france24--2020-10-17--Lebanon marks first anniversary of protest movement

Lebanese activists erect a monument close to the site of a devastating August explosion in Beirut port to mark the first anniverary of nationwide protests for sweeping political reform Lebanon marks the first anniversary on Saturday of a non-sectarian protest movement that has rocked the political elite but has yet to achieve its goal of sweeping reform .
A whirlwind of hope and despair has gripped the country in the year since protests began with an economic crisis and a devastating August 4 port explosion pushing Lebanon deeper into decay .
Two governments have resigned since the movement started but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them warlords from the 1975-90 civil war , remain firmly in power despite international as well as domestic pressure for change .
Demonstrators plan to march from the main Beirut protest camp towards the port -- the site of a devastating explosion , which has been widely blamed on the alleged corruption and incompetence of the hereditary elite .
There they will hold a candlelit vigil near ground zero at 6:07 pm ( 1507 GMT ) , the precise time when a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertiliser exploded , killing more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital .
Activists have installed a statue at the site to mark the anniversary of their October 17 `` revolution '' .
`` We still do n't recognise '' our political leaders as legitimate , said one prominent protester , who gave her name only as Melissa .
`` We are still on the street ... standing together in the face of a corrupt government , '' the 42-year-old said .
The immediate trigger for last year 's protests was a government move to tax Whatsapp calls , but they swiftly swelled into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system of confessional power-sharing it says has rewarded corruption and incompetence .
The country 's deepest economic downturn since the civil war has led to growing unemployment , poverty and hunger , pushing many to look for better opportunities abroad .
A spiralling coronavirus outbreak since February prompted a ban on public gatherings but even without protesters on the streets public resentment has grown .
`` Between two Octobers ' : bankrupcy and humiliation '' read the main headline in Lebanon 's Al Joumhouria newspaper .
The explosion at Beirut port served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rot at the heart of their political system .
It prompted protesters to return to the steets in its aftermath but the movement then shifted most of its energy to relief operations to fill in for what it sees as an absent state .
The political class has since failed to form a new government that can meet the demands of the street and international donors who have refused to release desperately needed funds .
French President Emmanuel Macron who visited Lebanon twice in the aftermath of the port blast said Lebanon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people by failing to act swiftly and decisively .
President Michel Aoun will hold consultations with the main factions in parliament next week before designating a new prime minister for the third time in less than a year .
Saad Hariri , who bowed out in the face of the first protests last October , is expected to make a comeback in an appointment that activists are likely to reject .
The protest movement , meanwhile , has maintained a loose structure that some analysts believe could be an impediment to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leadership have made the process and progress rather daunting and difficult , '' said Jamil Mouawad , who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut .
The protest movement is eager to show it has not lost momentum .
`` Year two of the Thawra , '' read the main headline in the French-language daily L'Orient-Le Jour , using the Arabic word for 'revolution ' which for most Lebanese has become synonymous with the protest movement .
In the northern city of Tripoli , which saw some of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathering on Friday night .
`` We salute our revolution , which we believe is still continuing and will not die until we achieve our demands , '' said 37-year-old protester Taha Ratl .
`` We want all of them to quit . ''

Beirut (AFP) –
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Lebanon marks the first anniversary on Saturday of a non-sectarian protest movement that has rocked the political elite but has yet to achieve its goal of sweeping reform.
A whirlwind of hope and despair has gripped the country in the year since protests began with an economic crisis and a devastating August 4 port explosion pushing Lebanon deeper into decay.
Two governments have resigned since the movement started but the country's barons, many of them warlords from the 1975-90 civil war, remain firmly in power despite international as well as domestic pressure for change.
Demonstrators plan to march from the main Beirut protest camp towards the port -- the site of a devastating explosion, which has been widely blamed on the alleged corruption and incompetence of the hereditary elite.
There they will hold a candlelit vigil near ground zero at 6:07 pm (1507 GMT), the precise time when a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertiliser exploded, killing more than 200 people and devastating swathes of the capital.
Activists have installed a statue at the site to mark the anniversary of their October 17 "revolution".
"We still don't recognise" our political leaders as legitimate, said one prominent protester, who gave her name only as Melissa.
"We are still on the street... standing together in the face of a corrupt government," the 42-year-old said.
- 'Between two Octobers' -
The immediate trigger for last year's protests was a government move to tax Whatsapp calls, but they swiftly swelled into a nationwide movement demanding an end to the system of confessional power-sharing it says has rewarded corruption and incompetence.
The country's deepest economic downturn since the civil war has led to growing unemployment, poverty and hunger, pushing many to look for better opportunities abroad.
A spiralling coronavirus outbreak since February prompted a ban on public gatherings but even without protesters on the streets public resentment has grown.
"Between two Octobers': bankrupcy and humiliation" read the main headline in Lebanon's Al Joumhouria newspaper.
The explosion at Beirut port served as a shocking reminder to many of the rot at the heart of their political system.
It prompted protesters to return to the steets in its aftermath but the movement then shifted most of its energy to relief operations to fill in for what it sees as an absent state.
The political class has since failed to form a new government that can meet the demands of the street and international donors who have refused to release desperately needed funds.
French President Emmanuel Macron who visited Lebanon twice in the aftermath of the port blast said Lebanon's ruling class had "betrayed" the people by failing to act swiftly and decisively.
- 'Year two' -
President Michel Aoun will hold consultations with the main factions in parliament next week before designating a new prime minister for the third time in less than a year.
Saad Hariri, who bowed out in the face of the first protests last October, is expected to make a comeback in an appointment that activists are likely to reject.
The protest movement, meanwhile, has maintained a loose structure that some analysts believe could be an impediment to change.
"The lack of political programmes and leadership have made the process and progress rather daunting and difficult," said Jamil Mouawad, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut.
The protest movement is eager to show it has not lost momentum.
"Year two of the Thawra," read the main headline in the French-language daily L'Orient-Le Jour, using the Arabic word for 'revolution' which for most Lebanese has become synonymous with the protest movement.
In the northern city of Tripoli, which saw some of the most vibrant protests last year, activists started gathering on Friday night.
"We salute our revolution, which we believe is still continuing and will not die until we achieve our demands," said 37-year-old protester Taha Ratl.
"We want all of them to quit."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Ardern wins landslide in New Zealand election

Jacinda Ardern has dubbed the vote `` the Covid election '' and campaigned on her government 's success in eliminating community transmission of the virus Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won a landslide victory in New Zealand 's general election Saturday , leveraging success battling Covid-19 to gain an unprecedented outright majority and the chance to implement her reform agenda .
With two thirds of the vote counted , Ardern 's centre-left Labour Party was on 49.2 percent and forecast to take around 64 seats in the 120-member parliament .
No leader has achieved an absolute majority since New Zealand adopted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading to a succession of multi-party governments .
While the count has not been finalised , the figures were enough for opposition leader Judith Collins to concede after phoning Ardern .
`` Congratulations on your result because it is , I believe , an outstanding result for the Labour Party .
It has been a tough campaign , '' Collins told cheering supporters in Auckland .
Her conservative National Party was expected to take around 35 seats in what appears to be its worst result in nearly 20 years .
Ardern 's performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on course for its strongest showing since 1946 .
Party president Claire Szabo praised the campaign of the charismatic leader , who sparked a wave of support dubbed `` Jacinda-mania '' when she took over the party in 2017 as it was languishing in the polls .
`` There 's no doubt the strong , great leadership we 've had from Jacinda Ardern has been a massive factor in all this , '' she told NZ .
Ardern had dubbed the vote `` the Covid election '' and campaigned on her government 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , which has caused just 25 deaths in a population of five million .
The pandemic is just one of a string of crises that showed Ardern 's leadership qualities during a torrid first term .
She displayed both empathy and decisive action on gun control after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers in the Christchurch mosques attack last year .
Ardern again found herself comforting a shocked nation when a volcanic eruption at White Island , also known as Whakaari , killed 21 people and left dozens more with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis is thrown my way , you will always be assured I will give my everything to this job , even if that means a huge sacrifice , '' she said this week .
Ardern faced criticism during her first term for failing to deliver on some key promises such as improving housing affordability and countering child poverty .
Greens co-leader Marama Davidson , whose party governed in coalition with Labour during the first term , said the prime minister now had a mandate to implement change .
`` I want to congratulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extraordinary win , '' she said .
`` The results show how much New Zealanders want a strong , truly progressive government . ''
Collins focused on the spectre of the Greens forcing Ardern to adopt a wealth tax aimed at the aspirational middle class .
But her attacks failed to find traction and the party looks set to fall well short of the vote it recorded at the last election in 2017 .
The conservative leader , known as `` Crusher '' for her hardline policies when police minister in a previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as leader regardless of the result .
About 3.5 million people are registered to vote , with 1.9 million , or well over half , casting their ballots early -- a much higher figure than previous elections .
The vote was originally set for September 19 but was delayed by a virus outbreak in Auckland that has now been contained .
Collins , who took over the National Party in July after a period of turmoil when the party had three leaders in three months , said the false start had cost her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in two referendums , one on legalising recreational cannabis and the other on legalising euthanasia , although the results of those votes will not be known until October 30 .

