france24--2020-07-15--World population in 2100 could be 2 billion below UN projections, new study says

Earth will be home to 8.8 billion souls in 2100 , two billion fewer than current UN projections , according to a major study published Wednesday that foresees new global power alignments shaped by declining fertility rates and greying populations .
By century 's end , 183 of 195 countries – barring an influx of immigrants -– will have fallen below the replacement threshold needed to maintain population levels , an international team of researchers reported in The Lancet .
More than 20 countries – including Japan , Spain , Italy , Thailand , Portugal , South Korea and Poland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least half .
China 's will fall nearly that much , from 1.4 billion people today to 730 million in 80 years .
Sub-Saharan Africa , meanwhile , will triple in size to some three billion people , with Nigeria alone expanding to almost 800 million in 2100 , second only to India 's 1.1 billion .
`` These forecasts suggest good news for the environment , with less stress on food production systems and lower carbon emissions , as well as significant economic opportunity for parts of sub-Saharan Africa , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( IHME ) at the University of Washington , told AFP .
`` However , most countries outside of Africa will see shrinking workforces and inverting population pyramids , which will have profound negative consequences for the economy . ''
For high-income countries in this category , the best solutions for sustaining population levels and economic growth will be flexible immigration policies and social support for families who want children , the study concluded .
`` However , in the face of declining population there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might consider policies that restrict access to reproductive health services , with potentially devastating consequences , '' Murray cautioned .
`` It is imperative that women 's freedom and rights are at the top of every government 's development agenda . ''
Social services and healthcare systems will need to be overhauled to accommodate much older populations .
As fertility falls and life expectancy increases worldwide , the number of children under five is forecast to decline by more than 40 percent , from 681 million in 2017 to 401 million in 2100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other end of the spectrum , 2.37 billion people – more than a quarter of the global population – will be over 65 years old by then .
Those over 80 will balloon from about 140 million today to 866 million .
Sharp declines in the number and proportion of the working-age population will also pose huge challenges in many countries .
`` Societies will struggle to grow with fewer workers and taxpayers , '' noted Stein Emil Vollset , a professor at the IHME .
The number of people of working age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plummet from about 950 million today to just over 350 million by the end of the century – a 62 percent drop .
The decline in India is projected to be less steep , from 762 to 578 million .
In Nigeria , by contrast , the active labour force will expand from 86 million today to more than 450 million in 2100 .
These tectonic shifts will also reshuffle the pecking order in terms of economic clout , the researchers forecast .
By 2050 , China 's gross domestic product will overtake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall back into second place by 2100 , they predict .
India 's GDP will rise to take the number three spot , while Japan , Germany , France and the UK will stay among the world 's 10 largest economies .
Brazil is projected to fall in ranking from eighth today to 13th , and Russia from the number 10 spot to 14th .
Historical powers Italy and Spain , meanwhile , decline from the top 15 to 25th and 28th , respectively .
Indonesia could become the 12th largest economy globally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is projected to crack the top 10 .
`` By the end of the century , the world will be multipolar , with India , Nigeria , China and the United States the dominant powers , '' said Richard Horton , describing the study as outlining `` radical shifts in geopolitical power . ''
Until now , the United Nations – which forecasts 8.5 , 9.7 and 10.9 billion people in 2030 , 2050 and 2100 , respectively – has virtually had a monopoly in projecting global population .
The difference between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fertility rates .
The so-called `` replacement rate '' for a stable population is 2.1 births per woman .
UN calculations assume that countries with low fertility today will see those rates increase , on average , to about 1.8 children per woman over time , said Murray .
`` Our analysis suggests that as women become more educated and have access to reproductive health services , they choose to have less than 1.5 children on average , '' he explained by email .
`` Continued global population growth through the century is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world 's population . ''
Founded in 2007 and supported by the Bill and & Melinda Gates Foundation , the IHME had become a global reference for health statistics , especially its annual Global Burden of Disease reports .

Earth will be home to 8.8 billion souls in 2100, two billion fewer than current UN projections, according to a major study published Wednesday that foresees new global power alignments shaped by declining fertility rates and greying populations.
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By century's end, 183 of 195 countries – barring an influx of immigrants -– will have fallen below the replacement threshold needed to maintain population levels, an international team of researchers reported in The Lancet.
More than 20 countries – including Japan, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Portugal, South Korea and Poland – will see their numbers diminish by at least half.
China's will fall nearly that much, from 1.4 billion people today to 730 million in 80 years.
Sub-Saharan Africa, meanwhile, will triple in size to some three billion people, with Nigeria alone expanding to almost 800 million in 2100, second only to India's 1.1 billion.
"These forecasts suggest good news for the environment, with less stress on food production systems and lower carbon emissions, as well as significant economic opportunity for parts of sub-Saharan Africa," lead author Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, told AFP.
"However, most countries outside of Africa will see shrinking workforces and inverting population pyramids, which will have profound negative consequences for the economy."
For high-income countries in this category, the best solutions for sustaining population levels and economic growth will be flexible immigration policies and social support for families who want children, the study concluded.
"However, in the face of declining population there is a very real danger that some countries might consider policies that restrict access to reproductive health services, with potentially devastating consequences," Murray cautioned.
866 million people over 80
"It is imperative that women's freedom and rights are at the top of every government's development agenda."
Social services and healthcare systems will need to be overhauled to accommodate much older populations.
As fertility falls and life expectancy increases worldwide, the number of children under five is forecast to decline by more than 40 percent, from 681 million in 2017 to 401 million in 2100, the study found.
At the other end of the spectrum, 2.37 billion people – more than a quarter of the global population – will be over 65 years old by then.
Those over 80 will balloon from about 140 million today to 866 million.
Sharp declines in the number and proportion of the working-age population will also pose huge challenges in many countries.
"Societies will struggle to grow with fewer workers and taxpayers," noted Stein Emil Vollset, a professor at the IHME.
The number of people of working age in China, for example, will plummet from about 950 million today to just over 350 million by the end of the century – a 62 percent drop.
The decline in India is projected to be less steep, from 762 to 578 million.
In Nigeria, by contrast, the active labour force will expand from 86 million today to more than 450 million in 2100.
These tectonic shifts will also reshuffle the pecking order in terms of economic clout, the researchers forecast.
A new multipolar world
By 2050, China's gross domestic product will overtake that of the United States, but fall back into second place by 2100, they predict.
India's GDP will rise to take the number three spot, while Japan, Germany, France and the UK will stay among the world's 10 largest economies.
Brazil is projected to fall in ranking from eighth today to 13th, and Russia from the number 10 spot to 14th. Historical powers Italy and Spain, meanwhile, decline from the top 15 to 25th and 28th, respectively.
Indonesia could become the 12th largest economy globally, while Nigeria – currently 28th – is projected to crack the top 10.
"By the end of the century, the world will be multipolar, with India, Nigeria, China and the United States the dominant powers," said Richard Horton, describing the study as outlining "radical shifts in geopolitical power."
Until now, the United Nations – which forecasts 8.5, 9.7 and 10.9 billion people in 2030, 2050 and 2100, respectively – has virtually had a monopoly in projecting global population.
The difference between the UN and IHME figures hinges crucially on fertility rates. The so-called "replacement rate" for a stable population is 2.1 births per woman.
UN calculations assume that countries with low fertility today will see those rates increase, on average, to about 1.8 children per woman over time, said Murray.
"Our analysis suggests that as women become more educated and have access to reproductive health services, they choose to have less than 1.5 children on average," he explained by email.
"Continued global population growth through the century is no longer the most likely trajectory for the world's population."
Founded in 2007 and supported by the Bill and & Melinda Gates Foundation, the IHME had become a global reference for health statistics, especially its annual Global Burden of Disease reports.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-15--Woman dies after knifeman stabs three in Norway; suspect arrested

Police officers in Sarpsborg , Norway , on July 15 , 2020 , after a few women were stabbed in several locations the previous evening .
Norwegian police said Wednesday they had arrested one person after multiple women were stabbed , one of whom reportedly succumbed to her wounds , in the city of Sarpsborg south of Oslo .
Shortly before midnight on Tuesday , Norwegian police wrote on Twitter that they had received reports of `` multiple people that have been stabbed in multiple locations in Sarpsborg . ''
Police later said that three women had been stabbed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that one person had been arrested .
Several Norwegian media outlets reported that one of the women had died of her injuries .
According to broadcaster NRK , one of the victims reportedly recognised the assailant and one person was arrested at an undisclosed address in central Sarpsborg .
The motive was not immediately known , but according to local newspaper Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad , the husband of one of the victims said that the perpetrator had come to their house .
`` We were watching TV , and then it started banging on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to stab me , but I got away , '' the husband told the newspaper .
After that the man entered the residence and cut the woman in the arm .

