france24--2020-02-12--UN lists more than 100 firms linked to Israeli settlements in West Bank

The Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim in the occupied West Bank on the outskirts of Jerusalem seen on February 11 , 2020 .
The U.N. human rights office on Wednesday released a list of more than 100 companies it said are complicit in violating Palestinian human rights by operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank - a first-ever international attempt to name and shame businesses that has drawn fierce Israeli condemnation .
The list 's publication after repeated delays escalated a looming showdown between Israel and the international community over its more than half-century policy of building settlements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new U.S. Mideast initiative , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annex Israel 's more than 100 settlements , while the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague has indicated she will soon launch a war-crimes investigation into settlement policies .
The list included well known global companies , among them Airbnb , Motorola and General Mills .
Although the vast majority of the world considers settlements illegal , Wednesday 's report did not accuse the companies of violating international law .
Instead , it appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative attention to their ties to a much-maligned Israeli policy .
“ I am conscious this issue has been , and will continue to be , highly contentious , ” said Michelle Bachelet , the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights .
“ However , after an extensive and meticulous review process , we are satisfied this fact-based report reflects the serious consideration that has been given to this unprecedented and highly complex mandate . ''
The Human Rights Council in 2016 instructed the U.N. 's human rights office to create a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked to or supportive of the settlements .
Beginning with a potential list of over 300 companies , it narrowed it down to 112 firms involved in practices that raised human rights concerns , such as settlement construction , security services , banking and equipment that was used to demolish Palestinian property .
The report does not call for sanctions or have any concrete impact on the companies .
But Israeli officials accused the report of caving in to pressure from the grassroots Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel and raised concerns the list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boycotts and other economic pressure against the companies .
“ Instead of the organization dealing with human rights , it only tries to disparage Israel .
We strongly reject this contemptible effort , ” he said .
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki hailed the list as a “ victory for international law and for the diplomatic effort to dry up the sources of the colonial system represented by illegal settlement in the occupied Palestinian territory.
” With broad international backing , the Palestinians claim the West Bank and east Jerusalem as parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which captured both areas in the 1967 Mideast war , has annexed east Jerusalem - a step that is not internationally recognized - and said it has no intention of dismantling any of its West Bank settlements .
Nearly 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank , in addition to more than 200,000 in east Jerusalem .
In a reflection of how entrenched the settlements have become , the list is dominated by Israeli companies , including leading banks , construction companies , supermarkets and mobile phone operators .
But there also were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airbnb , Expedia , TripAdvisor , Booking.com and Opodo .
Many offer vacation rentals in the settlements .
Other names include consumer food maker General Mills , tech and communications giants Motorola Solutions and Altice Europe , and infrastructure companies like France 's Egis and Alstom , and British company JC Bamford Excavators .
In a statement to The Associated Press , JC Bamford said it is “ not involved in the activities referred to in this report ” and should not have been included .
The company 's products are offered through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also appeared on the list .
Airbnb declined comment .
The San Francisco company said in November 2018 that it was removing its listings in West Bank settlements .
After some Israeli-American homeowners sued , the company reversed course and said it would donate all profits from the listings to humanitarian aid organizations .
Israel and the U.S. regularly accuse the Human Rights Council of anti-Israel bias , and the Trump administration withdrew the United States in 2018 - faulting the U.N. for accepting autocratic governments that the administration said have repeatedly violated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made up of 47 governments , with countries like Libya , Venezuela and Somalia among its members .
The overwhelming majority of resolutions passed by the council has focused on Israel and its treatment of Palestinians , and Israel is the only country in the world whose policies automatically face scrutiny at every council session .
For decades , the U.S. joined the rest of the international community in criticizing settlement construction .
That began to change after President Donald Trump took office in 2017 .
Surrounded by advisers with close ties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more sympathetic line toward Israel and halted the automatic criticism of settlements of his predecessors .
In November , the U.S. said it did not consider settlements illegal .
And last month , Trump unveiled a Mideast plan that would allow Israel to retain permanent control over large parts of the territory , including all of its settlements .
This warm U.S. embrace could cause trouble for Israel .
Emboldened by the Trump plan , Netanyahu has vowed to soon annex the settlements - a step that International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her decision on whether to open a war crimes inquiry .
Under U.S. pressure , Netanyahu has put off his annexation plans until after March 2 Israeli elections .
The Palestinians have rejected Trump 's plan , and other countries have expressed little support for it while remaining opposed to the settlements .
The rights council had never before requested such a list scrutinizing corporate activities .
The report said its authors had communicated directly with the companies to allow them to defend themselves or say whether they had changed their practices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ council to set up `` a group of independent experts ” to update the database each year .
Human Rights Watch , a vocal critic of the settlements , applauded the report .
“ The long-awaited release of the U.N. settlement business database should put all companies on notice : To do business with illegal settlements is to aid in the commission of war crimes , '' said Bruno Stagno , HRW 's deputy executive director for advocacy .
But Israel 's allies accused the council of collaborating with the BDS movement - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , divestment and sanctions against Israel .
The movement says it advocates nonviolent tactics to protest Israel 's treatment of the Palestinians .
Israel and its allies say BDS has a deeper agenda of destroying the country and accuse it of anti-Semitism - a charge the movement strongly denies .
`` The U.N. Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights has officially decided to endorse anti-Semitic BDS by issuing a defamatory list of companies it claims are supposedly involved in ‘ settlement activity , ’ ” said Anne Herzberg , legal adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group that is highly critical of the U.N .
But in a statement , the BDS movement called for action against the companies .
“ These companies must be held to account , including through strategic boycotts and divestment campaigns , ” it said .
( AP )

The U.N. human rights office on Wednesday released a list of more than 100 companies it said are complicit in violating Palestinian human rights by operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank - a first-ever international attempt to name and shame businesses that has drawn fierce Israeli condemnation.
The Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim in the occupied West Bank on the outskirts of Jerusalem seen on February 11, 2020.
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The list's publication after repeated delays escalated a looming showdown between Israel and the international community over its more than half-century policy of building settlements in the West Bank. Emboldened by a new U.S. Mideast initiative, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annex Israel's more than 100 settlements, while the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague has indicated she will soon launch a war-crimes investigation into settlement policies.
The list included well known global companies, among them Airbnb, Motorola and General Mills. Although the vast majority of the world considers settlements illegal, Wednesday's report did not accuse the companies of violating international law. Instead, it appeared to be aimed at pressuring them by drawing negative attention to their ties to a much-maligned Israeli policy.
UN Human Rights Office issues a report on business enterprises involved in certain activities relating to the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in response to a specific request by @UN_HRC. Learn more: https://t.co/qDVrtFZKwV — UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) February 12, 2020
“I am conscious this issue has been, and will continue to be, highly contentious,” said Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. “However, after an extensive and meticulous review process, we are satisfied this fact-based report reflects the serious consideration that has been given to this unprecedented and highly complex mandate."
The Human Rights Council in 2016 instructed the U.N.'s human rights office to create a "database" of companies deemed to be linked to or supportive of the settlements. Beginning with a potential list of over 300 companies, it narrowed it down to 112 firms involved in practices that raised human rights concerns, such as settlement construction, security services, banking and equipment that was used to demolish Palestinian property.
The report does not call for sanctions or have any concrete impact on the companies. But Israeli officials accused the report of caving in to pressure from the grassroots Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel and raised concerns the list could be used as the basis for boycotts and other economic pressure against the companies.
In a statement, Netanyahu called the rights council "unimportant."
“Instead of the organization dealing with human rights, it only tries to disparage Israel. We strongly reject this contemptible effort,” he said.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki hailed the list as a “victory for international law and for the diplomatic effort to dry up the sources of the colonial system represented by illegal settlement in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
With broad international backing, the Palestinians claim the West Bank and east Jerusalem as parts of a future independent state. Israel, which captured both areas in the 1967 Mideast war, has annexed east Jerusalem - a step that is not internationally recognized - and said it has no intention of dismantling any of its West Bank settlements. Nearly 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, in addition to more than 200,000 in east Jerusalem.
In a reflection of how entrenched the settlements have become, the list is dominated by Israeli companies, including leading banks, construction companies, supermarkets and mobile phone operators.
But there also were international companies, including travel firms like Airbnb, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Booking.com and Opodo. Many offer vacation rentals in the settlements.
Other names include consumer food maker General Mills, tech and communications giants Motorola Solutions and Altice Europe, and infrastructure companies like France's Egis and Alstom, and British company JC Bamford Excavators.
In a statement to The Associated Press, JC Bamford said it is “not involved in the activities referred to in this report” and should not have been included. The company's products are offered through a local dealer, Comasco, that also appeared on the list.
Airbnb declined comment. The San Francisco company said in November 2018 that it was removing its listings in West Bank settlements. After some Israeli-American homeowners sued, the company reversed course and said it would donate all profits from the listings to humanitarian aid organizations.
Israel and the U.S. regularly accuse the Human Rights Council of anti-Israel bias, and the Trump administration withdrew the United States in 2018 - faulting the U.N. for accepting autocratic governments that the administration said have repeatedly violated human rights.
The rights council is made up of 47 governments, with countries like Libya, Venezuela and Somalia among its members. The overwhelming majority of resolutions passed by the council has focused on Israel and its treatment of Palestinians, and Israel is the only country in the world whose policies automatically face scrutiny at every council session.
For decades, the U.S. joined the rest of the international community in criticizing settlement construction. That began to change after President Donald Trump took office in 2017. Surrounded by advisers with close ties to the settlement movement, Trump took a more sympathetic line toward Israel and halted the automatic criticism of settlements of his predecessors.
In November, the U.S. said it did not consider settlements illegal. And last month, Trump unveiled a Mideast plan that would allow Israel to retain permanent control over large parts of the territory, including all of its settlements.
This warm U.S. embrace could cause trouble for Israel. Emboldened by the Trump plan, Netanyahu has vowed to soon annex the settlements - a step that International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has warned against as she prepares her decision on whether to open a war crimes inquiry. Under U.S. pressure, Netanyahu has put off his annexation plans until after March 2 Israeli elections.
The Palestinians have rejected Trump's plan, and other countries have expressed little support for it while remaining opposed to the settlements.
The rights council had never before requested such a list scrutinizing corporate activities. The report said its authors had communicated directly with the companies to allow them to defend themselves or say whether they had changed their practices. The report's authors called on the council to set up "a group of independent experts” to update the database each year.
Human Rights Watch, a vocal critic of the settlements, applauded the report.
“The long-awaited release of the U.N. settlement business database should put all companies on notice: To do business with illegal settlements is to aid in the commission of war crimes," said Bruno Stagno, HRW's deputy executive director for advocacy.
But Israel's allies accused the council of collaborating with the BDS movement - a grassroots Palestinian-led coalition that advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. The movement says it advocates nonviolent tactics to protest Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Israel and its allies say BDS has a deeper agenda of destroying the country and accuse it of anti-Semitism - a charge the movement strongly denies.
"The U.N. Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights has officially decided to endorse anti-Semitic BDS by issuing a defamatory list of companies it claims are supposedly involved in ‘settlement activity,’” said Anne Herzberg, legal adviser for NGO Monitor, an Israeli advocacy group that is highly critical of the U.N.
But in a statement, the BDS movement called for action against the companies. “These companies must be held to account, including through strategic boycotts and divestment campaigns,” it said.
(AP)
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france24--2020-02-12--France opens investigation into Maltese journalist's murder

