 25 percent share comes from.
Parachute payments for clubs relegated from the Premier League would also be abolished.
Who is backing it?
Parry, formerly the Liverpool chief executive, has been the most vocal senior figure supporting the plan after months of warning that EFL clubs face a £200 million black hole in their finances with games being held behind closed doors.
Despite being behind the proposals, Liverpool and United are yet to comment publicly. However, the plans have received considerable support from clubs throughout the EFL.
Who is against it?
A powerful alliance of the Premier League, government and supporters groups has warned about selling control over the game to a small band of clubs.
The Football Supporters Association described the plans on Tuesday as a "sugar-coated cyanide pill offered up by billionaire owners who do not understand or care about our football culture".
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the project was the "type of backroom dealing that undermines trust in football governance", while the Premier League warned some of the plans would have a "damaging impact on the whole game."
What comes next?
Even in the unlikely event that a majority of Premier League clubs backed the plans, they would not come into force until 2022/23.
However, with such strong opposition, these proposals are likely to just be the starting point for negotiations on how to balance the interests of the biggest clubs with protecting the football pyramid.
The most pressing need is that for a bailout of the EFL -- The chairman of fourth-tier London club Leyton Orient, Nigel Travis, has claimed some clubs will disappear within six weeks without financial support.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-14--Vaccine reluctance linked to belief in virus hoaxes: study

A woman protests `` No vaccine , no 5G , no face mask '' in Spain Up to a third of people in certain countries may believe coronavirus misinformation and in turn be less open to immunisation , scientists said Wednesday , warning that development of a vaccine `` might not be enough '' .
Researchers in Britain and the Netherlands conducted surveys in the UK , United States , Ireland , Mexico and Spain and found that while most people rejected Covid-19 conspiracy theories , some of these false stories had taken root in `` substantial sections '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has warned that the pandemic has been accompanied by a damaging `` infodemic '' that has made it hard for people to cut through the misinformation .
The study found the conspiracy most believed by participants was the claim that the virus was deliberately engineered in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan , where the epidemic first emerged .
Between 22-23 percent of respondents in the UK and US rated this assertion as `` reliable '' , rising to 33 percent and 37 percent Mexico and Spain respectively .
The hoax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone networks was deemed reliable by 16 percent of respondents in Mexico and in Spain , 12 percent in Ireland , and 8 percent in both the UK and US .
The study , published in the journal Royal Society Open Science , found `` a clear link '' between believing coronavirus conspiracies and hesitancy around any future vaccine , said co-author Sander van der Linden , director of the Cambridge University Social Decision-Making Lab .
`` As well as flagging false claims , governments and technology companies should explore ways to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` Otherwise , developing a working vaccine might not be enough . ''
Researchers conducted two surveys in the UK in April and May with 1,050 and 1,150 participants respectively , while there were also 700 participants each in the US , Mexico , Spain and Ireland .
They were also asked to rate the reliability of coronavirus claims on a scale of one to seven .
On average , the study found that an increase by one-seventh in someone 's perception that misinformation was reliable was associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likelihood they would agree to get vaccinated .
By contrast , a one-seventh increase in trust in scientists was associated with a 73 percent increase in the likelihood of getting vaccinated .
Jon Roozenbeek , the lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at Cambridge 's Department of Psychology , said people were dealing with `` a deluge of statistics '' in the pandemic .
`` The fostering of numerical skills for sifting through online information could well be vital for curbing the 'infodemic ' and promoting good public health behaviour , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trust in scientists and numeracy levels were `` significantly and consistently '' associated with imperviousness to misinformation across all countries studied .
Trusting politicians ' ability to tackle the crisis predicted a higher likelihood of believing conspiracies in Mexico , Spain and the US , but not in the UK and Ireland , the study found .
A study from Cornell University earlier in October found that US President Donald Trump was the world 's biggest driver of Covid-19 misinformation , because of his promotion of what the researchers termed `` miracle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook announce a ban on accounts linked to QAnon , a conspiracy movement centred on the unsubstantiated belief that the world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshippers .
Its followers have alleged , without proof , that the coronavirus is a conspiracy to control people using vaccines and 5G .

Paris (AFP) –
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Up to a third of people in certain countries may believe coronavirus misinformation and in turn be less open to immunisation, scientists said Wednesday, warning that development of a vaccine "might not be enough".
Researchers in Britain and the Netherlands conducted surveys in the UK, United States, Ireland, Mexico and Spain and found that while most people rejected Covid-19 conspiracy theories, some of these false stories had taken root in "substantial sections" of the population.
The World Health Organization has warned that the pandemic has been accompanied by a damaging "infodemic" that has made it hard for people to cut through the misinformation.
The study found the conspiracy most believed by participants was the claim that the virus was deliberately engineered in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the epidemic first emerged.
Between 22-23 percent of respondents in the UK and US rated this assertion as "reliable", rising to 33 percent and 37 percent Mexico and Spain respectively.
The hoax that Covid-19 symptoms are worsened by 5G phone networks was deemed reliable by 16 percent of respondents in Mexico and in Spain, 12 percent in Ireland, and 8 percent in both the UK and US.
The study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, found "a clear link" between believing coronavirus conspiracies and hesitancy around any future vaccine, said co-author Sander van der Linden, director of the Cambridge University Social Decision-Making Lab.
"As well as flagging false claims, governments and technology companies should explore ways to increase digital media literacy in the population," he said.
"Otherwise, developing a working vaccine might not be enough."
- Infodemic -
Researchers conducted two surveys in the UK in April and May with 1,050 and 1,150 participants respectively, while there were also 700 participants each in the US, Mexico, Spain and Ireland.
They were also asked to rate the reliability of coronavirus claims on a scale of one to seven.
On average, the study found that an increase by one-seventh in someone's perception that misinformation was reliable was associated with a drop of 23 percent in the likelihood they would agree to get vaccinated.
By contrast, a one-seventh increase in trust in scientists was associated with a 73 percent increase in the likelihood of getting vaccinated.
Jon Roozenbeek, the lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at Cambridge's Department of Psychology, said people were dealing with "a deluge of statistics" in the pandemic.
"The fostering of numerical skills for sifting through online information could well be vital for curbing the 'infodemic' and promoting good public health behaviour," he said.
Researchers found that high levels of trust in scientists and numeracy levels were "significantly and consistently" associated with imperviousness to misinformation across all countries studied.
Trusting politicians' ability to tackle the crisis predicted a higher likelihood of believing conspiracies in Mexico, Spain and the US, but not in the UK and Ireland, the study found.
A study from Cornell University earlier in October found that US President Donald Trump was the world's biggest driver of Covid-19 misinformation, because of his promotion of what the researchers termed "miracle cures".
This month also saw Facebook announce a ban on accounts linked to QAnon, a conspiracy movement centred on the unsubstantiated belief that the world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshippers.
Its followers have alleged, without proof, that the coronavirus is a conspiracy to control people using vaccines and 5G.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-14--'Cardinal's woman' arrested in Italy after 500,000-euro payment

