france24--2020-12-14--New Zealand sweep West Indies to top Test cricket rankings

New Zealand shot to the top of the world Test rankings Monday when they thrashed the West Indies by an innings and 12 runs to wrap up an emphatic series win .
It lifted the Black Caps to 116 points , equal with Australia at the head of the rankings table , and also extended their unbeaten home run to 15 Tests .
New Zealand also stayed in the hunt for the inaugural World Test Championship final as they overtook England to move into third in the standings behind Australia and India , who start a four-Test series this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Tom Latham , New Zealand 's stand-in captain while Kane Williamson is on paternity leave .
`` I did n't realise that until this morning , '' he said of the rankings boost .
`` We have been playing some good cricket as of late in our conditions , and away for that matter , and it 's a pretty cool thing . ''
After Williamson pulled out on the eve of the second Test , Latham said the team stepped up with Henry Nicholls overcoming a form slump to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the victory .
Kyle Jamieson , in only his fourth Test , took five wickets in the first innings and two in the second to be man of the series .
Tim Southee took seven in the Test .
New Zealand also won the first Test in Hamilton by an innings .
`` It was great for our squad that we do have depth where guys can come in and perform straight away , '' Latham said .
But it was a disappointing tour for the West Indies , with both Tests ending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now lost four in a row since beating England in Southampton in July .
Captain Jason Holder said they only had themselves to blame .
`` It 's just tough when we did n't take our opportunities when they came .
We were good in patches but still not good enough , '' he said .
`` I do n't think conditions were that tough in order to get runs .
The wicket was a really good wicket .
`` We 've just not been consistent over a period of time .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together , more often than not . ''
After losing the first Test in New Zealand by an innings and 134 runs , and being rolled for 131 in the first innings of the second Test , they saved their best for their final bat on tour , scoring 317 all out in their second innings .
The tourists resumed the day at 244 for six , needing a further 85 runs to make New Zealand bat again and with Jason Holder on 60 and Joshua da Silva on 25 .
Holder added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was bowled by Tim Southee , who also had Alzarri Joseph caught behind after an entertaining 24 -- all from boundaries .
Da Silva marked his maiden Test with a half-century but on 57 he fell lbw to Neil Wagner , who also bowled Shannon Gabriel without scoring to leave Chemar Holder not out 13 .
For New Zealand , Wagner took three for 54 and Trent Boult finished with three for 96 .
Despite winning the toss and having the advantage of bowling first on green wickets in both Tests , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their batsmen lacked the variety of shot selection to handle New Zealand 's swing and seam attack .
The top five West Indies batsmen totalled only 267 across their four Test innings , just 16 more than New Zealand maestro Williamson scored on his own in the first Test .
Even with Williamson out for the second Test , New Zealand were still able to post 460 as Nicholls shrugged off a batting slump to contribute his 174 , aided by five dropped catches .
John Campbell 's 68 in the second innings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contribution by the West Indies ' top order .
Their highest scores of the series came from Jermaine Blackwood ( 104 ) and Alzarri Joseph ( 89 ) batting at six and eight in a lost-cause second innings of the first Test .
New Zealand start a two-Test series against Pakistan on December 26 and will need another series sweep to be in with a chance of reaching the Test championship final .

Wellington (AFP) –
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New Zealand shot to the top of the world Test rankings Monday when they thrashed the West Indies by an innings and 12 runs to wrap up an emphatic series win.
It lifted the Black Caps to 116 points, equal with Australia at the head of the rankings table, and also extended their unbeaten home run to 15 Tests.
New Zealand also stayed in the hunt for the inaugural World Test Championship final as they overtook England to move into third in the standings behind Australia and India, who start a four-Test series this week.
"It does sound pretty cool," said Tom Latham, New Zealand's stand-in captain while Kane Williamson is on paternity leave.
"I didn't realise that until this morning," he said of the rankings boost.