Protesters hold a photo of Daphne Caruana Galizia outside the prime minister 's office in Valletta , Malta , while calling for his resignation on November 20 , 2019 .
French justice officials have opened an investigation in connection with the 2017 killing of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia to determine if there was a French connection , they said Wednesday .
One of those suspected of being complicit in Caruana Galizia 's murder , Maltese businessman Jorgen Fenech , owns hotels and a racing horse stable in France that might have been used to make payments to Maltese political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Konrad Mizzi .
Caruana Galizia was probing alleged payments to Schembri , cabinet director to Malta 's prime minister , and Mizzi , who formerly served as energy minister , when she was killed by a car bomb on October 16 , 2017 .
Joseph Muscat , the Maltese premier at the time , subsequently resigned following accusations that he had interfered to protect Schembri and Mizzi .
Fenech was co-owner of a group that won a large energy concession from the Maltese state .
In December 2019 , Caruana Galizia 's family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Borders ( RSF ) accused Fenech in a French court of being an accomplice to murder and corruption .
His French activities might also have served to pay those hired to carry out the bombing , their legal motion argues .
The investigations by French officials charged with fighting corruption and financial and fiscal violations `` will be carried out in close cooperation with Maltese justice officials in charge of investigating the murder , '' the French financial prosecutor said in a statement .
Three men accused of the murder itself have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicted on charges of being an accomplice .
Caruana Galizia had revealed that a company based in Dubai , 17 Black , paid two million euros to Schembri and Mizzi .
After her death , a group of journalists who took up her investigation showed that 17 Black was owned by Fenech .

French justice officials have opened an investigation in connection with the 2017 killing of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia to determine if there was a French connection, they said Wednesday.
Protesters hold a photo of Daphne Caruana Galizia outside the prime minister's office in Valletta, Malta, while calling for his resignation on November 20, 2019.
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One of those suspected of being complicit in Caruana Galizia's murder, Maltese businessman Jorgen Fenech, owns hotels and a racing horse stable in France that might have been used to make payments to Maltese political aid Keith Schembri and ex tourism minister Konrad Mizzi.
Caruana Galizia was probing alleged payments to Schembri, cabinet director to Malta's prime minister, and Mizzi, who formerly served as energy minister, when she was killed by a car bomb on October 16, 2017.
Joseph Muscat, the Maltese premier at the time, subsequently resigned following accusations that he had interfered to protect Schembri and Mizzi.
Fenech was co-owner of a group that won a large energy concession from the Maltese state.
In December 2019, Caruana Galizia's family and the French media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accused Fenech in a French court of being an accomplice to murder and corruption.
His French activities might also have served to pay those hired to carry out the bombing, their legal motion argues.
The investigations by French officials charged with fighting corruption and financial and fiscal violations "will be carried out in close cooperation with Maltese justice officials in charge of investigating the murder," the French financial prosecutor said in a statement.
Three men accused of the murder itself have also been arrested, and Fenech has been indicted on charges of being an accomplice.
Caruana Galizia had revealed that a company based in Dubai, 17 Black, paid two million euros to Schembri and Mizzi.
After her death, a group of journalists who took up her investigation showed that 17 Black was owned by Fenech.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-12--Mont Blanc: an end to ‘wackos’ on the summit?

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil measures to protect Mont Blanc when he visits the region on Thursday , February 13 , 2020 .
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil measures to protect Mont Blanc when he visits the mountain on Thursday , after a local mayor complained that “ wackos ” were damaging the famous peak .
In September last year Jean-Marc Peillex , mayor of Saint-Gervais , a town on the slopes of the mountain in the French Alps , wrote an open letter to Macron , calling on him to take action against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gone on long enough ! ''
Peillex said in his letter .
Macron must `` write and pass laws without delay that from 2020 would severely punish all these wackos who break the law , and restore peace to Mont Blanc ” .
Peillex cited examples including Swiss mountaineers who landed a plane near the mountain ’ s summit , and a British former Royal Marine who hauled a rowing machine up the 4,809m mountain as part of a sponsored stunt for charity , only to abandon it there after he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
With around 20,000 people attempting the ascent each year , overcrowding has also become a problem on the slopes of Mont Blanc and recent years have seen officials restrict the number of people climbing the mountain during peak times of the year .
Macron is expected to unveil measures that would introduce tougher penalties for bad behavior on the mountain , as well as tighter controls on visitor numbers .
However , perhaps the biggest threat facing the iconic peak is climate change .
According to scientists , global warming has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s glaciers in recent years as well as the thawing of permafrost – making rock falls more likely and climbing increasingly dangerous .

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil measures to protect Mont Blanc when he visits the mountain on Thursday, after a local mayor complained that “wackos” were damaging the famous peak.
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil measures to protect Mont Blanc when he visits the region on Thursday, February 13, 2020.
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In September last year Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais, a town on the slopes of the mountain in the French Alps, wrote an open letter to Macron, calling on him to take action against badly behaving visitors.
"This situation has gone on long enough!" Peillex said in his letter.
Macron must "write and pass laws without delay that from 2020 would severely punish all these wackos who break the law, and restore peace to Mont Blanc”.
Peillex cited examples including Swiss mountaineers who landed a plane near the mountain’s summit, and a British former Royal Marine who hauled a rowing machine up the 4,809m mountain as part of a sponsored stunt for charity, only to abandon it there after he was too tired to drag it back down again.
With around 20,000 people attempting the ascent each year, overcrowding has also become a problem on the slopes of Mont Blanc and recent years have seen officials restrict the number of people climbing the mountain during peak times of the year.
Macron is expected to unveil measures that would introduce tougher penalties for bad behavior on the mountain, as well as tighter controls on visitor numbers.
However, perhaps the biggest threat facing the iconic peak is climate change.
According to scientists, global warming has resulted in the shrinking of the region’s glaciers in recent years as well as the thawing of permafrost – making rock falls more likely and climbing increasingly dangerous.
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france24--2020-02-12--Pope decides against ordaining married priests in the Amazon