The payments to Cecilia Marogna came from Cardinal Angelo Becciu , whom Pope Francis abruptly removed from his role last month over suspected misuse of funds Italian financial police on Tuesday arrested a woman in Milan who was paid half a million euros ( $ 590,000 ) by the Vatican into a Slovenian bank account , local media reported .
Cecilia Marogna was arrested at a friend 's house in the northern city on an Interpol warrant issued at the Holy See 's request , the website of daily Il Corriere della Sera reported .
The 39-year-old has been dubbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` 500,000-euro woman '' by journalists .
And revelations about payments to Marogna have been all the spicier for her alleged ties to espionage and talk of shadowy Vatican power games .
The payments to Marogna came from Cardinal Angelo Becciu , whom Pope Francis abruptly removed from his role last month over suspected misuse of funds .
Appearing before journalists in early October with her face hidden behind large sunglasses , Marogna said the money had covered her services as a mediator securing the release of kidnapped priests and nuns in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she confirmed that the sum of 500,000 euros had been paid to her Ljubljana-based company Logsic .
Like 72-year-old Becciu , Marogna is originally from Sardinia .
The cardinal authorised the payments to her while serving as number two in the Vatican 's Secretariat of State , which manages the Church 's vast donations .
`` I did n't steal a single euro , '' Cecilia Marogna told newspaper Domani of the payments made in tranches of tens of thousands of euros .
Rather , `` I have a letter from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and conduct diplomatic relations to help the Church in difficult regions , '' she said , claiming to know `` senior members of the Italian secret services '' .
She told Corriere della Sera that she is `` not Becciu 's mistress '' , calling herself a `` political analyst and intelligence expert '' with `` a network of relationships in Africa and the Middle East '' to protect the Vatican 's representatives abroad .
Several Italian media outlets received anonymous envelopes with details from the accounts of Marogna 's company .
Investigative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them showing spending of 200,000 euros on luxury products , including 12,000 euros for an armchair .
`` I think I have the right to buy myself an armchair after all that work ! ''
Marogna said , claiming that she is an innocent victim of internal Vatican power struggles .

Vatican City (AFP) –
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Italian financial police on Tuesday arrested a woman in Milan who was paid half a million euros ($590,000) by the Vatican into a Slovenian bank account, local media reported.
Cecilia Marogna was arrested at a friend's house in the northern city on an Interpol warrant issued at the Holy See's request, the website of daily Il Corriere della Sera reported.
The 39-year-old has been dubbed the "cardinal's woman" or the "500,000-euro woman" by journalists. And revelations about payments to Marogna have been all the spicier for her alleged ties to espionage and talk of shadowy Vatican power games.
The payments to Marogna came from Cardinal Angelo Becciu, whom Pope Francis abruptly removed from his role last month over suspected misuse of funds.
Appearing before journalists in early October with her face hidden behind large sunglasses, Marogna said the money had covered her services as a mediator securing the release of kidnapped priests and nuns in Africa and Asia.
In several interviews, she confirmed that the sum of 500,000 euros had been paid to her Ljubljana-based company Logsic.
Like 72-year-old Becciu, Marogna is originally from Sardinia.
The cardinal authorised the payments to her while serving as number two in the Vatican's Secretariat of State, which manages the Church's vast donations.
"I didn't steal a single euro," Cecilia Marogna told newspaper Domani of the payments made in tranches of tens of thousands of euros.
Rather, "I have a letter from the cardinal giving me the right to travel and conduct diplomatic relations to help the Church in difficult regions," she said, claiming to know "senior members of the Italian secret services".
She told Corriere della Sera that she is "not Becciu's mistress", calling herself a "political analyst and intelligence expert" with "a network of relationships in Africa and the Middle East" to protect the Vatican's representatives abroad.
Several Italian media outlets received anonymous envelopes with details from the accounts of Marogna's company.
Investigative TV programme Le Iene broadcast some of them showing spending of 200,000 euros on luxury products, including 12,000 euros for an armchair.
"I think I have the right to buy myself an armchair after all that work!" Marogna said, claiming that she is an innocent victim of internal Vatican power struggles.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-14--Australia Olympic basketball coach Brown quits

Former Philadelphia 76ers ' coach Brett Brown on Tuesday quit his role with Australia 's Olympic basketball team nine months before the rescheduled Tokyo Games .
Brown was appointed last November to the coach the Australian team , known as the Boomers , with hopes high of winning a maiden gold medal at the Olympics , which have been delayed by until July 2021 .
But Brown 's circumstances changed when he was sacked two months ago after the Sixers were swept out of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics .
And he said a combination of having to rebuild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic meant he could not continue to coach Australia .
`` The uncertainties around the direction of my professional future unfortunately mean that I can not commit to the time and preparation that this job deserves and requires , '' he said in a statement released by Basketball Australia on Tuesday .
`` The difficulties around travelling internationally with my family during the pandemic have also contributed to my decision . ''
Basketball Australia said it was disappointed by the departure of Brown , who has strong ties to the game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name a new coach .