Wellington (AFP) –
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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won a landslide victory in New Zealand's general election Saturday, leveraging success battling Covid-19 to gain an unprecedented outright majority and the chance to implement her reform agenda.
With two thirds of the vote counted, Ardern's centre-left Labour Party was on 49.2 percent and forecast to take around 64 seats in the 120-member parliament.
No leader has achieved an absolute majority since New Zealand adopted a proportional voting system in 1996, leading to a succession of multi-party governments.
While the count has not been finalised, the figures were enough for opposition leader Judith Collins to concede after phoning Ardern.
"Congratulations on your result because it is, I believe, an outstanding result for the Labour Party. It has been a tough campaign," Collins told cheering supporters in Auckland.
Her conservative National Party was expected to take around 35 seats in what appears to be its worst result in nearly 20 years.
Ardern's performance beat pre-election opinion polls and put Labour on course for its strongest showing since 1946.
Party president Claire Szabo praised the campaign of the charismatic leader, who sparked a wave of support dubbed "Jacinda-mania" when she took over the party in 2017 as it was languishing in the polls.
"There's no doubt the strong, great leadership we've had from Jacinda Ardern has been a massive factor in all this," she told NZ.
Ardern had dubbed the vote "the Covid election" and campaigned on her government's success in eliminating community transmission of the virus, which has caused just 25 deaths in a population of five million.
The pandemic is just one of a string of crises that showed Ardern's leadership qualities during a torrid first term.
She displayed both empathy and decisive action on gun control after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers in the Christchurch mosques attack last year.
Ardern again found herself comforting a shocked nation when a volcanic eruption at White Island, also known as Whakaari, killed 21 people and left dozens more with horrific burns.
"No matter what crisis is thrown my way, you will always be assured I will give my everything to this job, even if that means a huge sacrifice," she said this week.
- 'Extraordinary win' -
Ardern faced criticism during her first term for failing to deliver on some key promises such as improving housing affordability and countering child poverty.
Greens co-leader Marama Davidson, whose party governed in coalition with Labour during the first term, said the prime minister now had a mandate to implement change.
"I want to congratulate Jacinda Ardern and her team on an extraordinary win," she said.
"The results show how much New Zealanders want a strong, truly progressive government."
Collins focused on the spectre of the Greens forcing Ardern to adopt a wealth tax aimed at the aspirational middle class.
But her attacks failed to find traction and the party looks set to fall well short of the vote it recorded at the last election in 2017.
The conservative leader, known as "Crusher" for her hardline policies when police minister in a previous government, has vowed to stay on as leader regardless of the result.
About 3.5 million people are registered to vote, with 1.9 million, or well over half, casting their ballots early -- a much higher figure than previous elections.
The vote was originally set for September 19 but was delayed by a virus outbreak in Auckland that has now been contained.
Collins, who took over the National Party in July after a period of turmoil when the party had three leaders in three months, said the false start had cost her campaign momentum.
Voters also cast ballots in two referendums, one on legalising recreational cannabis and the other on legalising euthanasia, although the results of those votes will not be known until October 30.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Thai protesters vow to return to streets after police clashes

Pro-democracy protesters have been calling for the resignation of Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha and government reforms Thai pro-democracy protesters vowed Saturday to again defy an emergency decree banning gatherings after days of confrontations in the capital that saw riot police use water cannon and dozens of activists arrested .
Officers in Bangkok dispersed thousands of demonstrators on Friday night by spraying water laced with blue dye and a chemical agent to mark participants for future legal action .
But the escalation in police tactics has not cowed the burgeoning youth-led protest movement , which is demanding the resignation of a premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coup and reform of the kingdom 's powerful monarchy .
One of the pro-democracy movement 's main organising groups called on its supporters to return to the streets on Saturday afternoon .
`` Be prepared both physically and mentally for the demonstration and to cope with a crackdown if it happens , '' the online post from Free Youth said .
Another group , the United Front of Thammasat , called on activists to spread out at different stations on the city 's Skytrain and subway network , prompting the operators of both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police said they would shut key roads around suspected protest sites .
Thai Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha extended an emergency decree banning gatherings of more than four people by another month on Friday .
The former army chief , who masterminded the coup in 2014 before being voted into power last year in an election protesters say was rigged in his favour , also rebuffed calls for his resignation .
At least 65 prominent protesters have been arrested since Tuesday , Thai Lawyers for Human Rights told AFP on Saturday , as authorities escalated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrest .
Eight have since been released , including activist Tattep `` Ford '' Ruangprapaikitseree , who was bailed on Saturday after his detention the previous night .
He was quick to go live on Facebook to denounce the use of violence against unarmed protesters .
`` The government is no longer legitimate .
Prayut Chan-O-Cha , you 're a tyrant , '' he said .
Two other activists were arrested on Friday under a rarely used law banning `` violence against the queen '' after they joined a group Wednesday that surrounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a passenger , flashing a pro-democracy salute as the car drove by .
Both men could face life in prison if convicted .
At least three protesters sustained slight injuries and five officers were admitted to the police hospital in Friday 's clashes , authorities said .
The government insisted the use of force had been lawful to stop those trying to `` create divisions '' in the country .
`` There was no victory or defeat for either side .
It 's a defeat for all Thais , '' government spokesman Anucha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-democracy movement is making an unprecedented challenge to the kingdom 's powerful monarchy .
Protesters are demanding the abolition of a strict royal defamation law , which carries jail sentences of up to 15 years per charge , and for the monarchy to stay out of politics .
King Maha Vajiralongkorn sits at the apex of power .
Since ascending the throne in 2016 , he has taken personal control of the palace 's vast fortune -- worth an estimated $ 60 billion -- and moved two army units under his direct command @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil unrest directly , but during a ceremony broadcast on Friday , he told his subjects that Thailand `` needs people who love the country , people who love the institution of the monarchy '' .
The government insists the reforms to the royal family are off-limits , but this position was becoming untenable , said International Crisis Group analyst Matthew Wheeler .
`` The degree of repression necessary to effectively reinstate the prohibition , including online , would tarnish both the government and the monarchy . ''

Bangkok (AFP) –
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Thai pro-democracy protesters vowed Saturday to again defy an emergency decree banning gatherings after days of confrontations in the capital that saw riot police use water cannon and dozens of activists arrested.
Officers in Bangkok dispersed thousands of demonstrators on Friday night by spraying water laced with blue dye and a chemical agent to mark participants for future legal action.
But the escalation in police tactics has not cowed the burgeoning youth-led protest movement, which is demanding the resignation of a premier first brought to power in a military coup and reform of the kingdom's powerful monarchy.
One of the pro-democracy movement's main organising groups called on its supporters to return to the streets on Saturday afternoon.
"Be prepared both physically and mentally for the demonstration and to cope with a crackdown if it happens," the online post from Free Youth said.
Another group, the United Front of Thammasat, called on activists to spread out at different stations on the city's Skytrain and subway network, prompting the operators of both rail networks to shut down services.
Police said they would shut key roads around suspected protest sites.
Thai Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha extended an emergency decree banning gatherings of more than four people by another month on Friday.
The former army chief, who masterminded the coup in 2014 before being voted into power last year in an election protesters say was rigged in his favour, also rebuffed calls for his resignation.
- 'You're a tyrant' -
At least 65 prominent protesters have been arrested since Tuesday, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights told AFP on Saturday, as authorities escalated a crackdown on months of slowly building unrest.
Eight have since been released, including activist Tattep "Ford" Ruangprapaikitseree, who was bailed on Saturday after his detention the previous night.
He was quick to go live on Facebook to denounce the use of violence against unarmed protesters.
"The government is no longer legitimate. Prayut Chan-O-Cha, you're a tyrant," he said.
Two other activists were arrested on Friday under a rarely used law banning "violence against the queen" after they joined a group Wednesday that surrounded a royal motorcade with Queen Suthida as a passenger, flashing a pro-democracy salute as the car drove by.
Both men could face life in prison if convicted.
At least three protesters sustained slight injuries and five officers were admitted to the police hospital in Friday's clashes, authorities said.
The government insisted the use of force had been lawful to stop those trying to "create divisions" in the country.
"There was no victory or defeat for either side. It's a defeat for all Thais," government spokesman Anucha Burapanchaisri said in a statement.
- Royal reminder -
The pro-democracy movement is making an unprecedented challenge to the kingdom's powerful monarchy.
Protesters are demanding the abolition of a strict royal defamation law, which carries jail sentences of up to 15 years per charge, and for the monarchy to stay out of politics.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn sits at the apex of power.
Since ascending the throne in 2016, he has taken personal control of the palace's vast fortune -- worth an estimated $60 billion -- and moved two army units under his direct command.
Vajiralongkorn has yet to address the civil unrest directly, but during a ceremony broadcast on Friday, he told his subjects that Thailand "needs people who love the country, people who love the institution of the monarchy".
The government insists the reforms to the royal family are off-limits, but this position was becoming untenable, said International Crisis Group analyst Matthew Wheeler.
"The degree of repression necessary to effectively reinstate the prohibition, including online, would tarnish both the government and the monarchy."
burs-rs/dhc/gle
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--New Zealand PM Ardern expected to boost leadership on elections after handling of Covid-19 pandemic

New Zealand PM Ardern expected to boost leadership on elections after handling of Covid-19 pandemic New Zealand PM Ardern expected @ @ @ @ @ after handling of Covid-19 pandemic

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france24--2020-10-17--Chechen, 18, suspected of beheading teacher in France

