france24--2020-07-27--Cold comfort: France to ban heaters at outdoor cafés and restaurants

A waiter wearing a face mask serves on the terrace of a café-restaurant ( Le Bar du Marche ) in Paris on June 2 , 2020 .
France 's famous outdoor café culture may be set to take a hit when a ban on heaters at outdoor terraces takes effect early next year as part of a push toward a greener economy .
France plans to ban heaters used by restaurants and cafés on outdoor terraces from early 2021 as it accelerates a shift to a low-carbon economy , Ecology Minister Barbara Pompili said on Monday .
“ What ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices that lead to totally unjustified energy consumption , ” she said on French television .
Because the ban affects a sector already hard hit by the coronavirus crisis , the government will hold off on implementing the new measure until the end of winter to give business time to adapt , she said .
Pompili said officials would also confer with restaurateurs on how to impose the ban .
Restaurateurs began relying more on heated terraces when France extended its indoor smoking ban to restaurants and bars in 2008 .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the wasteful use of electricity or natural gas .
While a handful of French cities have already banned heated terraces , Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had previously refused , saying businesses stood to lose a huge chunk of their revenues .
France is among the European countries seeking to ensure that stimulus measures to tackle the economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus also drive a transition to a lower-carbon economy .
`` People now understand that we are at risk and that , if we do n't do anything , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis , '' Macron 's new Ecology Minister Pompili told French daily Le Monde on Monday .
President Emmanuel Macron pledged €15 billion ( $ 17.63 billion ) in new funding for green proposals in June after Green party candidates trounced his party in municipal and local elections .
He has also promised measures including a moratorium on building new commercial zones on the city outskirts to help protect small retailers .
But Macron has been stung by accusations that businesses and poorer households often end up bearing the brunt of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` Yellow Vest '' anti-government protests threatened to derail his presidency last year , Macron announced the creation of a Citizens ' Convention on Climate – whose 150 members include randomly picked members of the public – that pitched dozens of proposals last month .
Among other measures to be introduced by decree in the coming months are that building owners will be encouraged to improve insulation and will be prohibited from installing coal or fuel oil furnaces .
New limits on development will also be rolled out to limit the paving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held back on an outright ban of new shopping malls outside cities , a measure demanded by many green activists .
But the announcements , which came after a meeting of Macron 's environmental defence council on Monday , got a lukewarm response from some ecology groups .
Clement Senechal of Greenpeace France told AFP the proposals `` push back any real change until 2023 , after the end of Macron 's term '' .

France's famous outdoor café culture may be set to take a hit when a ban on heaters at outdoor terraces takes effect early next year as part of a push towards a greener economy.
A waiter wearing a face mask serves on the terrace of a café-restaurant (Le Bar du Marche) in Paris on June 2, 2020.
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France plans to ban heaters used by restaurants and cafés on outdoor terraces from early 2021 as it accelerates a shift to a low-carbon economy, Ecology Minister Barbara Pompili said on Monday.
“What’s at stake is ending ecologically aberrant practices that lead to totally unjustified energy consumption,” she said on French television.
Because the ban affects a sector already hard hit by the coronavirus crisis, the government will hold off on implementing the new measure until the end of winter to give business time to adapt, she said.
Pompili said officials would also confer with restaurateurs on how to impose the ban.
Restaurateurs began relying more on heated terraces when France extended its indoor smoking ban to restaurants and bars in 2008. But the move dismayed environmental activists, who railed against the wasteful use of electricity or natural gas.
While a handful of French cities have already banned heated terraces, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had previously refused, saying businesses stood to lose a huge chunk of their revenues.
France is among the European countries seeking to ensure that stimulus measures to tackle the economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus also drive a transition to a lower-carbon economy.
"People now understand that we are at risk and that, if we don't do anything, we'll have an ecological crisis after this health crisis," Macron's new Ecology Minister Pompili told French daily Le Monde on Monday.
President Emmanuel Macron pledged €15 billion ($17.63 billion) in new funding for green proposals in June after Green party candidates trounced his party in municipal and local elections.
He has also promised measures including a moratorium on building new commercial zones on the city outskirts to help protect small retailers.
But Macron has been stung by accusations that businesses and poorer households often end up bearing the brunt of the costs for his green ambitions.
A citizens' council on climate
After the "Yellow Vest" anti-government protests threatened to derail his presidency last year, Macron announced the creation of a Citizens' Convention on Climate – whose 150 members include randomly picked members of the public – that pitched dozens of proposals last month.
Among other measures to be introduced by decree in the coming months are that building owners will be encouraged to improve insulation and will be prohibited from installing coal or fuel oil furnaces.
New limits on development will also be rolled out to limit the paving of natural areas, though the government held back on an outright ban of new shopping malls outside cities, a measure demanded by many green activists.
But the announcements, which came after a meeting of Macron's environmental defence council on Monday, got a lukewarm response from some ecology groups.
Clement Senechal of Greenpeace France told AFP the proposals "push back any real change until 2023, after the end of Macron's term".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-27--Coronavirus vaccine put to final test in US in thousands of volunteers

A subject receives a shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine by Moderna for Covid-19 at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle , on March 16 , 2020 .
The world ’ s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the U.S. government—one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race .
There ’ s still no guarantee that the experimental vaccine , developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Volunteers won ’ t know if they ’ re getting the real shot or a dummy version .
After two doses , scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as they go about their daily routines , especially in areas where the virus still is spreading unchecked .
“ Unfortunately for the United States of America , we have plenty of infections right now ” to get that answer , NIH ’ s Dr. Anthony Fauci recently told The Associated Press .
Several other vaccines made by China and by Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began smaller final-stage tests in Brazil and other hard-hit countries .
But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country and has set a high bar : Every month through fall , the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate—each one with 30,000 newly recruited volunteers .
The massive studies aren ’ t just to test if the shots work — they ’ re needed to check each potential vaccine ’ s safety .
And following the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the shots .
Next up in August , the final study of the Oxford shot begins , followed by plans to test a candidate from Johnson & Johnson in September and Novavax in October—if all goes according to schedule .
Pfizer Inc. plans its own 30,000-person study this summer .
That ’ s a stunning number of people needed to roll up their sleeves for science .
But in recent weeks , more than 150,000 Americans filled out an online registry signaling interest , said Dr. Larry Corey , a virologist with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seattle , who helps oversee the study sites .
“ These trials need to be multigenerational , they need to be multiethnic , they need to reflect the diversity of the United States population , ” Corey told a vaccine meeting last week .
He stressed that it ’ s especially important to ensure enough Black and Hispanic participants as those populations are hard-hit by COVID-19 .
It normally takes years to create a new vaccine from scratch , but scientists are setting speed records this time around , spurred by knowledge that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope against the pandemic .
The coronavirus wasn ’ t even known to exist before late December , and vaccine makers sprang into action Jan. 10 when China shared the virus ’ genetic sequence .
Just 65 days later in March , the NIH-made vaccine was tested in people .
The first recipient is encouraging others to volunteer now .
“ We all feel so helpless right now .
There ’ s very little that we can do to combat this virus .
And being able to participate in this trial has given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m doing something , ” Jennifer Haller of Seattle told the AP .
“ Be prepared for a lot of questions from your friends and family about how it ’ s going , and a lot of thank-you ’ s . ''
That first-stage study that included Haller and 44 others showed the shots revved up volunteers ’ immune systems in ways scientists expect will be protective , with some minor side effects such as a brief fever , chills and pain at the injection site .
Early testing of other leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If everything goes right with the final studies , it still will take months for the first data to trickle in from the Moderna test , followed by the Oxford one .
Governments around the world are trying to stockpile millions of doses of those leading candidates so if and when regulators approve one or more vaccines , immunizations can begin immediately .
But the first available doses will be rationed , presumably reserved for people at highest risk from the virus .
“ We ’ re optimistic , cautiously optimistic ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the end of the year ” there will be data to prove it , Dr. Stephen Hoge , president of Massachusetts-based Moderna , told a House subcommittee last week .
Until then , Haller , the volunteer vaccinated back in March , wears a mask in public and takes the same distancing precautions advised for everyone—while hoping that one of the shots in the pipeline pans out .
“ I don ’ t know what the chances are that this is the exact right vaccine .
But thank goodness that there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now , ” she said .