Sydney (AFP) –
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Former Philadelphia 76ers' coach Brett Brown on Tuesday quit his role with Australia's Olympic basketball team nine months before the rescheduled Tokyo Games.
Brown was appointed last November to the coach the Australian team, known as the Boomers, with hopes high of winning a maiden gold medal at the Olympics, which have been delayed by until July 2021.
But Brown's circumstances changed when he was sacked two months ago after the Sixers were swept out of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
And he said a combination of having to rebuild his career and travelling restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic meant he could not continue to coach Australia.
"The uncertainties around the direction of my professional future unfortunately mean that I cannot commit to the time and preparation that this job deserves and requires," he said in a statement released by Basketball Australia on Tuesday.
"The difficulties around travelling internationally with my family during the pandemic have also contributed to my decision."
Basketball Australia said it was disappointed by the departure of Brown, who has strong ties to the game Down Under, and did not immediately name a new coach.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--Argentina squeeze past Bolivia, Ecuador hammer Uruguay

Argentina 's Joaquin Correa celebrates after scoring the winner against Bolivia during their 2022 FIFA World Cup South American qualifier Joaquin Correa scored the winner 11 minutes from time as Argentina labored to a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier in La Paz on Tuesday .
It was a second narrow victory in a row for Lionel Scaloni 's team following Thursday 's 1-0 win over Ecuador .
Marcelo Moreno Martins had given hosts Bolivia a deserved lead but Argentina scored a fortuitous equaliser through Lautaro Martinez .
Elsewhere , Ecuador bounced back from their loss in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bolivia should have been ahead on six minutes when Argentina goalkeeper Franco Armani was caught off his line but Moreno Martins sent his header from an angle onto the roof of the net .
Moreno Martins made amends on 24 minutes as he rose between Argentina 's center-backs to power home a header from eight yards after Alejandro Chumacero was allowed to run from halfway into the visitors ' box before crossing from the left .
While the Estadio Hernando Siles was empty due to coronavirus restrictions , some fans standing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enthusiastically .
Argentina came to life just before the break as an otherwise subdued Lionel Messi had a shot deflected just wide and from the resulting corner , Leandro Paredes crashed a shot off the post .
But in the final minute of the half , Argentina were level .
Jose Carrasco tried to clear the ball out of his six yard box after cutting out Martinez 's cross , but he shanked the ball off the forward 's shin and past goalkeeper Carlos Lampe .
Messi was wasteful with a free-kick from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he fired it straight into the wall .
His pass 15 minutes from the end released Martinez in the box only for Lampe to brilliantly save his fierce right-foot drive .
The reprieve was brief as Messi and Martinez combined to tee up Correa to thrash home the winner .
Ecuador totally dominated Uruguay and took the lead on 15 minutes as Moises Caicedo headed home an Angel Mena corner from close range .
They had a second goal by Michael Estrada ruled out by a VAR review for a handball against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal on the stroke of half-time , rifling home from inside the box after a mistake by veteran Uruguay center-back Diego Godin .
Uruguay thought they had a goal back three minutes into the second half but it was disallowed for a handball by Darwin Nunez .
And after a lengthy VAR check , Ecuador went straight up the other end where Estrada cracked home Valencia 's backheel from 20 yards .
Ecuador 's final goal was a work of art as Alan Franco 's reverse pass bemused Uruguay 's defence and Gonzalo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to commit both sliding defender Ronald Araujo and goalkeeper Martin Campana before stroking the ball into the far corner .
Luis Suarez scored his record-extending 61st and 62nd goals for Uruguay with a pair of late penalties .