Pope Francis declined Wednesday to approve the ordination of married men to address a shortage of priests in the Amazon , sidestepping a fraught issue that has dominated debate in the Catholic Church and even involved retired Pope Benedict XVI .
Francis , in an eagerly awaited document , did not refer to the recommendations by Amazonian bishops to consider the ordination of married men or women deacons .
Rather , the pope urged bishops to pray for more priestly vocations and to send missionaries to a region where faithful Catholics in remote areas can go months or even years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressives , who had hoped he would at the very least put both questions to further study .
It outraged liberal Catholic women 's groups .
And it relieved conservatives who have used the debate over priestly celibacy to heighten opposition to the pope , whose strongest conservative critics have accused of heresy .
Francis ' document , “ Beloved Amazon , ” is instead a love letter to the Amazonian rain forest and its indigenous peoples , penned by history ’ s first Latin American pope .
Francis has long been concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's land , its crucial importance to the global ecosystem and the injustices committed against its peoples .
Quoting poetry as frequently as past papal teachings , Francis addressed the document to all peoples of the world “ to help awaken their affection and concern for that land which is also ours and to invite them to value it and acknowledge it as a sacred mystery.
” “ Beloved Amazon '' is in many ways a synthesized and focused version of Francis ’ 2015 landmark environmental encyclical , “ Praised Be , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multinational corporations for destroying the world ’ s natural resources and impoverishing the poor for their own profit .
Francis said he has four dreams for the Amazon : that the rights of the poor are respected , that their cultural riches are celebrated , that the Amazon ’ s natural beauty and life are preserved , and that its Christian communities show Amazonian features .
Francis had convened bishops from the Amazon ’ s nine countries for a three-week meeting in October to debate the ways the church can help preserve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister to the region ’ s people , many of whom live in isolated communities or in poverty in cities .
The Argentine Jesuit has long been sensitive to the plight of the Amazon , where Protestant and Pentecostal churches are wooing away Catholic souls in the absence of vibrant Catholic communities where the Eucharist can be regularly celebrated .
In their final document at the end of the October synod , the majority of bishops called for the establishment of criteria so that “ respected ” married men in their communities who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordained as priests .
In addition , the bishops called for the Vatican to reopen a study commission on ordaining women as deacons , a type of ministry in the church that allows for preaching , celebrating weddings and baptisms , but not consecrating the Eucharist .
Francis had created such a commission in 2016 at the insistence of religious sisters who want more say and roles in church governance and ministry , but the group ended its work without reaching consensus .
Francis didn ’ t mention either proposal in “ Beloved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the synod ’ s final document in his text or in a single footnote .
But he did say in his introduction that he wanted to “ officially present ” the synod ’ s work and urged the faithful to read it in full , suggesting that he at least valued the input .
Francis did echo many of the synod ’ s recommendations , calling for greater lay participation in the life of the church and saying the training of priests in the Amazon must be overhauled so they are more able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said “ every effort should be made ” to give the faithful access to the Eucharist .
“ This urgent need leads me to urge all bishops , especially those in Latin America , not only to promote prayer for priestly vocations , but also to be more generous in encouraging those who display a missionary vocation to opt for the Amazon region , ” he wrote .
Francis dismissed suggestions that ordaining women to any ministry would serve them or the church .
While agreeing that women should have greater decision-making and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must find “ other forms of service and charisms that are proper to women.
” Groups that advocate for women 's ordination and giving women greater roles in the Catholic Church blasted the document .
Francis justified his refusal to consider ordained ministry for women as sparing them the risk of being “ clericalized , ” or placed on a pedestal .
“ This is a dereliction of his duty as a leader with the power to make positive change and challenge discrimination , ” said Miriam Duignan of the Wijngaards Institute for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think tank .
Kate McElwee , executive director of Women 's Ordination Conference , said the document betrayed women in the Amazon and elsewhere who perform the lion 's share of the church 's work , pass the faith from generation to generation , and yet enjoy no official recognition or authority .
“ Recognizing women ’ s work with diaconal ordination would be the first , most basic step towards righting the wrong of institutional sexism that hobbles our church as it attempts to respond to the moral crises of our time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Catholic Church retains the priesthood for men , arguing that Christ and his apostles were male .
While Eastern rite branches have married priests , and Anglican and Protestant priest converts can be married , the Roman rite church has had a tradition of priestly celibacy since the 11th century , imposed in part for financial reasons to ensure that priests ' assets pass to the church , not to heirs .
In the weeks leading up to the document ’ s release , the question of a celibate priesthood made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penned by the retired pope , Benedict , and a conservative Vatican official , Cardinal Robert Sarah , reaffirmed the “ necessity ” of a celibate priesthood .
Benedict ’ s participation in the book sparked controversy , since it appeared the retired pope was trying to influence the thinking of the current one , despite his promises to remain “ hidden from the world ” when he resigned seven years ago .
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni noted that Francis finished the document in December , before the book came out , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benedict 's intervention .
Francis avoided the issue altogether , dedicating instead the entire first half of the document to the “ injustice and crime ” committed against the Amazonian peoples and their environment by local governments , foreign corporate interests , and illegal mining and extraction industries .
“ We can not allow globalization to become a new version of colonialism , ” he wrote .
He said the church in the Amazon must have social justice at the forefront of its spirituality , saying ministry that focuses excessively on discipline and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact they need “ understanding , comfort and acceptance.
” The traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli , which has been highly critical of Francis , said that by closing the door to a married priesthood and female deacons , the document was “ the best possible document we could have hoped for in the current pontificate and in the current age . ''
Clare Dixon , Latin America chief for the British Catholic aid agency CAFOD , focused on the environmental good it might do in the global debate about how to fight climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imploring us to listen to the wisdom of the people of the Amazon , insisting that we learn from the way they live with the environment rather than in competition with it , '' she said .
Francis called for the church to incorporate indigenous traditions and cultures into its ministry , including song and dance , myth and festivals , and urged patience when confronted with apparently pagan practices and symbols .
It was a reference to the controversy that punctuated the synod over the appearance in the Vatican of wooden statues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were pagan idols .
At one point , a conservative activist stole the statues from a Vatican-area church and threw them in the Tiber River in a videotaped stunt that galvanized traditionalist opposition to Francis and the synod itself .