The world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the U.S. government—one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.
A subject receives a shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine by Moderna for Covid-19 at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, on March 16, 2020.
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There’s still no guarantee that the experimental vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will really protect.
The needed proof: Volunteers won’t know if they’re getting the real shot or a dummy version. After two doses, scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as they go about their daily routines, especially in areas where the virus still is spreading unchecked.
“Unfortunately for the United States of America, we have plenty of infections right now” to get that answer, NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci recently told The Associated Press.
04:40
Several other vaccines made by China and by Britain’s Oxford University earlier this month began smaller final-stage tests in Brazil and other hard-hit countries.
But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country and has set a high bar: Every month through fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate—each one with 30,000 newly recruited volunteers.
A Phase 3 clinical trial of investigational vaccine mRNA-1273 to prevent #COVID19, co-developed by #NIH @NIAIDNews and @Moderna, has begun. The multisite trial will assess preventive power, enrolling 30k+ volunteers. Learn more: https://t.co/r1Li3GhSw3 pic.twitter.com/sRWyXCiDjo — NIH (@NIH) July 27, 2020
The massive studies aren’t just to test if the shots work — they’re needed to check each potential vaccine’s safety. And following the same study rules will let scientists eventually compare all the shots.
Next up in August, the final study of the Oxford shot begins, followed by plans to test a candidate from Johnson & Johnson in September and Novavax in October—if all goes according to schedule. Pfizer Inc. plans its own 30,000-person study this summer.
That’s a stunning number of people needed to roll up their sleeves for science. But in recent weeks, more than 150,000 Americans filled out an online registry signaling interest, said Dr. Larry Corey, a virologist with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute in Seattle, who helps oversee the study sites.
“These trials need to be multigenerational, they need to be multiethnic, they need to reflect the diversity of the United States population,” Corey told a vaccine meeting last week. He stressed that it’s especially important to ensure enough Black and Hispanic participants as those populations are hard-hit by COVID-19.
It normally takes years to create a new vaccine from scratch, but scientists are setting speed records this time around, spurred by knowledge that vaccination is the world’s best hope against the pandemic. The coronavirus wasn’t even known to exist before late December, and vaccine makers sprang into action Jan. 10 when China shared the virus’ genetic sequence.
Just 65 days later in March, the NIH-made vaccine was tested in people. The first recipient is encouraging others to volunteer now.
“We all feel so helpless right now. There’s very little that we can do to combat this virus. And being able to participate in this trial has given me a sense of, that I’m doing something,” Jennifer Haller of Seattle told the AP. “Be prepared for a lot of questions from your friends and family about how it’s going, and a lot of thank-you’s."
That first-stage study that included Haller and 44 others showed the shots revved up volunteers’ immune systems in ways scientists expect will be protective, with some minor side effects such as a brief fever, chills and pain at the injection site. Early testing of other leading candidates have had similarly encouraging results.
If everything goes right with the final studies, it still will take months for the first data to trickle in from the Moderna test, followed by the Oxford one.
Governments around the world are trying to stockpile millions of doses of those leading candidates so if and when regulators approve one or more vaccines, immunizations can begin immediately. But the first available doses will be rationed, presumably reserved for people at highest risk from the virus.
“We’re optimistic, cautiously optimistic” that the vaccine will work and that “toward the end of the year” there will be data to prove it, Dr. Stephen Hoge, president of Massachusetts-based Moderna, told a House subcommittee last week.
Until then, Haller, the volunteer vaccinated back in March, wears a mask in public and takes the same distancing precautions advised for everyone—while hoping that one of the shots in the pipeline pans out.
“I don’t know what the chances are that this is the exact right vaccine. But thank goodness that there are so many others out there battling this right now,” she said.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-27--Trump's national security adviser tests positive for Covid-19

President Donald Trump 's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien has tested positive for the coronavirus — making him the highest-ranking official to test positive so far .
President Donald Trump 's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien has tested positive for the coronavirus — making him the highest-ranking official to test positive so far .
That 's according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were n't authorized to discuss it by name .
The White House confirmed that O'Brien has mild symptoms and “ has been self-isolating and working from a secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ There is no risk of exposure to the President or the Vice President '' and that the `` work of the National Security Council continues uninterrupted.
” The news was first reported by Bloomberg News , which said O ’ Brien came down with the virus after a family event .
A personal valet to the president and the vice president 's press secretary previously tested positive for the virus , which has now infected more than 4 million people nationwide .
Senior White House staff and anyone who comes into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president are tested for the virus every day .

President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien has tested positive for the coronavirus — making him the highest-ranking official to test positive so far.
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President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien has tested positive for the coronavirus — making him the highest-ranking official to test positive so far.
That's according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss it by name.
The White House confirmed that O'Brien has mild symptoms and “has been self-isolating and working from a secure location off site,” adding that: “There is no risk of exposure to the President or the Vice President" and that the "work of the National Security Council continues uninterrupted.”
The news was first reported by Bloomberg News, which said O’Brien came down with the virus after a family event.
A personal valet to the president and the vice president's press secretary previously tested positive for the virus, which has now infected more than 4 million people nationwide.
Senior White House staff and anyone who comes into close contact with the president and vice president are tested for the virus every day.
(AP)
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france24--2020-07-27--ECOWAS West Africa bloc gets tough on Mali with push for 31 MPs to resign

File photo of West African leaders taken in Abuja , Nigeria on December 21 , 2019 .
( Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP ) West African leaders on Monday adopted a tough four-point plan in a bid to resolve Mali 's political crisis , including calling for the resignations of 31 parliamentarians elected in disputed polls and for the swift creation of a unity government .
In a statement issued after an extraordinary video summit , heads of the 15-nation , West African regional bloc , ECOWAS , stood by Mali 's embattled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government to be `` established rapidly '' and urged the opposition to join it .
Addressing demands by protestors that Keita quit , the bloc maintained Mali 's democratic constitution had to be respected , and asked an ECOWAS commission `` to consider sanctions against all those who act contrary to the normalisation process of the crisis . ''
The four-point plan included holding new elections for 31 parliamentary seats which were contested , sparking protests after the country 's constitutional court ruled in favour of Keita 's party .
Infuriated by corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losses to jihadists , tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in recent weeks , sparking clashes with police in which the United Nations says at least 14 protesters have died this month .
The opposition , a group called M5-RFP whose figurehead is Saudi-trained Muslim cleric Mahmoud Dicko , has said it will not quit until Keita steps down , raising concerns in neighbouring countries of a protracted crisis .
ECOWAS leaders , however , did not agree with the opposition ’ s call for Keita 's resignation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a unity government and called on the opposition to be part of that unity government .
Hours later , Mali 's presidential office announced that a stripped-down cabinet comprising Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and six ministers would work to form a unity government .

West African leaders on Monday adopted a tough four-point plan in a bid to resolve Mali's political crisis, including calling for the resignations of 31 parliamentarians elected in disputed polls and for the swift creation of a unity government.
File photo of West African leaders taken in Abuja, Nigeria on December 21, 2019. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP)
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In a statement issued after an extraordinary video summit, heads of the 15-nation, West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, stood by Mali's embattled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. But the bloc also called for a unity government to be "established rapidly" and urged the opposition to join it.
Addressing demands by protestors that Keita quit, the bloc maintained Mali's democratic constitution had to be respected, and asked an ECOWAS commission "to consider sanctions against all those who act contrary to the normalisation process of the crisis."
00:34
The four-point plan included holding new elections for 31 parliamentary seats which were contested, sparking protests after the country's constitutional court ruled in favour of Keita's party.
Infuriated by corruption, disputed local election results and army losses to jihadists, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in recent weeks, sparking clashes with police in which the United Nations says at least 14 protesters have died this month.
The opposition, a group called M5-RFP whose figurehead is Saudi-trained Muslim cleric Mahmoud Dicko, has said it will not quit until Keita steps down, raising concerns in neighbouring countries of a protracted crisis.
ECOWAS leaders, however, did not agree with the opposition’s call for Keita's resignation. Instead, they demanded the formation of a unity government and called on the opposition to be part of that unity government.
Hours later, Mali's presidential office announced that a stripped-down cabinet comprising Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and six ministers would work to form a unity government.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-27--Morocco shuts down major cities after spike in Covid-19 cases

Moroccan men , wearing a protective face masks , in a street in Tangiers ' Old City after an earlier announcement of lockdown measures in the northern port city to smother the novel coronavirus outbreak .
Morocco will stop people entering and leaving some of its biggest cities from midnight to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases , the interior and health Ministries said on Sunday .
The cities to be locked down include the economic powerhouse of Casablanca as well as Tangier , Marrakech , Fez and Meknes .
The country eased a nationwide lockdown a month ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special flights by national airlines carrying Moroccans or foreign residents .
On Sunday , the health ministry said 633 new COVID-19 cases were recorded , one of the biggest daily rises so far , bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 20,278 , with 313 deaths and 16,438 recoveries .
Morocco has carried out 1.1 million tests and has made mask-wearing mandatory .
It has extended an emergency decree , until August 10 , giving authorities leeway in restoring restrictive measures on a region-by-region basis depending on developments in the epidemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget deficit of 7.5 % of gross domestic product this year , and the economy to shrink by 5 % .