Montevideo (AFP) –
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Joaquin Correa scored the winner 11 minutes from time as Argentina labored to a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier in La Paz on Tuesday.
It was a second narrow victory in a row for Lionel Scaloni's team following Thursday's 1-0 win over Ecuador.
Marcelo Moreno Martins had given hosts Bolivia a deserved lead but Argentina scored a fortuitous equaliser through Lautaro Martinez.
Elsewhere, Ecuador bounced back from their loss in Argentina to stun Uruguay 4-2 in Quito.
Bolivia should have been ahead on six minutes when Argentina goalkeeper Franco Armani was caught off his line but Moreno Martins sent his header from an angle onto the roof of the net.
Moreno Martins made amends on 24 minutes as he rose between Argentina's center-backs to power home a header from eight yards after Alejandro Chumacero was allowed to run from halfway into the visitors' box before crossing from the left.
While the Estadio Hernando Siles was empty due to coronavirus restrictions, some fans standing on a nearby roof overlooking the ground celebrated enthusiastically.
Argentina came to life just before the break as an otherwise subdued Lionel Messi had a shot deflected just wide and from the resulting corner, Leandro Paredes crashed a shot off the post.
But in the final minute of the half, Argentina were level.
Jose Carrasco tried to clear the ball out of his six yard box after cutting out Martinez's cross, but he shanked the ball off the forward's shin and past goalkeeper Carlos Lampe.
Messi was wasteful with a free-kick from 20 yards just past the hour mark as he fired it straight into the wall.
His pass 15 minutes from the end released Martinez in the box only for Lampe to brilliantly save his fierce right-foot drive.
The reprieve was brief as Messi and Martinez combined to tee up Correa to thrash home the winner.
Ecuador totally dominated Uruguay and took the lead on 15 minutes as Moises Caicedo headed home an Angel Mena corner from close range.
They had a second goal by Michael Estrada ruled out by a VAR review for a handball against Enner Valencia.
But Estrada got his goal on the stroke of half-time, rifling home from inside the box after a mistake by veteran Uruguay center-back Diego Godin.
Uruguay thought they had a goal back three minutes into the second half but it was disallowed for a handball by Darwin Nunez.
And after a lengthy VAR check, Ecuador went straight up the other end where Estrada cracked home Valencia's backheel from 20 yards.
Ecuador's final goal was a work of art as Alan Franco's reverse pass bemused Uruguay's defence and Gonzalo Plata rolled his foot over the ball to commit both sliding defender Ronald Araujo and goalkeeper Martin Campana before stroking the ball into the far corner.
Luis Suarez scored his record-extending 61st and 62nd goals for Uruguay with a pair of late penalties.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--Trudeau slams China on human rights, 'coercive diplomacy'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned China on Tuesday that its `` coercive diplomacy , '' repressive measures in Hong Kong and detention of Uighur Muslims are counterproductive for itself and the rest of the world .
Trudeau took aim at Beijing 's record as he marked the 50th anniversary of Canada 's diplomatic ties with China .
`` We will remain absolutely committed to working with our allies to ensure that China 's approach of coercive diplomacy , its arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens alongside other citizens of other countries around the world is not viewed as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said at a press conference .
He also mentioned Canada 's `` concern for the protection of human rights and places like Hong Kong and ... with the Uighurs . ''
He said that Canada would `` continue to work with our fellow like-minded nations around the world , to impress upon China that its approach to internal affairs and global affairs is not on a particularly productive path for itself or for all of us . ''
Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have been held in China for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with spying .
Canada 's ambassador to China obtained `` virtual consular access '' to Spavor and Kovrig over the weekend , the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Saturday .
Western governments see the detention of the two Canadians as retaliation for Canada 's arrest of Meng Wanzhou , chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and daughter of its founder .
Meng was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver and is charged with bank fraud related to violations of US sanctions against Iran .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Ottawa (AFP) –
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned China on Tuesday that its "coercive diplomacy," repressive measures in Hong Kong and detention of Uighur Muslims are counterproductive for itself and the rest of the world.
Trudeau took aim at Beijing's record as he marked the 50th anniversary of Canada's diplomatic ties with China.
"We will remain absolutely committed to working with our allies to ensure that China's approach of coercive diplomacy, its arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens alongside other citizens of other countries around the world is not viewed as a successful tactic by them," Trudeau said at a press conference.
He also mentioned Canada's "concern for the protection of human rights and places like Hong Kong and... with the Uighurs."
He said that Canada would "continue to work with our fellow like-minded nations around the world, to impress upon China that its approach to internal affairs and global affairs is not on a particularly productive path for itself or for all of us."
Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have been held in China for nearly two years and have been charged with spying.
Canada's ambassador to China obtained "virtual consular access" to Spavor and Kovrig over the weekend, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Saturday.
Western governments see the detention of the two Canadians as retaliation for Canada's arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and daughter of its founder.
Meng was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver and is charged with bank fraud related to violations of US sanctions against Iran. She has been fighting extradition ever since.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--Andy Murray exits first round of Cologne's ATP indoor tournament

Britain 's Andy Murray exited the first round of the ATP indoor tournament in Cologne Former world number one Andy Murray suffered a first-round exit at the indoor ATP tournament in Cologne as he lost in straight sets to Spain 's Fernando Verdasco .
In the last game of the day , Verdasco converted his fourth match point just after midnight early on Wednesday morning to seal a 6-4 , 6-4 win over Britain 's Murray .
This is only the fourth tournament Murray has played in 2020 during a season disrupted by injury which has seen his ranking drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is struggling to refind his form after hip surgery earlier in the year .
`` It was tough , I had a few chances , but I did n't serve that well and these courts are quite slow , so it 's important to get break points which I did n't get , '' Murray said in Cologne .
`` He played better than me . ''
Murray hopes to use the back-to-back tournaments in Cologne to relaunch his season after a loop-sided first-round exit to Stan Wawrinka at the French Open last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week 's indoor event .
`` I plan to stay and play next week , get some practise in the next few days , '' he said .
`` It was n't that big an improvement ( on defeat to Wawrinka ) , I need to practise , play matches and get better . ''
This was Murray 's third straight defeat to Verdasco , ranked 62nd , who last beat the Scotsman twice in 2018 , once at the Shenzhen tournament and also at that year 's US Open , yet Murray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the chance to level the second set with three break points at 5-4 down , but Verdasco kept up the pressure by firing down his sixth ace of the match to wrestle back control and eventually seal the win .
In the second round , the Spaniard faces Germany 's Alexander Zverev .

Cologne (Germany) (AFP) –
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Former world number one Andy Murray suffered a first-round exit at the indoor ATP tournament in Cologne as he lost in straight sets to Spain's Fernando Verdasco.
In the last game of the day, Verdasco converted his fourth match point just after midnight early on Wednesday morning to seal a 6-4, 6-4 win over Britain's Murray.
This is only the fourth tournament Murray has played in 2020 during a season disrupted by injury which has seen his ranking drop to 115th.
The two-time Olympic champion is struggling to refind his form after hip surgery earlier in the year.
"It was tough, I had a few chances, but I didn't serve that well and these courts are quite slow, so it's important to get break points which I didn't get," Murray said in Cologne.
"He played better than me."
Murray hopes to use the back-to-back tournaments in Cologne to relaunch his season after a loop-sided first-round exit to Stan Wawrinka at the French Open last month and will stay on for next week's indoor event.
"I plan to stay and play next week, get some practise in the next few days," he said.
"It wasn't that big an improvement (on defeat to Wawrinka), I need to practise, play matches and get better."
This was Murray's third straight defeat to Verdasco, ranked 62nd, who last beat the Scotsman twice in 2018, once at the Shenzhen tournament and also at that year's US Open, yet Murray still leads the head-to-head 13-4.
Murray had the chance to level the second set with three break points at 5-4 down, but Verdasco kept up the pressure by firing down his sixth ace of the match to wrestle back control and eventually seal the win.
In the second round, the Spaniard faces Germany's Alexander Zverev.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--NFL against virus 'bubble', aim to finish season on schedule