Pope Francis declined Wednesday to approve the ordination of married men to address a shortage of priests in the Amazon, sidestepping a fraught issue that has dominated debate in the Catholic Church and even involved retired Pope Benedict XVI.
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Francis, in an eagerly awaited document, did not refer to the recommendations by Amazonian bishops to consider the ordination of married men or women deacons. Rather, the pope urged bishops to pray for more priestly vocations and to send missionaries to a region where faithful Catholics in remote areas can go months or even years without Mass.
The papal dodge disappointed progressives, who had hoped he would at the very least put both questions to further study. It outraged liberal Catholic women's groups. And it relieved conservatives who have used the debate over priestly celibacy to heighten opposition to the pope, whose strongest conservative critics have accused of heresy.
Francis' document, “Beloved Amazon,” is instead a love letter to the Amazonian rain forest and its indigenous peoples, penned by history’s first Latin American pope. Francis has long been concerned about the violent exploitation of the Amazon's land, its crucial importance to the global ecosystem and the injustices committed against its peoples.
I dream of Christian communities capable of generous commitment, incarnate in the Amazon region, and giving the Church new faces with Amazonian features. #QueridaAmazonia — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 12, 2020
Quoting poetry as frequently as past papal teachings, Francis addressed the document to all peoples of the world “to help awaken their affection and concern for that land which is also ours and to invite them to value it and acknowledge it as a sacred mystery.”
“Beloved Amazon" is in many ways a synthesized and focused version of Francis’ 2015 landmark environmental encyclical, “Praised Be,” in which he blasted wealthy countries and multinational corporations for destroying the world’s natural resources and impoverishing the poor for their own profit.
Francis said he has four dreams for the Amazon: that the rights of the poor are respected, that their cultural riches are celebrated, that the Amazon’s natural beauty and life are preserved, and that its Christian communities show Amazonian features.
Francis had convened bishops from the Amazon’s nine countries for a three-week meeting in October to debate the ways the church can help preserve the delicate ecosystem from global warming and better minister to the region’s people, many of whom live in isolated communities or in poverty in cities.
The Argentine Jesuit has long been sensitive to the plight of the Amazon, where Protestant and Pentecostal churches are wooing away Catholic souls in the absence of vibrant Catholic communities where the Eucharist can be regularly celebrated.
In their final document at the end of the October synod, the majority of bishops called for the establishment of criteria so that “respected” married men in their communities who have already served as permanent deacons be ordained as priests.
In addition, the bishops called for the Vatican to reopen a study commission on ordaining women as deacons, a type of ministry in the church that allows for preaching, celebrating weddings and baptisms, but not consecrating the Eucharist. Francis had created such a commission in 2016 at the insistence of religious sisters who want more say and roles in church governance and ministry, but the group ended its work without reaching consensus.
Francis didn’t mention either proposal in “Beloved Amazon” and didn’t cite the synod’s final document in his text or in a single footnote. But he did say in his introduction that he wanted to “officially present” the synod’s work and urged the faithful to read it in full, suggesting that he at least valued the input.
Francis did echo many of the synod’s recommendations, calling for greater lay participation in the life of the church and saying the training of priests in the Amazon must be overhauled so they are more able to minister to indigenous peoples. He said “every effort should be made” to give the faithful access to the Eucharist.
“This urgent need leads me to urge all bishops, especially those in Latin America, not only to promote prayer for priestly vocations, but also to be more generous in encouraging those who display a missionary vocation to opt for the Amazon region,” he wrote.
Francis dismissed suggestions that ordaining women to any ministry would serve them or the church. While agreeing that women should have greater decision-making and governance roles, Francis argued that they must find “other forms of service and charisms that are proper to women.”
Groups that advocate for women's ordination and giving women greater roles in the Catholic Church blasted the document. Francis justified his refusal to consider ordained ministry for women as sparing them the risk of being “clericalized,” or placed on a pedestal.
“This is a dereliction of his duty as a leader with the power to make positive change and challenge discrimination,” said Miriam Duignan of the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research, a British-based progressive Catholic think tank.
Kate McElwee, executive director of Women's Ordination Conference, said the document betrayed women in the Amazon and elsewhere who perform the lion's share of the church's work, pass the faith from generation to generation, and yet enjoy no official recognition or authority.
“Recognizing women’s work with diaconal ordination would be the first, most basic step towards righting the wrong of institutional sexism that hobbles our church as it attempts to respond to the moral crises of our time,” McElwee said in a statement.
The Catholic Church retains the priesthood for men, arguing that Christ and his apostles were male. While Eastern rite branches have married priests, and Anglican and Protestant priest converts can be married, the Roman rite church has had a tradition of priestly celibacy since the 11th century, imposed in part for financial reasons to ensure that priests' assets pass to the church, not to heirs.
In the weeks leading up to the document’s release, the question of a celibate priesthood made headlines after the publication of a book penned by the retired pope, Benedict, and a conservative Vatican official, Cardinal Robert Sarah, reaffirmed the “necessity” of a celibate priesthood.
Benedict’s participation in the book sparked controversy, since it appeared the retired pope was trying to influence the thinking of the current one, despite his promises to remain “hidden from the world” when he resigned seven years ago.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni noted that Francis finished the document in December, before the book came out, making clear the pope wasn't swayed by Benedict's intervention.
Francis avoided the issue altogether, dedicating instead the entire first half of the document to the “injustice and crime” committed against the Amazonian peoples and their environment by local governments, foreign corporate interests, and illegal mining and extraction industries.
“We cannot allow globalization to become a new version of colonialism,” he wrote.
He said the church in the Amazon must have social justice at the forefront of its spirituality, saying ministry that focuses excessively on discipline and rules will turn people away when in fact they need “understanding, comfort and acceptance.”
The traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli, which has been highly critical of Francis, said that by closing the door to a married priesthood and female deacons, the document was “the best possible document we could have hoped for in the current pontificate and in the current age."
Clare Dixon, Latin America chief for the British Catholic aid agency CAFOD, focused on the environmental good it might do in the global debate about how to fight climate change.
“But Francis is also imploring us to listen to the wisdom of the people of the Amazon, insisting that we learn from the way they live with the environment rather than in competition with it," she said.
Francis called for the church to incorporate indigenous traditions and cultures into its ministry, including song and dance, myth and festivals, and urged patience when confronted with apparently pagan practices and symbols.
It was a reference to the controversy that punctuated the synod over the appearance in the Vatican of wooden statues of a pregnant woman that critics said were pagan idols. At one point, a conservative activist stole the statues from a Vatican-area church and threw them in the Tiber River in a videotaped stunt that galvanized traditionalist opposition to Francis and the synod itself.
(AP)
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france24--2020-02-12--France appeals for witnesses and victims abused by paedophile writer Matzneff

French police launched an appeal on Tuesday for more witnesses and victims to come forward in the case of a writer accused of raping a minor and who repeatedly described relationships with underage teens in his work .
Prosecutors on January 3 launched a rape investigation into author Gabriel Matzneff after a bombshell book by publisher Vanessa Springora claimed they had a sexual relationship three decades ago , starting when she was 14 .
Commentators have described the ensuing furore as a possible turning point in France after decades of what some view as an overly permissive attitude towards sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you were a victim or a witness of actions of a sexual nature which could be of interest to this investigation , the police are ready to hear you , ” said an appeal posted by French police .
“ Whatever the time period , the circumstances and the people who could be implicated , the police encourage all those who have information to come forward , ” it added .
In her book “ Le Consentement ” ( Consent ) , Springora described how she was seduced by Matzneff and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never made any secret of his preference for sex with adolescent girls and boys , including on trips to Asia .
In the mid-1970s , he published a notorious essay called `` Les Moins de Seize Ans '' ( `` Those under 16 '' ) .
Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz told Europe 1 radio that as well as the events described by Springora , the investigation `` will seek to identify any other possible victims who could have suffered violations of the same nature , on national territory or abroad '' .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are `` no forgotten victims '' , Heitz said .
While Springora met investigators in January , the events described by her happened so long ago that a trial may not be possible because of the statute of limitations .
`` If there are other victims , '' the system must `` allow them to speak , take into account what they say , and pursue the perpetrator , '' Heitz said .
Matzneff , 83 , has long been tolerated , admired and even protected in Paris literary circles .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prize .
But his publisher Gallimard said in January it was halting the sale of his works , and Matzneff also risks losing two major state honours as officer of Arts and Letters and knight of the Order of National Merit .
He said in an interview with French television in January that he `` regrets '' his trips to Asia to have sex with minors , claiming that at the time `` no one ever said it was a crime '' .
Matzneff , who now lives in an undisclosed location on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article published in the New York Times on Tuesday that he feels `` like the living dead , a dead man walking '' .
He lamented that former supporters had stayed silent .
`` They ’ re showing their cowardice , '' he said .
`` We can say caution , but it ’ s more than caution from people I considered friends . ''
France was seen by many activists to have been slow to react to the wave of # MeToo exposure of sexual harassment that began in the film industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not the only sector being rocked by a reckoning : the cinema industry in France is reeling from accusations by star actress Adele Haenel that director Christophe Ruggia assaulted her while she was a minor .
And the world of sport has been shaken by claims from former ice skating world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol that she was raped by coach Gilles Beyer from 1990 to 1992 , starting when she was just 15 years old .

French police launched an appeal on Tuesday for more witnesses and victims to come forward in the case of a writer accused of raping a minor and who repeatedly described relationships with underage teens in his work.
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Prosecutors on January 3 launched a rape investigation into author Gabriel Matzneff after a bombshell book by publisher Vanessa Springora claimed they had a sexual relationship three decades ago, starting when she was 14.
Commentators have described the ensuing furore as a possible turning point in France after decades of what some view as an overly permissive attitude towards sexual exploitation of women and children.
“If you were a victim or a witness of actions of a sexual nature which could be of interest to this investigation, the police are ready to hear you,” said an appeal posted by French police.
“Whatever the time period, the circumstances and the people who could be implicated, the police encourage all those who have information to come forward,” it added.
In her book “Le Consentement” (Consent), Springora described how she was seduced by Matzneff and how this left lasting scars.
Matzneff has never made any secret of his preference for sex with adolescent girls and boys, including on trips to Asia. In the mid-1970s, he published a notorious essay called "Les Moins de Seize Ans" ("Those under 16").
‘No forgotten victims’
Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz told Europe 1 radio that as well as the events described by Springora, the investigation "will seek to identify any other possible victims who could have suffered violations of the same nature, on national territory or abroad".
The responsibility of prosecutors is to make sure there are "no forgotten victims", Heitz said.
While Springora met investigators in January, the events described by her happened so long ago that a trial may not be possible because of the statute of limitations.
"If there are other victims," the system must "allow them to speak, take into account what they say, and pursue the perpetrator," Heitz said.
Matzneff, 83, has long been tolerated, admired and even protected in Paris literary circles. In 2013, he won the prestigious Renaudot prize.
But his publisher Gallimard said in January it was halting the sale of his works, and Matzneff also risks losing two major state honours as officer of Arts and Letters and knight of the Order of National Merit.
He said in an interview with French television in January that he "regrets" his trips to Asia to have sex with minors, claiming that at the time "no one ever said it was a crime".
‘Dead man walking’
Matzneff, who now lives in an undisclosed location on the Italian riviera, said in an article published in the New York Times on Tuesday that he feels "like the living dead, a dead man walking".
He lamented that former supporters had stayed silent.
"They’re showing their cowardice," he said. "We can say caution, but it’s more than caution from people I considered friends."
France was seen by many activists to have been slow to react to the wave of #MeToo exposure of sexual harassment that began in the film industry in the United States.
However literature is not the only sector being rocked by a reckoning: the cinema industry in France is reeling from accusations by star actress Adele Haenel that director Christophe Ruggia assaulted her while she was a minor.
And the world of sport has been shaken by claims from former ice skating world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol that she was raped by coach Gilles Beyer from 1990 to 1992, starting when she was just 15 years old.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-12--Chinese F1 Grand Prix scheduled for April postponed due to coronavirus