Morocco will stop people entering and leaving some of its biggest cities from midnight to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases, the interior and health Ministries said on Sunday.
Moroccan men, wearing a protective face masks, in a street in Tangiers' Old City after an earlier announcement of lockdown measures in the northern port city to smother the novel coronavirus outbreak.
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The cities to be locked down include the economic powerhouse of Casablanca as well as Tangier, Marrakech, Fez and Meknes.
The country eased a nationwide lockdown a month ago, though international flights are still suspended except special flights by national airlines carrying Moroccans or foreign residents.
On Sunday, the health ministry said 633 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, one of the biggest daily rises so far, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 20,278, with 313 deaths and 16,438 recoveries.
Morocco has carried out 1.1 million tests and has made mask-wearing mandatory. It has extended an emergency decree, until August 10, giving authorities leeway in restoring restrictive measures on a region-by-region basis depending on developments in the epidemic.
The government expects Morocco to record a budget deficit of 7.5% of gross domestic product this year, and the economy to shrink by 5%.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-27--Chinese authorities close US consulate in Chengdu amid rising tensions

A man works to remove the U.S. Consulate plaque at the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu , Sichuan province , China , July 26 , 2020 .
Beijing announced the US consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu was closed as of 10am ( 0200 GMT ) on Monday , after it ordered the facility be shut in retaliation for China being ousted from its consulate in Houston , Texas .
Police in Chengdu restricted access to the area around the consulate on Monday morning , and four officials in personal protective gear could be seen walking towards the consulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordered the closure of the facility on Friday after Washington last week gave China 72 hours to vacate its consulate in Houston , in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the world 's two largest economies .
State broadcaster CCTV shared a video on its Twitter-like Weibo account , taken by a reporter , of the American flag in front of the consulate in Chengdu being lowered at 6:18am on Monday .
On Sunday night , a crane was seen entering the consulate compound and hoisting at least one container onto a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker was seen using tools including a hammer and chisel to remove fittings around a plaque outside the main entrance .
Over the weekend , removals trucks entered the US consulate and cleaners were seen carting large black rubbish bags from the building .
Relations deteriorated in recent weeks in a Cold War-style standoff , with the Chengdu mission Friday ordered to shut in retaliation for the forced closure of Beijing 's consulate in Houston , Texas .
Beijing says closing the Chengdu consulate was a `` legitimate and necessary response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and has alleged that staff at the diplomatic mission endangered China 's security and interests .
Washington officials , meanwhile , said there had been unacceptable efforts by the Chinese consulate in Houston to steal US corporate secrets .

Beijing announced the US consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu was closed as of 10am (0200 GMT) on Monday, after it ordered the facility be shut in retaliation for China being ousted from its consulate in Houston, Texas.
A man works to remove the U.S. Consulate plaque at the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, July 26, 2020.
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Police in Chengdu restricted access to the area around the consulate on Monday morning, and four officials in personal protective gear could be seen walking towards the consulate at about 10:24am local time.
China ordered the closure of the facility on Friday after Washington last week gave China 72 hours to vacate its consulate in Houston, in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the world's two largest economies.
State broadcaster CCTV shared a video on its Twitter-like Weibo account, taken by a reporter, of the American flag in front of the consulate in Chengdu being lowered at 6:18am on Monday.
01:26
On Sunday night, a crane was seen entering the consulate compound and hoisting at least one container onto a large truck.
On Saturday evening, a worker was seen using tools including a hammer and chisel to remove fittings around a plaque outside the main entrance.
Over the weekend, removals trucks entered the US consulate and cleaners were seen carting large black rubbish bags from the building.
Relations deteriorated in recent weeks in a Cold War-style standoff, with the Chengdu mission Friday ordered to shut in retaliation for the forced closure of Beijing's consulate in Houston, Texas.
Beijing says closing the Chengdu consulate was a "legitimate and necessary response to the unreasonable measures by the United States", and has alleged that staff at the diplomatic mission endangered China's security and interests.
Washington officials, meanwhile, said there had been unacceptable efforts by the Chinese consulate in Houston to steal US corporate secrets.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
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france24--2020-07-27--Lockdown of major cities clogs Moroccan roads ahead of holiday weekend

On Sunday , July 26 , Moroccan authorities announced a ban on travel to and from eight major cities – including Marrakech , Casablanca , Fez , Rabat , Meknes and Tangier – following a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the country .
This announcement was followed by panic as Moroccans rushed to return home from holidays or reach their families before the ban was put into place July 27 .
Photos and videos posted online show traffic jams and accidents as the travel ban caused a rush in and out of the affected cities .
Morocco recorded 633 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel ban was announced , increasing confirmed infections in the country to more than 20,000 .
While Morocco began easing its initial lockdown last month , a surge of new cases has caused the ministries of health and interior to re-establish some restrictions .
A state of emergency in the country has been extended to August 10 .
Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani said on Sunday that the move came after significant increases of positive cases were seen over the weekend .
He echoed the concerns of other This new lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will be celebrated in Morocco on July 31 .
The Islamic holiday is generally celebrated with family reunions and travel .
Moroccans residing in any of the eight affected cities are now prohibited from leaving to visit family in other parts of the country .
The ban was announced in the evening of July 26 , around 8 p.m. , giving Moroccans only four hours to return home or reach their families .
Videos and photos show the consequent congestion on highways in and out of large cities such as Casablanca .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the day the travel ban was announced , increasing confirmed infections in the country to more than 20,000 .
While Morocco began easing its initial lockdown last month , a surge of new cases has caused the ministries of health and interior to re-establish some restrictions .
A state of emergency in the country has been extended to August 10.Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani said on Sunday that the move came after significant increases of positive cases were seen over the weekend .
He echoed the concerns of other government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines and social distancing measures.This new lockdown came just days before Eid al-Adha , which will be celebrated in Morocco on July 31 .
The Islamic holiday is generally celebrated with family reunions and travel .
Moroccans residing in any of the eight affected cities are now prohibited from leaving to visit family in other parts of the country.The ban was announced in the evening of July 26 , around 8 p.m. , giving Moroccans only four hours to return home or reach their families .
Videos and photos show the consequent congestion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities such as Casablanca .
“ Blocked for kilometers , sometimes an accident , ” this poster observes the traffic coming out of Casablanca hours before the ban will be put into place .
“ People fleeing , the highway toll booths crowded before midnight , the last deadline before the closures of eight cities of the kingdom.
” On the morning of July 27 , many were still in transit , causing the congestion of a major mountain pass in the south of Morocco .
Many pictures and videos were shared from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Ouarzazate and Marrakech .
A video taken from above shows the line of cars stopped on the Tishka .
While videos of highways filled with automobile traffic made the rounds on social media , public transportation was just as affected by the ban .
The video below shows Moroccans arriving at the Ouled Ziane bus station in Casablanca , hoping to exit the city before the ban began .
While some were able to board a bus or taxi to their destination , others waited outside of the bus station well past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Casablanca .
Citizens arriving at # OuledZiane bus station before the travel ban comes into effect , ” this post says .
The train station in Tangier was equally inundated with voyagers hoping to exit the city before it was locked down .
Authorities have not announced when normal travel will resume to these eight cities , or whether Morocco will return to similar containment measures taken in March

Morocco
Highways were backed up with cars on July 26 following an announcement that eight of Morocco’s cities would be closed off to prevent the spread of Covid-19. (Photo: Facebook)
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On Sunday, July 26, Moroccan authorities announced a ban on travel to and from eight major cities – including Marrakech, Casablanca, Fez, Rabat, Meknes and Tangier – following a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the country. This announcement was followed by panic as Moroccans rushed to return home from holidays or reach their families before the ban was put into place July 27. Photos and videos posted online show traffic jams and accidents as the travel ban caused a rush in and out of the affected cities.
Morocco recorded 633 new cases of coronavirus on the day the travel ban was announced, increasing confirmed infections in the country to more than 20,000. While Morocco began easing its initial lockdown last month, a surge of new cases has caused the ministries of health and interior to re-establish some restrictions. A state of emergency in the country has been extended to August 10.
Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani said on Sunday that the move came after significant increases of positive cases were seen over the weekend. He echoed the concerns of other government officials that citizens are not following preventive guidelines and social distancing measures.
This new lockdown came just days before Eid al-Adha, which will be celebrated in Morocco on July 31. The Islamic holiday is generally celebrated with family reunions and travel. Moroccans residing in any of the eight affected cities are now prohibited from leaving to visit family in other parts of the country.
The ban was announced in the evening of July 26, around 8 p.m., giving Moroccans only four hours to return home or reach their families. Videos and photos show the consequent congestion on highways in and out of large cities such as Casablanca.
“Blocked for kilometers, sometimes an accident,” this poster observes the traffic coming out of Casablanca hours before the ban will be put into place.
#Maroc 🇲🇦 - Les gens qui fuient, les péages d’autoroutes bondés avant 00h00 dernier délai avant la fermeture de 8 villes du royaume.#Coronavirus #COVIDー19
Via @abdel_z pic.twitter.com/JMMlSykNfV ⓃⒺⓌⓈ—ⓂⒺⓃⒶ·۰•● (@News_Mena_) July 26, 2020
“People fleeing, the highway toll booths crowded before midnight, the last deadline before the closures of eight cities of the kingdom.”
Some are blaming the travel ban for an increase in traffic accidents as Moroccans rushed in and out of affected cities. The video below shows the aftermath of a collision outside of Fez, but accidents have also been reported between Marrakech and Agadir.
On the morning of July 27, many were still in transit, causing the congestion of a major mountain pass in the south of Morocco. Many pictures and videos were shared from the Tishka, a one-lane mountainous road between Ouarzazate and Marrakech.
A video taken from above shows the line of cars stopped on the Tishka.
Transport stations overrun
While videos of highways filled with automobile traffic made the rounds on social media, public transportation was just as affected by the ban. The video below shows Moroccans arriving at the Ouled Ziane bus station in Casablanca, hoping to exit the city before the ban began. While some were able to board a bus or taxi to their destination, others waited outside of the bus station well past midnight with no luck.
#الدار_البيضاء..مواطنون يتوافدون هذا المساء على #محطة_ولاد_زيان، قبل دخول قرار منع السفر حيز التنفيذ. pic.twitter.com/5xPdxIMeBn Youssef Belhaissi يوسف بلهيسي (@YBelhaissi) July 26, 2020
“#Casablanca. Citizens arriving at #OuledZiane bus station before the travel ban comes into effect,” this post says.
The train station in Tangier was equally inundated with voyagers hoping to exit the city before it was locked down.
Authorities have not announced when normal travel will resume to these eight cities, or whether Morocco will return to similar containment measures taken in March.
Article written by Pariesa Young


france24--2020-07-27--Global Covid-19 cases pass 16 million as China records highest tally since April