National Football League chiefs on Tuesday played down the possibility of completing the postseason in a `` bubble '' but admitted the league had not ruled out extending the regular season to make up for disruption caused by Covid-19 .
In a conference call with reporters , NFL commissioner Roger Goodell again warned teams to strictly follow coronavirus safety protocols after last weekend 's schedule saw games moved due to a cluster of cases affecting the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots .
`` We can not grow complacent - not the players , not the coaches , not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` 90 % is not good enough in this environment . ''
Goodell emphasised that the league would aim to be `` flexible '' over how it dealt with scheduling issues , but hoped to complete the season on schedule with the Super Bowl in Tampa , Florida , on February 7 .
`` If there was one consistent theme to our season it 's flexibility and adapting , '' Goodell said .
`` Flexibility is going to be critical .
`` We will have flexibility to be able to complete our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's the goal .
We 're all focused on that .
And to do it safely . ''
The NFL 's executive vice-president of operations Troy Vincent said the league schedule was `` proceeding as is '' and not planning a week 18 .
NFL medical chief Allen Sills , meanwhile , said the league was leaning away from setting up a single-location `` bubble '' similar to the one deployed by the NBA to complete its season .
Sills said although the concept had been discussed , the league would prefer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't feel that is the safest course of action , '' Sills said .
`` I think we all have to recognize that there are no perfect solutions .
`` First of all , a bubble is not going to keep out all infections .
You still have other individuals that come in and out : service workers , security , other personnel .
And we 've known from other experiences that those individuals can be infected .
So simply being in a bubble does n't keep us safe .
`` We still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mitigation , with PPE , with identifications of symptoms , with testing , etc . ''
The NFL has taken a hard line on enforcing Covid-19 safety protocols since the start of the season , handing out more than $ 1 million in fines to teams and individuals so far .
The league has also threatened to order games forfeited if safety protocol breaches lead to scheduling disruptions .
However , Goodell played down the threat of possible sanctions involving the Tennessee Titans , who have had 23 positive cases .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking to clubs and players and open dialogue , '' Goodell said .
`` This is not about discipline .
This is about making sure we 're keeping our personnel safe and that 's been our entire focus to date . ''

Los Angeles (AFP) –
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National Football League chiefs on Tuesday played down the possibility of completing the postseason in a "bubble" but admitted the league had not ruled out extending the regular season to make up for disruption caused by Covid-19.
In a conference call with reporters, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell again warned teams to strictly follow coronavirus safety protocols after last weekend's schedule saw games moved due to a cluster of cases affecting the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots.
"We cannot grow complacent - not the players, not the coaches, not the rest of personnel," Goodell said. "90% is not good enough in this environment."
Goodell emphasised that the league would aim to be "flexible" over how it dealt with scheduling issues, but hoped to complete the season on schedule with the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, on February 7.
"If there was one consistent theme to our season it's flexibility and adapting," Goodell said. "Flexibility is going to be critical.
"We will have flexibility to be able to complete our season for the Super Bowl. That's the goal. We're all focused on that. And to do it safely."
The NFL's executive vice-president of operations Troy Vincent said the league schedule was "proceeding as is" and not planning a week 18.
NFL medical chief Allen Sills, meanwhile, said the league was leaning away from setting up a single-location "bubble" similar to the one deployed by the NBA to complete its season.
Sills said although the concept had been discussed, the league would prefer to avoid that option.
"We don't feel that is the safest course of action," Sills said. "I think we all have to recognize that there are no perfect solutions.
"First of all, a bubble is not going to keep out all infections. You still have other individuals that come in and out: service workers, security, other personnel. And we've known from other experiences that those individuals can be infected. So simply being in a bubble doesn't keep us safe.
"We still have to do all these measures of mitigation, with PPE, with identifications of symptoms, with testing, etc."
The NFL has taken a hard line on enforcing Covid-19 safety protocols since the start of the season, handing out more than $1 million in fines to teams and individuals so far. The league has also threatened to order games forfeited if safety protocol breaches lead to scheduling disruptions.
However, Goodell played down the threat of possible sanctions involving the Tennessee Titans, who have had 23 positive cases.
"We are really working closely in identifying and speaking to clubs and players and open dialogue," Goodell said.
"This is not about discipline. This is about making sure we're keeping our personnel safe and that's been our entire focus to date."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--US says ready to extend nuclear pact, but rebuffed by Russia