The beheading of a teacher on the outskirts of Paris has shocked France The man suspected of beheading a French teacher who showed his students cartoons of the prophet Mohammed was an 18-year-old Chechen , a source said Saturday , in what President Emmanuel Macron called an `` Islamist terror attack '' .
The attack took place late Friday afternoon near the middle school where the teacher worked in Conflans Saint-Honorine , a northwestern suburb around 30 kilometres ( 20 miles ) from central Paris .
The assailant was shot by police and later died of his injuries .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who recently showed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as part of a class discussion on freedom of expression that had prompted complaints from some parents .
A judicial source told AFP on Saturday that five more people had been detained over the murder , including the parents of a child at the school where the teacher was working , bringing to nine the total number currently under arrest .
According to the source , who asked not to be named , the two detained parents had signalled their disagreement with the teacher 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three other new people detained for questioning are members of the suspect 's social circle .
The four previously detained are all relatives .
The attack came as a trial is in progress over the January 2015 massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine , which had published caricatures of the prophet that unleashed a wave of anger across the Islamic world .
The magazine had defiantly re-published the cartoons in the run-up to the trial 's opening in September and last month a young Pakistani wounded two people with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offices .
In a tweet , Charlie Hebdo expressed its `` sense of horror and revolt '' at Friday 's attack .
Identification documents found on the suspect showed he was an 18-year-old born in Moscow but from Russia 's southern region of Chechnya .
The attacker shouted `` Allahu Akbar '' ( `` God is greatest '' ) as police confronted him , a cry often heard in jihadist attacks , a police source said .
French anti-terror prosecutors said they were treating the assault as `` a murder linked to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were investigating a tweet posted from an account that showed a picture of the teacher 's head , and which has since been shut down .
It was unclear whether the message , which contained a threat against Macron -- describing him as `` the leader of the infidels '' -- had been posted by the attacker , they said .
The killing bore the hallmarks of `` an Islamist terrorist attack '' , Macron said as he visited the scene .
Visibly moved , the president said that `` the entire nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that `` obscurantism will not win '' .
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed her condolences to the teacher 's family and the French people .
`` My thoughts are also with teachers , in France and across Europe .
Without them , there are no citizens .
Without them , there is no democracy , '' she tweeted in French .
At the school , parents and teachers alike paid tribute to the victim , who has not been officially named .
`` According to my son , he was super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' a parent , Nordine Chaouadi , told AFP .
`` I saw him ( the teacher ) today , he came to my class to see our teacher .
It 's shocking that I wo n't see him again , '' said Tiago , a student in sixth grade .
The teacher `` simply said to the Muslim children : 'Leave , I do n't want it to hurt your feelings . '
That 's what my son told me , '' the parent said .
Police had arrived at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspicious individual loitering near the school , a police source said .
They opened fire , severly injuring him , and he later died of the wounds .

Paris (AFP) –
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The man suspected of beheading a French teacher who showed his students cartoons of the prophet Mohammed was an 18-year-old Chechen, a source said Saturday, in what President Emmanuel Macron called an "Islamist terror attack".
The attack took place late Friday afternoon near the middle school where the teacher worked in Conflans Saint-Honorine, a northwestern suburb around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from central Paris.
The assailant was shot by police and later died of his injuries.
Police said the victim was a history teacher who recently showed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as part of a class discussion on freedom of expression that had prompted complaints from some parents.
A judicial source told AFP on Saturday that five more people had been detained over the murder, including the parents of a child at the school where the teacher was working, bringing to nine the total number currently under arrest.
According to the source, who asked not to be named, the two detained parents had signalled their disagreement with the teacher's decision to show the cartoons.
The three other new people detained for questioning are members of the suspect's social circle. The four previously detained are all relatives.
The attack came as a trial is in progress over the January 2015 massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, which had published caricatures of the prophet that unleashed a wave of anger across the Islamic world.
The magazine had defiantly re-published the cartoons in the run-up to the trial's opening in September and last month a young Pakistani wounded two people with a meat cleaver outside the magazine's former offices.
In a tweet, Charlie Hebdo expressed its "sense of horror and revolt" at Friday's attack.
- 'Will not win' -
Identification documents found on the suspect showed he was an 18-year-old born in Moscow but from Russia's southern region of Chechnya.
The attacker shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") as police confronted him, a cry often heard in jihadist attacks, a police source said.
French anti-terror prosecutors said they were treating the assault as "a murder linked to a terrorist organisation".
Police said they were investigating a tweet posted from an account that showed a picture of the teacher's head, and which has since been shut down.
It was unclear whether the message, which contained a threat against Macron -- describing him as "the leader of the infidels" -- had been posted by the attacker, they said.
The killing bore the hallmarks of "an Islamist terrorist attack", Macron said as he visited the scene.
Visibly moved, the president said that "the entire nation" stood ready to defend teachers and that "obscurantism will not win".
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed her condolences to the teacher's family and the French people.
"My thoughts are also with teachers, in France and across Europe. Without them, there are no citizens. Without them, there is no democracy," she tweeted in French.
- 'Super friendly and kind' -
At the school, parents and teachers alike paid tribute to the victim, who has not been officially named.
"According to my son, he was super nice, super friendly, super kind," a parent, Nordine Chaouadi, told AFP.
"I saw him (the teacher) today, he came to my class to see our teacher. It's shocking that I won't see him again," said Tiago, a student in sixth grade.
The teacher "simply said to the Muslim children: 'Leave, I don't want it to hurt your feelings.' That's what my son told me," the parent said.
Police had arrived at the scene after receiving a call about a suspicious individual loitering near the school, a police source said.
They opened fire, severly injuring him, and he later died of the wounds.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-18--Trump gaffe demotes France's Macron

Trump gaffe demotes France's Macron

US President Donald Trump claps during a rally at Muskegon County Airport in Muskegon , Michigan on October 17 , 2020 President Donald Trump likes to make fun of his rival Joe Biden 's verbal lapses but on Saturday he made his own goof as he took a pot shot at French President Emmanuel Macron and effectively demoted him .
Trump 's error downgrading Macron to prime minister came as he spoke at a campaign rally in Michigan , one of a flurry of stops he is making in the final three weeks of the presidential race as he trails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been speaking about the old NAFTA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico , which he called a bad deal for America and insisted on renegotiating , when he turned his attention to Macron and the Paris climate change accord .
Trump , who questions the science behind global warming , pulled the US out of that landmark global accord in 2017 , saying it was costing American jobs .
`` And you know what else I stopped ?
The Paris environmental accord , '' Trump said .
`` And I like Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said 'how 's it going over there ?
How is the accord doing ? '
They 're not doing too good , '' Trump said .
`` I saved you trillions of dollars , nobody else would have done it .
I said it was a disaster , they basically wanted to take our wealth . ''
Trump used to enjoy a sort of bromance relationship with Macron but their ties have cooled over the years and featured a so-called handshake war -- in which Macron mimicked the US president 's penchant for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At a bilateral meeting in 2019 in France , Macron gripped Trump 's hand so long and firmly he left a white thumbprint on it .

Washington (AFP) –
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President Donald Trump likes to make fun of his rival Joe Biden's verbal lapses but on Saturday he made his own goof as he took a pot shot at French President Emmanuel Macron and effectively demoted him.
Trump's error downgrading Macron to prime minister came as he spoke at a campaign rally in Michigan, one of a flurry of stops he is making in the final three weeks of the presidential race as he trails Democrat Biden in the polls.
Trump had been speaking about the old NAFTA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, which he called a bad deal for America and insisted on renegotiating, when he turned his attention to Macron and the Paris climate change accord.
Trump, who questions the science behind global warming, pulled the US out of that landmark global accord in 2017, saying it was costing American jobs.
"And you know what else I stopped? The Paris environmental accord," Trump said.
"And I like Prime Minister Macron a lot. But I said 'how's it going over there? How is the accord doing?' They're not doing too good," Trump said.
"I saved you trillions of dollars, nobody else would have done it. I said it was a disaster, they basically wanted to take our wealth."
Trump used to enjoy a sort of bromance relationship with Macron but their ties have cooled over the years and featured a so-called handshake war -- in which Macron mimicked the US president's penchant for shaking hard and not letting go.
At a bilateral meeting in 2019 in France, Macron gripped Trump's hand so long and firmly he left a white thumbprint on it.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-18--American Henley seizes three-stroke lead at PGA CJ Cup

Russell Henley opened the back nine with three straight birdies on his way to firing a five-under par 67 for a three-stroke lead after Saturday 's third round of the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek .
The 31-year-old American , chasing his fourth US PGA title but his first in 3 1/2 years , stood on 15-under 201 after 54 holes over the Las Vegas layout .
Compatriots Xander Schauffele , Talor Gooch , Lanto Griffin and Jason Kokrak shared second on 204 with Australian Jason Day , England 's Tyrrell Hatton and American Justin Thomas sharing sixth on 206 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , made some really nice putts .
Kept the ball in front of me and stayed patient , '' Henley said .
`` It 's a tough course but if you hit some good shots you can have some chances . ''
World number 121 Henley plans to keep it simple in his bid to add to a trophy haul that includes the 2013 Sony Open in Hawaii , the 2014 Honda Classic and 2017 Houston Open .
`` Just trying to play my game , '' Henley said .
`` Gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so well .
Hopefully I can keep it going .
`` I 've got to play a solid round of golf , keep my head down and keep grinding . ''
Henley sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-5 fourth , blasted out of a greenside bunker at the par-5 seventh to 10 feet and made a birdie putt , then rolled in his back-nine birdie treble to seize the lead .
Henley dropped a 22-foot putt at the par-4 10th , tapped in from two feet at 11 and sank a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before parring his way into the clubhouse .
`` You keep making putts , it makes up for a lot of flaws in your game , '' Henley said .
Griffin , who defends his only PGA title in two weeks at the Houston Open , ran off four birdies in seven holes on the back nine but closed with his only bogey to shoot 66 .
He also sank an eagle putt from just inside seven feet at the par-5 seventh .
`` The putter saved me , '' Griffin said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of the round , hit some good shots , but kind of the start and the end I struggled a little bit off the tee .
But the irons feel good and the putter feels great .
It was a fun day . ''
Eighth-ranked Schauffele , who shared second at last year 's Masters and last month 's Tour Championship , seeks a fifth US PGA title and his first since last year 's Tournament of Champions in Hawaii .
Schauffele , 26 , began the day with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 74 with two birdies against four bogeys , including at 14 and 17 to fall off the pace .
`` It was just a lot of bad breaks , '' he said .
`` Not to be like a sour person , but just one of those days .
Today was my bad day for the week , got it out of the way before Sunday , which is nice . ''