A health worker carries out a Covid-19 coronavirus test on a child at a makeshift testing center in Dalian , in China 's northeast Liaoning province on July 27 , 2020 .
China on Monday reported its highest number of coronavirus cases in three months , part of a worrying swell of second and third-wave infections that are hitting Asia and Europe .
Australia has been rocked by its deadliest surge since the start of the pandemic , Hong Kong is experiencing record daily numbers and Spain ’ s caseload has tripled in the last fortnight .
Meanwhile , other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after never getting the virus under control : the US alone has recorded almost 4.23 million cases of COVID-19 , while infections in Latin America and the Caribbean surged on Sunday to briefly overtake North America ’ s total for the first time .
Worldwide the confirmed case count has passed 16 million , although experts believe that figure is vastly short of the true number .
One study in New Delhi found a quarter of people tested had contracted the virus , amounting to 4.7 million in the Indian capital alone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ December last year—recorded 61 cases on Monday , the highest daily figure since April .
The second-wave surge was propelled by clusters in separate regions , and authorities have declared “ wartime mode ” lockdown measures to combat the spread of the deadly contagion .
Most of the 57 new domestic cases were in the far northwestern Xinjiang region , where an outbreak in the regional capital Urumqi occurred in mid-July .
A second programme of mass testing was launched Sunday in the city of 3.5 million people to check residents who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people screened so far .
Chinese authorities have also rolled out mass testing for hundreds of thousands in the northeast port city of Dalian where a fresh cluster broke out last week .
Australia on Sunday suffered its deadliest day since the pandemic began , with 10 fatalities and a rise in new infections despite an intense lockdown effort .
And on Monday the country recorded its highest number of daily cases of at least 549 , more than Wednesday ’ s high of 501 with some states still to report their numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state where the latest outbreak is centred , begged anyone sick to stay at home .
In Hong Kong , which seemingly had a lid on local transmissions for weeks , new infections have snowballed sparking fears the latest outbreak is spreading out of control .
More than 1,000 infections have been confirmed since early July—more than 40 percent of the total since the virus first hit the city in late January .
Eighteen people have died .
The city said it will stop most ships from changing crews in the densely populated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine exemptions blamed for causing a third wave of cases .
And Spain , where more than 28,400 have lost their lives , has also witnessed a recent surge in cases with nearly 1,000 on both Thursday and Friday , although the government insisted the country was safe to visit and was not experiencing a second wave .
“ Like other European countries , Spain has new outbreaks , ” Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told reporters on Sunday , adding : “ It ’ s not unusual.
” London sparked a spat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with British holidaymakers , after it announced passengers arriving from Spain should spend a fortnight in isolation .
However , Britain defended its decision with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab telling Sky News : “ We can ’ t make apologies for doing so ... We must be able to take swift , decisive action.
” As worldwide infections passed 16 million , Latin America and the Caribbean totalled more than 4.34 million , according to an AFP tally , briefly surpassing North America , where the United States remains the hardest-hit country in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But North America soon moved ahead again , as the US recorded more than 55,000 new cases in 24 hours for a total of nearly 4.23 million .
Combined with Canada ’ s 116,000 cases , North America now has more than 4.34 million infections .
In Latin America , Brazil is the worst-hit country with almost 2.42 million cases and more than 87,000 deaths .
There have also been increases in infections in Mexico , Peru , Colombia and Argentina , all of which are trying to resume economic activities .

China on Monday reported its highest number of coronavirus cases in three months, part of a worrying swell of second and third-wave infections that are hitting Asia and Europe.
A health worker carries out a Covid-19 coronavirus test on a child at a makeshift testing center in Dalian, in China's northeast Liaoning province on July 27, 2020.
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Australia has been rocked by its deadliest surge since the start of the pandemic, Hong Kong is experiencing record daily numbers and Spain’s caseload has tripled in the last fortnight.
Meanwhile, other regions are still battling their first waves after never getting the virus under control: the US alone has recorded almost 4.23 million cases of COVID-19, while infections in Latin America and the Caribbean surged on Sunday to briefly overtake North America’s total for the first time.
Worldwide the confirmed case count has passed 16 million, although experts believe that figure is vastly short of the true number. One study in New Delhi found a quarter of people tested had contracted the virus, amounting to 4.7 million in the Indian capital alone.
Most COVID-19 deaths, and death rate per million population:
US: 146,700+/447
Brazil: 87,000+/415
Britain: 45,700+/686
As of July 27@AFP pic.twitter.com/dOJvpF1ToD — AFPgraphics (@AFPgraphics) July 27, 2020
China—where the coronavirus was first reported in December last year—recorded 61 cases on Monday, the highest daily figure since April.
The second-wave surge was propelled by clusters in separate regions, and authorities have declared “wartime mode” lockdown measures to combat the spread of the deadly contagion.
Most of the 57 new domestic cases were in the far northwestern Xinjiang region, where an outbreak in the regional capital Urumqi occurred in mid-July.
A second programme of mass testing was launched Sunday in the city of 3.5 million people to check residents who had previously tested negative, with 2.3 million people screened so far.
01:48
Chinese authorities have also rolled out mass testing for hundreds of thousands in the northeast port city of Dalian where a fresh cluster broke out last week.
Deadly new waves
Australia on Sunday suffered its deadliest day since the pandemic began, with 10 fatalities and a rise in new infections despite an intense lockdown effort.
And on Monday the country recorded its highest number of daily cases of at least 549, more than Wednesday’s high of 501 with some states still to report their numbers.
Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria state where the latest outbreak is centred, begged anyone sick to stay at home.
Victoria has recorded 532 new cases of #coronavirus #COVID19 since yesterday, with the total number of cases now at 8696. For more information: https://t.co/JjtAp5IvKC #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/shDYJfxE3M — VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) July 27, 2020
In Hong Kong, which seemingly had a lid on local transmissions for weeks, new infections have snowballed sparking fears the latest outbreak is spreading out of control.
More than 1,000 infections have been confirmed since early July—more than 40 percent of the total since the virus first hit the city in late January. Eighteen people have died.
The city said it will stop most ships from changing crews in the densely populated territory from Wednesday to cut back on quarantine exemptions blamed for causing a third wave of cases.
And Spain, where more than 28,400 have lost their lives, has also witnessed a recent surge in cases with nearly 1,000 on both Thursday and Friday, although the government insisted the country was safe to visit and was not experiencing a second wave.
“Like other European countries, Spain has new outbreaks,” Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told reporters on Sunday, adding: “It’s not unusual.”
London sparked a spat with the Iberian country, hugely popular with British holidaymakers, after it announced passengers arriving from Spain should spend a fortnight in isolation.
However, Britain defended its decision with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab telling Sky News: “We can’t make apologies for doing so... We must be able to take swift, decisive action.”
Cases pass 16 million
As worldwide infections passed 16 million, Latin America and the Caribbean totalled more than 4.34 million, according to an AFP tally, briefly surpassing North America, where the United States remains the hardest-hit country in terms of both caseload and death toll.
But North America soon moved ahead again, as the US recorded more than 55,000 new cases in 24 hours for a total of nearly 4.23 million.
Combined with Canada’s 116,000 cases, North America now has more than 4.34 million infections.
In Latin America, Brazil is the worst-hit country with almost 2.42 million cases and more than 87,000 deaths.
There have also been increases in infections in Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Argentina, all of which are trying to resume economic activities.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-26--Dr. Anthony Fauci: A lifeline for Americans through pandemics and presidencies

Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases prepares to testify ahead of a Senate Health , Education , Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington , DC , on June 30 , 2020 .
He inspires trust and confidence in most Americans , but drives others to violent anger – and wild conspiracy theories – over his assertiveness on issues of public health .
Anthony Fauci , the United States ’ leading expert on infectious diseases and White House coronavirus advisor , is standing firm in the eye of the storm .
For weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fauci stood alongside President Donald Trump and the White House coronavirus task force in daily press briefings .
Calmly he set the scientific record straight about the Covid-19 situation in the country , even when claims by the Trump administration were called out for being recklessly inaccurate .
Trump abruptly stopped appearing in the public briefings for two months after April 24 , and Fauci , painted as alarmist by administration officials , was barred by the White House from making most television appearances .
But he remained in his position as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to warn the president and the public of the dangers posed by the virus , which has claimed more than 145,000 lives in the US as of Saturday , according to Johns Hopkins university .
At a sprightly 79 , Fauci has been a medical researcher for over five decades .
He spent 36 years as the director of the American National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ) , where he led research through a string of epidemics , including HIV , SARS , Avian flu , Swine flu , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fauci , who was the captain of his high school basketball team and an avid marathon runner , stayed fit and beat stress throughout his career by running daily at lunchtime .
Now , with the coronavirus crisis filling his days , he has been forced to change that habit and power walk several miles on weekends instead .
“ I think the benefit for me is a stress reliever – because I have a pretty high-stress job , '' Fauci said in a 2016 interview .
“ Getting outside in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grass is kind of a very pleasing thing for me.
” His calm insistence on providing the facts , even when they contradict the Trump administration 's line , has angered Trump supporters and placed Fauci at the centre of far-right and anti-science conspiracy theories .
On Saturday , the Sinclair Broadcast Group , which owns or operates nearly 200 local TV stations around the United States , announced that it was pulling Sunday ’ s “ America This Week ” talk show , which was to feature an interview with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says she believes Fauci manufactured the coronavirus and sent it to China .
During the segment , first revealed by Media Matters for America , a banner on the bottom of the screen read “ Did Dr. Fauci create coronavirus ? ''
Before announcing that it would delay the airing of the episode to bring “ together other viewpoints and provide additional context ” , Sinclair had tweeted that it did not endorse Mikovits ’ s theory .
Fauci , however , has reacted to criticism with bemused understatement .
When Peter Navarro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an op-ed in USA Today claiming that Fauci was `` wrong about everything '' , Fauci just responded , `` You know , it is a bit bizarre .
I do n't really fully understand it.
” When a security detail was assigned to him after serious threats were made against him and his family he simply described the situation as “ not good ” and “ a little bit disturbing '' .
“ There are people who get really angry at thinking I ’ m interfering with their life because I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said Friday in a CNN podcast interview .
“ The kind of not only hate mail but actual serious threats against me are not good.
” He had come under attack before , over his work with HIV/AIDS .
But he said that this time , the threat level was different .
“ It ’ s really a magnitude different now because [ of ] the amount of anger , ” he told CNN .
“ I ’ ve seen a side of society that I guess is understandable , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said in the interview .
Fauci has served as adviser to every US president since Ronald Reagan .
A native of Brooklyn , New York , he was born to New York-born parents of Italian origin .
After graduating at the top of his class from Cornell University ’ s medical school , during the Vietnam War , he was called to serve at the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) , with a group of doctors informally known as the “ Yellow Berets ” .
He began work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation at the NIAID and served in different roles at the institute before being named its director in 1984 .
A pioneer and recognised world leader in the research of HIV/AIDS since the early 1980s , Fauci played a central role in creating the President 's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief , the initiative launched in 2003 by George W. Bush ’ s administration to address the global epidemic and help save those suffering from the disease .
Following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force in the development of biodefence drugs and vaccines .
In 2014 , he advised the Obama administration when cases of Ebola were detected in the United States .
In a New Yorker article titled “ How Anthony Fauci Became America ’ s Doctor ” , he is quoted on how , during his many years of advising the White House , he has dealt with leaders in times of crisis .
“ I go to my favorite book of philosophy , ‘ The Godfather , ’ and say , ‘ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strictly business , ’ ” he said .
“ You just have a job to do .
Even when somebody ’ s acting ridiculous , you can ’ t chide them for it .
You ’ ve got to deal with them .
Because if you don ’ t deal with them , then you ’ re out of the picture.
” When asked about his relationship with Trump , Fauci insists it is very good .
And despite the criticism , Fauci ’ s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has also won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 15 by Quinnipiac University showed that 65 percent of voters trust what Fauci says about Covid-19 , against 26 percent who do not ( compared to Trump , whose information about the coronavirus is not trusted by 67 percent of those polled ) .
A Change.org petition calling to support Fauci in case Trump considers removing him from the pandemic response team had garnered 332,000 signatures by Sunday , two weeks after it was launched .
If Fauci is concerned about the prospect of being removed , he doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that role as long as I feel that I ’ m being useful , and I ’ m valued in it , and the White House wants me , '' he told InStyle magazine recently .
`` If any of the above change , then I would step down .
”

He inspires trust and confidence in most Americans, but drives others to violent anger – and wild conspiracy theories – over his assertiveness on issues of public health. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ leading expert on infectious diseases and White House coronavirus advisor, is standing firm in the eye of the storm.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases prepares to testify ahead of a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on June 30, 2020.
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For weeks at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Fauci stood alongside President Donald Trump and the White House coronavirus task force in daily press briefings. Calmly he set the scientific record straight about the Covid-19 situation in the country, even when claims by the Trump administration were called out for being recklessly inaccurate.
Trump abruptly stopped appearing in the public briefings for two months after April 24, and Fauci, painted as alarmist by administration officials, was barred by the White House from making most television appearances.
But he remained in his position as the administration's coronavirus advisor and continued to warn the president and the public of the dangers posed by the virus, which has claimed more than 145,000 lives in the US as of Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins university.
At a sprightly 79, Fauci has been a medical researcher for over five decades. He spent 36 years as the director of the American National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where he led research through a string of epidemics, including HIV, SARS, Avian flu, Swine flu, Zika and Ebola.
A known workaholic, Fauci, who was the captain of his high school basketball team and an avid marathon runner, stayed fit and beat stress throughout his career by running daily at lunchtime. Now, with the coronavirus crisis filling his days, he has been forced to change that habit and power walk several miles on weekends instead.
“I think the benefit for me is a stress reliever – because I have a pretty high-stress job," Fauci said in a 2016 interview. “Getting outside in the day and hearing the birds and smelling the grass is kind of a very pleasing thing for me.”
Conspiracy theories and threats
His calm insistence on providing the facts, even when they contradict the Trump administration's line, has angered Trump supporters and placed Fauci at the centre of far-right and anti-science conspiracy theories.
On Saturday, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns or operates nearly 200 local TV stations around the United States, announced that it was pulling Sunday’s “America This Week” talk show, which was to feature an interview with an anti-vaccine activist, Judy Mikovits, who says she believes Fauci manufactured the coronavirus and sent it to China.
During the segment, first revealed by Media Matters for America, a banner on the bottom of the screen read “Did Dr. Fauci create coronavirus?"
Before announcing that it would delay the airing of the episode to bring “together other viewpoints and provide additional context”, Sinclair had tweeted that it did not endorse Mikovits’s theory.
After further review, we have decided to delay this episode's airing. We will spend the coming days bringing together other viewpoints and provide additional context. All stations have been notified not to air this and will instead be re-airing last week’s episode in its place. — Sinclair Broadcast Group (@WeAreSinclair) July 25, 2020
Fauci, however, has reacted to criticism with bemused understatement.
When Peter Navarro, a top Trump aide, published an op-ed in USA Today claiming that Fauci was "wrong about everything", Fauci just responded, "You know, it is a bit bizarre. I don't really fully understand it.”
When a security detail was assigned to him after serious threats were made against him and his family he simply described the situation as “not good” and “a little bit disturbing".
“There are people who get really angry at thinking I’m interfering with their life because I’m pushing a public health agenda,” he said Friday in a CNN podcast interview. “The kind of not only hate mail but actual serious threats against me are not good.”
He had come under attack before, over his work with HIV/AIDS. But he said that this time, the threat level was different. “It’s really a magnitude different now because [of] the amount of anger,” he told CNN.
“I’ve seen a side of society that I guess is understandable, but it’s a little bit disturbing,” he said in the interview.
An illustrious career
Fauci has served as adviser to every US president since Ronald Reagan.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, he was born to New York-born parents of Italian origin. After graduating at the top of his class from Cornell University’s medical school, during the Vietnam War, he was called to serve at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with a group of doctors informally known as the “Yellow Berets”.
He began work there in 1968 as a clinical associate in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation at the NIAID and served in different roles at the institute before being named its director in 1984.
A pioneer and recognised world leader in the research of HIV/AIDS since the early 1980s, Fauci played a central role in creating the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the initiative launched in 2003 by George W. Bush’s administration to address the global epidemic and help save those suffering from the disease.
Following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade center in 2001, he was a driving force in the development of biodefence drugs and vaccines. In 2014, he advised the Obama administration when cases of Ebola were detected in the United States.
‘America’s doctor’
In a New Yorker article titled “How Anthony Fauci Became America’s Doctor”, he is quoted on how, during his many years of advising the White House, he has dealt with leaders in times of crisis. “I go to my favorite book of philosophy, ‘The Godfather,’ and say, ‘It’s nothing personal, it’s strictly business,’” he said.
“You just have a job to do. Even when somebody’s acting ridiculous, you can’t chide them for it. You’ve got to deal with them. Because if you don’t deal with them, then you’re out of the picture.”
When asked about his relationship with Trump, Fauci insists it is very good.
And despite the criticism, Fauci’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has also won him huge popularity. A poll released on July 15 by Quinnipiac University showed that 65 percent of voters trust what Fauci says about Covid-19, against 26 percent who do not (compared to Trump, whose information about the coronavirus is not trusted by 67 percent of those polled).
A Change.org petition calling to support Fauci in case Trump considers removing him from the pandemic response team had garnered 332,000 signatures by Sunday, two weeks after it was launched.
If Fauci is concerned about the prospect of being removed, he doesn’t show it.
“I see myself in that role as long as I feel that I’m being useful, and I’m valued in it, and the White House wants me," he told InStyle magazine recently. "If any of the above change, then I would step down.”
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france24--2020-07-26--Spain insists coronavirus 'under control' as travel restrictions hit tourism