Norwegian police said Wednesday they had arrested one person after multiple women were stabbed, one of whom reportedly succumbed to her wounds, in the city of Sarpsborg south of Oslo.
Police officers in Sarpsborg, Norway, on July 15, 2020, after a few women were stabbed in several locations the previous evening.
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Shortly before midnight on Tuesday, Norwegian police wrote on Twitter that they had received reports of "multiple people that have been stabbed in multiple locations in Sarpsborg."
Police later said that three women had been stabbed, with two receiving critical injuries, and that one person had been arrested.
Several Norwegian media outlets reported that one of the women had died of her injuries.
According to broadcaster NRK, one of the victims reportedly recognised the assailant and one person was arrested at an undisclosed address in central Sarpsborg.
The motive was not immediately known, but according to local newspaper Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad, the husband of one of the victims said that the perpetrator had come to their house.
"We were watching TV, and then it started banging on the door. When I opened he tried to stab me, but I got away," the husband told the newspaper.
After that the man entered the residence and cut the woman in the arm.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-16--Three French police officers charged with manslaughter over chokehold death

Doria Chouviat ( C ) , the widow of Cedric Chouviat , a delivery driver who died after being pinned to the ground by arresting police officers in January 2020 , speaks at a press conference in Paris , on June 23 , 2020 .
Three French police members have been charged with manslaughter over the asphyxiation death of a delivery man who was pinned to the ground by arresting officers in January , judicial sources told AFP on Thursday .
Cedric Chouviat , 42 , died in hospital two days after a heated exchange with police officers who held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helmet , for about 20 seconds after his arrest near the Eiffel Tower in Paris .
Chouviat , of North African origin , said `` I 'm suffocating '' seven times before his body went limp , according to a review by investigators of video footage of the incident .
France has seen demonstrations in recent weeks against alleged police brutality and racism .
The protests were sparked by a report clearing the officers who arrested Adama Traore , a 24-year-old black man who died in police custody in 2016 .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was pinned to the ground with their combined bodyweight .
The controversy has gained resonance since mass protests erupted in the United States over the killing by police of George Floyd , a black man who similarly died after being pinned to the ground as he pleaded : `` I ca n't breathe '' .
Rushed to hospital in a critical condition , Chouviat died of asphyxiation with a `` fracture of the larynx '' according to a prosecutor 's report .
Two of the officers involved in Chouviat 's his arrest were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told AFP , and a third on Thursday , according to his lawyer .
A fourth police officer is under investigation but has not been charged .
Chouviat 's family said Thursday that a charge of manslaughter was too lenient `` for the violence and aggressiveness of the police officers '' as seen in video footage captured by witnesses .
`` Voluntary blows led to the death of Cedric Chouviat , '' the family said in a statement .
A charge of `` voluntary violence '' could carry a higher penalty than manslaughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked that the restraint techniques used on Chouviat -- a chokehold and a position where a person is forced face down on the ground while pressure is applied on their torso -- be banned .
Former Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced a ban on chokeholds in June but backtracked after a backlash by police who demonstrated across France .

Three French police members have been charged with manslaughter over the asphyxiation death of a delivery man who was pinned to the ground by arresting officers in January, judicial sources told AFP on Thursday.
Doria Chouviat (C), the widow of Cedric Chouviat, a delivery driver who died after being pinned to the ground by arresting police officers in January 2020, speaks at a press conference in Paris, on June 23, 2020.
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Cedric Chouviat, 42, died in hospital two days after a heated exchange with police officers who held him down, still wearing his scooter helmet, for about 20 seconds after his arrest near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Chouviat, of North African origin, said "I'm suffocating" seven times before his body went limp, according to a review by investigators of video footage of the incident.
France has seen demonstrations in recent weeks against alleged police brutality and racism.
The protests were sparked by a report clearing the officers who arrested Adama Traore, a 24-year-old black man who died in police custody in 2016. One of the officers had admitted the young man was pinned to the ground with their combined bodyweight.
The controversy has gained resonance since mass protests erupted in the United States over the killing by police of George Floyd, a black man who similarly died after being pinned to the ground as he pleaded: "I can't breathe".
Rushed to hospital in a critical condition, Chouviat died of asphyxiation with a "fracture of the larynx" according to a prosecutor's report.
Two of the officers involved in Chouviat's his arrest were charged last week, a judicial source told AFP, and a third on Thursday, according to his lawyer.
A fourth police officer is under investigation but has not been charged.
Chouviat's family said Thursday that a charge of manslaughter was too lenient "for the violence and aggressiveness of the police officers" as seen in video footage captured by witnesses.
"Voluntary blows led to the death of Cedric Chouviat," the family said in a statement. A charge of "voluntary violence" could carry a higher penalty than manslaughter under French law.
The family has asked that the restraint techniques used on Chouviat -- a chokehold and a position where a person is forced face down on the ground while pressure is applied on their torso -- be banned.
Former Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced a ban on chokeholds in June but backtracked after a backlash by police who demonstrated across France.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-16--Kremlin denies UK allegations of vote meddling, Covid-19 vaccine hacking

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin , Moscow , Russia , April 14 , 2020 .
The Kremlin on Thursday denied claims by Britain that `` Russian actors '' sought to meddle in last year 's general election and that Russian intelligence services most likely hacked coronavirus vaccine research .
`` We have no information on who could have hacked pharmaceutical companies and research centres in Britain , '' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the TASS news agency .
`` We can only say this : Russia has nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's cyber-security agency on Thursday accused a hacking group it said `` almost certainly '' operates as part of Russian intelligence services of trying to steal information on coronavirus vaccines .
The National Cyber Security Centre said targets include UK , US and Canadian vaccine research and development organisations .
But Peskov said : `` We do not accept such accusations . ''
The same applied to `` the latest groundless allegations of interference in 2019 elections '' , he said .
The British government accused `` Russian actors '' of seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circulating leaked trade documents between London and Washington .
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier mocked the British claim , saying it was `` so hazy and contradictory that it 's practically impossible to understand '' .
`` On the one hand , there 's no evidence .
On the other hand they are talking about some retaliatory measures .
These things are mutually exclusive , '' she said .

The Kremlin on Thursday denied claims by Britain that "Russian actors" sought to meddle in last year's general election and that Russian intelligence services most likely hacked coronavirus vaccine research.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, April 14, 2020.
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"We have no information on who could have hacked pharmaceutical companies and research centres in Britain," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the TASS news agency.
"We can only say this: Russia has nothing to do with these attempts."
Britain's cyber-security agency on Thursday accused a hacking group it said "almost certainly" operates as part of Russian intelligence services of trying to steal information on coronavirus vaccines.
The National Cyber Security Centre said targets include UK, US and Canadian vaccine research and development organisations.
But Peskov said: "We do not accept such accusations."
The same applied to "the latest groundless allegations of interference in 2019 elections", he said.
The British government accused "Russian actors" of seeking to disrupt last year's general election by circulating leaked trade documents between London and Washington.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier mocked the British claim, saying it was "so hazy and contradictory that it's practically impossible to understand".
"On the one hand, there's no evidence. On the other hand they are talking about some retaliatory measures. These things are mutually exclusive," she said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-16--A green and better recovery… for all? Global South's challenges after Covid-19

A green and better recovery… for all ?
Global South 's challenges after Covid-19 Will post-pandemic recovery plans make the @ @ @ @ @ simply accelerate the inequality gap between North and South ?
Stimulus plans in Europe , @ @ @ @ @ the G20 feature dizzying sums to save jobs and industry , but what about that @ @ @ @ @ of trading with the likes of the Indian sub-continent and Africa ?
FRANCE 24 and @ @ @ @ @ a special edition that asks the hard questions put to the United Nations conference on @ @ @ @ @ : how to restore livelihoods in a more equitable ... and sustainable way ?

A green and better recovery… for all? Global South's challenges after Covid-19
42:55 THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24
Will post-pandemic recovery plans make the world a better place or simply accelerate the inequality gap between North and South? Stimulus plans in Europe, the United States and at the G20 feature dizzying sums to save jobs and industry, but what about that promise of a healthier way of trading with the likes of the Indian sub-continent and Africa? FRANCE 24 and Deutsche Welle team up for a special edition that asks the hard questions put to the United Nations conference on "Building Back Better": how to restore livelihoods in a more equitable... and sustainable way?


france24--2020-07-16--France presents draft law for returning colonial-era artifacts to African countries

The Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac museum in Paris where the 26 objects that will be returned to Benin are located , pictured on June 9 , 2020 .
The French government presented a draft law Wednesday that would enable France to return certain cultural artifacts taken from African countries during the colonial era .
The law , which will go to parliament for consideration , centers on the transfer of ownership of several African objects , including a saber loaned to Senegal last year .
Now-former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe presented the sword to Senegalese President Macky Sall in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the saber as a historically significant weapon that belonged to associates of El Hadj Omar Tall , a 19th century military leader and Muslim scholar who ruled a short-lived empire .
France also pledged to return 26 objects that French colonial troops looted in 1892 from a royal palace in the West African nation of Benin and were kept at the Musee Branly-Jacques-Chirac in Paris .
The proposed law centers only on these objects from Benin and Senegal .
French President Emmanuel Macron first announced plans to repatriate the cultural artifacts in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers .
The new legislation stipulates that these objects must be given back within one year from when the law goes into effect .
Museums such as Paris ’ Louvre and London ’ s British Museum have vociferously opposed laws that would require them to send cultural artifacts back to their countries of origin , arguing that such policies would empty Western museums .
But critics of the West 's colonial-era collections have welcomed Macron 's incremental move .
Françoise Verges , a scholar on questions of culture , race and colonization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s a huge , much larger work of restitution that remains to be done , ” she told The Associated Press .
She points to the 2018 state-commissioned study which counted at least 90 000 African works remaining in French museums .
Verges also questions to what extent restitution will take place with acknowledgement of French colonialism .
The wording of the draft bill calls the works “ gifts ” from generals , which Verges says it a euphemism .
“ The question is how much these restitutions will contribute to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .

The French government presented a draft law Wednesday that would enable France to return certain cultural artifacts taken from African countries during the colonial era.
The Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac museum in Paris where the 26 objects that will be returned to Benin are located, pictured on June 9, 2020.
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The law, which will go to parliament for consideration, centers on the transfer of ownership of several African objects, including a saber loaned to Senegal last year.
Now-former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe presented the sword to Senegalese President Macky Sall in November in Dakar. French media have described the saber as a historically significant weapon that belonged to associates of El Hadj Omar Tall, a 19th century military leader and Muslim scholar who ruled a short-lived empire.
France also pledged to return 26 objects that French colonial troops looted in 1892 from a royal palace in the West African nation of Benin and were kept at the Musee Branly-Jacques-Chirac in Paris. The proposed law centers only on these objects from Benin and Senegal.
French President Emmanuel Macron first announced plans to repatriate the cultural artifacts in 2018 following a report he commissioned from academic researchers. The new legislation stipulates that these objects must be given back within one year from when the law goes into effect.
Museums such as Paris’ Louvre and London’s British Museum have vociferously opposed laws that would require them to send cultural artifacts back to their countries of origin, arguing that such policies would empty Western museums.
But critics of the West's colonial-era collections have welcomed Macron's incremental move. Françoise Verges, a scholar on questions of culture, race and colonization, is waiting for way more.
“There’s a huge, much larger work of restitution that remains to be done,” she told The Associated Press. She points to the 2018 state-commissioned study which counted at least 90 000 African works remaining in French museums.
Verges also questions to what extent restitution will take place with acknowledgement of French colonialism. The wording of the draft bill calls the works “gifts” from generals, which Verges says it a euphemism.
“The question is how much these restitutions will contribute to repair and not an erasure,” she said.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-16--Vatican urges bishops to report sex abuse crimes to police

The pope is pictured third from left in the front row at a liturgy in the Vatican on February 23 , 2019 .
The Vatican told bishops around the world on Thursday they should report cases of clergy sex crimes to police even when not legally bound to do so , in its latest effort to compel church leaders to protect minors from predator priests .
The Vatican issued a long-awaited manual for bishops and religious superiors on conducting in-house investigations into allegations of priests who rape and molest minors and vulnerable adults .
While the Vatican has had detailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the laws continue to be ignored by some bishops who dismiss allegations by victims in favor of protecting their priests .
While the manual doesn ’ t have the force of a new law , it goes beyond the current Vatican policy about cooperating with law enforcement agencies , prosecutors and police .
That policy requires bishops and religious superiors to report allegations of sex crimes with minors only where local laws requires it .
The manual says : “ Even in cases where there is no explicit legal obligation to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a report to the competent civil authorities if this is considered necessary to protect the person involved or other minors from the danger of further criminal acts.
” And it says church leaders must comply with “ legitimate '' subpoena requests .
No excuses not to report abuse The manual , issued in a half-dozen languages , appears aimed in part at depriving bishops and religious superiors of their frequent excuses not to carry out preliminary investigations into accused priests or cooperate with law enforcement .
The manual states , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outright , and that even hearsay and social media posts can constitute the basis on which to launch a preliminary probe .
In addition , the manual says bishops should not ignore allegations just because they fall outside the church ’ s statute of limitations , since the Vatican can at any time decide to waive the time limit .
The only justification for dismissing an allegation outright , the manual says , is if the bishop determines the “ manifest impossibility of proceeding , ” such as if the accuser wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the priest wasn ’ t physically present when the alleged crimes took place .
For any bishop not knowing , it makes clear that the type of crimes that fall under sexual abuse is “ quite broad ” and includes not only sexual relations but any physical contact for sexual gratification .
The manual lists exhibitionism , masturbation , pornography production and “ conversations and/or propositions of a sexual nature ” that can occur through a variety of means of communication as crimes that must be investigated .
And it warns that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negligence if they fail to take allegations seriously and investigate them .
The manual was published by the Vatican office that investigates priestly sex crimes , the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , and was issued in Italian , French , English , Spanish , Portuguese and Polish , with a German edition expected .
Its origins lie in Pope Francis ’ 2019 sex abuse summit , in which the presidents of all the world ’ s bishops conferences came to the Vatican for a four-day tutorial on abuse .
Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notorious case of abuse and cover-up in Chile , and after he realized that many bishops around the world still didn ’ t understand or take seriously the depth of the abuse problem in the church .
On the first day of the summit , Francis issued 21 points of reflection going forward , with the first point a recommendation that the Vatican issue a handbook to help bishops investigate and prosecute sex crimes .
While the Vatican has issued a variety of abuse-related documents over the years , the new manual provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations , from start to finish .
The No .
2 at the Vatican office responsible , Monsignor Giacomo Morandi , acknowledged that no new norms are being promulgated .
“ The real novelty , however , is that for the first time the procedure is described in an organized way – from the first report of a possible crime to the definitive conclusion of the cause , ” he told Vatican Media .
The Vatican has long refused to flat-out require bishops to report abuse allegations to police , arguing that such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment of priests in countries where Catholics are a persecuted minority .
Survivors and advocates have long blasted the position , arguing that the Vatican could make a universal reporting mandate with certain exceptions if needed .

The Vatican told bishops around the world on Thursday they should report cases of clergy sex crimes to police even when not legally bound to do so, in its latest effort to compel church leaders to protect minors from predator priests.
The pope is pictured third from left in the front row at a liturgy in the Vatican on February 23, 2019.
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The Vatican issued a long-awaited manual for bishops and religious superiors on conducting in-house investigations into allegations of priests who rape and molest minors and vulnerable adults. While the Vatican has had detailed canonical norms in place for two decades, the laws continue to be ignored by some bishops who dismiss allegations by victims in favor of protecting their priests.
While the manual doesn’t have the force of a new law, it goes beyond the current Vatican policy about cooperating with law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and police. That policy requires bishops and religious superiors to report allegations of sex crimes with minors only where local laws requires it.
The manual says: “Even in cases where there is no explicit legal obligation to do so, the ecclesiastical authorities should make a report to the competent civil authorities if this is considered necessary to protect the person involved or other minors from the danger of further criminal acts.”
And it says church leaders must comply with “legitimate" subpoena requests.
No excuses not to report abuse
The manual, issued in a half-dozen languages, appears aimed in part at depriving bishops and religious superiors of their frequent excuses not to carry out preliminary investigations into accused priests or cooperate with law enforcement.
The manual states, for example, that anonymous allegations should not be dismissed outright, and that even hearsay and social media posts can constitute the basis on which to launch a preliminary probe.
In addition, the manual says bishops should not ignore allegations just because they fall outside the church’s statute of limitations, since the Vatican can at any time decide to waive the time limit.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith publishes an “instruction manual”, a step-by-step guide to help ascertain the truth in cases of minors who have suffered abuse on the part of a member of the clergy.https://t.co/VBMYfFXN2P — Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 16, 2020
The only justification for dismissing an allegation outright, the manual says, is if the bishop determines the “manifest impossibility of proceeding,” such as if the accuser wasn’t under age 18 at the time or the priest wasn’t physically present when the alleged crimes took place.
For any bishop not knowing, it makes clear that the type of crimes that fall under sexual abuse is “quite broad” and includes not only sexual relations but any physical contact for sexual gratification. The manual lists exhibitionism, masturbation, pornography production and “conversations and/or propositions of a sexual nature” that can occur through a variety of means of communication as crimes that must be investigated.
And it warns that bishops can themselves be prosecuted canonically for negligence if they fail to take allegations seriously and investigate them.
Point-by-point instruction on investigating crime
The manual was published by the Vatican office that investigates priestly sex crimes, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and was issued in Italian, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish, with a German edition expected.
Its origins lie in Pope Francis’ 2019 sex abuse summit, in which the presidents of all the world’s bishops conferences came to the Vatican for a four-day tutorial on abuse. Francis summoned them after he himself botched a notorious case of abuse and cover-up in Chile, and after he realized that many bishops around the world still didn’t understand or take seriously the depth of the abuse problem in the church.
On the first day of the summit, Francis issued 21 points of reflection going forward, with the first point a recommendation that the Vatican issue a handbook to help bishops investigate and prosecute sex crimes. While the Vatican has issued a variety of abuse-related documents over the years, the new manual provides a point-by-point instruction on how to conduct investigations, from start to finish.
The No. 2 at the Vatican office responsible, Monsignor Giacomo Morandi, acknowledged that no new norms are being promulgated. “The real novelty, however, is that for the first time the procedure is described in an organized way – from the first report of a possible crime to the definitive conclusion of the cause,” he told Vatican Media.
The Vatican has long refused to flat-out require bishops to report abuse allegations to police, arguing that such a universal law could lead to unjust treatment of priests in countries where Catholics are a persecuted minority. Survivors and advocates have long blasted the position, arguing that the Vatican could make a universal reporting mandate with certain exceptions if needed.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-16--China greenlights BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine for human trials