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Russell Henley opened the back nine with three straight birdies on his way to firing a five-under par 67 for a three-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek.
The 31-year-old American, chasing his fourth US PGA title but his first in 3 1/2 years, stood on 15-under 201 after 54 holes over the Las Vegas layout.
Compatriots Xander Schauffele, Talor Gooch, Lanto Griffin and Jason Kokrak shared second on 204 with Australian Jason Day, England's Tyrrell Hatton and American Justin Thomas sharing sixth on 206.
"I had a nice putting day, made some really nice putts. Kept the ball in front of me and stayed patient," Henley said. "It's a tough course but if you hit some good shots you can have some chances."
World number 121 Henley plans to keep it simple in his bid to add to a trophy haul that includes the 2013 Sony Open in Hawaii, the 2014 Honda Classic and 2017 Houston Open.
"Just trying to play my game," Henley said. "Gives me confidence to know it's working so well. Hopefully I can keep it going.
"I've got to play a solid round of golf, keep my head down and keep grinding."
Henley sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-5 fourth, blasted out of a greenside bunker at the par-5 seventh to 10 feet and made a birdie putt, then rolled in his back-nine birdie treble to seize the lead.
Henley dropped a 22-foot putt at the par-4 10th, tapped in from two feet at 11 and sank a four-footer at the 12th to reach 15-under before parring his way into the clubhouse.
"You keep making putts, it makes up for a lot of flaws in your game," Henley said.
Griffin, who defends his only PGA title in two weeks at the Houston Open, ran off four birdies in seven holes on the back nine but closed with his only bogey to shoot 66. He also sank an eagle putt from just inside seven feet at the par-5 seventh.
"The putter saved me," Griffin said. "I hit it all right there in the middle of the round, hit some good shots, but kind of the start and the end I struggled a little bit off the tee. But the irons feel good and the putter feels great. It was a fun day."
Eighth-ranked Schauffele, who shared second at last year's Masters and last month's Tour Championship, seeks a fifth US PGA title and his first since last year's Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
Schauffele, 26, began the day with a three-stroke lead, but struggled to a 74 with two birdies against four bogeys, including at 14 and 17 to fall off the pace.
"It was just a lot of bad breaks," he said. "Not to be like a sour person, but just one of those days. Today was my bad day for the week, got it out of the way before Sunday, which is nice."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-18--Dodgers beat Braves to force decisive game seven in NLCS

The Los Angeles Dodgers used another first-inning scoring burst to stay alive in the Major League Baseball playoffs , beating Atlanta 3-1 Saturday to force a decisive game seven in the National League Championship Series .
The Dodgers are one win from advancing to their third World Series appearance in four years after pulling level at 3-3 in the best-of-seven series .
Game seven is set for Sunday in the neutral site of Arlington , Texas with a limited number of spectators allowed to attend because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The winner of the series will advance to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tampa Bay Rays or the Houston Astros , set to play later Saturday in game seven of the American League Championship Series .
Corey Seager slammed his fifth home run of the series and Justin Turner launched a 418-foot shot to centerfield as the Dodgers long-ball hitters once again took a jackhammer to the Braves ' starting pitcher with three runs in the opening inning .
The Braves scored 11 runs in the first inning of game three en route to a crushing 15-3 victory .
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler worked six superb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ striking out six batters .
He had no walks .
Kenley Jansen needed just six pitches in the ninth inning to get three outs and record the save for the Dodgers , who are in the playoffs for the eighth straight year .
Atlanta 's Max Fried survived the first inning to pitch 6 2/3 innings , allowing eight hits and three runs , including the two homers , in the loss .
He struck out five , but also walked four batters .

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The Los Angeles Dodgers used another first-inning scoring burst to stay alive in the Major League Baseball playoffs, beating Atlanta 3-1 Saturday to force a decisive game seven in the National League Championship Series.
The Dodgers are one win from advancing to their third World Series appearance in four years after pulling level at 3-3 in the best-of-seven series.
Game seven is set for Sunday in the neutral site of Arlington, Texas with a limited number of spectators allowed to attend because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The winner of the series will advance to play in the World Series against either the Tampa Bay Rays or the Houston Astros, set to play later Saturday in game seven of the American League Championship Series.
Corey Seager slammed his fifth home run of the series and Justin Turner launched a 418-foot shot to centerfield as the Dodgers long-ball hitters once again took a jackhammer to the Braves' starting pitcher with three runs in the opening inning.
The Braves scored 11 runs in the first inning of game three en route to a crushing 15-3 victory.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler worked six superb shutout innings, allowing seven hits and striking out six batters. He had no walks.
Kenley Jansen needed just six pitches in the ninth inning to get three outs and record the save for the Dodgers, who are in the playoffs for the eighth straight year.
Atlanta's Max Fried survived the first inning to pitch 6 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, including the two homers, in the loss. He struck out five, but also walked four batters.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-18--Anti-Trump women's rallies draw thousands across US

Demonstrators gather for the Women 's March in New York on October 17 , 2020 Thousands took to the streets across the United States for women 's marches on Saturday , many wearing pink protest hats while issuing fervent calls against President Donald Trump and his conservative Supreme Court pick .
The rallies ahead of the November 3 election were inspired by the first Women 's March in Washington , a huge anti-Trump rally held a day after his 2017 inauguration .
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic , the demonstrations Saturday were considerably smaller , though protesters still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to organizers .
More than 100,000 people took part in some 430 marches in locations from New York to Los Angeles and Chicago to Fort Lauderdale , Florida , organizers said .
They urged people worried about in-person participation to join in a `` socially distant text-banking telethon '' aimed at sending five million messages encouraging people to vote .
Marchers also paid tribute to late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- an icon for women and progressives -- while protesting Trump 's choice of conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no secret of her strong Catholic beliefs , raising concerns that a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives could overturn abortion rights if she is confirmed by the Senate .
Trump and his fellow Republicans are seeking to fast-track her nomination before the election , a process that began this week and which has drawn sharp controversy .
The protest route in Washington started near the White House before heading to the US Capitol and the Supreme Court building , where a smaller `` I 'm With Her '' counterprotest -- in Barrett 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington wore face masks to stem the spread of Covid-19 , with some dressed as Ginsburg in black robes with white lace collars , and many wore the knitted pink hats made famous by the original march .
A number of protesters dressed in red robes and white bonnets , portraying characters forced to bear children in the dystopian novel and television series `` The Handmaid 's Tale . ''
Signs and banners underscored the broader anti-Trump message : `` Trump/Pence : Out Now , '' read one , while others simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In New York , around 300 people gathered at Manhattan 's Washington Square , many with pink hats and signs supporting Trump 's Democratic opponent Joe Biden or honoring Ginsburg .
It was one of five separate marches in the city .
`` It 's really important to be here and try to encourage people to vote out Trump and his misogynistic policies , especially now , with Covid , when a lot of people are isolated , '' said Yvonne Shackleton , a 47-year-old working mother from near Albany , about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A similar number of people gathered in Brooklyn , Ginsburg 's hometown , with one protester 's sign reading : `` Ruth Sent Us . ''
`` I 'm out here because it 's so important that people vote and I 'm telling people to vote blue for Biden and ( running mate Kamala ) Harris because Trump has been a disaster for our country , '' said Wendy Sacks , a 67-year-old vintage jewelry seller .
Mask-wearing protesters marched in Chicago with the same message , banging drums and chanting for Trump @ @ @

Washington (AFP) –
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Thousands took to the streets across the United States for women's marches on Saturday, many wearing pink protest hats while issuing fervent calls against President Donald Trump and his conservative Supreme Court pick.
The rallies ahead of the November 3 election were inspired by the first Women's March in Washington, a huge anti-Trump rally held a day after his 2017 inauguration.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the demonstrations Saturday were considerably smaller, though protesters still turned out in cities across the country, according to organizers.
More than 100,000 people took part in some 430 marches in locations from New York to Los Angeles and Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, organizers said.
They urged people worried about in-person participation to join in a "socially distant text-banking telethon" aimed at sending five million messages encouraging people to vote.
Marchers also paid tribute to late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- an icon for women and progressives -- while protesting Trump's choice of conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace her.
Barrett has made no secret of her strong Catholic beliefs, raising concerns that a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives could overturn abortion rights if she is confirmed by the Senate.
Trump and his fellow Republicans are seeking to fast-track her nomination before the election, a process that began this week and which has drawn sharp controversy.
The protest route in Washington started near the White House before heading to the US Capitol and the Supreme Court building, where a smaller "I'm With Her" counterprotest -- in Barrett's favor -- was held.
Most marchers in Washington wore face masks to stem the spread of Covid-19, with some dressed as Ginsburg in black robes with white lace collars, and many wore the knitted pink hats made famous by the original march.
A number of protesters dressed in red robes and white bonnets, portraying characters forced to bear children in the dystopian novel and television series "The Handmaid's Tale."
Signs and banners underscored the broader anti-Trump message: "Trump/Pence: Out Now," read one, while others simply said, "Dump Trump."
In New York, around 300 people gathered at Manhattan's Washington Square, many with pink hats and signs supporting Trump's Democratic opponent Joe Biden or honoring Ginsburg. It was one of five separate marches in the city.
"It's really important to be here and try to encourage people to vote out Trump and his misogynistic policies, especially now, with Covid, when a lot of people are isolated," said Yvonne Shackleton, a 47-year-old working mother from near Albany, about a three-hour drive from New York City.
A similar number of people gathered in Brooklyn, Ginsburg's hometown, with one protester's sign reading: "Ruth Sent Us."
"I'm out here because it's so important that people vote and I'm telling people to vote blue for Biden and (running mate Kamala) Harris because Trump has been a disaster for our country," said Wendy Sacks, a 67-year-old vintage jewelry seller.
Mask-wearing protesters marched in Chicago with the same message, banging drums and chanting for Trump's defeat.
bbk-lbc-cyj-mjs/acb
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Conspiracy-driven bluesman bombs in New Zealand election