Mercedes ' British driver Lewis Hamilton drives his car during the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 14 , 2019 .
The Chinese Grand Prix scheduled for April 19 has been postponed because of the “ continued spread ” of the coronovirus , motorsport ’ s governing body FIA announced Wednesday .
FIA said promotors of the Shanghai race had requested a postponment “ in view of the continued spread of novel coronavirus ” .
“ As a result of continued health concerns and with the @ WHO ( World Health Organisation ) declaring the coronavirus as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and @ F1 Formula 1 have taken these measures in order to ensure the health and safety of the travelling staff , championship participants and fans.
” The Shanghai race , the fourth of the new season , becomes the latest—but easily the most high-profile—sports event to fall victim to the virus outbreak which has killed more than 1,100 people in China , where it emerged at the end of last year .
“ The FIA and @ F1 continue to work closely with the teams , promoter , CAMF and local authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ All parties will take the appropriate amount of time to study the viability of potential alternative dates later in the year should the situation improve.
” FIA added : “ The Chinese Grand Prix has long been an important part of the F1 calendar with many passionate fans .
The FIA F1 community looks forward to racing in China as soon as possible and wishes everyone in the country the best during this difficult time .
“ The global situation regarding this virus will continue to be monitored by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events.
” The postponement of the Shanghai race also throws into doubt the inaugural race in Vietnam , which takes place two weeks before but where there have also been cases of COVID-19 .

The Chinese Grand Prix scheduled for April 19 has been postponed because of the “continued spread” of the coronovirus, motorsport’s governing body FIA announced Wednesday.
Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton drives his car during the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 14, 2019.
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FIA said promotors of the Shanghai race had requested a postponment “in view of the continued spread of novel coronavirus”.
“As a result of continued health concerns and with the @WHO (World Health Organisation) declaring the coronavirus as a global health emergency, the FIA and @F1 Formula 1 have taken these measures in order to ensure the health and safety of the travelling staff, championship participants and fans.”
The Shanghai race, the fourth of the new season, becomes the latest—but easily the most high-profile—sports event to fall victim to the virus outbreak which has killed more than 1,100 people in China, where it emerged at the end of last year.
“The FIA and @F1 continue to work closely with the teams, promoter, CAMF and local authorities to monitor the situation,” FIA said.
“All parties will take the appropriate amount of time to study the viability of potential alternative dates later in the year should the situation improve.”
FIA added: “The Chinese Grand Prix has long been an important part of the F1 calendar with many passionate fans. The FIA F1 community looks forward to racing in China as soon as possible and wishes everyone in the country the best during this difficult time.
“The global situation regarding this virus will continue to be monitored by the FIA with regard to other motor sport events.”
The postponement of the Shanghai race also throws into doubt the inaugural race in Vietnam, which takes place two weeks before but where there have also been cases of COVID-19.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-13--Iran legislative election campaign kicks off after purge of reformists

Thousands of Iranian candidates approved to run in parliamentary elections kicked off their campaigns Thursday ahead of next week 's vote , even after authorities barred thousands of others from running , mainly reformists and moderates .
The Feb. 21 parliamentary elections come amid some of the highest tensions between Tehran and Washington in the past four decades .
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has slammed the disqualifications but earlier this week , he urged the crowds in Tehran marking the anniversary of the country 's 1979 Islamic Revolution to turn out at the polls in large numbers .
The vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popularity of the relatively moderate and pro-reform bloc led by Rouhani , who has struggled to deliver on campaign promises to improve people 's lives as Iran 's economy buckles under the weight of U.S. economic sanctions .
Also , a high turnout in the polls will be seen as a vote of confidence in the country 's Shiite theocracy , something Iran has tried to showcase amid the crisis with Washington .
Tensions with the United States could strengthen hard-liners by reinforcing long-held distrust of the West .
The crisis escalated further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed Iran ’ s top general , Qassem Soleimani , and led to a tense confrontation in which Iranian forces accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane after it took off from Tehran , killing all 176 people on board .
The shootdown , and attempts by officials to initially conceal the cause of the crash , sparked public anger and protests in Iran.The current 290-member parliament , elected in 2016 , has more than 100 reformists and moderates , while the rest of the chamber is split between independents and hard-liners.The powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional watchdog which vets prospective candidates , had barred more than 7,000 people from out of over 14,000 who had applied in December to enter the race .
That left over 7,000 candidates running in the Feb. 21 elections for the 290-seat parliament.The majority of those rejected were reformist and moderate candidates but there were also some hard-liners among those barred and 90 current lawmakers .
The hopefuls now have a week for campaigning , which is to end next Wednesday.In Tehran , which accounts for 30 seats in the chamber , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reformists on the list , with the rest not known to average citizens .
The hard-liners running for seats in the next parliament are headed by former Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.The moderates and reformists have championed improved ties with the West and expanded social freedoms , but they suffered major setbacks since President Donald Trump 's election .
Trump pulled the U.S. out of Tehran 's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers , setting the agreement - which was championed by Rouhani - hurtling toward collapse , and reimposed new and tougher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy into free fall .
( AP )

Thousands of Iranian candidates approved to run in parliamentary elections kicked off their campaigns Thursday ahead of next week's vote, even after authorities barred thousands of others from running, mainly reformists and moderates.
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The Feb. 21 parliamentary elections come amid some of the highest tensions between Tehran and Washington in the past four decades. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has slammed the disqualifications but earlier this week, he urged the crowds in Tehran marking the anniversary of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution to turn out at the polls in large numbers.
The vote is seen as a test of the popularity of the relatively moderate and pro-reform bloc led by Rouhani, who has struggled to deliver on campaign promises to improve people's lives as Iran's economy buckles under the weight of U.S. economic sanctions.
Also, a high turnout in the polls will be seen as a vote of confidence in the country's Shiite theocracy, something Iran has tried to showcase amid the crisis with Washington.
Tensions with the United States could strengthen hard-liners by reinforcing long-held distrust of the West. The crisis escalated further after a U.S. airstrike in January that killed Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, and led to a tense confrontation in which Iranian forces accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane after it took off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. The shootdown, and attempts by officials to initially conceal the cause of the crash, sparked public anger and protests in Iran.
The current 290-member parliament, elected in 2016, has more than 100 reformists and moderates, while the rest of the chamber is split between independents and hard-liners.
The powerful Guardian Council, the country’s constitutional watchdog which vets prospective candidates, had barred more than 7,000 people from out of over 14,000 who had applied in December to enter the race. That left over 7,000 candidates running in the Feb. 21 elections for the 290-seat parliament.
The majority of those rejected were reformist and moderate candidates but there were also some hard-liners among those barred and 90 current lawmakers. The hopefuls now have a week for campaigning, which is to end next Wednesday.
In Tehran, which accounts for 30 seats in the chamber, there are only several relatively well-known moderates and reformists on the list, with the rest not known to average citizens. The hard-liners running for seats in the next parliament are headed by former Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.
The moderates and reformists have championed improved ties with the West and expanded social freedoms, but they suffered major setbacks since President Donald Trump's election. Trump pulled the U.S. out of Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, setting the agreement - which was championed by Rouhani - hurtling toward collapse, and reimposed new and tougher sanctions on Iran, which sent its economy into free fall.
(AP)
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe


france24--2020-02-13--China's coronavirus death toll surges, fuels speculation cases were under-reported