A small bottle labeled with a `` Vaccine '' sticker is held near a medical syringe in an illustration taken on April 10 , 2020 .
China has approved an early-stage trial in humans of German firm BioNTech 's experimental COVID-19 vaccine , its local partner Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical said on Thursday .
The potential vaccine is one of the two most advanced candidates that BioNTech is working on with its partner Pfizer Inc and they received `` fast track '' status this week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which is designed to speed up the regulatory review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filing that a unit will initiate a Phase I clinical trial of BNT162b1 `` as soon as possible once it is ready '' .
It is licensed to exclusively develop and commercialize COVID-19 vaccine products developed by using BioNTech 's mRNA technology in mainland China , Hong Kong , Macau and Taiwan .
The candidate is one of at least 23 being tested on humans in a frantic global race to find a vaccine the world is counting on to end a pandemic that has infected more than 13 million people and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the latest approval , Chinese researchers and companies have moved eight vaccine candidates into different phases of human trials at home and abroad .
Fosun Pharma agreed in March to pay up to $ 85 million in licensing fees to use BioNTech 's proprietary mRNA technology and invest $ 50 million for a stake in the German firm .

China has approved an early-stage trial in humans of German firm BioNTech's experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its local partner Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical said on Thursday.
A small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine" sticker is held near a medical syringe in an illustration taken on April 10, 2020.
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The potential vaccine is one of the two most advanced candidates that BioNTech is working on with its partner Pfizer Inc and they received "fast track" status this week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which is designed to speed up the regulatory review process.
Fosun Pharma said in a filing that a unit will initiate a Phase I clinical trial of BNT162b1 "as soon as possible once it is ready".
It is licensed to exclusively develop and commercialize COVID-19 vaccine products developed by using BioNTech's mRNA technology in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The candidate is one of at least 23 being tested on humans in a frantic global race to find a vaccine the world is counting on to end a pandemic that has infected more than 13 million people and killed more than half a million.
Prior to the latest approval, Chinese researchers and companies have moved eight vaccine candidates into different phases of human trials at home and abroad.
Fosun Pharma agreed in March to pay up to $85 million in licensing fees to use BioNTech's proprietary mRNA technology and invest $50 million for a stake in the German firm.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-16--Spain pays homage to victims and heroes of coronavirus crisis

King Felipe VI of Spain ( 2L ) and his daughter Crown Princess Leonor of Spain leave roses next to a cauldron during a state ceremony to honour the 28,400 victims of the coronavirus crisis in Spain , on July 16 , 2020 , at the Royal Palace in Madrid .
Spain paid tribute Thursday to the nation 's victims of the new coronavirus and workers who put their lives at risk during the worst of the pandemic with a solemn state ceremony in Madrid .
Relatives of around 100 people who died during the pandemic , representatives of medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia , government members and officials from the European Union and the World Health Organization at an esplanade in Madrid ’ s Royal Palace .
The guests , masked and seated in a socially distanced fashion surrounding a central cauldron , included representatives from a dozen religious organizations and ambassadors .
The ceremony was shown live on television and online .
In an emotional speech , Hernando Calleja said he was sharing the pain of the loss of his brother José María , a well-known journalist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ anonymous ” victims .
“ Let ’ s not forget that the coronavirus was and continues to be a cold , cruel and wrecking executioner , ” Calleja said .
Aroa López , a nurse from the Vall d ’ Hebron hospital in Barcelona , spoke representing workers in hospitals , health centers and laboratories , at least 52.600 of whom have been diagnosed as infected with the virus .
She also remembered truck drivers , cleaners and thousands of others who “ took care of the millions of Spaniards who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health workers made videocalls between relatives and dying patients , or held the hands of those who didn ’ t want to die alone , she urged politicians to protect the public health system .
“ Who will take care of us if the person who takes care of us can not do it ?
” she implored .
“ Let us never forget the lesson learned.
” As a live performance of string music took over from the words , attendees left white roses by the cauldron .
The country 's monarch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak and called for responsible behavior in fighting the virus .
“ We have a moral obligation to always recognize and respect the dignity of the deceased and a civic duty to promote the best values that underlie our society , ” Felipe VI said before the ceremony came to an end with a minute of silence .
All Spanish political parties attended the state tribute except for the far-right Vox , whose leader has called the event an “ act of propaganda ” and “ an exculpatory ceremony ” for the left-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sánchez .
Spain has officially recorded 28,413 victims who died after testing positive for the Covid-19 disease , although excess mortality figures suggest the actual figure is thousands higher .
The country is grappling with dozens of fresh outbreaks after it emerged from a strict lockdown last month .

Spain paid tribute Thursday to the nation's victims of the new coronavirus and workers who put their lives at risk during the worst of the pandemic with a solemn state ceremony in Madrid.
King Felipe VI of Spain (2L) and his daughter Crown Princess Leonor of Spain leave roses next to a cauldron during a state ceremony to honour the 28,400 victims of the coronavirus crisis in Spain, on July 16, 2020, at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
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Relatives of around 100 people who died during the pandemic, representatives of medical personnel, police and other essential workers joined King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, government members and officials from the European Union and the World Health Organization at an esplanade in Madrid’s Royal Palace.
The guests, masked and seated in a socially distanced fashion surrounding a central cauldron, included representatives from a dozen religious organizations and ambassadors. The ceremony was shown live on television and online.
In an emotional speech, Hernando Calleja said he was sharing the pain of the loss of his brother José María, a well-known journalist and writer in Madrid, with other relatives of “anonymous” victims.
“Let’s not forget that the coronavirus was and continues to be a cold, cruel and wrecking executioner,” Calleja said.
Aroa López, a nurse from the Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona, spoke representing workers in hospitals, health centers and laboratories, at least 52.600 of whom have been diagnosed as infected with the virus. She also remembered truck drivers, cleaners and thousands of others who “took care of the millions of Spaniards who were confined.”
After telling how some health workers made videocalls between relatives and dying patients, or held the hands of those who didn’t want to die alone, she urged politicians to protect the public health system.
“Who will take care of us if the person who takes care of us cannot do it?” she implored. “Let us never forget the lesson learned.”
As a live performance of string music took over from the words, attendees left white roses by the cauldron.
The country's monarch praised the citizens' response to the outbreak and called for responsible behavior in fighting the virus.
“We have a moral obligation to always recognize and respect the dignity of the deceased and a civic duty to promote the best values that underlie our society,” Felipe VI said before the ceremony came to an end with a minute of silence.
All Spanish political parties attended the state tribute except for the far-right Vox, whose leader has called the event an “act of propaganda” and “an exculpatory ceremony” for the left-wing ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Spain has officially recorded 28,413 victims who died after testing positive for the Covid-19 disease, although excess mortality figures suggest the actual figure is thousands higher. The country is grappling with dozens of fresh outbreaks after it emerged from a strict lockdown last month.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-16--The chilling global impact of Siberia’s record heatwave