Billy Te Kahika had run a conspiracy-fuelled run for parliament in New Zealand , but his party failed to win any seats A New Zealand blues musician whose conspiracy-fuelled run for parliament prompted Facebook to remove his party 's page has been emphatically rejected by voters in the country 's general election .
Billy Te Kahika -- popularly known as Billy TK -- attracted million of views on the platform but they failed to translate into votes , with his Advance New Zealand party garnering minuscule support in Saturday 's election .
Te Kahika came fourth in the North Island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1,000 of the 20,000 ballots cast .
His party , which Te Kahika had predicted would receive about 15 percent of the vote nationally , ended on 0.9 percent , ensuring none of its 60-plus candidates were elected .
Te Kahika was a prolific social media user even after Facebook deleted the Advance NZ page last week , but his online accounts were silent after Saturday 's result .
However , Advance NZ co-leader Jami-Lee Ross posted : `` This is not the end of the journey ...
This is just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Facebook took down the party 's page just two days before the election in an unprecedented move against a registered New Zealand political party .
The social media giant , which has become increasingly active against false claims made on its platforms , accused Advance NZ of repeatedly breaching its rules by spreading misinformation about coronavirus .
Te Kahika alleged political interference but Facebook said its policies on Covid-19 misinformation would be enforced `` regardless of anyone 's political position or party affiliation '' .
His videos claiming the Covid-19 pandemic was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enslave people became wildly popular after he began posting them during lockdown earlier this year .
Between late June and early October , the party 's Facebook page generated more than 5.3 million views , according to data from social media tracker CrowdTangle -- stunning figures in a nation of just five million people .
Its page views exceeded the 2.8 million for New Zealand 's main opposition National Party and 5.2 million for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern 's Labour Party over the same period .
AFP fact-checkers debunked two of the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government was authorising the military to enter private residences and planning forced vaccinations .
Ardern , whose science-based approach to the pandemic has eliminated community transmission and seen just 25 deaths from the virus , won Saturday 's election in a landslide .

Wellington (AFP) –
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A New Zealand blues musician whose conspiracy-fuelled run for parliament prompted Facebook to remove his party's page has been emphatically rejected by voters in the country's general election.
Billy Te Kahika -- popularly known as Billy TK -- attracted million of views on the platform but they failed to translate into votes, with his Advance New Zealand party garnering minuscule support in Saturday's election.
Te Kahika came fourth in the North Island electorate he was contesting, attracting less than 1,000 of the 20,000 ballots cast.
His party, which Te Kahika had predicted would receive about 15 percent of the vote nationally, ended on 0.9 percent, ensuring none of its 60-plus candidates were elected.
Te Kahika was a prolific social media user even after Facebook deleted the Advance NZ page last week, but his online accounts were silent after Saturday's result.
However, Advance NZ co-leader Jami-Lee Ross posted: "This is not the end of the journey... This is just the final paragraph in the first chapter."
Facebook took down the party's page just two days before the election in an unprecedented move against a registered New Zealand political party.
The social media giant, which has become increasingly active against false claims made on its platforms, accused Advance NZ of repeatedly breaching its rules by spreading misinformation about coronavirus.
Te Kahika alleged political interference but Facebook said its policies on Covid-19 misinformation would be enforced "regardless of anyone's political position or party affiliation".
His videos claiming the Covid-19 pandemic was fake and part of a conspiracy to enslave people became wildly popular after he began posting them during lockdown earlier this year.
Between late June and early October, the party's Facebook page generated more than 5.3 million views, according to data from social media tracker CrowdTangle -- stunning figures in a nation of just five million people.
Its page views exceeded the 2.8 million for New Zealand's main opposition National Party and 5.2 million for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party over the same period.
AFP fact-checkers debunked two of the party's most popular claims: that the government was authorising the military to enter private residences and planning forced vaccinations.
Ardern, whose science-based approach to the pandemic has eliminated community transmission and seen just 25 deaths from the virus, won Saturday's election in a landslide.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Mosimane ends Wydad jinx as Ahly triumph in Morocco

South African coach Pitso Mosimane finally achieved an away victory over his bogey club , Wydad Casablanca , as Al Ahly won a CAF Champions League semi-final first leg 2-0 Saturday .
Mohamed 'Afsha ' Magdy gave the Egyptian team a fourth-minute lead and Ali Maaloul increased it by converting a second-half penalty after the Moroccan side missed a spot-kick .
The result virtually assures record eight-time African champions Ahly of a place in the final on November 6 against Cairo neighbours Zamalek or Raja Casablanca .
Raja host Zamalek Sunday in the first leg of the second semi-final at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more comfortably than expected .
It was the first home defeat for Wydad in 27 Champions League matches as Ahly avenged losing to the Moroccan outfit in the 2017 final .
Mosimane quit Pretoria club Melodial Sundowns last month to become the first sub-Saharan African coach of 113-year-old Ahly .
The move offered him a chance to end the Wydad jinx as he took Sundowns to Casablanca four times in three Champions League seasons from 2017 and they lost each time .
The South African inherited the most demanding club coaching post in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree terms for a renewal of his one-year contract .
Mosimane succeeded in style as Ahly bossed the first leg and sharper finishing would have given them a more decisive victory in a spectator-less match owing to the coronavirus .
`` This is a special victory for the players , technical staff , officials , employees and supporters of Al Ahly , '' the South African told AFP .
`` We travelled to Morocco full of respect for Wydad because they have won this competition twice and rarely lose at home , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scoring so early was a perfect start for us and Mohamed ( El Shena wy ) did brilliantly to save a penalty .
`` When we were awarded a penalty I had great faith in Ali ( Maaloul ) because he is so cool , confident and skilful when it comes to scoring from the spot .
`` Football is a funny game and we dare not take anything for granted despite this wonderful result .
It is half-time in the semi-final and we hold a two-goal advantage . ''
A blunder by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahly ahead and when the Moroccan handled , Maaloul scored from the 62nd-minute penalty .
Wydad squandered a chance to equalise just before half-time when El Shenawy saved a Badie Aouk penalty , and also a follow-up shot when the ball ran loose .
Although Ahly have an unmatched record in the Champions League , the Cairo Red Devils have not lifted the trophy since defeating Orlando Pirates of South Africa in the 2013 final .

Johannesburg (AFP) –
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South African coach Pitso Mosimane finally achieved an away victory over his bogey club, Wydad Casablanca, as Al Ahly won a CAF Champions League semi-final first leg 2-0 Saturday.
Mohamed 'Afsha' Magdy gave the Egyptian team a fourth-minute lead and Ali Maaloul increased it by converting a second-half penalty after the Moroccan side missed a spot-kick.
The result virtually assures record eight-time African champions Ahly of a place in the final on November 6 against Cairo neighbours Zamalek or Raja Casablanca.
Raja host Zamalek Sunday in the first leg of the second semi-final at the same Casablanca stadium where Ahly triumphed more comfortably than expected.
It was the first home defeat for Wydad in 27 Champions League matches as Ahly avenged losing to the Moroccan outfit in the 2017 final.
Mosimane quit Pretoria club Melodial Sundowns last month to become the first sub-Saharan African coach of 113-year-old Ahly.
The move offered him a chance to end the Wydad jinx as he took Sundowns to Casablanca four times in three Champions League seasons from 2017 and they lost each time.
The South African inherited the most demanding club coaching post in Africa when Swiss Rene Weiler failed to agree terms for a renewal of his one-year contract.
Mosimane succeeded in style as Ahly bossed the first leg and sharper finishing would have given them a more decisive victory in a spectator-less match owing to the coronavirus.
- 'Special victory' -
"This is a special victory for the players, technical staff, officials, employees and supporters of Al Ahly," the South African told AFP.
"We travelled to Morocco full of respect for Wydad because they have won this competition twice and rarely lose at home, either in domestic or CAF competitions.
"Scoring so early was a perfect start for us and Mohamed (El Shena wy) did brilliantly to save a penalty.
"When we were awarded a penalty I had great faith in Ali (Maaloul) because he is so cool, confident and skilful when it comes to scoring from the spot.
"Football is a funny game and we dare not take anything for granted despite this wonderful result. It is half-time in the semi-final and we hold a two-goal advantage."
A blunder by Yahya Jabrane allowed 'Afsha' to put Ahly ahead and when the Moroccan handled, Maaloul scored from the 62nd-minute penalty.
Wydad squandered a chance to equalise just before half-time when El Shenawy saved a Badie Aouk penalty, and also a follow-up shot when the ball ran loose.
Although Ahly have an unmatched record in the Champions League, the Cairo Red Devils have not lifted the trophy since defeating Orlando Pirates of South Africa in the 2013 final.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Guardiola defends Aguero over contact with female assistant referee

Pep Guardiola backed Sergio Aguero after the Manchester City striker was criticised for putting his arm on the shoulder of @ @ @ @ @ Saturday 's 1-0 win over Arsenal .
Aguero disputed a throw-in call which went against @ @ @ @ @ half of the Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium .
After arguing his case @ @ @ @ @ put his arm around the female assistant referee 's shoulder as she began to walk @ @ @ @ @ , playing his first game since June after knee surgery , was criticised on social @ @ @ @ @ Micah Richards said on Sky Sports that Aguero should `` know better '' .
Under @ @ @ @ @ can be cautioned or sent off for touching match officials depending on the nature of @ @ @ @ @ 's all-time record scorer went unpunished and in his post-match press conference , Guardiola told @ @ @ @ @ guys .
Sergio is the nicest person I ever met in my life .
`` @ @ @ @ @ situations , not in this one . ''