Russia , which is negotiating with Washington on the New START nuclear treaty , parades a Yars RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile system through Red Square during a parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in June 2020 The United States said Tuesday it had reached an agreement in principle with Russia to extend New START , the last major nuclear treaty still in force , but Moscow quickly rejected US conditions .
President Donald Trump 's administration has been insisting without success that its nemesis China enter the treaty , which has limited the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each and expires on February 5 .
With three weeks to go before US elections in which Trump is trailing in polls , the administration indicated it would support preserving the treaty for an unspecified period .
`` We are in fact willing to extend the New START treaty for some period of time provided that they , in return , agree to a limitation -- a freeze -- on their nuclear arsenal , '' US negotiator Marshall Billingslea said .
`` We believe that there is an agreement in principle at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said at the Heritage Foundation , a conservative think tank .
Billingslea cut short a trip to Asia last week to fly to Helsinki to see his Russian counterpart , Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov , saying that he sensed a breakthrough compromise .
But Ryabkov said that the US demand to freeze nuclear work in the interim was `` an unacceptable proposition . ''
`` If the Americans are in agreement with the documents that we handed them , a deal could even be reached tomorrow , '' Ryabkov said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I can not imagine on what basis our colleagues in Washington are putting out such theories , '' he told the Ria Novosti news agency .
Using similar language , Billingslea said that Russia needed to accept US proposals in his `` gentlemen 's agreement '' with Ryabkov .
`` We are ready to strike this deal .
We can strike it tomorrow , in fact .
But Moscow is going to have to show the political will to do so as well , '' Billingslea said .
At issue are US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extension period and submit to verification .
Billingslea said that the United States would also accept reciprocal inspections .
`` If we know anything about the Russians it is that they are serial treaty violators , '' he said .
The Trump administration has already left a landmark Cold War treaty that restricted intermediate-range nuclear forces , saying that Russia was in violation .
It also bolted from a treaty that allowed the two countries to fly over sensitive sites , with Trump reportedly piqued after a Russian spy jet flew over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Joe Biden , who leads Trump in all major polls , supports extending New START -- which would end days after he takes the oath of office .
Biden called the treaty -- which was negotiated by fellow Democrat Barack Obama and allows for an extension of up to five years -- an `` anchor of strategic stability between the United States and Russia . ''
Billingslea said that the United States was still insisting on the participation of China -- whose nuclear program is quickly growing and faces no treaty restraints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraction of the size of the Russian and US arsenals .
`` Everything we agree with the Russians must be framed and must be formatted in a way that allows us to extend that arrangement to the Chinese when they are finally brought to the negotiating table , '' Billingslea said .
China 's disarmament envoy , Li Song , on Tuesday reiterated Beijing 's stance that it was unreasonable to join US-Russia talks , writing on Twitter : `` There are only two largest nuclear arsenals on earth .
Not three .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a key strategic asset as it is massively outspent on defense by Washington -- had 6,375 nuclear warheads at the start of the year , including those that are not deployed , according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute .
The United States had 5,800 while China was a distinct third with 320 warheads , according to the institute .
Billingslea , in a veiled swipe at US allies that back an extension of New START , urged more international pressure on China .
`` The credibility of countries that profess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear arms control is very much on the line .
And we 're taking note of those who have chosen to remain silent , '' he said .

Washington (AFP) –
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The United States said Tuesday it had reached an agreement in principle with Russia to extend New START, the last major nuclear treaty still in force, but Moscow quickly rejected US conditions.
President Donald Trump's administration has been insisting without success that its nemesis China enter the treaty, which has limited the United States and Russia to 1,550 nuclear warheads each and expires on February 5.
With three weeks to go before US elections in which Trump is trailing in polls, the administration indicated it would support preserving the treaty for an unspecified period.
"We are in fact willing to extend the New START treaty for some period of time provided that they, in return, agree to a limitation -- a freeze -- on their nuclear arsenal," US negotiator Marshall Billingslea said.
"We believe that there is an agreement in principle at the highest levels of our two governments," he said at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
Billingslea cut short a trip to Asia last week to fly to Helsinki to see his Russian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, saying that he sensed a breakthrough compromise.
But Ryabkov said that the US demand to freeze nuclear work in the interim was "an unacceptable proposition."
"If the Americans are in agreement with the documents that we handed them, a deal could even be reached tomorrow," Ryabkov said.
"But with so many differences, I cannot imagine on what basis our colleagues in Washington are putting out such theories," he told the Ria Novosti news agency.
Using similar language, Billingslea said that Russia needed to accept US proposals in his "gentlemen's agreement" with Ryabkov.
"We are ready to strike this deal. We can strike it tomorrow, in fact. But Moscow is going to have to show the political will to do so as well," Billingslea said.
- 'Serial treaty violators' -
At issue are US demands that Russia halt nuclear activities during the extension period and submit to verification.
Billingslea said that the United States would also accept reciprocal inspections.
"If we know anything about the Russians it is that they are serial treaty violators," he said.
The Trump administration has already left a landmark Cold War treaty that restricted intermediate-range nuclear forces, saying that Russia was in violation.
It also bolted from a treaty that allowed the two countries to fly over sensitive sites, with Trump reportedly piqued after a Russian spy jet flew over his Bedminister golf course in New Jersey.
Joe Biden, who leads Trump in all major polls, supports extending New START -- which would end days after he takes the oath of office.
Biden called the treaty -- which was negotiated by fellow Democrat Barack Obama and allows for an extension of up to five years -- an "anchor of strategic stability between the United States and Russia."
- Still pressuring China -
Billingslea said that the United States was still insisting on the participation of China -- whose nuclear program is quickly growing and faces no treaty restraints, even though it is still a fraction of the size of the Russian and US arsenals.
"Everything we agree with the Russians must be framed and must be formatted in a way that allows us to extend that arrangement to the Chinese when they are finally brought to the negotiating table," Billingslea said.
China's disarmament envoy, Li Song, on Tuesday reiterated Beijing's stance that it was unreasonable to join US-Russia talks, writing on Twitter: "There are only two largest nuclear arsenals on earth. Not three."
Russia -- which sees nuclear weapons as a key strategic asset as it is massively outspent on defense by Washington -- had 6,375 nuclear warheads at the start of the year, including those that are not deployed, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The United States had 5,800 while China was a distinct third with 320 warheads, according to the institute.
Billingslea, in a veiled swipe at US allies that back an extension of New START, urged more international pressure on China.
"The credibility of countries that profess to be at the leading edge of nuclear arms control is very much on the line. And we're taking note of those who have chosen to remain silent," he said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--Second Covid-19 trial paused within 24 hours over safety concerns