The number of deaths and new cases from China 's coronavirus outbreak spiked dramatically on Thursday after authorities changed the way they count infections in a move that will likely fuel speculation that the severity of the outbreak has been under-reported .
The hard-hit central province of Hubei reported 242 deaths in just one day and 14,840 new patients -- by far its biggest one-day tally since the crisis erupted last month .
The jump raised the death toll to 1,355 and the total number of nationwide infections to nearly 60,000 -- just hours after President Xi Jinping touted `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drastic measures to contain the virus and a top Chinese expert predicted the epidemic would peak this month .
Officials in Hubei said they were broadening their definition for COVID-19 cases by including people `` clinically diagnosed '' with the virus in the daily tally .
This means officials can use lung imaging on suspected cases to diagnose the virus , rather than the standard nucleic acid tests .
China has placed some 56 million in virtual quarantine in Hubei and its capital , Wuhan , since late last month and restricted movements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the epicentre in an unprecedented effort to contain the virus .
Xi chaired a meeting of the ruling Politburo Standing Committee on Wednesday after figures showed that the number of new cases had dropped for a second straight day .
China has been praised by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) for its transparent handling of the outbreak , in contrast to the way it concealed the extent of the SARS virus .
But it has faced continued scepticism among the global public , with suggestions that there may be similarities with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
Authorities in Hubei have been accused of concealing the gravity of the outbreak in early January because they were holding key political meetings at the time .
Zhong Nanshan , a renowned scientist at China 's National Health Commission , had said on Tuesday he thought the outbreak would peak in mid- to late-February .
But in Geneva , World Health Organization officials warned Wednesday against reaching premature conclusions on the Chinese data .
`` I think it 's way too early to try to predict the beginning , the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , '' said Michael Ryan , head of WHO 's health emergencies programme .
In Spain , organisers of the world 's top mobile telecommunications trade fair , the World Mobile Congress , said the event would be cancelled following an exodus of industry heavyweights over coronavirus fears .
The GSMA , which organises the annual show , set for Barcelona , said it was cancelled due to `` the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak , travel concern and other circumstances . ''
The announcement was made just hours after Vodafone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's BT and Rakuten of Japan had pulled out , following in the footsteps of Intel , Facebook , Cisco and China 's Vivo .
US planemaker Boeing warned that there was `` no question '' the outbreak would hammer the aviation industry and the broader economy .
The epidemic has threatened to harm the Chinese economy , the world 's second-largest , with ANZ bank warning that China 's first-quarter GDP growth would slow to 3.2-4.0 percent , down from a previous projection of 5.0 percent .
It has also disrupted sporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body FIA announced the suspension of the Formula One Grand Prix in Shanghai , originally scheduled for April 19 , due to the `` continued spread '' of the coronavirus .
And this week 's Singapore Air Show -- Asia 's biggest -- was badly hit by exhibitors withdrawing and low attendance .
Due to the impact of the virus , the OPEC oil cartel lowered its forecast for growth in global oil demand this year by nearly a fifth .
Several countries have banned arrivals from China , while major airlines have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as hundreds of people have now been infected in some two dozen countries .
The biggest cluster of cases outside China is on a cruise ship quarantined off Japan 's coast .
Another 44 people on board a cruise ship moored off Japan 's coast have tested positive for the novel coronavirus , the country 's health minister said Thursday .
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the 44 new cases were from another 221 new tests .
They raise the number of infections detected on the Diamond Princess to 218 , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for the virus .
Kato said authorities now want to move elderly people off the ship if they test negative for the virus , offering to put them in government-designated lodging .
`` We wish to start the operation from tomorrow or later , '' Kato told reporters .
Of the newly diagnosed infections , 43 are passengers , and one a member of the crew .
The Diamond Princess has been moored off Japan since February 3 , after it emerged that a former passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus now named COVID-19 .
The ship was placed into quarantine shortly afterwards and authorities have asked passengers and crew to remain on board until February 19 .
Those who have tested positive for the new virus have been taken off the ship to medical facilities , but questions have been raised about whether the quarantine on the ship is working , with dozens of new cases diagnosed almost daily .
Passengers are confined to cabins and required to wear masks and keep their distance from each other when they are allowed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The number of deaths and new cases from China's coronavirus outbreak spiked dramatically on Thursday after authorities changed the way they count infections in a move that will likely fuel speculation that the severity of the outbreak has been under-reported.
Advertising Read more
The hard-hit central province of Hubei reported 242 deaths in just one day and 14,840 new patients -- by far its biggest one-day tally since the crisis erupted last month.
The jump raised the death toll to 1,355 and the total number of nationwide infections to nearly 60,000 -- just hours after President Xi Jinping touted "positive results" from the government's drastic measures to contain the virus and a top Chinese expert predicted the epidemic would peak this month.
Officials in Hubei said they were broadening their definition for COVID-19 cases by including people "clinically diagnosed" with the virus in the daily tally.
This means officials can use lung imaging on suspected cases to diagnose the virus, rather than the standard nucleic acid tests.
01:33
China has placed some 56 million in virtual quarantine in Hubei and its capital, Wuhan, since late last month and restricted movements of millions more in cities far from the epicentre in an unprecedented effort to contain the virus.
Xi chaired a meeting of the ruling Politburo Standing Committee on Wednesday after figures showed that the number of new cases had dropped for a second straight day.
China has been praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for its transparent handling of the outbreak, in contrast to the way it concealed the extent of the SARS virus.
But it has faced continued scepticism among the global public, with suggestions that there may be similarities with the way it dealt with the 2002-2003 outbreak.
Authorities in Hubei have been accused of concealing the gravity of the outbreak in early January because they were holding key political meetings at the time.
'Too early' to predict
Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist at China's National Health Commission, had said on Tuesday he thought the outbreak would peak in mid- to late-February.
But in Geneva, World Health Organization officials warned Wednesday against reaching premature conclusions on the Chinese data.
"I think it's way too early to try to predict the beginning, the middle or the end of this epidemic right now," said Michael Ryan, head of WHO's health emergencies programme.
In Spain, organisers of the world's top mobile telecommunications trade fair, the World Mobile Congress, said the event would be cancelled following an exodus of industry heavyweights over coronavirus fears.
The GSMA, which organises the annual show, set for Barcelona, said it was cancelled due to "the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances."
The announcement was made just hours after Vodafone, Nokia, Deutsche Telekom, Britain's BT and Rakuten of Japan had pulled out, following in the footsteps of Intel, Facebook, Cisco and China's Vivo.
US planemaker Boeing warned that there was "no question" the outbreak would hammer the aviation industry and the broader economy.
The epidemic has threatened to harm the Chinese economy, the world's second-largest, with ANZ bank warning that China's first-quarter GDP growth would slow to 3.2-4.0 percent, down from a previous projection of 5.0 percent.
It has also disrupted sporting events in China: motorsport's governing body FIA announced the suspension of the Formula One Grand Prix in Shanghai, originally scheduled for April 19, due to the "continued spread" of the coronavirus.
And this week's Singapore Air Show -- Asia's biggest -- was badly hit by exhibitors withdrawing and low attendance.
Due to the impact of the virus, the OPEC oil cartel lowered its forecast for growth in global oil demand this year by nearly a fifth.
Cruise ship infections
Several countries have banned arrivals from China, while major airlines have halted flights to and from the country, as hundreds of people have now been infected in some two dozen countries.
The biggest cluster of cases outside China is on a cruise ship quarantined off Japan's coast.
Another 44 people on board a cruise ship moored off Japan's coast have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the country's health minister said Thursday.
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the 44 new cases were from another 221 new tests. They raise the number of infections detected on the Diamond Princess to 218, in addition to a quarantine officer who also tested positive for the virus.
Kato said authorities now want to move elderly people off the ship if they test negative for the virus, offering to put them in government-designated lodging.
"We wish to start the operation from tomorrow or later," Kato told reporters.
Of the newly diagnosed infections, 43 are passengers, and one a member of the crew.
The Diamond Princess has been moored off Japan since February 3, after it emerged that a former passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong last month had tested positive for the virus now named COVID-19.
The ship was placed into quarantine shortly afterwards and authorities have asked passengers and crew to remain on board until February 19.
Those who have tested positive for the new virus have been taken off the ship to medical facilities, but questions have been raised about whether the quarantine on the ship is working, with dozens of new cases diagnosed almost daily.
Passengers are confined to cabins and required to wear masks and keep their distance from each other when they are allowed out for brief periods on open decks.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-02-13--All bushfires under control in eastern Australia after record rain