"We have been playing some good cricket as of late in our conditions, and away for that matter, and it's a pretty cool thing."
After Williamson pulled out on the eve of the second Test, Latham said the team stepped up with Henry Nicholls overcoming a form slump to score 174 and lay the foundations of the victory.
Kyle Jamieson, in only his fourth Test, took five wickets in the first innings and two in the second to be man of the series.
Tim Southee took seven in the Test. New Zealand also won the first Test in Hamilton by an innings.
"It was great for our squad that we do have depth where guys can come in and perform straight away," Latham said.
But it was a disappointing tour for the West Indies, with both Tests ending on the fourth morning. They have now lost four in a row since beating England in Southampton in July.
- 'Not good enough' -
Captain Jason Holder said they only had themselves to blame.
"It's just tough when we didn't take our opportunities when they came. We were good in patches but still not good enough," he said.
"I don't think conditions were that tough in order to get runs. The wicket was a really good wicket.
"We've just not been consistent over a period of time. We haven't been able to string it together, more often than not."
After losing the first Test in New Zealand by an innings and 134 runs, and being rolled for 131 in the first innings of the second Test, they saved their best for their final bat on tour, scoring 317 all out in their second innings.
The tourists resumed the day at 244 for six, needing a further 85 runs to make New Zealand bat again and with Jason Holder on 60 and Joshua da Silva on 25.
Holder added one to his overnight 60 before he was bowled by Tim Southee, who also had Alzarri Joseph caught behind after an entertaining 24 -- all from boundaries.
Da Silva marked his maiden Test with a half-century but on 57 he fell lbw to Neil Wagner, who also bowled Shannon Gabriel without scoring to leave Chemar Holder not out 13.
For New Zealand, Wagner took three for 54 and Trent Boult finished with three for 96.
Despite winning the toss and having the advantage of bowling first on green wickets in both Tests, the West Indies bowlers struggled for consistency and their batsmen lacked the variety of shot selection to handle New Zealand's swing and seam attack.
The top five West Indies batsmen totalled only 267 across their four Test innings, just 16 more than New Zealand maestro Williamson scored on his own in the first Test.
Even with Williamson out for the second Test, New Zealand were still able to post 460 as Nicholls shrugged off a batting slump to contribute his 174, aided by five dropped catches.
John Campbell's 68 in the second innings of the final Test was the best contribution by the West Indies' top order.
Their highest scores of the series came from Jermaine Blackwood (104) and Alzarri Joseph (89) batting at six and eight in a lost-cause second innings of the first Test.
New Zealand start a two-Test series against Pakistan on December 26 and will need another series sweep to be in with a chance of reaching the Test championship final.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--Gunman shot dead by police after New York Christmas concert

Police patrol inside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York on December 13 , 2020 , after a shooter opened fire outside the church A man was shot dead by police after he opened fire near crowds who had gathered to watch carol-singing outside a New York church on Sunday .
New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea said no one was injured during the shooting on the steps of the Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan .
Three police officers fired a total of 15 shots at the man , Shea told reporters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ once in the head and is deceased , '' he said .
Police recovered two guns from the scene and a bag found nearby that had a full container of gasoline , rope , wire , and multiple knives .
An AFP journalist who witnessed the incident said she saw the man firing shots from the church steps as a few hundred people started to disperse when the outdoor choral concert finished shortly before 4:00 pm ( 2100 GMT ) .
`` I heard two or three booms that were really loud , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and maybe ten meters away from me on the stairs there was a guy shooting .
`` I saw the bursts of gunfire coming out of the gun and I just started to run away .
I just ran for my life . ''
Witness Martha Stolley said the man fired eight to ten shots before a police officer shot him .
`` He was shooting without aiming at anybody , '' she told AFP , adding that the man was shouting `` Shoot me , kill me . ''

New York (AFP) –
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A man was shot dead by police after he opened fire near crowds who had gathered to watch carol-singing outside a New York church on Sunday.