British tourists returning to the UK check in their luggage at Spain 's Gran Canaria Airport on July 25 , 2020 .
The Spanish government insisted on Sunday that the situation there is `` under control '' in spite of a recent surge in coronavirus cases , a day after Britain abruptly imposed a two-week quarantine on all travellers arriving from the country .
The statement from Madrid comes in response to a string of travel restrictions announced in recent days , which have dramatically reversed the opening of the European continent to tourism after months of lockdown .
From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK will have to undergo a fortnight in isolation while Norway imposed restrictions on travel to Spain .
In France , which shares a border with Spain , Prime Minister Jean Castex `` strongly recommended '' Friday that the French avoid going to neighbouring Catalonia , where the epidemic is particularly on the rise .
`` The Spanish government considers that the situation is under control , the outbreaks have been located , isolated and controlled , '' Spain 's foreign ministry told AFP .
`` Spain is a safe country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case of the British quarantine , Spain is `` in contact '' with London whose decisions it `` respects '' .
In an interview with FRANCE 24 on Friday , Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said the country is experiencing isolated outbreaks `` but not a second wave '' .
Spain , one of the countries most affected by the pandemic , has had 272,400 cases and more than 28,400 fatalities since the start of the outbreak .
The country reported nearly a thousand new cases a day on both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases has tripled in two weeks while more than 280 homes are being closely monitored by the authorities .
The Ministry of Health is particularly concerned about the situation in Aragon and Catalonia , where the regional authorities have urged residents of Barcelona to stay at home .
They also decided on Friday to close nightclubs and bars , considered hotbeds of contagion .
Most regions have tightened the screw by reinforcing the compulsory use of masks , which must be worn at all times in the street under threat of a fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been taken locally , such as limiting the number of people who can meet or banning visits to retirement homes .
The central government considers that the regions have sufficient tools to control the epidemic .
It has ruled out the possibility of a new state of emergency , which allowed Madrid to impose a strict lockdown in mid-March which was not completely lifted until June 21 .
A total collapse of tourism from Britain would have a huge impact on the country 's vital tourism industry , which accounts for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than a fifth of foreign visitors to Spain last year were British , the largest group by nationality .
The British foreign ministry also announced it was recommending against all but essential travel to mainland Spain , a move likely to prompt tour operators to cancel package holidays and trigger claims against insurers .
Spain 's Canary and Balearic Islands were not covered by the advice to avoid travel to the mainland , but holidaymakers returning to Britain from the islands will still be subject to quarantine on return .
Spain had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the British government had said were safe for travellers to visit — meaning tourists returning home would not have to go into quarantine .
The announcement of such lists just weeks ago had allowed Europe 's tourism sector to begin its revival after the near total shut-down prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic .

The Spanish government insisted on Sunday that the situation there is "under control" in spite of a recent surge in coronavirus cases, a day after Britain abruptly imposed a two-week quarantine on all travellers arriving from the country.
British tourists returning to the UK check in their luggage at Spain's Gran Canaria Airport on July 25, 2020.
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The statement from Madrid comes in response to a string of travel restrictions announced in recent days, which have dramatically reversed the opening of the European continent to tourism after months of lockdown.
From Sunday, passengers arriving from Spain to the UK will have to undergo a fortnight in isolation while Norway imposed restrictions on travel to Spain.
In France, which shares a border with Spain, Prime Minister Jean Castex "strongly recommended" Friday that the French avoid going to neighbouring Catalonia, where the epidemic is particularly on the rise.
"The Spanish government considers that the situation is under control, the outbreaks have been located, isolated and controlled," Spain's foreign ministry told AFP.
"Spain is a safe country," the ministry said, adding that in the case of the British quarantine, Spain is "in contact" with London whose decisions it "respects".
In an interview with FRANCE 24 on Friday, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said the country is experiencing isolated outbreaks "but not a second wave".
New restrictions
Spain, one of the countries most affected by the pandemic, has had 272,400 cases and more than 28,400 fatalities since the start of the outbreak.
The country reported nearly a thousand new cases a day on both Thursday and Friday. Its number of cases has tripled in two weeks while more than 280 homes are being closely monitored by the authorities.
The Ministry of Health is particularly concerned about the situation in Aragon and Catalonia, where the regional authorities have urged residents of Barcelona to stay at home. They also decided on Friday to close nightclubs and bars, considered hotbeds of contagion.
01:38
Most regions have tightened the screw by reinforcing the compulsory use of masks, which must be worn at all times in the street under threat of a fine.
In some of them, restrictions have been taken locally, such as limiting the number of people who can meet or banning visits to retirement homes.
The central government considers that the regions have sufficient tools to control the epidemic. It has ruled out the possibility of a new state of emergency, which allowed Madrid to impose a strict lockdown in mid-March which was not completely lifted until June 21.
Blow to tourism
A total collapse of tourism from Britain would have a huge impact on the country's vital tourism industry, which accounts for some 12% of Spain's economy. More than a fifth of foreign visitors to Spain last year were British, the largest group by nationality.
The British foreign ministry also announced it was recommending against all but essential travel to mainland Spain, a move likely to prompt tour operators to cancel package holidays and trigger claims against insurers.
Spain's Canary and Balearic Islands were not covered by the advice to avoid travel to the mainland, but holidaymakers returning to Britain from the islands will still be subject to quarantine on return.
Spain had been on a list of countries that the British government had said were safe for travellers to visit — meaning tourists returning home would not have to go into quarantine.
The announcement of such lists just weeks ago had allowed Europe's tourism sector to begin its revival after the near total shut-down prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-27--Dozens killed in Darfur as Sudan prepares to send troops to troubled region

The side of a vehicle belonging to the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Sudan 's Darfur region .
UN officials on Sunday reported a fresh massacre of more than 60 people in Sudan 's West Darfur , as the country 's prime minister promised fresh troops for the conflict-stricken region .
Attackers targeted members of the local Masalit community , looting and burning houses and part of the local market , a statement said .
Around 500 armed men attacked Masteri Town , north of Beida , in Darfur on Saturday afternoon , said the statement from the UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( OCHA ) .
`` This was one of the latest of a series of security incidents reported over the last week that left several villages and houses burned , markets and shops looted , and infrastructure damaged , '' said the statement , from the OCHA 's Khartoum office .
Following Saturday 's attack on Masteri , around 500 local people staged a protest demanding more protection from the authorities .
On Sunday , Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the government would send security forces to conflict-stricken Darfur to `` protect citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A joint security force will be deployed in the five states of the Darfur region to protect citizens during the farming season , '' Hamdok 's office said in a statement after he met a delegation of women from the region .
The force will include army and police forces , it said .
On Friday , armed men drove into a village and killed 20 civilians returning to their fields for the first time in years , an eyewitness and a tribal chief told AFP .
The impoverished western region has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uprising prompted the government to launch a scorched-earth campaign that left 300,000 people dead and displaced 2.5 million .
Violence in Darfur has eased since Bashir 's ouster by the army amid mass protests against his rule last year The government and a coalition of nine rebel groups , including factions from the region , signed a preliminary peace deal in January .
Farmers displaced in the conflict had since started to return to their land under a government-sponsored deal reached two months ago , in time for the July-November planting season .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ over land rights , according to expert Adam Mohammad .
`` The question of land is one cause of the conflict , '' he said .
`` During the war , peasants fled their lands and villages to camps , and nomads replaced them and settled there . ''
The recent killings have targeted the African farming communities in conflict with the nomadic Arab tribes over the land .
In late June and early July , hundreds of protesters camped for days outside a government building in the Central Darfur town of Nertiti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security after multiple killings and looting incidents on farmland and properties .
After Saturday 's attack on Masteri , around 500 local people staged their own protest demanding more protection .
`` The escalation of violence in different parts of Darfur region is leading to increased displacement , compromising the agricultural season , causing loss of lives and livelihoods and driving growing humanitarian needs , '' said the OCHA statement .
Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court over charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in the conflict .