A smouldering tree is seen following bushfires in Budgong National Park in New South Wales on January 15 , 2020 .
The confirmed death toll rose to 28 on January 15 , as the fires have already destroyed more than 2,000 homes and burnt 10 million hectares ( 100,000 square kilometres ) of land -- an area larger than South Korea or Portugal .
All the blazes in Australia 's hard-hit state of New South Wales have been brought under control , firefighters said on Thursday , signalling the end of a `` black summer '' that claimed 33 lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extinguish the blazes that have raged along the east coast since September are causing flash floods in parts of the state , posing new problems for some residents .
“ Not all fires are out , there ’ s still some fire activity in the far south of the state but all fires are contained so we can really focus on helping people rebuild , ” the state ’ s fire service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said on Twitter .
“ It is very good news , ” a Rural Fire Service spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 million hectares in the country ’ s east and south , killing at least 33 people and an estimated one billion animals , while destroying more than 2,500 homes .
The crisis cloaked major cities including Sydney in smoke for weeks on end , saw towns cut off and prompted the deployment of the military to rescue stranded citizens .
Beleaguered volunteer firefighters have fought the blazes day-in-day-out in what has been described as Australia ’ s “ black summer ” .
The fires were exacerbated by prolonged drought and worsened by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hottest and driest year on record .
Days of recent rainfall have extinguished the largest fires and brought those that remain under control .
In the Australian Capital Territory around Canberra firefighters are still trying to bring one blaze under control , but it was not said to be threatening .
Attention has now turned to tackling flash flooding expected in the coming days following the heaviest rains in 30 years .
On Thursday dams near Sydney overflowed after days of torrential rain , a spectacular reversal from months of drought .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than a week ago , but on Thursday video footage showing water cascading over the dam wall .
Hundreds of people have been rescued from floodwaters in recent days .
Wild weather is set to ramp up again from Friday , with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting ex-Tropical Cyclone Uesi would bring “ damaging to destructive winds ” and heavy rainfall to remote tourist destination Lord Howe Island .
Senior meteorologist Grace Legge said storms were also expected for Queensland and New South Wales—with areas still recovering from bushfires likely to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thunderstorms that do develop are falling on already saturated catchments , so there is a risk with severe thunderstorms of flash flooding , ” she said .

All the blazes in Australia's hard-hit state of New South Wales have been brought under control, firefighters said on Thursday, signalling the end of a "black summer" that claimed 33 lives nationwide.
A smouldering tree is seen following bushfires in Budgong National Park in New South Wales on January 15, 2020. The confirmed death toll rose to 28 on January 15, as the fires have already destroyed more than 2,000 homes and burnt 10 million hectares (100,000 square kilometres) of land -- an area larger than South Korea or Portugal.
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But heavy rains that helped extinguish the blazes that have raged along the east coast since September are causing flash floods in parts of the state, posing new problems for some residents.
“Not all fires are out, there’s still some fire activity in the far south of the state but all fires are contained so we can really focus on helping people rebuild,” the state’s fire service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said on Twitter.
“It is very good news,” a Rural Fire Service spokesman told AFP.
Bushfires scorched more than 10 million hectares in the country’s east and south, killing at least 33 people and an estimated one billion animals, while destroying more than 2,500 homes.
Dams near Sydney overflow as Australia braces for more floods | Recent downpours have brought relief to areas ravaged by bushfires and drought—as well as chaos and destruction to towns and cities along the eastern seaboard https://t.co/cFwBfhqCD9 — /r/worldnews (@r__worldnews) February 13, 2020
The crisis cloaked major cities including Sydney in smoke for weeks on end, saw towns cut off and prompted the deployment of the military to rescue stranded citizens.
Beleaguered volunteer firefighters have fought the blazes day-in-day-out in what has been described as Australia’s “black summer”.
The fires were exacerbated by prolonged drought and worsened by climate change in the country’s hottest and driest year on record.
Not threatening
Days of recent rainfall have extinguished the largest fires and brought those that remain under control.
In the Australian Capital Territory around Canberra firefighters are still trying to bring one blaze under control, but it was not said to be threatening.
Attention has now turned to tackling flash flooding expected in the coming days following the heaviest rains in 30 years.
On Thursday dams near Sydney overflowed after days of torrential rain, a spectacular reversal from months of drought.
The Nepean dam was just a third full less than a week ago, but on Thursday video footage showing water cascading over the dam wall.
Hundreds of people have been rescued from floodwaters in recent days.
Wild weather is set to ramp up again from Friday, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting ex-Tropical Cyclone Uesi would bring “damaging to destructive winds” and heavy rainfall to remote tourist destination Lord Howe Island.
Senior meteorologist Grace Legge said storms were also expected for Queensland and New South Wales—with areas still recovering from bushfires likely to be hit again.
“Any showers and thunderstorms that do develop are falling on already saturated catchments, so there is a risk with severe thunderstorms of flash flooding,” she said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-13--US mulls troop cuts in Africa as strategy switches to ‘contain’ extremists

A US Army instructor demonstrates a weapon to Malian soldiers on April 12 , 2018 during an anti-terrorism exercise at the Kamboinse - General Bila Zagre military camp near Ouagadougo , Burkina Faso .
The United States announced Wednesday an initial plan for adjusting its military presence in Africa.The adjustment comes as a new US government report says that the US military has switched from trying to degrade Islamic extremist groups in West Africa ’ s sprawling Sahel region to merely trying to contain them .
The first change will see part of one infantry unit , around 800 troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military trainers and advisors to support local forces in “ spotlight African countries , ” Defense Department officials said .
“ The message I ’ m relaying to my ( African ) partners is we are not walking away , ” US Army Africa commander Major General Roger Cloutier told reporters .
The move is the first resulting from a sweeping Pentagon review of the presence of US forces around the world in an effort to better align that presence with US defense priorities—which list China and Russia as the principle threats to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US deployments meant to confront Islamic militant threats , including in Africa .
But the Pentagon is also wary of leaving a vacuum in certain areas , like in Africa , for the Chinese and Russians to fill , which could give them strategically valuable footholds .
US strategy aims to 'contain ' extremist groups The troops adjustment comes after the release earlier this week of a quarterly report by the inspectors general for the Pentagon , State Department and USAID - the first to be unclassified as interest surges in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The US depends especially on French and various African partner forces in West Africa in field operations , but the US strategy has changed from trying to degrade , or reduce the effectiveness , of those extremist groups in the Sahel to trying to keep them from growing their membership and spreading into new areas , AFRICOM told the Pentagon inspector general in the quarter ending Dec. 31 .
The security situation in Burkina Faso “ is deteriorating faster than anywhere else in the Sahel , ” says the new report , citing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The West African nation is staggering under a growing number of extremist attacks as fighters move in from neighbouring Mali .
Hundreds of civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled .
Extremist groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and al-Qaida in West Africa ’ s Sahel “ are neither degraded nor contained , ” the report warns , citing AFRICOM .
The United States has about 6,000 military personnel throughout Africa , including 800 in West Africa , 500 Special Forces in Somalia and an unspecified number at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently announced it would increase its troop presence in the Sahel to more than 5,000 and has started arming its drones , while French leaders have urged the U.S. against cutting its military presence .

The United States announced Wednesday an initial plan for adjusting its military presence in Africa.The adjustment comes as a new US government report says that the US military has switched from trying to degrade Islamic extremist groups in West Africa’s sprawling Sahel region to merely trying to contain them.
A US Army instructor demonstrates a weapon to Malian soldiers on April 12, 2018 during an anti-terrorism exercise at the Kamboinse - General Bila Zagre military camp near Ouagadougo, Burkina Faso.
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The first change will see part of one infantry unit, around 800 troops, replaced with a similar number of military trainers and advisors to support local forces in “spotlight African countries,” Defense Department officials said.
“The message I’m relaying to my (African) partners is we are not walking away,” US Army Africa commander Major General Roger Cloutier told reporters.
“We are still engaged.”
The move is the first resulting from a sweeping Pentagon review of the presence of US forces around the world in an effort to better align that presence with US defense priorities—which list China and Russia as the principle threats to the country.
That could mean reducing US deployments meant to confront Islamic militant threats, including in Africa.
But the Pentagon is also wary of leaving a vacuum in certain areas, like in Africa, for the Chinese and Russians to fill, which could give them strategically valuable footholds.
US strategy aims to 'contain' extremist groups
The troops adjustment comes after the release earlier this week of a quarterly report by the inspectors general for the Pentagon, State Department and USAID - the first to be unclassified as interest surges in the US military’s activities in Africa.
The US depends especially on French and various African partner forces in West Africa in field operations, but the US strategy has changed from trying to degrade, or reduce the effectiveness, of those extremist groups in the Sahel to trying to keep them from growing their membership and spreading into new areas, AFRICOM told the Pentagon inspector general in the quarter ending Dec. 31.
The security situation in Burkina Faso “is deteriorating faster than anywhere else in the Sahel,” says the new report, citing the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). The West African nation is staggering under a growing number of extremist attacks as fighters move in from neighbouring Mali. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled.
Extremist groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and al-Qaida in West Africa’s Sahel “are neither degraded nor contained,” the report warns, citing AFRICOM.
The United States has about 6,000 military personnel throughout Africa, including 800 in West Africa, 500 Special Forces in Somalia and an unspecified number at an air base in Niger.
France recently announced it would increase its troop presence in the Sahel to more than 5,000 and has started arming its drones, while French leaders have urged the U.S. against cutting its military presence.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP)
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france24--2020-02-13--Germany marks 75th anniversary of Dresden bombing as far right seeks to downplay Nazi crimes