New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea said no one was injured during the shooting on the steps of the Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan.
Three police officers fired a total of 15 shots at the man, Shea told reporters.
"The defendant was struck at least once in the head and is deceased," he said.
Police recovered two guns from the scene and a bag found nearby that had a full container of gasoline, rope, wire, and multiple knives.
An AFP journalist who witnessed the incident said she saw the man firing shots from the church steps as a few hundred people started to disperse when the outdoor choral concert finished shortly before 4:00 pm (2100 GMT).
"I heard two or three booms that were really loud," she said. "I looked up and maybe ten meters away from me on the stairs there was a guy shooting.
"I saw the bursts of gunfire coming out of the gun and I just started to run away. I just ran for my life."
Witness Martha Stolley said the man fired eight to ten shots before a police officer shot him.
"He was shooting without aiming at anybody," she told AFP, adding that the man was shouting "Shoot me, kill me."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--US Treasury 'targeted by suspected Russian state hackers in cyberattack'

The US Treasury Department , seen in Washington , DC , on July 22 , 2019 .
Hackers believed to be working for Russia have been monitoring internal email traffic at the U.S. Treasury Department and an agency that decides internet and telecommunications policy , according to people familiar with the matter .
There is concern within the U.S. intelligence community that the hackers who targeted Treasury and the Commerce Department 's National Telecommunications and Information Administration used a similar tool to break into other government agencies , according to four people briefed on the matter .
The people did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Sunday Austin , Texas-based IT company SolarWinds said software updates it released in March and June of this year may have been surreptitiously tampered with in a `` highly-sophisticated , targeted and manual supply chain attack by a nation state . ''
SolarWinds stopped short of saying the hack at Treasury occurred via them , but two of the people familiar with the investigation said the company was believed to be the channel by which the hackers got in .
A representative for SolarWinds did not immediately return messages seeking comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers include most of America 's Fortune 500 companies , all top ten U.S. telecommunications providers , all five branches of the U.S. military , the State Department , the National Security Agency , and the Office of President of the United States .
Three of the people familiar with the investigation said Russia is currently believed to be behind the attack .
Two of the people said that the breaches are connected to a broad campaign that also involved the recently disclosed hack on FireEye , a major U.S. cybersecurity company with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States government is aware of these reports and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to this situation , '' said National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot .
The hack is so serious it led to a National Security Council meeting at the White House on Saturday , said one of the people familiar with the matter .
The Commerce Department confirmed there was a breach at one of its agencies in a statement .
`` We have asked the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can not comment further at this time . ''
The breach presents a major challenge to the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden as officials investigate what information was stolen and try to ascertain what it will be used for .
It is not uncommon for large scale cyber investigations to take months or years to complete .
`` This is a much bigger story than one single agency , '' said one of the people familiar with the matter .
`` This is a huge cyber espionage campaign targeting the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broke into the NTIA 's office software , Microsoft 's Office 365 .
Staff emails at the agency were monitored by the hackers for months , sources said .
A Microsoft spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Neither did a spokesman for the Treasury Department .
The hackers are `` highly sophisticated '' and have been able to trick the Microsoft platform 's authentication controls , according to a person familiar with the incident , who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nation state , '' said a different person briefed on the matter .
The full scope of the breach is unclear .
The investigation is still its early stages and involves a range of federal agencies , including the FBI , according to three of the people familiar with the matter .
A spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said they have been `` working closely with our agency partners regarding recently discovered activity on government networks .
CISA is providing technical assistance to affected entities as they work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The FBI and U.S. National Security Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
There is some indication that the email compromise at NTIA dates back to this summer , although it was only recently discovered , according to a senior U.S. official .

Hackers believed to be working for Russia have been monitoring internal email traffic at the US Treasury Department and an agency that decides internet and telecommunications policy, according to people familiar with the matter.