Two late-stage Covid-19 medical trials have been paused in the space of 24 hours over potential safety concerns , the latest setbacks to scientists in the long fight against the pandemic .
US pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly on Tuesday suspended its Phase 3 trial of its lab-produced antibody treatment in hospitalized patients over an unspecified incident .
A day earlier , the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson temporarily halted its Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial due to an unexplained illness in a study participant .
J & J 's research head Mathai Mammen told investors Tuesday it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrelated to their drug .
It 's not unusual for final stage clinical trials to hit a problem -- indeed , they are designed to scale up the number of participants to thousands or tens of thousands to tease out side effects that may be very rare .
Last month , British firm AstraZeneca became the first in the world to announce a pause of its vaccine trials after one patient in Britain was diagnosed with an inflammatory condition affecting the spine .
The trial was later resumed around the world but remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are unclear .
Doctor and scientist Eric Topol , who directs the Scripps Research Institute , tweeted that he was surprised to hear about the safety concern with Lilly 's antibody treatment , because earlier stages did n't reveal any serious side effects .
`` Hopefully a brief pause and we 'll get details quickly .
Good to be cautious , '' he said .
`` Lilly is supportive of the decision by the independent DSMB ( data safety monitoring board ) to cautiously ensure the safety of the patients participating in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement Tuesday .
The study began in August across more than 50 sites in the United States , Denmark and Singapore with the aim of recruiting 10,000 people .
Lab-produced antibody treatments have been making headlines recently after US President Donald Trump credited one therapy , developed by biotech firm Regeneron , with curing him of Covid-19 .
Both Lilly and Regeneron last week applied to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorizations for their treatments .
Monoclonal antibodies are a relatively new class of drugs that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer and autoimmune disease .
Human immune systems produce antibodies , which are infection-fighting proteins , and vaccines teach our bodies to be prepared to make the right ones for particular pathogens .
The Covid-19 treatment studied in the paused trial was based on an effective antibody Lilly found in a recovered patient .
The host immune cells that produce the antibodies can be cultured in a lab to produce the desired proteins en masse .
Lilly did n't disclose any details about the safety concern or how many people are affected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of intravenously administered therapies can include fevers , chills and fatigue , while moderate to severe infusions can cause chest pain and shortness of breath .
J & J , meanwhile , moved to buoy confidence in its vaccine .
`` It 's not at all unusual for unexpected illnesses ( to occur ) in large studies over their duration , '' Mammen said in a conference call .
`` In some cases , serious adverse events ... may have something or nothing to do with the drug or vaccine being investigated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of J & J 's trial had started recruiting participants in late September , with a goal of enrolling volunteers across more than 200 US and international locations .
J & J is one of 11 organizations globally to begin a Phase 3 trial on a Covid-19 vaccine .
Washington has given the multinational about $ 1.45 billion in funding under Operation Warp Speed .
The vaccine is based on a single dose of a cold-causing adenovirus , modified so that it can no longer replicate , combined with a part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it uses to invade human cells .
J & J used the same technology in its Ebola vaccine , which received marketing approval from the European Commission in July .
At close of trading , J & J was down 2.3 percent while Lilly was down 2.9 percent .

Washington (AFP) –
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Two late-stage Covid-19 medical trials have been paused in the space of 24 hours over potential safety concerns, the latest setbacks to scientists in the long fight against the pandemic.
US pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly on Tuesday suspended its Phase 3 trial of its lab-produced antibody treatment in hospitalized patients over an unspecified incident.
A day earlier, the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson temporarily halted its Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial due to an unexplained illness in a study participant.
J&J's research head Mathai Mammen told investors Tuesday it was a "temporary pause" that could be unrelated to their drug.
It's not unusual for final stage clinical trials to hit a problem -- indeed, they are designed to scale up the number of participants to thousands or tens of thousands to tease out side effects that may be very rare.
Last month, British firm AstraZeneca became the first in the world to announce a pause of its vaccine trials after one patient in Britain was diagnosed with an inflammatory condition affecting the spine.
The trial was later resumed around the world but remains suspended in the US for reasons that are unclear.
Doctor and scientist Eric Topol, who directs the Scripps Research Institute, tweeted that he was surprised to hear about the safety concern with Lilly's antibody treatment, because earlier stages didn't reveal any serious side effects.
"Hopefully a brief pause and we'll get details quickly. Good to be cautious," he said.
- Trump treatment -
"Lilly is supportive of the decision by the independent DSMB (data safety monitoring board) to cautiously ensure the safety of the patients participating in this study," a spokesperson told AFP in a statement Tuesday.
The study began in August across more than 50 sites in the United States, Denmark and Singapore with the aim of recruiting 10,000 people.
Lab-produced antibody treatments have been making headlines recently after US President Donald Trump credited one therapy, developed by biotech firm Regeneron, with curing him of Covid-19.
Both Lilly and Regeneron last week applied to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorizations for their treatments.
Monoclonal antibodies are a relatively new class of drugs that are best known for treating certain types of cancer and autoimmune disease.
Human immune systems produce antibodies, which are infection-fighting proteins, and vaccines teach our bodies to be prepared to make the right ones for particular pathogens.
The Covid-19 treatment studied in the paused trial was based on an effective antibody Lilly found in a recovered patient.
The host immune cells that produce the antibodies can be cultured in a lab to produce the desired proteins en masse.
Lilly didn't disclose any details about the safety concern or how many people are affected.
But generally speaking, mild side effects of intravenously administered therapies can include fevers, chills and fatigue, while moderate to severe infusions can cause chest pain and shortness of breath.
- J&J seeks to reassure -
J&J, meanwhile, moved to buoy confidence in its vaccine.
"It's not at all unusual for unexpected illnesses (to occur) in large studies over their duration," Mammen said in a conference call.
"In some cases, serious adverse events... may have something or nothing to do with the drug or vaccine being investigated," he said.
The final stage of J&J's trial had started recruiting participants in late September, with a goal of enrolling volunteers across more than 200 US and international locations.
J&J is one of 11 organizations globally to begin a Phase 3 trial on a Covid-19 vaccine.
Washington has given the multinational about $1.45 billion in funding under Operation Warp Speed.
The vaccine is based on a single dose of a cold-causing adenovirus, modified so that it can no longer replicate, combined with a part of the new coronavirus called the spike protein that it uses to invade human cells.
J&J used the same technology in its Ebola vaccine, which received marketing approval from the European Commission in July.
At close of trading, J&J was down 2.3 percent while Lilly was down 2.9 percent.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--Facebook bans ads discouraging vaccines