Temperatures in Russia ’ s Arctic Siberian region climbed to record highs in June , sparking a disastrous snowball effect of forest fires , thawing permafrost and oil spills .
The most chilling phenomenon in Siberia this season has been the heat .
A series of warnings , reports and studies over the past few weeks have raised alarm bells over the record temperatures in the vast Russian region spanning much of Eurasia and Northern Asia .
The latest report , produced by a collaboration of scientific teams from France , Germany , Netherlands , Russia , Switzerland and Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attribution project , has provided the strongest signal so far of the effects of global warming on Siberia .
The study concluded that Siberia ’ s record-breaking heatwave would have been “ virtually impossible without human-induced climate change ” .
The June heatwave during the second half of the month brought the monthly average temperatures in some parts of Arctic Siberia to as high as 10 degrees Celsius above normal , according to the European Copernicus Climate Change Service .
“ In addition , the average monthly temperature over the entire area was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which breaks the record for the previous two warmest Junes – 2018 and 2019 , ” the study said .
The record was set in the small town of Verkhoyansk , near the Arctic Circle , known to be one of the coldest places on Earth .
On June 20 , 2020 , the mercury hit 38 degrees Celsius , which the Russian Meteorological Service said was the highest ever recorded north of the Arctic circle .
The World Meteorological Organization has said it is carrying out its own research to verify this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian region is `` probably the most significant weather event of the year '' , said Mika Rantanen , a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute , on Twitter .
In an interview with FRANCE 24 , Rantanen explained that it was a long-term phenomenon since `` it started in winter '' .
Scientists however are not surprised by the temperature variations over this vast area of 13 million square kilometres , which accounts for 77 percent of Russia 's area and is larger than Canada .
They have long known that temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currents that melt snow .
This year , however , in addition to global warming , climatologists have noted two natural factors that have accentuated the heat spike .
First , an unusually strong polar vortex over the North Pole has created a mild climate over the entire area .
In addition , a high-pressure system in June favoured the rise in temperatures .
`` As it was already warm in spring , the snow cover melted earlier than usual , '' said Rantanen .
“ So the heat energy in summer has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ice .
This resulted in record temperatures.
” While noting that , `` We do n't know yet if this is just a one-year event or the beginning of something completely new , '' Rantanen warned that `` it will be worrying if the conditions continue like this '' .
The record Arctic heatwave has major consequences for global warming .
Massive forest fires have engulfed the area , with more than 275,000 hectares going up in smoke in the vast Sakha region in northeastern Siberia , according to the Russian government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the wildfires resulted in “ an estimated total of 59 megatonnes of CO2 ” emissions in the atmosphere , according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service , which is a record since measurements began in 2003 .
Although the intensity of the fires decreased in mid-July , 159 fires are still active and threaten 333,000 hectares .
Based on satellite data , Greenpeace 's forest monitoring service in Russia estimates that around 9.26 million hectares have been affected by fires since the start of the year .
Another consequence of rising temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ species such as Dendrolimus sibiricus , a moth that can produce colonies capable of devouring the foliage of a giant pine tree in a few hours .
Their voracious larvae attack conifers and their needles , making them more vulnerable to fires , leading experts to warn about their `` tragic consequences '' for pine forests .
Finally , rising temperatures in Siberia lead to the melting of permafrost , or ground that remains frozen for a minimum of two years and up to hundreds of thousands of years , which the Russians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The thawing Arctic permafrost releases vestiges of ancient life , including Ice Age plant matter and animal fossils locked in frozen dirt for millennia , which in turn emit masses of carbon into the atmosphere .
It is also partly responsible for the damage and collapse of a diesel fuel storage tank at the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy 's Thermal Power Plant in late May , which resulted in an oil spill of an estimated 20,000 tonnes into the Ambarnaïa River .
This ecological disaster prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to declare a state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thawing of the Arctic ’ s permafrost as a climate and health bomb .
Their concerns are now being mirrored by some politicians .
`` Some of our cities were built north of the Arctic Circle , on the permafrost , ” warned Putin in December .
“ If it starts to thaw , you can imagine the consequences .
It 's very serious . ''

Temperatures in Russia’s Arctic Siberian region climbed to record highs in June, sparking a disastrous snowball effect of forest fires, thawing permafrost and oil spills.
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The most chilling phenomenon in Siberia this season has been the heat. A series of warnings, reports and studies over the past few weeks have raised alarm bells over the record temperatures in the vast Russian region spanning much of Eurasia and Northern Asia.
The latest report, produced by a collaboration of scientific teams from France, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland and Britain and released Wednesday by the World Weather Attribution project, has provided the strongest signal so far of the effects of global warming on Siberia.
The study concluded that Siberia’s record-breaking heatwave would have been “virtually impossible without human-induced climate change”.
The June heatwave during the second half of the month brought the monthly average temperatures in some parts of Arctic Siberia to as high as 10 degrees Celsius above normal, according to the European Copernicus Climate Change Service.
“In addition, the average monthly temperature over the entire area was more than 5°C higher than usual, which breaks the record for the previous two warmest Junes – 2018 and 2019,” the study said.
The record was set in the small town of Verkhoyansk, near the Arctic Circle, known to be one of the coldest places on Earth. On June 20, 2020, the mercury hit 38 degrees Celsius, which the Russian Meteorological Service said was the highest ever recorded north of the Arctic circle. The World Meteorological Organization has said it is carrying out its own research to verify this.
The extreme heat wave in the Russian region is "probably the most significant weather event of the year", said Mika Rantanen, a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, on Twitter. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Rantanen explained that it was a long-term phenomenon since "it started in winter".
The extreme heat in Siberia has been arguably the most remarkable weather event in the world by far in 2020.
According to the latest ERA5 data, some places have been 8°C warmer than normal during the first half of the year. pic.twitter.com/FnRIV5GVko — Mika Rantanen (@mikarantane) July 5, 2020
Thermal energy not absorbed by snow
Scientists however are not surprised by the temperature variations over this vast area of 13 million square kilometres, which accounts for 77 percent of Russia's area and is larger than Canada. They have long known that temperatures are rising faster because of warm ocean currents that melt snow.
This year, however, in addition to global warming, climatologists have noted two natural factors that have accentuated the heat spike. First, an unusually strong polar vortex over the North Pole has created a mild climate over the entire area. In addition, a high-pressure system in June favoured the rise in temperatures.
"As it was already warm in spring, the snow cover melted earlier than usual," said Rantanen. “So the heat energy in summer has not been consumed into melting of snow and ice. This resulted in record temperatures.”
While noting that, "We don't know yet if this is just a one-year event or the beginning of something completely new," Rantanen warned that "it will be worrying if the conditions continue like this".
Absolutely brutal year for the Siberian Arctic...
[Left: sea ice | Right: temperature] pic.twitter.com/KioiYdPcpF — Zack Labe (@ZLabe) July 11, 2020
Wildfires, invasive insects, disappearing forests
The record Arctic heatwave has major consequences for global warming. Massive forest fires have engulfed the area, with more than 275,000 hectares going up in smoke in the vast Sakha region in northeastern Siberia, according to the Russian government forestry agency.
The number and intensity of the wildfires resulted in “an estimated total of 59 megatonnes of CO2” emissions in the atmosphere, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which is a record since measurements began in 2003.
Although the intensity of the fires decreased in mid-July, 159 fires are still active and threaten 333,000 hectares. Based on satellite data, Greenpeace's forest monitoring service in Russia estimates that around 9.26 million hectares have been affected by fires since the start of the year.
Another consequence of rising temperatures on forests is the spread of invasive species such as Dendrolimus sibiricus, a moth that can produce colonies capable of devouring the foliage of a giant pine tree in a few hours. Their voracious larvae attack conifers and their needles, making them more vulnerable to fires, leading experts to warn about their "tragic consequences" for pine forests.
Thawing permafrost, a climate bomb
Finally, rising temperatures in Siberia lead to the melting of permafrost, or ground that remains frozen for a minimum of two years and up to hundreds of thousands of years, which the Russians call "the eternal freeze".
The thawing Arctic permafrost releases vestiges of ancient life, including Ice Age plant matter and animal fossils locked in frozen dirt for millennia, which in turn emit masses of carbon into the atmosphere.
It is also partly responsible for the damage and collapse of a diesel fuel storage tank at the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy's Thermal Power Plant in late May, which resulted in an oil spill of an estimated 20,000 tonnes into the Ambarnaïa River. This ecological disaster prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to declare a state of national emergency.
Climatologists have long viewed the thawing of the Arctic’s permafrost as a climate and health bomb. Their concerns are now being mirrored by some politicians. "Some of our cities were built north of the Arctic Circle, on the permafrost,” warned Putin in December. “If it starts to thaw, you can imagine the consequences. It's very serious."
(This article is a translation of the original in French)
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france24--2020-07-16--Mask-wearing compulsory indoors in public from next week, French PM Castex says

Wearing protective face masks , French President Emmanuel Macron , left , and Prime Minister Jean Castex greet guests at the end of the annual Bastille Day military ceremony on the Place de la Concorde in Paris on July 14 , 2020 .
France will make it compulsory to wear a face mask indoors in public places from next week , the government said Thursday as the country reported an uptick in new coronavirus cases .
The masks , obligatory on collective transport until now , will become compulsory in all indoor places frequented by the public , Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authorities also ordered people to start wearing face masks in parts of the northwestern French region of Mayenne on Thursday after a rise of coronavirus infections there .
The Mayenne prefecture said masks would be compulsory in its main city Laval as well as five other municipalities – Bonchamp-lès-Laval , Changé , L ’ Huisserie , Louverné and Saint-Berthevin .
`` In Mayenne , the situation is problematic today '' , French Health Minister Olivier Véran told France Inter radio .
Up to now , France has required people to wear face coverings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where social distancing is not possible , but has not mandated the wearing of masks in shops .