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There is concern within the US intelligence community that the hackers who targeted Treasury and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration used a similar tool to break into other government agencies, according to four people briefed on the matter.
The people did not say which other agencies, but SolarWinds, a company based in Austin, Texas, said on Sunday that software updates it released in March and June of this year may have been surreptitiously tampered with in a "highly-sophisticated, targeted and manual supply chain attack by a nation state".
SolarWinds stopped short of saying the hack at Treasury occurred via them, but two of the people familiar with the investigation said the company was believed to be the channel by which the hackers got in.
A representative for SolarWinds did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
SolarWinds says on its website that its customers include most of America's Fortune 500 companies, all top 10 US telecommunications providers, all five branches of the US military, the State Department, the National Security Agency, and the Office of President of the United States.
Three of the people familiar with the investigation said Russia is currently believed to be behind the attack.
Two of the people said that the breaches were connected to a broad campaign that also involved the recently disclosed hack on FireEye, a major US cybersecurity company with government and commercial contracts.
"The United States government is aware of these reports and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to this situation," said National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot.
The hack is so serious it led to a National Security Council meeting at the White House on Saturday, said one of the people familiar with the matter.
The Commerce Department confirmed there was a breach at one of its agencies in a statement. "We have asked the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI to investigate, and we cannot comment further at this time."
'Huge Cyber Espionage Campaign'
The breach presents a major challenge to the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden as officials investigate what information was stolen and try to ascertain what it will be used for. It is not uncommon for large scale cyber investigations to take months or years to complete.
"This is a much bigger story than one single agency," said one of the people familiar with the matter. "This is a huge cyber espionage campaign targeting the US government and its interests."
Hackers broke into the NTIA's office software, Microsoft's Office 365. Staff emails at the agency were monitored by the hackers for months, sources said.
A Microsoft spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did a spokesman for the Treasury Department.
The hackers are "highly sophisticated" and have been able to trick the Microsoft platform's authentication controls, according to a person familiar with the incident, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the press.
"This is a nation state," said a different person briefed on the matter.
The full scope of the breach is unclear. The investigation is still its early stages and involves a range of federal agencies, including the FBI, according to three of the people familiar with the matter.
A spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said they have been "working closely with our agency partners regarding recently discovered activity on government networks. CISA is providing technical assistance to affected entities as they work to identify and mitigate any potential compromises".
The FBI and US National Security Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There is some indication that the email compromise at NTIA dates back to this summer, although it was only recently discovered, according to a senior US official.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-12-14--British spy thriller author John le Carre dies aged 89

John le Carre wrote 25 novels and one memoir in a career spanning six decades , selling some 60 million books worldwide John le Carre , the British writer best known for his Cold War espionage novels `` Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy '' and `` The Spy Who Came In From The Cold '' , has died aged 89 , his agent and family said Sunday .
The author , a former British intelligence officer whose real name was David Cornwell , wrote 25 novels and one memoir in a career spanning six decades , selling some 60 million books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' was adapted for television in 1979 , with Alec Guinness starring as the enigmatic spycatcher George Smiley , and became a classic .
Gary Oldman reprised the role in the 2011 film , winning an Oscar the following year .
Le Carre 's last novel , `` Agent Running in the Field '' , was published in October 2019 .
His wife of nearly 50 years , Jane , and sons Nicholas , Timothy , Stephen and Simon , said in a statement that he died on Saturday night after a short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grieve deeply his passing , '' they said , thanking staff at the hospital in Cornwall , southwest England , for their care .
`` We know they share our sadness , '' they added .
His friend , the novelist Robert Harris , called le Carre `` one of those writers who really was not only a brilliant writer but he also penetrated popular culture -- and that 's a great rarity '' .
Harris told Sky News television `` The Spy Who Came In From The Cold '' was a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredibly engrossing tale and very deep , and it transformed the writing of spy fiction .