UN officials on Sunday reported a fresh massacre of more than 60 people in Sudan's West Darfur, as the country's prime minister promised fresh troops for the conflict-stricken region.
The side of a vehicle belonging to the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Sudan's Darfur region.
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Attackers targeted members of the local Masalit community, looting and burning houses and part of the local market, a statement said.
Around 500 armed men attacked Masteri Town, north of Beida, in Darfur on Saturday afternoon, said the statement from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
"This was one of the latest of a series of security incidents reported over the last week that left several villages and houses burned, markets and shops looted, and infrastructure damaged," said the statement, from the OCHA's Khartoum office.
Following Saturday's attack on Masteri, around 500 local people staged a protest demanding more protection from the authorities.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the government would send security forces to conflict-stricken Darfur to "protect citizens and the farming season".
"A joint security force will be deployed in the five states of the Darfur region to protect citizens during the farming season," Hamdok's office said in a statement after he met a delegation of women from the region.
The force will include army and police forces, it said.
Land conflict
On Friday, armed men drove into a village and killed 20 civilians returning to their fields for the first time in years, an eyewitness and a tribal chief told AFP.
The impoverished western region has seen years of conflict since an ethnic minority uprising prompted the government to launch a scorched-earth campaign that left 300,000 people dead and displaced 2.5 million.
Violence in Darfur has eased since Bashir's ouster by the army amid mass protests against his rule last year
The government and a coalition of nine rebel groups, including factions from the region, signed a preliminary peace deal in January.
Farmers displaced in the conflict had since started to return to their land under a government-sponsored deal reached two months ago, in time for the July-November planting season.
But the bloodshed has continued, particularly over land rights, according to expert Adam Mohammad.
"The question of land is one cause of the conflict," he said.
"During the war, peasants fled their lands and villages to camps, and nomads replaced them and settled there."
Harvests threatened
The recent killings have targeted the African farming communities in conflict with the nomadic Arab tribes over the land.
In late June and early July, hundreds of protesters camped for days outside a government building in the Central Darfur town of Nertiti to demand that the government beef up security after multiple killings and looting incidents on farmland and properties.
After Saturday's attack on Masteri, around 500 local people staged their own protest demanding more protection.
"The escalation of violence in different parts of Darfur region is leading to increased displacement, compromising the agricultural season, causing loss of lives and livelihoods and driving growing humanitarian needs," said the OCHA statement.
Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court over charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in the conflict.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-27--Qatar confirms interest in hosting the 2032 Olympic Games

Athletes compete in the Men 's 3,000-metre Steeplechase heats at the World Athletics Championships in Doha , Qatar , on October 1 , 2019 .
Qatar will seek to host the 2032 Olympic Games , it said on Monday , joining a crowded field and raising questions about scorching summer temperatures and underwhelming attendances at past events .
India , Australia ’ s Queensland state , the Chinese city of Shanghai and a potential joint bid between South and North Korea are also being touted for the 2032 summer games .
Under changes put forward in 2014 , interested countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ continuous dialogue ” , which Qatar confirmed to AFP it had done via a letter to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne .
“ Today ’ s announcement marks the beginning of a meaningful dialogue with the IOC ’ s Future Host Commission to explore our interest further and identify how the Olympic Games can support Qatar ’ s long-term development goals , ” Qatar Olympic Committee president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani told AFP in a statement .
Qatar unsuccessfully bid to host the 2016 and 2020 games , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October without first clearing it with the IOC .
It won a waiver to propose hosting the 2020 games , a joint bid with Baku , Azerbaijan , between September 20 and October 20 , but failed to make the shortlist .
The 2020 games , postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic , were awarded to Japan , which also experiences searing summer temperatures , leading officials to schedule events early in the morning when conditions are coolest .
“ Qatar has earned the reputation of a world-class destination for major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , brother of Qatar ’ s ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani .
“ It is this proven track-record and wealth of experience , along with our desire to use sport to promote peace and cultural exchange , that will form the basis of our discussions with the Commission.
” Summer temperatures can reach 50 degrees celsius ( 122 degrees Fahrenheit ) in the nation which abuts the Arabian desert .
Heat and humidity were major issues during the road races at last year ’ s World Athletics Championships held in Doha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days also attracted criticism .
Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup after a bid process that has been attacked by some European nations and media outlets as corrupt , although Doha insists it won fairly .
Discriminatory labour practices and human rights issues facing the migrant labourers building infrastructure for 2022 have been subject to intense scrutiny and criticism since Qatar won the bid in 2010 .

Qatar will seek to host the 2032 Olympic Games, it said on Monday, joining a crowded field and raising questions about scorching summer temperatures and underwhelming attendances at past events.
Athletes compete in the Men's 3,000-metre Steeplechase heats at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, on October 1, 2019.
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India, Australia’s Queensland state, the Chinese city of Shanghai and a potential joint bid between South and North Korea are also being touted for the 2032 summer games.
Under changes put forward in 2014, interested countries submit a request to join the non-committal “continuous dialogue”, which Qatar confirmed to AFP it had done via a letter to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.
“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a meaningful dialogue with the IOC’s Future Host Commission to explore our interest further and identify how the Olympic Games can support Qatar’s long-term development goals,” Qatar Olympic Committee president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani told AFP in a statement.
Qatar unsuccessfully bid to host the 2016 and 2020 games, having proposed to host the former in October without first clearing it with the IOC.
It won a waiver to propose hosting the 2020 games, a joint bid with Baku, Azerbaijan, between September 20 and October 20, but failed to make the shortlist.
The 2020 games, postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, were awarded to Japan, which also experiences searing summer temperatures, leading officials to schedule events early in the morning when conditions are coolest.
“Qatar has earned the reputation of a world-class destination for major sporting events,” added Sheikh Joaan, brother of Qatar’s ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
“It is this proven track-record and wealth of experience, along with our desire to use sport to promote peace and cultural exchange, that will form the basis of our discussions with the Commission.”
Summer temperatures can reach 50 degrees celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in the nation which abuts the Arabian desert. Heat and humidity were major issues during the road races at last year’s World Athletics Championships held in Doha. The poor attendance on the first few days also attracted criticism.
Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup after a bid process that has been attacked by some European nations and media outlets as corrupt, although Doha insists it won fairly.
Discriminatory labour practices and human rights issues facing the migrant labourers building infrastructure for 2022 have been subject to intense scrutiny and criticism since Qatar won the bid in 2010.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-27--Body of civil rights icon John Lewis crosses Alabama bridge in solemn farewell

An Alabama State Trooper salutes the casket carrying the late US Congressman John Lewis after it was carried across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in a horse-drawn carriage in Selma , Alabama , on July 26 , 2020 .
In a deeply symbolic tribute , a lone caisson drawn by two black horses on Sunday slowly carried the body of John Lewis across the Alabama bridge where in 1965 a policeman fractured his skull during a protest that helped forge his reputation as a fearless civil rights leader .
The procession across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the city of Selma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of solemn commemorations for the revered rights activist and 17-term Georgia congressman , who died of cancer on July 17 at age 80 .
It also came in a year when “ Black Lives Matter ” protests against police brutality have brought thousands onto US streets , underscoring the still-raw depths of the country ’ s racial history .
The procession on a warm and sunny Sunday morning was saluted by a line of Alabama state troopers—a starkly different reception from what Lewis received in the March 7 , 1965 march in Selma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the ground with a nightstick , nearly killing him .
That day ’ s march , later dubbed “ Bloody Sunday , ” was considered a turning point in the rights movement .
Lewis , then chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee , led hundreds of marchers across the bridge along with fellow activist Hosea Williams .
When police met them and ordered them to disperse , the group knelt in prayer .
Police then charged , swinging billy clubs .
The day ’ s events left a scar on Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of his life .
The horse-drawn wagon carrying Lewis on Sunday paused briefly at the midpoint—where the African-American driver , dressed in traditional black tails , briefly removed his top hat in respect—before completing the crossing over the bridge , strewn earlier with rose petals .
Lewis ’ s casket was draped in an American flag .
Walking a short distance behind were family members , some wearing black “ Good trouble ” T-shirts in honor of Lewis ’ s call for constructive protest .
On the far side , well-wishers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights anthem “ We Shall Overcome.
” The casket was then transferred by military honor guard into a hearse , to lead a procession through the city of Montgomery before arriving at the State Capitol around 2:00 pm ( 1800 GMT ) for public viewing two hours later , according to local media .
The tributes will move Monday to the US Capitol , where Lewis will lie in state through Tuesday evening , a rarely granted honor .
There , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday on CBS , Lewis will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln , ” the man who ended slavery in the US .
On Sunday , a diverse crowd of well-wishers—some who had come from hundreds of miles away—began assembling near the bridge hours early .
Many wore protective masks .
Lewis had last appeared there in March , to mark the 55th anniversary of “ Bloody Sunday.
” Though ill from the pancreatic cancer that killed him , he had insisted on being present .
Hoisted on the shoulders of two supporters , he told the crowd , “ We can not give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in.
” “ We must keep the faith .
Keep the eyes on the prize .
We must go out and vote like we never , ever voted before.
” Lewis grew up in the Alabama city of Troy .
His parents were sharecroppers , and he once worked in a cotton field .
While attending segregated schools , Lewis was inspired by the peaceful protests of rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. On Thursday , solemn commemorations for Lewis will end in Atlanta , Georgia , where he will be remembered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baptist Church , where Martin Luther King once preached .
Lewis ’ s burial will follow .