France will make it compulsory to wear a face mask indoors in public places from next week, the government said Thursday as the country reported an uptick in new coronavirus cases.
Wearing protective face masks, French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Prime Minister Jean Castex greet guests at the end of the annual Bastille Day military ceremony on the Place de la Concorde in Paris on July 14, 2020.
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The masks, obligatory on collective transport until now, will become compulsory in all indoor places frequented by the public, Prime Minister Jean Castex said in the Senate.
Authorities also ordered people to start wearing face masks in parts of the northwestern French region of Mayenne on Thursday after a rise of coronavirus infections there.
The Mayenne prefecture said masks would be compulsory in its main city Laval as well as five other municipalities – Bonchamp-lès-Laval, Changé, L’Huisserie, Louverné and Saint-Berthevin.
"In Mayenne, the situation is problematic today", French Health Minister Olivier Véran told France Inter radio.
Up to now, France has required people to wear face coverings on public transport and in public spaces where social distancing is not possible, but has not mandated the wearing of masks in shops.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-16--The DR Congo group fighting deforestation with fuel-saving balls of clay

Objectif Brousse is a French organisation primarily financed by donations that has been operating in the two Kivu provinces since 2005 .
In 2006 , students in Goma launched a project making these balls of clay but it was short-lived .
Objectif Brousse reignited the program in November 2019 , organising workshops in three villages in Kabare in South Kivu .
This Facebook post by Objectif Brousse shows a group of people learning how to make the fuel-saving balls of clay in Chibuga , a village near Kahuzi Biega National Park that is home to members of the Pygmy tribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut down on wood charcoal use by up to 70 % .
These photos show people from Objectif Brousse talking to locals about how many trees can be saved by using these clay balls , which are like round briquettes that can be used as fuel when mixed in with a bit of charcoal .
They visited local restaurants to install special cookstoves , which can also be used to save fuel , and to get owners interested in the clay balls so that the new trainees will have ready customers .
Objectif @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charcoal costs around 300 francs and can only be used once , while one kilogram of clay balls costs around 900 francs and can be used for 15 days .
Nearly 120 people attended the first workshops .
Because there wasn ’ t yet a market for these clay balls , we decided to set up a number of “ foyers fixes ” , which are specially built traditional clay cookstoves that use two ceramic plates to be more heat-efficient .
We installed these cookstoves for free , with the aim of raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and getting people interested in using clay balls instead .
Since our training sessions , several participants have been selling clay balls or opened up their own small businesses .
In this post on Facebook , Objectif Brousse talks about setting up specially made traditional cookstoves , installed with two ceramic plates to maintain the heat , in all the restaurants in Miti-Kafurmaye , a grouping made up of several villages that is less than 10km from the famous Kahuzi Biega National Park in South Kivu.The owners of these restaurants , who all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impressed .

DR CONGO
An instructor trains a group of widows, whose husbands were park rangers at Kahuzi-Biega National Park, on how to make special round clay briquettes that can be mixed with charcoal to make it last longer. (Photo: Cédric-Dubois Muliri from Objectif Brousse)
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With little access to electricity, almost all of the residents of North and South Kivu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo use charcoal to cook. A lot of the wood for this charcoal comes from nearby national parks. In an attempt to slow deforestation and save the incredible biodiversity of these parks, one local group has begun training people to make fuel-saving balls of clay to reduce the need for wood charcoal.
Uncontrolled illegal logging is a huge threat to several nature reserves and national parks in North and South Kivu, including Virunga, which is renowned for being home to a wide variety of animal species including the mountain gorilla, and Kahuzi-Biega, which is home to one of the last groups of Grauer gorillas.
>> READ ON THE OBSERVERS: DR Congo park ranger's selfie with gorillas goes viral
These photos, taken by members of Objectif Brousse in 2019, show the impact of deforestation on the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Much of this deforestation is linked to the illegal production of wood charcoal.
An organisation called Objectif Brousse came up with a unique solution to respond to the region’s energy needs: cut down on charcoal use and provide economic opportunities for local people. In late 2019, they started training people to make clay balls, which are a combination of clay, water and organic waste. When you mix these balls of clay in with a bit of charcoal, you can significantly cut down on the quantities of charcoal used.
"You can save 80% of charcoal by using these balls of clay because they last for a week"
Objectif Brousse is a French organisation primarily financed by donations that has been operating in the two Kivu provinces since 2005. In 2006, students in Goma launched a project making these balls of clay but it was short-lived. Objectif Brousse reignited the program in November 2019, organising workshops in three villages in Kabare in South Kivu.
This Facebook post by Objectif Brousse shows a group of people learning how to make the fuel-saving balls of clay in Chibuga, a village near Kahuzi Biega National Park that is home to members of the Pygmy tribe. The group claims these balls can cut down on wood charcoal use by up to 70%.
Objectif Brousse partners with local instructors who already work in the agro-forestry field, like Cédric-Dubois Muliri, who is a biology researcher at the University of Bukavu.
These balls have the advantage of being made out of clay, which is readily available in both provinces. The balls don’t work alone – you have to mix them with a bit of wood charcoal. To respond to that need, we partnered with a group in Bukavu that makes organically-sourced charcoal that isn’t from national parks. The idea is to mix it with the clay balls. Using clay balls cuts down on nearly 80% of wood charcoal use because they last for a week. That is cheaper for locals, who don’t have to buy as much wood charcoal as before.
These photos show people from Objectif Brousse talking to locals about how many trees can be saved by using these clay balls, which are like round briquettes that can be used as fuel when mixed in with a bit of charcoal. They visited local restaurants to install special cookstoves, which can also be used to save fuel, and to get owners interested in the clay balls so that the new trainees will have ready customers.
Objectif Brousse says that one kilogram of regular charcoal costs around 300 francs and can only be used once, while one kilogram of clay balls costs around 900 francs and can be used for 15 days.
Nearly 120 people attended the first workshops. Because there wasn’t yet a market for these clay balls, we decided to set up a number of “foyers fixes”, which are specially built traditional clay cookstoves that use two ceramic plates to be more heat-efficient. We installed these cookstoves for free, with the aim of raising awareness about the problem of wood charcoal and getting people interested in using clay balls instead. Since our training sessions, several participants have been selling clay balls or opened up their own small businesses.
In this post on Facebook, Objectif Brousse talks about setting up specially made traditional cookstoves, installed with two ceramic plates to maintain the heat, in all the restaurants in Miti-Kafurmaye, a grouping made up of several villages that is less than 10km from the famous Kahuzi Biega National Park in South Kivu.The owners of these restaurants, who all happen to be women, were extremely impressed.
Workshops for the widows of former park rangers
In June 2020, we ran several workshops for a group of widows whose husbands had been park rangers at Kahuzi-Biega National Park. These women's husbands died as conservation heroes. Park rangers protect the park from illegal activities, which is often a dangerous job. However, after their deaths, many of these women are left without any kind of income. We offered to train them in making clay balls, which enables them to make some money while also doing something to help the environment. We started by training 20 women how to make both clay balls and special cookstoves.
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Objectif Brousse trained the widows of former park rangers in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in June. (These photos were sent by Cédric-Dubois Muliri).
In early July, we ran several workshops for widows of Virunga park rangers. In April, thirteen rangers were killed during an attack on the park [Editor’s note: A driver and four civilians also died in this ambush carried out by an armed group that operates within the park]. We did the training in Goma, where some of the women live. One of the women has already sold some of the balls she made during the workshop.
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Objectif Brousse led workshops for the widows of park rangers at Virunga National Park on July 9 and 10 in Goma. (Photos by Cédric-Dubois Muliri).
This interview features Corine Sekele and Falone Matwe, two women who took part in the workshop on clay ball production organised by Objectif Brousse in Goma on July 9 and 10, 2020. (Video: Cédric-Dubois Muliri / Objectif Brousse).
Xavier Gilibert is the president of Objectif Brousse. He wants to get all of the international and national organisations around Virunga to start buying and using clay balls to set an example for locals:
We need to teach more people the technique but our goal is to start selling 10kg bags filled with organically sourced charcoal and clay balls. The impact will be two-fold. First, we’ll be selling charcoal that lasts longer and doesn’t come from the parks. We’ll also be creating jobs.
In this post on Facebook, Objectif Brousse writes about Joëlle, the daughter of a park ranger who was killed on the job. She learned to make clay balls during a workshop run by the organisation.
In this post on Facebook, Objectif Brousse writes about one family in Miti that took part in a training session four months ago and can now live from the proceeds from making clay balls, instead of depending on the trees that make up the habitat of Grauer gorillas. The entire family is helping with production.
Other eco-friendly initiatives in Kivu
With nearly 155 million hectares of forest, the Democratic Republic of Congo contains more than half of the forest that makes up the Congo Basin, which is the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world after the Amazon. But, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the country is losing around 500,000 hectares of forest every year. Many other organisations and individuals have mobilised alongside Objectif Brousse to address this rapid deforestation.
In 2007, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) joined forces with several local associations to launch ECOmakala, which supplies people living in Goma with wood charcoal made from fast-growing trees cultivated on a plantation instead trees in Virunga. The WWF also supports a local business called Goma Stove, which manufactures and sells fuel-efficient cookstoves, which they say requires much less charcoal than other stoves.
In 2018, a Congolese student launched a company called 'Briquette du Kivu', which specialises in making eco-friendly charcoal from organic waste.
>> READ ON THE OBSERVERS: Congolese student develops eco-friendly charcoal
Last year, Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi announced that he would make expanding access to electricity the “economic priority” of his presidency. According to a recent World Bank report, out of 10 million households in the country, only 1.6 million have access to electricity.
Written by Maëva Poulet.


france24--2020-07-16--Top European court invalidates data sharing agreement with US