It was a brilliant , psychological portrait of spying and of betrayal and of the decline of British power . ''
Stephen King , the best-selling US author , called le Carre `` a literary giant and a humanitarian spirit '' .
Jonny Geller , le Carre 's literary agent , said : `` His like will never be seen again , and his loss will be felt by every book lover , everyone interested in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great figure of English literature , a man of great wit , kindness , humour and intelligence .
I have lost a friend , a mentor and an inspiration . ''
Le Carre 's life could have been the stuff of fiction and he once said he owed his career in the shadows and later literary success to an `` impulsive adolescent decision '' to flee an unhappy home life .
It involved a spell in Bern , Switzerland , learning German , where he took his first steps in British intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austria .
From Switzerland , he returned to Britain to study at Oxford University , then went on to teach at the elite Eton school before joining MI5 , the country 's domestic intelligence agency , in the late 1950s .
He later transferred to the overseas spy agency MI6 , serving in the West German capital Bonn , where he witnessed the building of the Berlin Wall .
It was as an MI6 officer that he had his first success with `` The Spy Who Came in from the Cold '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to use a pseudonym .
`` I was asked so many times why I chose this ridiculous name , then the writer 's imagination came to my help , '' he told The Paris Review in 1996 .
`` I saw myself riding over Battersea Bridge ( in London ) , on top of a bus , looking down at a tailor 's shop ... and it was called something of this sort —- le Carre . ''
If Cold War intrigue and its tense , often bleak backdrop made his name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found new subject matter and a litany of characters and causes as the world changed .
They included arms dealers , Russian gangsters , financiers and Big Pharma , which he portrayed in the 2001 novel `` The Constant Gardener '' , later adapted into a film starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz .
Despite his establishment education and career , le Carre -- a traditionalist who admitted he could not type and wrote by hand -- often railed against it .
He turned down a knighthood and was suspicious of literary honours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also an outspoken critic of Brexit , and at the last general election in 2019 , told AFP that Britons should `` join the resistance '' against Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
`` My England would be the one that recognises its place in the EU , '' he told a US interviewer in 2017 .
`` The jingoistic England that is trying to march us out of the EU , that is an England I do n't want to know . ''

London (AFP) –
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John le Carre, the British writer best known for his Cold War espionage novels "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold", has died aged 89, his agent and family said Sunday.
The author, a former British intelligence officer whose real name was David Cornwell, wrote 25 novels and one memoir in a career spanning six decades, selling some 60 million books worldwide.
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was adapted for television in 1979, with Alec Guinness starring as the enigmatic spycatcher George Smiley, and became a classic. Gary Oldman reprised the role in the 2011 film, winning an Oscar the following year.
Le Carre's last novel, "Agent Running in the Field", was published in October 2019.
His wife of nearly 50 years, Jane, and sons Nicholas, Timothy, Stephen and Simon, said in a statement that he died on Saturday night after a short battle with pneumonia.
"We all grieve deeply his passing," they said, thanking staff at the hospital in Cornwall, southwest England, for their care. "We know they share our sadness," they added.
His friend, the novelist Robert Harris, called le Carre "one of those writers who really was not only a brilliant writer but he also penetrated popular culture -- and that's a great rarity".
Harris told Sky News television "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" was a "masterpiece".
"It's an incredibly engrossing tale and very deep, and it transformed the writing of spy fiction. It was a brilliant, psychological portrait of spying and of betrayal and of the decline of British power."
Stephen King, the best-selling US author, called le Carre "a literary giant and a humanitarian spirit".
Jonny Geller, le Carre's literary agent, said: "His like will never be seen again, and his loss will be felt by every book lover, everyone interested in the human condition.
"We have lost a great figure of English literature, a man of great wit, kindness, humour and intelligence. I have lost a friend, a mentor and an inspiration."
- Tailor's shop -
Le Carre's life could have been the stuff of fiction and he once said he owed his career in the shadows and later literary success to an "impulsive adolescent decision" to flee an unhappy home life.