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Pep Guardiola backed Sergio Aguero after the Manchester City striker was criticised for putting his arm on the shoulder of assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis during Saturday's 1-0 win over Arsenal.
Aguero disputed a throw-in call which went against him early in the second half of the Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.
After arguing his case with Massey-Ellis, Aguero briefly put his arm around the female assistant referee's shoulder as she began to walk away.
The Argentine star, playing his first game since June after knee surgery, was criticised on social media and his former team-mate Micah Richards said on Sky Sports that Aguero should "know better".
Under rules introduced in 2016 players can be cautioned or sent off for touching match officials depending on the nature of the incident.
But City's all-time record scorer went unpunished and in his post-match press conference, Guardiola told reporters: "Come on guys. Sergio is the nicest person I ever met in my life.
"Look for problems in other situations, not in this one."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Thauvin guides Marseille to Bordeaux win ahead of Champions League return

Florian Thauvin 's early wonder strike helped Marseille to their first home win of the season as they beat Bordeaux 3-1 on Saturday ahead of next week 's return to the Champions League .
Thauvin 's effort was followed by Jordan Amavi 's first goal since last December , a Pablo own goal and Josh Maja 's late consolation .
The hosts move up to fifth in the table ahead of travelling to Olympiakos in Europe on Wednesday , their first appearance in the top-tier competition since 2014 .
Central midfielder Michael Cuisance was handed his debut by coach Andre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on transfer deadline day .
Playmaker Hatem Ben Arfa made his bow for the visitors as he returned to the club where he won the league title in 2010 .
Thauvin opened the scoring after five minutes with a superb left-footed curling effort from outside of the box .
He was handed a chance to double the lead seven minutes later but opposition goalkeeper Benoit Costil saved the World Cup winner 's penalty after Amavi was fouled .
Ben Arfa thought he had equalised at a near-empty Velodrome but the linesman lifted his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an hour mark .
Amavi stretched the advantage nine minutes after the break as his looping header beat the backtracking Costil .
The former Aston Villa left-back then created the third with 25 minutes left as his shot was deflected past Costil by Pablo 's attempted block .
Nigeria striker Maja cut the deficit with seven minutes remaining for his second goal of the season but Villas-Boas ' men held on to move three points away from top of the table Paris Saint-Germain .
On Sunday , the highlight of the matches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host promoted Lens in fourth .
On Friday , Kylian Mbappe scored twice in PSG 's 4-0 win at Nimes .

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Florian Thauvin's early wonder strike helped Marseille to their first home win of the season as they beat Bordeaux 3-1 on Saturday ahead of next week's return to the Champions League.
Thauvin's effort was followed by Jordan Amavi's first goal since last December, a Pablo own goal and Josh Maja's late consolation.
The hosts move up to fifth in the table ahead of travelling to Olympiakos in Europe on Wednesday, their first appearance in the top-tier competition since 2014.
Central midfielder Michael Cuisance was handed his debut by coach Andre Villas-Boas after joining on-loan from Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day.
Playmaker Hatem Ben Arfa made his bow for the visitors as he returned to the club where he won the league title in 2010.
Thauvin opened the scoring after five minutes with a superb left-footed curling effort from outside of the box.
He was handed a chance to double the lead seven minutes later but opposition goalkeeper Benoit Costil saved the World Cup winner's penalty after Amavi was fouled.
Ben Arfa thought he had equalised at a near-empty Velodrome but the linesman lifted his flag for offside just after the quarter of an hour mark.
Amavi stretched the advantage nine minutes after the break as his looping header beat the backtracking Costil.
The former Aston Villa left-back then created the third with 25 minutes left as his shot was deflected past Costil by Pablo's attempted block.
Nigeria striker Maja cut the deficit with seven minutes remaining for his second goal of the season but Villas-Boas' men held on to move three points away from top of the table Paris Saint-Germain.
On Sunday, the highlight of the matches is the northern derby as third-placed Lille host promoted Lens in fourth.
On Friday, Kylian Mbappe scored twice in PSG's 4-0 win at Nimes.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Okuhara keeps Japan hopes alive in Denmark

Former world champion Nozomi Okuhara set-up a Denmark Open final against Carolina Marin on Saturday , giving a boost to Japanese badminton after a host of their top names had opted out of the tournament .
Okuhara defeated Michelle Li of Canada , 21-10 , 21-7 while three-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist Marin of Spain enjoyed a 21-17 21-11 victory over Germany 's Yvonne Li .
`` I decided to attend the Denmark Open because Marin was attending too , so I am happy I have reached the final and will be able to play against her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the few Japanese players who made the trip to Europe after officials pulled a number of top prospects including world champion Kento Momota .
In the men 's final , Anders Antonsen and Rasmus Gemke will meet in an all-Danish affair .
Antonsen went into his semi-final against Taiwan 's Chou Tien Chen having won only one of eight previous clashes but came through 21-17 , 21-15 .
Gemke had never won a match in three against Kenta Nishimoto but saw off the fourth-seeded Japanese player , 21-14 , 21-17 .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He played with a different tempo , different skill , so it was tough to play , '' said Chou .
`` It was tough from the back court .
He was n't very fast , but his tempo was good , and it was tough to follow .
But it was a good tournament , and I will go back to training harder . ''

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Former world champion Nozomi Okuhara set-up a Denmark Open final against Carolina Marin on Saturday, giving a boost to Japanese badminton after a host of their top names had opted out of the tournament.
Okuhara defeated Michelle Li of Canada, 21-10, 21-7 while three-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist Marin of Spain enjoyed a 21-17 21-11 victory over Germany's Yvonne Li.
"I decided to attend the Denmark Open because Marin was attending too, so I am happy I have reached the final and will be able to play against her," said Okuhara.
She is one of the few Japanese players who made the trip to Europe after officials pulled a number of top prospects including world champion Kento Momota.
In the men's final, Anders Antonsen and Rasmus Gemke will meet in an all-Danish affair.
Antonsen went into his semi-final against Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen having won only one of eight previous clashes but came through 21-17, 21-15.
Gemke had never won a match in three against Kenta Nishimoto but saw off the fourth-seeded Japanese player, 21-14, 21-17.
"He had a new plan for me. He played with a different tempo, different skill, so it was tough to play," said Chou.
"It was tough from the back court. He wasn't very fast, but his tempo was good, and it was tough to follow. But it was a good tournament, and I will go back to training harder."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Man Utd back on track as Fernandes, Maguire enjoy redemption

Manchester United got back on track as Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire enjoyed sweet moments of redemption in their side 's 4-1 win at Newcastle on Saturday .
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's side suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat against Tottenham at Old Trafford just before the international break .
But they made partial amends for that embarrassment with a much-needed second win of the Premier League season .
After Luke Shaw 's own goal gave Newcastle an early lead , United captain Maguire scored the equaliser just days after he was widely criticised for his red card in England 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maguire 's first Premier League goal since February was a cathartic moment after a troubled few months marred by poor performance on the pitch and his Greek court case off it .
Fernandes also went from zero to hero as the midfielder 's second half penalty was saved by Karl Darlow , before he hit a superb strike to put United ahead in the closing minutes .
Aaron Wan-Bissaka made it three with his first goal for United and Marcus Rashford wrapped up the late goal blitz in stoppage-time .
Although United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the result was no more than they deserved and Solskjaer will hope it is the start of a better period for his team after their troubled opening to the campaign .
After labelling the Tottenham rout as the `` worst '' day of his career , Solskjaer made five changes for United 's return to action .
Eric Bailly , Nemanja Matic , Paul Pogba , Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial were replaced by Victor Lindelof , Scott McTominay , Fred , Daniel James and Juan Mata .
Solskjaer 's switches initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Newcastle cut through them in the second minute .
Allain Saint-Maximin and Jonjo Shelvey combined to find Emil Krafth on the right side of the United penalty area and his cross took a deflection off Shaw 's out-stretched leg as it looped beyond David De Gea .
United thought they had equalised in the 19th minute when Fernandes fired into the top corner from Mata 's pass , but VAR intervened to rule that the Spanish midfielder was offside before he provided the assist .
If Solskjaer feared it was going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were eased as Maguire finally enjoyed a moment to savour in the 23rd minute .
Timing his run to meet Mata 's corner , Maguire got in front of Jamal Lascelles at the near post and guided his header past Darlow from six yards .
Saint-Maximin nearly restored Newcastle 's lead with a powerful shot that De Gea turned away while clattering into a post , leaving United 's keeper needing treatment on his shoulder before he could continue .
Wan-Bissaka brought a superb save from Darlow before Rashford 's shot was cleared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulting corner .
De Gea made an alert save to prevent Callum Wilson 's close-range effort from Saint-Maximin 's cross putting Newcastle ahead soon after the break .
When Rashford was brought down by Jamal Lewis in the 57th minute , referee Craig Pawson initially appeared to ignore the offence but after consulting the pitchside monitor he ruled that the foul had taken place inside the penalty area .
Fernandes has been a penalty expert for United since arriving in January , but for once he fluffed his lines as Darlow dived to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's spot-kick .
Maguire nearly made up for Fernandes ' miss when his header was cleared off the line by Shelvey , whose 30-yard blast drew a fine save from De Gea moments later .
But Fernandes had the last laugh anyway as he took Rashford 's clever reverse pass in the 86th minute and , from an acute angle , curled an exquisite shot into the top corner .
Wan-Bissaka netted in the 90th minute from Rashford 's pass and the provider turned scorer moments later with a cool finish from Fernandes @ @ @ @

Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
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Manchester United got back on track as Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire enjoyed sweet moments of redemption in their side's 4-1 win at Newcastle on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat against Tottenham at Old Trafford just before the international break.
But they made partial amends for that embarrassment with a much-needed second win of the Premier League season.
After Luke Shaw's own goal gave Newcastle an early lead, United captain Maguire scored the equaliser just days after he was widely criticised for his red card in England's Nations League defeat against Denmark at Wembley.
Maguire's first Premier League goal since February was a cathartic moment after a troubled few months marred by poor performance on the pitch and his Greek court case off it.
Fernandes also went from zero to hero as the midfielder's second half penalty was saved by Karl Darlow, before he hit a superb strike to put United ahead in the closing minutes.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka made it three with his first goal for United and Marcus Rashford wrapped up the late goal blitz in stoppage-time.
Although United left it late to finish off Newcastle, the result was no more than they deserved and Solskjaer will hope it is the start of a better period for his team after their troubled opening to the campaign.
After labelling the Tottenham rout as the "worst" day of his career, Solskjaer made five changes for United's return to action.
Eric Bailly, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial were replaced by Victor Lindelof, Scott McTominay, Fred, Daniel James and Juan Mata.
- Moment to savour -
Solskjaer's switches initially did nothing to improve United's fortunes as Newcastle cut through them in the second minute.
Allain Saint-Maximin and Jonjo Shelvey combined to find Emil Krafth on the right side of the United penalty area and his cross took a deflection off Shaw's out-stretched leg as it looped beyond David De Gea.
United thought they had equalised in the 19th minute when Fernandes fired into the top corner from Mata's pass, but VAR intervened to rule that the Spanish midfielder was offside before he provided the assist.
If Solskjaer feared it was going to be another dispiriting night, his concerns were eased as Maguire finally enjoyed a moment to savour in the 23rd minute.
Timing his run to meet Mata's corner, Maguire got in front of Jamal Lascelles at the near post and guided his header past Darlow from six yards.
Saint-Maximin nearly restored Newcastle's lead with a powerful shot that De Gea turned away while clattering into a post, leaving United's keeper needing treatment on his shoulder before he could continue.
Wan-Bissaka brought a superb save from Darlow before Rashford's shot was cleared off the line by Lascelles from the resulting corner.
De Gea made an alert save to prevent Callum Wilson's close-range effort from Saint-Maximin's cross putting Newcastle ahead soon after the break.
When Rashford was brought down by Jamal Lewis in the 57th minute, referee Craig Pawson initially appeared to ignore the offence but after consulting the pitchside monitor he ruled that the foul had taken place inside the penalty area.
Fernandes has been a penalty expert for United since arriving in January, but for once he fluffed his lines as Darlow dived to his right to keep out the midfielder's spot-kick.
Maguire nearly made up for Fernandes' miss when his header was cleared off the line by Shelvey, whose 30-yard blast drew a fine save from De Gea moments later.
But Fernandes had the last laugh anyway as he took Rashford's clever reverse pass in the 86th minute and, from an acute angle, curled an exquisite shot into the top corner.
Wan-Bissaka netted in the 90th minute from Rashford's pass and the provider turned scorer moments later with a cool finish from Fernandes' long ball.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Exeter boss Baxter 'all over the place' after Champions Cup triumph

Rob Baxter said his emotions were `` all over the place '' as he praised his side 's determination following their dramatic European Champions Cup final win over Racing 92 on Saturday .
A decade on from gaining promotion to the English Premiership with victory at Ashton Gate , Exeter were back at the Bristol ground to beat Racing 31-27 as they were crowned kings of Europe for the first time .
Both Exeter and Paris-based Racing scored four tries apiece in a match eventually settled by Chiefs captain Joe Simmonds ' last-minute penalty .
There was yet more drama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was time for the game to restart before referee Nigel Owens blew the final whistle on a match played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus outbreak .
No wonder director of rugby Baxter , a central figure in Exeter 's rise , having made more than 300 appearances for the club , told reporters : `` My emotions are all over the place , really .
`` It was a funny game , was n't it ? ''
`` It kind of was n't an Exeter Chiefs type of game , yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't really piece the game together at all , really .
`` In some ways it was some of our poorest attack and poorest defence of the season .
The occasion itself was a little bit different to some of the other things we have experienced .
`` But when we had to , we saw it through .
We won the game by four points on the scoreboard , and that is pretty much what people will ever remember in three or four years ' time .
`` We 've had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a final , and we 've won them both .
It is great for this group of players . ''
The Parisians fell at the final hurdle for a third time since 2016 as half-back Teddy Iribaren and Finn Russell made costly mistakes including the Scotland fly-half throwing an interception pass .
Racing director of rugby Laurent Travers refused to point the finger at one individual after the defeat .
`` There was a winner , it 's not the one we wanted , we would have liked it was us but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say 'it 's his or his fault ' , '' Travers said .
`` When the team win it 's down to the team , when the team lose , it 's down the team .
It 's what makes us strong , '' he added .
Exeter will become just the fourth English club to complete a domestic and European double-winning season if they beat Wasps in next Saturday 's Premiership final at Twickenham but Baxter said : `` I wo n't worry about the elusive double right now .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the changing rooms and have a couple of lagers together .
`` We have got to enjoy the moment and the bus ride home and savour the feeling .
I would like to think that today 's result and not playing as well as we could will free us up against Wasps and we can play better . ''

Bristol (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
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Rob Baxter said his emotions were "all over the place" as he praised his side's determination following their dramatic European Champions Cup final win over Racing 92 on Saturday.
A decade on from gaining promotion to the English Premiership with victory at Ashton Gate, Exeter were back at the Bristol ground to beat Racing 31-27 as they were crowned kings of Europe for the first time.
Both Exeter and Paris-based Racing scored four tries apiece in a match eventually settled by Chiefs captain Joe Simmonds' last-minute penalty.
There was yet more drama as officials checked to see if there was time for the game to restart before referee Nigel Owens blew the final whistle on a match played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus outbreak.
No wonder director of rugby Baxter, a central figure in Exeter's rise, having made more than 300 appearances for the club, told reporters: "My emotions are all over the place, really.
"It was a funny game, wasn't it?"
"It kind of wasn't an Exeter Chiefs type of game, yet we ended up winning it. We didn't really piece the game together at all, really.
"In some ways it was some of our poorest attack and poorest defence of the season. The occasion itself was a little bit different to some of the other things we have experienced.
"But when we had to, we saw it through. We won the game by four points on the scoreboard, and that is pretty much what people will ever remember in three or four years' time.
"We've had our first go at a European semi-final and a final, and we've won them both. It is great for this group of players."
- 'Elusive double' -
The Parisians fell at the final hurdle for a third time since 2016 as half-back Teddy Iribaren and Finn Russell made costly mistakes including the Scotland fly-half throwing an interception pass.
Racing director of rugby Laurent Travers refused to point the finger at one individual after the defeat.
"There was a winner, it's not the one we wanted, we would have liked it was us but it's out of the question to say 'it's his or his fault'," Travers said.
"When the team win it's down to the team, when the team lose, it's down the team. It's what makes us strong," he added.
Exeter will become just the fourth English club to complete a domestic and European double-winning season if they beat Wasps in next Saturday's Premiership final at Twickenham but Baxter said: "I won't worry about the elusive double right now.
"The important thing is the lads get in the changing rooms and have a couple of lagers together.
"We have got to enjoy the moment and the bus ride home and savour the feeling. I would like to think that today's result and not playing as well as we could will free us up against Wasps and we can play better."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--Lewandowski, Mueller doubles send Bayern second with 'crazy' Bielefeld win

Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller both scored twice as Bayern Munich banished their early-season blues with a thumping 4-1 win over Bundesliga minnows Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday after a `` crazy '' first half .
Treble winners Bayern started the day in mid-table following a shock defeat to Hoffenheim last month , but victory in Bielefeld was enough to propel them back up to second place .
The champions burst out of the blocks and had an early penalty appeal turned down before Mueller bundled in the opener on eight minutes .
Lewandowski doubled the lead shortly afterwards , smashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area after a sharp cross from Leon Goretzka .
The Poland striker linked up with Mueller to make it 3-0 just before half-time , and returned the favour after the break with a pinpoint cross to set up Mueller 's second .
`` The first 45 minutes were crazy , we played really well .
We knew that the first game after the international break would be really important , '' Lewandowski told Sky .
Japan winger Ritsu Doan then pulled one back for Bielefeld on the break , the PSV Eindhoven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving to Germany in the summer .
Yet despite a late red card for Corentin Tolisso , Bayern were untroubled in the final stages and can now turn their attention to Wednesday 's Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid .
Hansi Flick 's side now sit level on points with third-placed Borussia Dortmund , who snatched a late 1-0 win at Hoffenheim earlier on Saturday .
Dortmund , who like Bayern had already lost one game this season , looked set to drop further points before Erling Haaland and Marco Reus came off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathe new life into a blunt performance .
Haaland , 20 , surged forward on the break to set up Reus with a tap-in and snatch Dortmund 's first away victory over Hoffenheim in eight years .
`` They 've always made it difficult for us here in recent years .
We did n't have many good chances in the first half and we knew we needed to create more in the second half , '' the goalscorer told Sky .
Haaland was initially rested after he played three times for Norway in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the busy international schedule .
`` At Dortmund , we are used to having a lot of midweek games at this stage of the season .
The schedule is a bit more hectic this year , so we have to look after ourselves , '' said Reus , after slotting Haaland 's square pass into the open net to score his first goal since February .
Dortmund and Bayern now sit one point behind league leaders RB Leipzig , who held onto top spot with a 2-0 win against surprise high-fliers Augsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stroke of half-time to score his second goal in two games , before Yussuf Poulsen doubled the lead with a sumptuous volley on 66 minutes .
`` These are the games you need to win if you want to land in the top four , '' Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann told Sky .
Elsewhere , Lucas Alario 's first half header sealed a 1-0 win for Bayer Leverkusen and extended second-from-bottom Mainz 's miserable run to four defeats in four games .
Promoted side Stuttgart continued their good start to the season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired them to a 2-0 win away to Hertha Berlin , while Werder Bremen held Freiburg to a 1-1 draw in the south west .
Freiburg took the lead early on through Philipp Lienhart and had a second goal ruled out for offside before Bremen 's Niclas Fuellkrug levelled the scores from the penalty spot .
In Saturday ’ s late game , Wolfsburg chalked up a fourth successive draw away to Borussia Moenchengladbach , as Wout Weghorst struck late to cancel out Jonas Hofmann ’ s second-half penalty .