Facebook bans ads discouraging vaccines

Facebook has announced a ban on ads discouraging people from getting vaccinated in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic Facebook on Tuesday announced a ban on ads that discourage people from getting vaccinated , in light of the coronavirus pandemic which the social media giant said has `` highlighted the importance of preventive health behaviors . ''
`` While public health experts agree that we wo n't have an approved and widely available Covid-19 vaccine for some time , there are steps that people can take to stay healthy and safe , '' the company said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ scams as identified by public health institutions like the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) .
It will continue to allow advertisements either pushing for or against government regulations linked to vaccinations .
And it plans to launch a public information campaign in the United States pushing for people to get vaccinated against seasonal flu .
Coronavirus vaccines are expected to be key to moving beyond the pandemic and several labs are currently working on developing the shots .
The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently under development by Pfizer and Moderna , but also from AstraZeneca , Johnson & Johnson , Novavax and Sanofi , in order to ensure swift delivery from whichever one makes the breakthrough first .
The tech giants have regularly been accused of allowing anti-vaccine movements to flourish .
According to US health authorities , the number of children who make it to age two without any vaccination has reached more than 0.9 percent among kids born in 2011 and 1.3 percent among those born in 2015 .
And the number of applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017-2018 in the US for the third year in a row .
Yet a major study of more than 650,0000 Danish children who were followed for more than a decade came to the same conclusion as several previous studies : the vaccine against mumps , measles and rubella ( MMR ) carries no risk of causing autism in children , contrary to a theory advocated by anti-vaccine activists .

San Francisco (AFP) –
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Facebook on Tuesday announced a ban on ads that discourage people from getting vaccinated, in light of the coronavirus pandemic which the social media giant said has "highlighted the importance of preventive health behaviors."
"While public health experts agree that we won't have an approved and widely available Covid-19 vaccine for some time, there are steps that people can take to stay healthy and safe," the company said in a statement.
The platform has already banned disinformation and scams as identified by public health institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It will continue to allow advertisements either pushing for or against government regulations linked to vaccinations.
And it plans to launch a public information campaign in the United States pushing for people to get vaccinated against seasonal flu.
Coronavirus vaccines are expected to be key to moving beyond the pandemic and several labs are currently working on developing the shots.
The United States has pre-ordered millions of doses of vaccines currently under development by Pfizer and Moderna, but also from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax and Sanofi, in order to ensure swift delivery from whichever one makes the breakthrough first.
The tech giants have regularly been accused of allowing anti-vaccine movements to flourish.
According to US health authorities, the number of children who make it to age two without any vaccination has reached more than 0.9 percent among kids born in 2011 and 1.3 percent among those born in 2015.
And the number of applications for vaccine exemptions rose in the year 2017-2018 in the US for the third year in a row.
Yet a major study of more than 650,0000 Danish children who were followed for more than a decade came to the same conclusion as several previous studies: the vaccine against mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) carries no risk of causing autism in children, contrary to a theory advocated by anti-vaccine activists.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-13--Whipping boys San Marino celebrate first point in six years

San Marino goalkeeper Elia Benedettini jumps to punch the ball away in a game against Slovenia in 2015 .
He kept a clean sheet as the minnows drew in Liechtenstein in the Nations League on Tuesday San Marino are the perennial whipping boys of international football but on Tuesday they were able to celebrate claiming their first point in six years thanks to a 0-0 draw in Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League .
Goalkeeper Simone Benedettini was the hero for San Marino as he kept their first clean sheet since a goalless draw at home to Estonia in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their first ever clean sheet away from home .
They had suffered 40 straight defeats before travelling to Vaduz where they claimed their first ever point in the Nations League to move off the mark in League D , Group 2 after losing 1-0 in Gibraltar and 2-0 at home to Liechtenstein last month .
Nevertheless , they have still never won a competitive game since being accepted into international football in 1990 , and have not won any match since beating Liechtenstein in a friendly in 2004 .
The tiny , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has a population of under 35,000 , a few thousand less than Liechtenstein , the similarly tiny Alpine principality .
San Marino sit 210th and dead last in the FIFA world rankings , just behind Anguilla , with results in recent years including 9-0 hammerings by Belgium and Russia , 8-0 losses to Norway and Germany , and a 10-0 defeat by Croatia in a 2016 friendly .

Vaduz (AFP) –
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San Marino are the perennial whipping boys of international football but on Tuesday they were able to celebrate claiming their first point in six years thanks to a 0-0 draw in Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League.
Goalkeeper Simone Benedettini was the hero for San Marino as he kept their first clean sheet since a goalless draw at home to Estonia in a European Championship qualifier in November 2014, and their first ever clean sheet away from home.
They had suffered 40 straight defeats before travelling to Vaduz where they claimed their first ever point in the Nations League to move off the mark in League D, Group 2 after losing 1-0 in Gibraltar and 2-0 at home to Liechtenstein last month.
Nevertheless, they have still never won a competitive game since being accepted into international football in 1990, and have not won any match since beating Liechtenstein in a friendly in 2004.
The tiny, landlocked nation, completely surrounded by Italy, has a population of under 35,000, a few thousand less than Liechtenstein, the similarly tiny Alpine principality.
San Marino sit 210th and dead last in the FIFA world rankings, just behind Anguilla, with results in recent years including 9-0 hammerings by Belgium and Russia, 8-0 losses to Norway and Germany, and a 10-0 defeat by Croatia in a 2016 friendly.
© 2020 AFP