It involved a spell in Bern, Switzerland, learning German, where he took his first steps in British intelligence, doing odd-jobs across the border in Austria.
From Switzerland, he returned to Britain to study at Oxford University, then went on to teach at the elite Eton school before joining MI5, the country's domestic intelligence agency, in the late 1950s.
He later transferred to the overseas spy agency MI6, serving in the West German capital Bonn, where he witnessed the building of the Berlin Wall.
It was as an MI6 officer that he had his first success with "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" in 1963. For obvious reasons, he had to use a pseudonym.
"I was asked so many times why I chose this ridiculous name, then the writer's imagination came to my help," he told The Paris Review in 1996.
"I saw myself riding over Battersea Bridge (in London), on top of a bus, looking down at a tailor's shop... and it was called something of this sort —- le Carre."
- Big Pharma to Brexit -
If Cold War intrigue and its tense, often bleak backdrop made his name and his books best-sellers, le Carre found new subject matter and a litany of characters and causes as the world changed.
They included arms dealers, Russian gangsters, financiers and Big Pharma, which he portrayed in the 2001 novel "The Constant Gardener", later adapted into a film starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz.
Despite his establishment education and career, le Carre -- a traditionalist who admitted he could not type and wrote by hand -- often railed against it.
He turned down a knighthood and was suspicious of literary honours.
An avowed Europhile, he was also an outspoken critic of Brexit, and at the last general election in 2019, told AFP that Britons should "join the resistance" against Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
"My England would be the one that recognises its place in the EU," he told a US interviewer in 2017. "The jingoistic England that is trying to march us out of the EU, that is an England I don't want to know."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-13--John le Carre: master of spy thriller who became moral voice

Age did not wither John le Carre 's anger at the establishment John le Carre , who has died aged 89 , shot to fame during the chilly depths of the Cold War as master of the spy thriller , before evolving to become a scathing chronicler of the moral costs of globalisation .
Age did not wither the writer 's anger at the establishment , with Brexit -- Britain 's divisive departure from the European Union -- breathing new life into his espionage oeuvre .
Speaking to AFP in December 2019 , he urged Britons to `` join the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a general election .
In the event , the country elected Boris Johnson as prime minister , defying le Carre 's characterisation of the Conservative leader as `` pig-ignorant '' in his most recent ( 2019 ) novel , `` Agent Running in the Field '' .
Unhappiness runs deep in le Carre 's work , which numbers 25 novels over more than six decades -- a creative span as prodigious as it is acclaimed .
He was born David Cornwell in October 1931 and his mother Olive fled the family home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his father Ronnie -- a tyrant and a conman who was jailed twice for fraud .
In his 2016 memoir `` The Pigeon Tunnel '' , le Carre recalled fleeing England for the University of Bern in the late 1940s , not only to study German but `` to get out from under my father at all costs '' .
While at the university in Switzerland , le Carre took his `` first infant steps for British Intelligence '' doing odd-jobs across the border in Austria .
`` It strikes me now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the consequence of that one impulsive adolescent decision to get out of England by the fastest available route and embrace the German muse as a substitute mother , '' he wrote .
After Bern , le Carre studied at Oxford and taught at top fee-paying school Eton for two years before joining the domestic intelligence agency MI5 in 1958 .
Another two years on , he transferred to the overseas spy agency MI6 , which would prove the springboard to his literary career .
He first served undercover in Bonn , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and observed the communist East 's erection of the Berlin Wall .
His third novel `` The Spy Who Came in from the Cold '' was published in 1963 and brought him overnight fame , although his MI6 status meant he was writing under the pseudonym John le Carre .
With the Berlin Wall as a deathly backdrop , the novel portrays a gone-to-seed British spy , Alec Leamas , who flees to East Germany as a double agent , leaving behind his one weakness : a woman he loves .