Berlin (AFP) –
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Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller both scored twice as Bayern Munich banished their early-season blues with a thumping 4-1 win over Bundesliga minnows Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday after a "crazy" first half.
Treble winners Bayern started the day in mid-table following a shock defeat to Hoffenheim last month, but victory in Bielefeld was enough to propel them back up to second place.
The champions burst out of the blocks and had an early penalty appeal turned down before Mueller bundled in the opener on eight minutes.
Lewandowski doubled the lead shortly afterwards, smashing the ball in from the edge of the area after a sharp cross from Leon Goretzka.
The Poland striker linked up with Mueller to make it 3-0 just before half-time, and returned the favour after the break with a pinpoint cross to set up Mueller's second.
"The first 45 minutes were crazy, we played really well. We knew that the first game after the international break would be really important," Lewandowski told Sky.
Japan winger Ritsu Doan then pulled one back for Bielefeld on the break, the PSV Eindhoven loanee netting his first Bundesliga goal since moving to Germany in the summer.
Yet despite a late red card for Corentin Tolisso, Bayern were untroubled in the final stages and can now turn their attention to Wednesday's Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid.
Hansi Flick's side now sit level on points with third-placed Borussia Dortmund, who snatched a late 1-0 win at Hoffenheim earlier on Saturday.
- 'Hectic schedule' -
Dortmund, who like Bayern had already lost one game this season, looked set to drop further points before Erling Haaland and Marco Reus came off the bench in the second half to breathe new life into a blunt performance.
Haaland, 20, surged forward on the break to set up Reus with a tap-in and snatch Dortmund's first away victory over Hoffenheim in eight years.
"They've always made it difficult for us here in recent years. We didn't have many good chances in the first half and we knew we needed to create more in the second half," the goalscorer told Sky.
Haaland was initially rested after he played three times for Norway in the previous two weeks, prompting criticism of the busy international schedule.
"At Dortmund, we are used to having a lot of midweek games at this stage of the season. The schedule is a bit more hectic this year, so we have to look after ourselves," said Reus, after slotting Haaland's square pass into the open net to score his first goal since February.
Dortmund and Bayern now sit one point behind league leaders RB Leipzig, who held onto top spot with a 2-0 win against surprise high-fliers Augsburg.
Angelino headed Leipzig in front on the stroke of half-time to score his second goal in two games, before Yussuf Poulsen doubled the lead with a sumptuous volley on 66 minutes.
"These are the games you need to win if you want to land in the top four," Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann told Sky.
Elsewhere, Lucas Alario's first half header sealed a 1-0 win for Bayer Leverkusen and extended second-from-bottom Mainz's miserable run to four defeats in four games.
Promoted side Stuttgart continued their good start to the season, as Marc-Oliver Kempf and Gonzalo Castro fired them to a 2-0 win away to Hertha Berlin, while Werder Bremen held Freiburg to a 1-1 draw in the south west.
Freiburg took the lead early on through Philipp Lienhart and had a second goal ruled out for offside before Bremen's Niclas Fuellkrug levelled the scores from the penalty spot.
In Saturday’s late game, Wolfsburg chalked up a fourth successive draw away to Borussia Moenchengladbach, as Wout Weghorst struck late to cancel out Jonas Hofmann’s second-half penalty.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-10-17--French cities under Covid-19 curfew as country posts record number of new cases

Police officers patrol in the streets of Lille at the start of the late-night curfew on Saturday .
Some 20 million French people spent their first evening under curfew on Saturday as the health ministry reported more than 32,000 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 , the highest single-day tally since the start of the pandemic .
The 9pm to 6am curfew came into force in the Paris region and eight other large cities , affecting nearly a third of the country 's population .
People will need a certificate for permitted activities , such as travel to or from work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dependent relative or to walk a dog .
> > Parisians enjoy last night out before Covid-19 curfew comes into force Those who do not comply risk a fine of 135 euros ( $ 160 ) , while repeat offenders could face fines of up to 3,750 euros ( $ 4,400 ) .
Some 12,000 police officers and gendarmes , in addition to municipal police teams , will be deployed to enforce the curfew .
The French government says the curfew is necessary to stem the surge in new coronavirus cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
The French health ministry reported a record number of new confirmed cases on Saturday at 32,427 , a day after reporting 25,086 .
The total number of infections since the start of the year now stands at 867,197 while the total number of deaths stands at 33,392 , up by 90 from Friday .
Restaurant owners , for whom the second part of the evening represents an important part of turnover , have complained about the curfew .
`` Closing at 9pm will have no effect ( on the epidemic ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right way , '' said Gerard , the manager of a Toulouse restaurant .
But the government says a curfew is the only way to avoid another crippling lockdown , which would inflict greater damage on the economy .
> > Covid-19 curfew threatens to bring down the final curtain on French cinemas The curfew measure , which comes just ahead of a two-week school holiday , contains no travel restrictions , raising the prospect that huge numbers of families will flee cities for the country .
Scheduled to last at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended if the epidemic does not show signs of abating .
President Emmanuel Macron has already mentioned the date of December 1 .

Some 20 million French people spent their first evening under curfew on Saturday as the health ministry reported more than 32,000 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, the highest single-day tally since the start of the pandemic.
Police officers patrol in the streets of Lille at the start of the late-night curfew on Saturday.
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The 9pm to 6am curfew came into force in the Paris region and eight other large cities, affecting nearly a third of the country's population.
People will need a certificate for permitted activities, such as travel to or from work, for medical attention, to visit a dependent relative or to walk a dog.
>> Parisians enjoy last night out before Covid-19 curfew comes into force
Those who do not comply risk a fine of €135 ($160), while repeat offenders could face fines of up to €3,750 ($4,400).
Some 12,000 police officers and gendarmes, in addition to municipal police teams, will be deployed to enforce the curfew.
The French government says the curfew is necessary to stem the surge in new coronavirus cases, which passed the 150,000-mark across Europe on Friday.
The French health ministry reported a record number of new confirmed cases on Saturday at 32,427, a day after reporting 25,086.
The total number of infections since the start of the year now stands at 867,197 while the total number of deaths stands at 33,392, up by 90 from Friday.
No travel restrictions
Restaurant owners, for whom the second part of the evening represents an important part of turnover, have complained about the curfew.
"Closing at 9pm will have no effect (on the epidemic). They're not attacking it in the right way," said Gerard, the manager of a Toulouse restaurant.
But the government says a curfew is the only way to avoid another crippling lockdown, which would inflict greater damage on the economy.
>> Covid-19 curfew threatens to bring down the final curtain on French cinemas
The curfew measure, which comes just ahead of a two-week school holiday, contains no travel restrictions, raising the prospect that huge numbers of families will flee cities for the country.
Scheduled to last at least four weeks, the curfew could be extended if the epidemic does not show signs of abating. President Emmanuel Macron has already mentioned the date of December 1.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-10-17--Israeli police arrest saboteurs amid protests against premier

Israeli protesters took the streets on Saturday in demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli police said they arrested several people who attacked protesters with tear gas during demonstrations in major cities on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .
Protests against the premier have taken place every Saturday since July , including outside his official residence in Jerusalem , where Israeli media said Saturday that several thousand people had gathered .
Netanyahu faces corruption charges and widespread criticism of his government 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
The police said in a statement that they had arrested `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they accused of firing tear gas at protesters .
Saturday 's demonstration in Jerusalem was reportedly buoyed by a planned easing from Sunday of a coronavirus lockdown , which had restricted people from moving more than a kilometre from their homes .
The lockdown -- the country 's second since the pandemic began -- was implemented in September as the coronavirus infection rate resurged .
People waved the national flag and wore masks bearing the words `` Crime Minister '' .
Several thousand people also gathered in the city of Tel Aviv , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photographer said .

Jerusalem (AFP) –
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Israeli police said they arrested several people who attacked protesters with tear gas during demonstrations in major cities on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Protests against the premier have taken place every Saturday since July, including outside his official residence in Jerusalem, where Israeli media said Saturday that several thousand people had gathered.
Netanyahu faces corruption charges and widespread criticism of his government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The police said in a statement that they had arrested "suspects" in several locations, who they accused of firing tear gas at protesters.
Saturday's demonstration in Jerusalem was reportedly buoyed by a planned easing from Sunday of a coronavirus lockdown, which had restricted people from moving more than a kilometre from their homes.
The lockdown -- the country's second since the pandemic began -- was implemented in September as the coronavirus infection rate resurged.
People waved the national flag and wore masks bearing the words "Crime Minister".
Several thousand people also gathered in the city of Tel Aviv, many of them families, an AFP photographer said.
© 2020 AFP