General view of the old town district with Frauenkirche , Church of Our Lady , center , which was destroyed by bombing attacks at the end of WW2 , in Dresden , Germany , February 12 , 2020 .
Germany will mark 75 years since the destruction of Dresden in World War II on Thursday , with the far right seeking to inflate victim numbers and play down Nazi crimes .
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will give a speech at Dresden 's Palace of Culture , walking a fine line between remembering those killed in the Allied air raids on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the war .
At 1630 GMT , he will join thousands of residents in forming a human chain of `` peace and tolerance '' as church bells ring out .
But as in past years , the commemoration is set to attract neo-Nazis , while the far-right AfD party will man an information booth to tell the supposed `` truth '' about the bombings and demand a grander memorial for the victims .
Police are also bracing for a large demo by right-wing extremists on Saturday , which is expected to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 'city of innocence ' lives on , '' the regional Saechsische Zeitung daily wrote , accusing the far right of using the commemorations `` to minimise German war crimes '' .
Hundreds of British and American planes pounded Dresden with conventional and incendiary explosives from February 13-15 in 1945 .
The ensuing firestorm killed some 25,000 people , historians have calculated , and left the baroque city known as `` Florence on the Elbe '' in ruins , wiping out its historic centre .
The devastation came to symbolise the horrors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bombed city of Coventry in England .
But in Germany , Dresden also became a focal point for neo-Nazis who have held `` funeral marches '' for the dead and given the city a martyrdom status that experts say is belied by historical facts .
This year 's anniversary is especially charged as Germany reels from a political scandal that erupted in neighbouring Thuringia state last week , where an AfD-backed candidate was elected state premier for the first time .
Although he swiftly resigned , the drama marked a coup for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle to maintain the firewall against a party that has called for Germany to stop atoning for its Nazi past .
`` Resurgent nationalism and right-wing populism are increasingly endangering the democratic remembrance culture , '' Dresden 's mayor Dirk Hilbert told local radio .
Some observers have questioned whether the indiscriminate bombing of Dresden was justified so late in the war , an argument hijacked by neo-Nazis eager to shift the focus onto atrocities committed by the victors of WWII .
The Allied forces , however , saw Dresden as a legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its transport links and factories supporting the German military machine .
In the immediate aftermath , Nazi propagandists claimed over 200,000 people had lost their lives in Dresden -- even though historical records showed early on they had simply added a zero to their estimates .
AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla told Der Spiegel weekly that his grandmother and father recalled seeing `` mountains of bodies '' after the firebombing .
Despite the evidence to the contrary , he said he believes the victims numbered `` around 100,000 '' , prompting critics to accuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , AfD lawmaker Mario Lehmann caused uproar when he described the Dresden bombings as `` a Holocaust '' -- a term usually reserved for the murder of six million Jews under Adolf Hitler .
Founded just seven years ago , the anti-Islam , anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) has risen to become the largest opposition party in the national parliament .
It is most popular in the country 's former communist east .
In Dresden 's Saxony state , the AfD came second in regional polls last year .
Dresden bombing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when her mother dragged her to safety past burning buildings , told Spiegel she was tired of the anniversary being misused for political gain .
The 89-year-old wants the occasion to serve as a warning against war .
`` This day belongs to us , '' she said .

Germany will mark 75 years since the destruction of Dresden in World War II on Thursday, with the far right seeking to inflate victim numbers and play down Nazi crimes.
General view of the old town district with Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, center, which was destroyed by bombing attacks at the end of WW2, in Dresden, Germany, February 12, 2020.
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President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will give a speech at Dresden's Palace of Culture, walking a fine line between remembering those killed in the Allied air raids on the eastern city and stressing Germany's responsibility for the war.
At 1630 GMT, he will join thousands of residents in forming a human chain of "peace and tolerance" as church bells ring out.
But as in past years, the commemoration is set to attract neo-Nazis, while the far-right AfD party will man an information booth to tell the supposed "truth" about the bombings and demand a grander memorial for the victims.
Police are also bracing for a large demo by right-wing extremists on Saturday, which is expected to be met with counterprotests.
"The myth of the 'city of innocence' lives on," the regional Saechsische Zeitung daily wrote, accusing the far right of using the commemorations "to minimise German war crimes".
Martyrdom
Hundreds of British and American planes pounded Dresden with conventional and incendiary explosives from February 13-15 in 1945.
The ensuing firestorm killed some 25,000 people, historians have calculated, and left the baroque city known as "Florence on the Elbe" in ruins, wiping out its historic centre.
The devastation came to symbolise the horrors of war, much like the heavily bombed city of Coventry in England.
But in Germany, Dresden also became a focal point for neo-Nazis who have held "funeral marches" for the dead and given the city a martyrdom status that experts say is belied by historical facts.
This year's anniversary is especially charged as Germany reels from a political scandal that erupted in neighbouring Thuringia state last week, where an AfD-backed candidate was elected state premier for the first time.
Although he swiftly resigned, the drama marked a coup for the AfD -- laying bare mainstream parties' struggle to maintain the firewall against a party that has called for Germany to stop atoning for its Nazi past.
"Resurgent nationalism and right-wing populism are increasingly endangering the democratic remembrance culture," Dresden's mayor Dirk Hilbert told local radio.
Inflated figures
Some observers have questioned whether the indiscriminate bombing of Dresden was justified so late in the war, an argument hijacked by neo-Nazis eager to shift the focus onto atrocities committed by the victors of WWII.
The Allied forces, however, saw Dresden as a legitimate target on the eastern front because of its transport links and factories supporting the German military machine.
In the immediate aftermath, Nazi propagandists claimed over 200,000 people had lost their lives in Dresden -- even though historical records showed early on they had simply added a zero to their estimates.
Yet right-wing extremists continue to cite wildly elevated tolls.
AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla told Der Spiegel weekly that his grandmother and father recalled seeing "mountains of bodies" after the firebombing.
Despite the evidence to the contrary, he said he believes the victims numbered "around 100,000", prompting critics to accuse him of historical revisionism.
Last year, AfD lawmaker Mario Lehmann caused uproar when he described the Dresden bombings as "a Holocaust" -- a term usually reserved for the murder of six million Jews under Adolf Hitler.
Founded just seven years ago, the anti-Islam, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) has risen to become the largest opposition party in the national parliament.
It is most popular in the country's former communist east. In Dresden's Saxony state, the AfD came second in regional polls last year.
Dresden bombing survivor Ursula Elsner, who was 14 when her mother dragged her to safety past burning buildings, told Spiegel she was tired of the anniversary being misused for political gain.
The 89-year-old wants the occasion to serve as a warning against war.
"This day belongs to us," she said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-13--Pechalat to stand for presidency of scandal-hit French skating federation

France 's Nathalie Pechalat ( C ) speaks during an interview after a practice session ahead of her ice dance @ @ @ @ @ world figure skating championships in Saitama , on March 29 , 2014 .
Twice former @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday confirmed her candidacy for the presidency of the crisis-hit French skating federation , which @ @ @ @ @ of an underage sex abuse scandal .
Didier Gailhuget stepped down as president of the @ @ @ @ @ pressure from France ’ s sports minister , Roxana Maracineanu .
His resignation followed accusations @ @ @ @ @ Sarah Abitbol that her coach Gilles Beyer sexually assaulted her for two years starting from @ @ @ @ @ Pechalat , the European champion in 2011 and 2012 who retired in 2014 , confirmed @ @ @ @ @ in the federation elections on March 14 .
Pechalat is a member of an association @ @ @ @ @ in sport , but ironically is also a registered member of the same Paris club @ @ @ @

Twice former European champion Nathalie Pechalat on Wednesday confirmed her candidacy for the presidency of the crisis-hit French skating federation, which finds itself at the centre of an underage sex abuse scandal.
France's Nathalie Pechalat (C) speaks during an interview after a practice session ahead of her ice dance free dance competition at the world figure skating championships in Saitama, on March 29, 2014.
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Didier Gailhuget stepped down as president of the federation on the weekend after pressure from France’s sports minister, Roxana Maracineanu.
His resignation followed accusations by former world championship medallist Sarah Abitbol that her coach Gilles Beyer sexually assaulted her for two years starting from the age of 15.
Pechalat, the European champion in 2011 and 2012 who retired in 2014, confirmed to AFP she would stand in the federation elections on March 14.
Pechalat is a member of an association founded to prevent sexual violence in sport, but ironically is also a registered member of the same Paris club where Beyer coached.
(AFP)
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