Its screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , began le Carre 's long entwinement with cinema and TV , cementing his status as a serious author with a mass following .
Le Carre married for a second time , in 1972 , to Valerie Eustace , and two years later brought out his masterpiece , `` Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy '' , a gripping and intricate record of the hunt for a Soviet mole in the highest levels of MI6 .
The author himself had been forced to quit the intelligence service in 1964 when MI6 double agent Kim Philby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other British spies , to Moscow .
`` Tinker Tailor '' was the first of a trilogy featuring le Carre 's most-loved character -- the shy , brilliant but principled British spymaster , George Smiley .
When the Cold War ended in 1991 , le Carre made a successful transition to a different narrative , skewering arms dealers , drugs traffickers , Russian gangsters , financiers and Big Pharma , whose sins flourished in the new world order .
His 18th novel , `` The Constant Gardener '' ( 2001 ) was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era , portraying an unscrupulous pharmaceutical giant preying on impoverished Africans to test its drugs .
Le Carre 's more recent work has returned to his early themes of moral compromise , disillusionment and betrayal , but the anger burns just as bright .
In `` A Legacy of Spies '' ( 2017 ) , published a year after Britain voted to leave the European Union , le Carre revives the characters of his 1963 breakthrough .
As an elderly Smiley reflects on what motivated his career , it is clear that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians who turned their backs on Europe and pandered to nationalist sentiment .
The retired spymaster says : `` If I was heartless , I was heartless for Europe .
If I had an unattainable ideal , it was of leading Europe out of her darkness towards a new age of reason .
I have it still . ''

London (AFP) –
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John le Carre, who has died aged 89, shot to fame during the chilly depths of the Cold War as master of the spy thriller, before evolving to become a scathing chronicler of the moral costs of globalisation.
Age did not wither the writer's anger at the establishment, with Brexit -- Britain's divisive departure from the European Union -- breathing new life into his espionage oeuvre.
Speaking to AFP in December 2019, he urged Britons to "join the resistance" as they prepared to vote in a general election.
In the event, the country elected Boris Johnson as prime minister, defying le Carre's characterisation of the Conservative leader as "pig-ignorant" in his most recent (2019) novel, "Agent Running in the Field".
Unhappiness runs deep in le Carre's work, which numbers 25 novels over more than six decades -- a creative span as prodigious as it is acclaimed.
He was born David Cornwell in October 1931 and his mother Olive fled the family home when he was five, leaving him with his father Ronnie -- a tyrant and a conman who was jailed twice for fraud.
In his 2016 memoir "The Pigeon Tunnel", le Carre recalled fleeing England for the University of Bern in the late 1940s, not only to study German but "to get out from under my father at all costs".
While at the university in Switzerland, le Carre took his "first infant steps for British Intelligence" doing odd-jobs across the border in Austria.
"It strikes me now that everything that happened later in life was the consequence of that one impulsive adolescent decision to get out of England by the fastest available route and embrace the German muse as a substitute mother," he wrote.
- Berlin Wall -
After Bern, le Carre studied at Oxford and taught at top fee-paying school Eton for two years before joining the domestic intelligence agency MI5 in 1958.
Another two years on, he transferred to the overseas spy agency MI6, which would prove the springboard to his literary career.
He first served undercover in Bonn, the capital of the then West Germany, and observed the communist East's erection of the Berlin Wall.
His third novel "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" was published in 1963 and brought him overnight fame, although his MI6 status meant he was writing under the pseudonym John le Carre.
With the Berlin Wall as a deathly backdrop, the novel portrays a gone-to-seed British spy, Alec Leamas, who flees to East Germany as a double agent, leaving behind his one weakness: a woman he loves.
Its screen adaptation, with Richard Burton as Leamas, began le Carre's long entwinement with cinema and TV, cementing his status as a serious author with a mass following.