In a deeply symbolic tribute, a lone caisson drawn by two black horses on Sunday slowly carried the body of John Lewis across the Alabama bridge where in 1965 a policeman fractured his skull during a protest that helped forge his reputation as a fearless civil rights leader.
An Alabama State Trooper salutes the casket carrying the late US Congressman John Lewis after it was carried across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in a horse-drawn carriage in Selma, Alabama, on July 26, 2020.
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The procession across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the city of Selma came on the second of six days of solemn commemorations for the revered rights activist and 17-term Georgia congressman, who died of cancer on July 17 at age 80.
It also came in a year when “Black Lives Matter” protests against police brutality have brought thousands onto US streets, underscoring the still-raw depths of the country’s racial history.
The procession on a warm and sunny Sunday morning was saluted by a line of Alabama state troopers—a starkly different reception from what Lewis received in the March 7, 1965 march in Selma, when a trooper beat the then-25-year-old to the ground with a nightstick, nearly killing him.
That day’s march, later dubbed “Bloody Sunday,” was considered a turning point in the rights movement. Lewis, then chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, led hundreds of marchers across the bridge along with fellow activist Hosea Williams.
When police met them and ordered them to disperse, the group knelt in prayer. Police then charged, swinging billy clubs. The day’s events left a scar on Lewis’s head that he bore for the rest of his life.
‘Keep the faith’
The horse-drawn wagon carrying Lewis on Sunday paused briefly at the midpoint—where the African-American driver, dressed in traditional black tails, briefly removed his top hat in respect—before completing the crossing over the bridge, strewn earlier with rose petals. Lewis’s casket was draped in an American flag.
Walking a short distance behind were family members, some wearing black “Good trouble” T-shirts in honor of Lewis’s call for constructive protest.
On the far side, well-wishers saluted the coffin, singing the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.”
Our hats off to you, Sir #JohnLewis. pic.twitter.com/bm3OMObcuY — Be A King (@BerniceKing) July 26, 2020
The casket was then transferred by military honor guard into a hearse, to lead a procession through the city of Montgomery before arriving at the State Capitol around 2:00 pm (1800 GMT) for public viewing two hours later, according to local media.
The tributes will move Monday to the US Capitol, where Lewis will lie in state through Tuesday evening, a rarely granted honor.
There, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday on CBS, Lewis will be “sharing that resting place with Abraham Lincoln,” the man who ended slavery in the US.
On Sunday, a diverse crowd of well-wishers—some who had come from hundreds of miles away—began assembling near the bridge hours early. Many wore protective masks.
Lewis had last appeared there in March, to mark the 55th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.” Though ill from the pancreatic cancer that killed him, he had insisted on being present.
Hoisted on the shoulders of two supporters, he told the crowd, “We cannot give up now, we cannot give in.”
“We must keep the faith. Keep the eyes on the prize. We must go out and vote like we never, ever voted before.”
Lewis grew up in the Alabama city of Troy. His parents were sharecroppers, and he once worked in a cotton field. While attending segregated schools, Lewis was inspired by the peaceful protests of rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.
On Thursday, solemn commemorations for Lewis will end in Atlanta, Georgia, where he will be remembered in a private service in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King once preached. Lewis’s burial will follow.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-27--Juventus claim ninth successive Serie A title after beating Sampdoria

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Sampdoria - Allianz Stadium , Turin , Italy - July 26 , 2020 Juventus players celebrate winning the match and Serie A , as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) Maurizio Sarri has defied his sceptics by winning the first league title of his 30-year coaching career as Juventus extended their record run of Serie A title wins to nine in a row .
A 2-0 win at home against Sampdoria on Sunday sealed a 36th Scudetto for the Italian giants with two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first season in Turin will be judged on the Champions League -- Juventus trail Lyon 1-0 in a still-to-completed last-16 tie -- it was an emotional achievement for the 61-year-old who led Chelsea to the Europa League trophy last season .
When Sarri swapped London for northern Italy to replace Massimiliano Allegri in June 2019 , he declared : `` I arrive with scepticism . ''
He added : `` I know only one way to change -- that is to win and convince while entertaining and getting results . ''
But `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that fast-paced , eye-catching style of football with which he made his name at Napoli , and which Juventus bosses craved in Turin , was only seen in flashes this season .
Juventus were rarely brilliant and often disappointing , losing in two finals , the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup .
Although Sarri gave the team orders , he adapted to Juve and five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo , who has scored 31 goals as he targets the title of Serie A top scorer .
`` I have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you ca n't ask for 25 purchases .
Otherwise I might as well just train myself , '' said Sarri .
`` There is no doubt that it was Juve who changed Sarri and not the other way around , '' said former Juventus and England coach Fabio Capello .
`` Juve is not an easy car to drive , there are players with great personalities and you have to prove that you have one too .
`` He would have wanted players suited to his football and he did not find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point ahead of second-placed Lazio when football resumed on June 20 after the three-month coronavirus lockdown .
But despite just two wins in their last six games , Sarri 's side have reaped the benefits of their rivals ' shortfalls .
The chain-smoking coach conceded it had been a `` strange season '' , starting with the first weeks of the campaign which he missed due to a bout of pneumonia .
Captain Giorgio Chiellini was mostly absent with cruciate ligament damage , and there were long months of uncertainty as the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you could not rest hearing the sound of the sirens , '' said Sarri .
But despite the exceptional season it was once again Juventus who prevailed to give the 'Old Lady ' as many titles as their nearest rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan combined .
It has been a long road to the Scudetto for Sarri whose first coaching job was at Stia , a team in the Italian eighth division back in 1990 .
His family were labourers -- his father was a construction worker -- but he became an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mixed working for Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena , which involved him being based in several different countries , with working for lower-league and non-league clubs .
`` I stopped doing another job because I was bored , '' said Sarri .
`` I have achieved more than was my initial intention , which was to live something that I was passionate about . ''
`` I get annoyed when they say , 'In Italy , he has won nothing ' , '' said the coach from Napoli .
`` I earned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I achieved them all on the pitch .
`` Maybe that 's small compared to the Champions League and the Scudetto , but it 's not easy . ''
During three seasons with Napoli he turned them into title contenders but they finished second twice and third once behind Juventus , before he left for England in 2018 .
Chelsea was the only time Sarri has coached outside of Italy but although he won the 2019 Europa League he failed to win over the club 's fans during his single season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite finally bagging his first title in Italy , his season at Juventus will be judged next month , when his side must come from behind to beat Lyon to reach the Final Eight of the Champions League in Lisbon .
If they make it to Portugal , they have the unenviable task of facing either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the quarter-finals .
`` After an extremely strange championship I expect that the final phase of the Champions League will also be extremely strange too , '' predicted Sarri .
Juventus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third European crown , having finished runners-up no fewer than five times since last winning in 1996 .

Maurizio Sarri has defied his sceptics by winning the first league title of his 30-year coaching career as Juventus extended their record run of Serie A title wins to nine in a row.
Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Sampdoria - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - July 26, 2020 Juventus players celebrate winning the match and Serie A, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
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A 2-0 win at home against Sampdoria on Sunday sealed a 36th Scudetto for the Italian giants with two games to spare.
Although Sarri's first season in Turin will be judged on the Champions League -- Juventus trail Lyon 1-0 in a still-to-completed last-16 tie -- it was an emotional achievement for the 61-year-old who led Chelsea to the Europa League trophy last season.
When Sarri swapped London for northern Italy to replace Massimiliano Allegri in June 2019, he declared: "I arrive with scepticism."
He added: "I know only one way to change -- that is to win and convince while entertaining and getting results."
But "Sarrism" or "Sarriball", that fast-paced, eye-catching style of football with which he made his name at Napoli, and which Juventus bosses craved in Turin, was only seen in flashes this season.
Juventus were rarely brilliant and often disappointing, losing in two finals, the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup.
Although Sarri gave the team orders, he adapted to Juve and five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 31 goals as he targets the title of Serie A top scorer.
"I have to adapt to the characteristics of the players, you can't ask for 25 purchases. Otherwise I might as well just train myself," said Sarri.
"There is no doubt that it was Juve who changed Sarri and not the other way around," said former Juventus and England coach Fabio Capello.
"Juve is not an easy car to drive, there are players with great personalities and you have to prove that you have one too.
"He would have wanted players suited to his football and he did not find them."
'Strange season'
Juventus were just one point ahead of second-placed Lazio when football resumed on June 20 after the three-month coronavirus lockdown.
But despite just two wins in their last six games, Sarri's side have reaped the benefits of their rivals' shortfalls.
The chain-smoking coach conceded it had been a "strange season", starting with the first weeks of the campaign which he missed due to a bout of pneumonia.
Captain Giorgio Chiellini was mostly absent with cruciate ligament damage, and there were long months of uncertainty as the virus ravaged Italy.
"During the lockdown you could not rest hearing the sound of the sirens," said Sarri.
But despite the exceptional season it was once again Juventus who prevailed to give the 'Old Lady' as many titles as their nearest rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan combined.
It has been a long road to the Scudetto for Sarri whose first coaching job was at Stia, a team in the Italian eighth division back in 1990.
His family were labourers -- his father was a construction worker -- but he became an international banker.
For many years he mixed working for Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which involved him being based in several different countries, with working for lower-league and non-league clubs.
"I stopped doing another job because I was bored," said Sarri.
"I have achieved more than was my initial intention, which was to live something that I was passionate about."
Champions League dream
"I get annoyed when they say, 'In Italy, he has won nothing'," said the coach from Napoli.
"I earned eight promotions from one division to another, and I achieved them all on the pitch.
"Maybe that's small compared to the Champions League and the Scudetto, but it's not easy."
During three seasons with Napoli he turned them into title contenders but they finished second twice and third once behind Juventus, before he left for England in 2018.
Chelsea was the only time Sarri has coached outside of Italy but although he won the 2019 Europa League he failed to win over the club's fans during his single season in charge.
And even now, despite finally bagging his first title in Italy, his season at Juventus will be judged next month, when his side must come from behind to beat Lyon to reach the Final Eight of the Champions League in Lisbon. If they make it to Portugal, they have the unenviable task of facing either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
"After an extremely strange championship I expect that the final phase of the Champions League will also be extremely strange too," predicted Sarri.
Juventus fans will expect nothing less than a third European crown, having finished runners-up no fewer than five times since last winning in 1996.
(AFP)
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