The logo of the European Court of Justice .
Following the court 's decision , the EU and U.S. will likely have to find a new agreement that guarantees that Europeans ' data is afforded the same privacy protection in the U.S. as it is in the EU .
The European Union ’ s top court ruled Thursday that an agreement that allows big tech companies to transfer data to the United States is invalid , and that national regulators need to take tougher action to protect the privacy of users ’ data .
The ruling to invalidate Privacy Shield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of data outside the EU , and it could require regulators to vet any new transfers due to concerns that the US government can snoop on people 's data for national security reasons .
It will no longer simply be assumed that tech companies like Facebook will adequately protect the privacy of its European users ' data when it sends it to the US .
Rather , the EU and US will likely have to find a new agreement that guarantees that Europeans ' data is afforded the same privacy protection in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has some of the toughest standards in the world .
The case began after former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 that the American government was snooping on people ’ s online data and communications .
The revelations included detail on how Facebook gave US security agencies access to the personal data of Europeans .
Austrian activist and law student Max Schrems that year filed a complaint against Facebook , which has its EU base in Ireland , arguing that personal data should not be sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because the data protection is not as strong as in Europe .
Though the legal case was triggered by concerns over Facebook in particular , it could have far-reaching implications for all tech companies that move large amounts of data over the internet if regulators find that US privacy protections are insufficient and block the transfers .
Things like email , flight and hotel reservations would not be affected .
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the United States was `` deeply disappointed '' that an EU court scrapped a crucial online data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The US will continue to work with the European Commission on this matter and is still studying the ruling , Ross said .
The US hopes , he said , `` to be able to limit the negative consequences to the $ 7.1 trillion transatlantic economic relationship that is so vital to our respective citizens , companies , and governments . ''
`` As our economies continue their post-Covid-19 recovery , it is critical that companies – including the 5,300+ current Privacy Shield participants – be able to transfer data without interruption , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using the name of the scheme allowing for data transfers between European and US servers .
Schrems said the ruling amounted to a victory for privacy .
“ The US will have to engage in serious surveillance reform to get back to a ‘ privileged ’ status for US companies , ” he wrote on Twitter .
Companies use legal mechanisms called standard contractual clauses that force businesses to abide by strict EU privacy standards when transferring messages , photos and other information .
Companies like Facebook routinely move such data among its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clauses — stock terms and conditions — are used to ensure the EU rules are maintained when data leaves the bloc .
The Court of Justice of the EU ruled Thursday that those clauses are still valid .
However , it declared invalid the umbrella agreement between the US and EU on data transfers .
The court noted in its rulings that there are “ limitations on the protection of personal data arising from the domestic law of the United States on the access and use by US public authorities of such data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third country.
” Alexandre Roure , a senior manager at Computer & Communications Industry Association , said the decision “ creates legal uncertainty for the thousands of large and small companies on both sides of the Atlantic that rely on Privacy Shield for their daily commercial data transfers .
`` We trust that EU and US decision-makers will swiftly develop a sustainable solution , in line with EU law , to ensure the continuation of data flows which underpins the trans-Atlantic economy .
”

The European Union’s top court ruled Thursday that an agreement that allows big tech companies to transfer data to the United States is invalid, and that national regulators need to take tougher action to protect the privacy of users’ data.
The logo of the European Court of Justice. Following the court's decision, the EU and U.S. will likely have to find a new agreement that guarantees that Europeans' data is afforded the same privacy protection in the U.S. as it is in the EU.
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The ruling to invalidate Privacy Shield will complicate the transfer of a lot of data outside the EU, and it could require regulators to vet any new transfers due to concerns that the US government can snoop on people's data for national security reasons.
It will no longer simply be assumed that tech companies like Facebook will adequately protect the privacy of its European users' data when it sends it to the US. Rather, the EU and US will likely have to find a new agreement that guarantees that Europeans' data is afforded the same privacy protection in the U.S. as it is in the EU, which has some of the toughest standards in the world.
The case began after former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 that the American government was snooping on people’s online data and communications. The revelations included detail on how Facebook gave US security agencies access to the personal data of Europeans.
Austrian activist and law student Max Schrems that year filed a complaint against Facebook, which has its EU base in Ireland, arguing that personal data should not be sent to the US, as many companies do, because the data protection is not as strong as in Europe.
Far-reaching implications for tech firms
Though the legal case was triggered by concerns over Facebook in particular, it could have far-reaching implications for all tech companies that move large amounts of data over the internet if regulators find that US privacy protections are insufficient and block the transfers. Things like email, flight and hotel reservations would not be affected.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the United States was "deeply disappointed" that an EU court scrapped a crucial online data arrangement between Europe and the US.
The US will continue to work with the European Commission on this matter and is still studying the ruling, Ross said.
The US hopes, he said, "to be able to limit the negative consequences to the $7.1 trillion transatlantic economic relationship that is so vital to our respective citizens, companies, and governments."
"As our economies continue their post-Covid-19 recovery, it is critical that companies – including the 5,300+ current Privacy Shield participants – be able to transfer data without interruption," Ross said in a statement, using the name of the scheme allowing for data transfers between European and US servers.
Schrems said the ruling amounted to a victory for privacy. “The US will have to engage in serious surveillance reform to get back to a ‘privileged’ status for US companies,” he wrote on Twitter.
Companies use legal mechanisms called standard contractual clauses that force businesses to abide by strict EU privacy standards when transferring messages, photos and other information. Companies like Facebook routinely move such data among its servers around the world, and the clauses — stock terms and conditions — are used to ensure the EU rules are maintained when data leaves the bloc.
The Court of Justice of the EU ruled Thursday that those clauses are still valid. However, it declared invalid the umbrella agreement between the US and EU on data transfers.
The court noted in its rulings that there are “limitations on the protection of personal data arising from the domestic law of the United States on the access and use by US public authorities of such data transferred from the European Union to that third country.”
Alexandre Roure, a senior manager at Computer & Communications Industry Association, said the decision “creates legal uncertainty for the thousands of large and small companies on both sides of the Atlantic that rely on Privacy Shield for their daily commercial data transfers.
"We trust that EU and US decision-makers will swiftly develop a sustainable solution, in line with EU law, to ensure the continuation of data flows which underpins the trans-Atlantic economy.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP)
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france24--2020-07-16--New skirmishes erupt on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan

An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube by the Azerbaijani defence ministry on July 15 , 2020 , allegedly shows an explosion targeting an Armenian army strong point on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border .
Border clashes erupted again early on Thursday between arch-foes Azerbaijan and Armenia , officials in both countries said , following a pause in fighting amid a flare-up over a decades-long territorial dispute .
At least 16 people on both sides have been killed since border clashes erupted on Sunday between the ex-Soviet republics , which have been locked for decades in a conflict over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The territory was seized by ethnic Armenian separatists in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives , though the recent fighting broke out on a northern section of their shared border far from Karabakh .
Azerbaijani forces were `` shelling Armenian villages with mortars and howitzers , '' Armenia 's defence ministry spokeswoman Sushan Stepanyan said on Thursday .
`` The fire still continues , '' she wrote on Facebook .
The defence ministry in Baku said in a statement that clashes were ongoing in the north after `` Armenians shelled Azerbaijani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renewed violence erupted after both sides observed a pause in fighting on Wednesday .
The clashes that broke out last week have raised fears of a major flare-up in the strategic Caucasus region and prompted calls for an immediate de-escalation from the United States , the European Union and regional power broker Russia .
Internationally mediated peace talks between the two Caucasus nations have so far failed to bring about a solution to their territorial dispute .
Energy-rich Azerbaijan has repeatedly threatened to win control over Karabakh by force after seeing diplomatic efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has vowed to crush any military offensive .

Border clashes erupted again early on Thursday between arch-foes Azerbaijan and Armenia, officials in both countries said, following a pause in fighting amid a flare-up over a decades-long territorial dispute.
An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube by the Azerbaijani defence ministry on July 15, 2020, allegedly shows an explosion targeting an Armenian army strong point on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border.
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At least 16 people on both sides have been killed since border clashes erupted on Sunday between the ex-Soviet republics, which have been locked for decades in a conflict over Azerbaijan's separatist region of Nagorno Karabakh.
The territory was seized by ethnic Armenian separatists in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000 lives, though the recent fighting broke out on a northern section of their shared border far from Karabakh.
Azerbaijani forces were "shelling Armenian villages with mortars and howitzers," Armenia's defence ministry spokeswoman Sushan Stepanyan said on Thursday.
"The fire still continues," she wrote on Facebook.
The defence ministry in Baku said in a statement that clashes were ongoing in the north after "Armenians shelled Azerbaijani villages with large-calibre weapons."
The renewed violence erupted after both sides observed a pause in fighting on Wednesday.
The clashes that broke out last week have raised fears of a major flare-up in the strategic Caucasus region and prompted calls for an immediate de-escalation from the United States, the European Union and regional power broker Russia.
Internationally mediated peace talks between the two Caucasus nations have so far failed to bring about a solution to their territorial dispute.
Energy-rich Azerbaijan has repeatedly threatened to win control over Karabakh by force after seeing diplomatic efforts to reclaim the territory fail.
Armenia has vowed to crush any military offensive.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-16--Battle of the statues continues as Bristol removes anti-racism protest monument

This sculpture of a Black Lives Matter protester was removed 24 hours after it was placed on the empty plinth previously occupied by the statue of slave trader Edward Colston , in Bristol , Britain , on July 15 , 2020 .
A statue of an anti-racism protester in Britain which had replaced one of a slave trader was removed Thursday , local authorities said , in an ongoing battle over the symbolic empty plinth .
The authorities in the southwestern city of Bristol said they had taken down the sculpture – entitled `` A Surge of Power '' showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her fist raised – almost exactly 24 hours after it was placed on the plinth without permission .
`` This morning we removed the sculpture , '' Bristol city council said in a statement .
`` It will be held at our museum for the artist to collect or donate to our collection . ''
The sculpture was secretly put in place on Wednesday , and was inspired by events in Bristol last month which saw anti-racism protesters remove the statue of slave trader Edward Colston and dump it in the local harbour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` I ca n't see it coming down in a hurry '' .
But local authority officials insisted it was for the whole city to decide what should replace the Colston statue , which had stood on the plinth since 1895 .
`` The sculpture that has been installed today was the work and decision of a London-based artist , '' Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said on Wednesday .
`` It was not requested and permission was not given for it to be installed .
`` The future of the plinth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be decided by the people of Bristol . ''
Protests in Bristol took place following the killing of African American George Floyd by police in the US state of Minnesota .
His death helped fuel global protests , including in the UK , where much of the focus of demonstrations has been on Britain 's colonial past .
Colston was a 17th century slave trader and Conservative MP whose company forcibly moved large numbers of West Africans .
A native of Bristol , his name is commemorated in many landmarks across the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bristol has seen calls for other statues in the UK to be taken down , including that of colonialist Cecil Rhodes at Oxford University 's Oriel College .
There have also been counter-demonstrations to protect some statues , including one of wartime leader Winston Churchill in London and the founder of the Scout movement , Robert Baden-Powell , in Poole on England 's south coast .

A statue of an anti-racism protester in Britain which had replaced one of a slave trader was removed Thursday, local authorities said, in an ongoing battle over the symbolic empty plinth.
This sculpture of a Black Lives Matter protester was removed 24 hours after it was placed on the empty plinth previously occupied by the statue of slave trader Edward Colston, in Bristol, Britain, on July 15, 2020.
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The authorities in the southwestern city of Bristol said they had taken down the sculpture – entitled "A Surge of Power" showing Black Lives Matter demonstrator Jen Reid with her fist raised – almost exactly 24 hours after it was placed on the plinth without permission.
"This morning we removed the sculpture," Bristol city council said in a statement. "It will be held at our museum for the artist to collect or donate to our collection."
The sculpture was secretly put in place on Wednesday, and was inspired by events in Bristol last month which saw anti-racism protesters remove the statue of slave trader Edward Colston and dump it in the local harbour.
Reid had attended the unveiling and said: "I can't see it coming down in a hurry".
But local authority officials insisted it was for the whole city to decide what should replace the Colston statue, which had stood on the plinth since 1895.
"The sculpture that has been installed today was the work and decision of a London-based artist," Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said on Wednesday.
"It was not requested and permission was not given for it to be installed.
"The future of the plinth and what is installed on it must be decided by the people of Bristol."
Protests in Bristol took place following the killing of African American George Floyd by police in the US state of Minnesota.
His death helped fuel global protests, including in the UK, where much of the focus of demonstrations has been on Britain's colonial past.
Colston was a 17th century slave trader and Conservative MP whose company forcibly moved large numbers of West Africans.
A native of Bristol, his name is commemorated in many landmarks across the city.
The impact of the march in Bristol has seen calls for other statues in the UK to be taken down, including that of colonialist Cecil Rhodes at Oxford University's Oriel College.
There have also been counter-demonstrations to protect some statues, including one of wartime leader Winston Churchill in London and the founder of the Scout movement, Robert Baden-Powell, in Poole on England's south coast.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-15--Twitter investigating breach of high-profile accounts by hackers

The Twitter accounts of a number of high-profile individuals have been hacked , it was reported on July 15 , 2020 .
Twitter is investigating a massive hack in which high-profile users from Elon Musk to Joe Biden had their accounts hijacked by scammers who the social network believes targeted its employees to gain access to internal systems .
Posts trying to dupe people into sending hackers the cryptocurrency Bitcoin were tweeted by the official accounts of Apple , Uber , Kanye West , Bill Gates , Barack Obama and many others on Wednesday .
`` We detected what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools , '' Twitter said .
`` They used this access to take control of many highly-visible ... accounts , '' the company said , adding that it was investigating `` what other malicious activity they may have conducted or information they may have accessed . ''
The fraudulent posts , which were largely deleted , said people had 30 minutes to send $ 1,000 in bitcoin in order to receive twice as much in return .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost $ 116,000 -- were sent to the email addresses mentioned in the fraudulent tweets , according to the site Blockchain.com , which monitors crypto transactions .
`` Tough day for us at Twitter , '' chief executive Jack Dorsey said in a tweet .
`` We all feel terrible this happened .
We 're diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened . ''
The Biden campaign told AFP that Twitter locked down the hacked account quickly and removed the bogus tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has more than 83 million followers , was not among those hacked .
`` Most accounts should be able to Tweet again , '' the Twitter support team said in an evening update , having earlier briefly disabled posts from verified accounts with an official blue checkmark .
The network said it had locked down the affected accounts , which also included Bitcoin speciality firms , and removed the tweets posted by the hackers .
Twitter added that the network was largely back to normal , but that it `` may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we do . ''
Media outlet Vice reported that a Twitter insider was responsible , citing leaked screenshots and two anonymous sources apparently behind the hack , one of whom told Vice they had paid the employee .
Rachel Tobac of cyber-security firm SocialProof Security also theorized that hackers had got control of a Twitter employee 's administrative access to post the messages .
Meanwhile reports said that BitTorrent chief executive Justin Sun was offering a $ 1 million reward for bringing the Twitter hackers to justice .
The tweet that appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , `` Happy Wednesday !
I am giving back Bitcoin to all of my followers .
I am doubling all payments sent to the Bitcoin address below .
You send 0.1 BTC , I send 0.2 BTC back ! ''
It added that the offer was `` only going on for 30 minutes . ''
The fake messages that appeared on other famous accounts made similar promises of instant riches .
One version of the scam invited people to click on a link at which they would be exploited .
`` All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Gemini cryptocurrency exchange co-founder Cameron Winklevoss said in a tweet .
`` This is a SCAM , DO NOT participate ! ''
he warned .
Twitter has been targeted by hackers in the past .
In March 2017 , the accounts of Amnesty International , the French economics ministry and the BBC 's North America service were broken into by hackers believed to have been loyal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
Last August , a series of insulting or racist messages were posted on the personal account of Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @

Twitter is investigating a massive hack in which high-profile users from Elon Musk to Joe Biden had their accounts hijacked by scammers who the social network believes targeted its employees to gain access to internal systems.
The Twitter accounts of a number of high-profile individuals have been hacked, it was reported on July 15, 2020.
Advertising Read more
Posts trying to dupe people into sending hackers the cryptocurrency Bitcoin were tweeted by the official accounts of Apple, Uber, Kanye West, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and many others on Wednesday.
"We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools," Twitter said.
"They used this access to take control of many highly-visible... accounts," the company said, adding that it was investigating "what other malicious activity they may have conducted or information they may have accessed."
The fraudulent posts, which were largely deleted, said people had 30 minutes to send $1,000 in bitcoin in order to receive twice as much in return.
A total of 12.58 bitcoin -- worth almost $116,000 -- were sent to the email addresses mentioned in the fraudulent tweets, according to the site Blockchain.com, which monitors crypto transactions.
"Tough day for us at Twitter," chief executive Jack Dorsey said in a tweet.
"We all feel terrible this happened. We're diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened."
Blue ticks
The Biden campaign told AFP that Twitter locked down the hacked account quickly and removed the bogus tweet.
US President Donald Trump's account, which has more than 83 million followers, was not among those hacked.
"Most accounts should be able to Tweet again," the Twitter support team said in an evening update, having earlier briefly disabled posts from verified accounts with an official blue checkmark.
The network said it had locked down the affected accounts, which also included Bitcoin speciality firms, and removed the tweets posted by the hackers.
Twitter added that the network was largely back to normal, but that it "may take further actions and will update you if we do."
Media outlet Vice reported that a Twitter insider was responsible, citing leaked screenshots and two anonymous sources apparently behind the hack, one of whom told Vice they had paid the employee.
Rachel Tobac of cyber-security firm SocialProof Security also theorized that hackers had got control of a Twitter employee's administrative access to post the messages.
Meanwhile reports said that BitTorrent chief executive Justin Sun was offering a $1 million reward for bringing the Twitter hackers to justice.
'Giving back'
The tweet that appeared on Tesla founder Musk's Twitter feed said, "Happy Wednesday! I am giving back Bitcoin to all of my followers. I am doubling all payments sent to the Bitcoin address below. You send 0.1 BTC, I send 0.2 BTC back!"
It added that the offer was "only going on for 30 minutes."
The fake messages that appeared on other famous accounts made similar promises of instant riches.
One version of the scam invited people to click on a link at which they would be exploited.
"All major crypto Twitter accounts have been compromised," Gemini cryptocurrency exchange co-founder Cameron Winklevoss said in a tweet.
"This is a SCAM, DO NOT participate!" he warned.
Twitter has been targeted by hackers in the past.
In March 2017, the accounts of Amnesty International, the French economics ministry and the BBC's North America service were broken into by hackers believed to have been loyal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Last August, a series of insulting or racist messages were posted on the personal account of Twitter founder Dorsey without his knowledge.
(AFP)
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