Le Carre married for a second time, in 1972, to Valerie Eustace, and two years later brought out his masterpiece, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", a gripping and intricate record of the hunt for a Soviet mole in the highest levels of MI6.
The author himself had been forced to quit the intelligence service in 1964 when MI6 double agent Kim Philby divulged his identity, and those of many other British spies, to Moscow.
"Tinker Tailor" was the first of a trilogy featuring le Carre's most-loved character -- the shy, brilliant but principled British spymaster, George Smiley.
- Brexit -
When the Cold War ended in 1991, le Carre made a successful transition to a different narrative, skewering arms dealers, drugs traffickers, Russian gangsters, financiers and Big Pharma, whose sins flourished in the new world order.
His 18th novel, "The Constant Gardener" (2001) was arguably his angriest in that post-Cold War era, portraying an unscrupulous pharmaceutical giant preying on impoverished Africans to test its drugs.
Le Carre's more recent work has returned to his early themes of moral compromise, disillusionment and betrayal, but the anger burns just as bright.
In "A Legacy of Spies" (2017), published a year after Britain voted to leave the European Union, le Carre revives the characters of his 1963 breakthrough.
As an elderly Smiley reflects on what motivated his career, it is clear that the author is targeting a generation of British politicians who turned their backs on Europe and pandered to nationalist sentiment.
The retired spymaster says: "If I was heartless, I was heartless for Europe. If I had an unattainable ideal, it was of leading Europe out of her darkness towards a new age of reason. I have it still."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-13--John le Carré, British spy-turned-novelist, dies aged 89

FILE PHOTO : British author John Le Carre ( C ) poses for photographers with British actor Gary Oldman ( L ) and Swedish director Tomas Alfredson at the UK premiere of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in London September 13 , 2011 .
`` Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy '' author John le Carre , who cast flawed spies on to the bleak chessboard of Cold War rivalry , has died aged 89 .
`` It is with great sadness that I must share the news that David Cornwell , known to the world as John le Carré , passed away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related ) in Cornwall on Saturday evening , 12th December , 2020 '' , his agent said in a statement .
`` His like will never be seen again , and his loss will be felt by every book lover , everyone interested in the human condition , '' said Jonny Geller , CEO , of The Curtis Brown Group , By exploring treachery at the heart of British intelligence in spy novels , le Carre challenged Western assumptions about the Cold War by defining for millions the moral ambiguities of the battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unlike the glamour of Ian Fleming 's unquestioning James Bond , le Carre 's heroes were trapped in the wilderness of mirrors inside British intelligence which was reeling from the betrayal of Kim Philby who fled to Moscow in 1963 .
`` It ’ s not a shooting war anymore , George .
That ’ s the trouble , '' Connie Sachs , British intelligence 's resident alcoholic expert on Soviet spies , tells spy catcher George Smiley in the 1979 novel `` Smiley 's People '' .
`` It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No one knows where the lines are , '' Sachs says in the final novel of Le Carre 's Karla trilogy .
Such a bleak portrayal of the Cold War shaped popular Western perceptions of the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States that dominated the second half of the 20th century until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 .
The Cold War , for le Carre , was `` A Looking Glass War '' ( the name of his 1965 novel ) with no heroes and where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ betrayal - by spy masters in Moscow , Berlin , Washington and London .
Betrayal of family , lovers , ideology and country run through le Carre 's novels which use the deceit of spies as a way to tell the story of nations , particularly Britain 's sentimental failure to see its own post-imperial decline .
Such was his influence that le Carre was credited by the Oxford English Dictionary with introducing espionage terms such as `` mole '' , `` honey pot '' and `` pavement artist '' to popular English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ le Carre portrayed the MI6 Secret Intelligence Service as incompetent , ruthless and corrupt .
But they still read his novels .
Other fans included Cold War warriors such as former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher .
David John Moore Cornwell was born on Oct. 19 , 1931 in Dorset , England , to Ronnie and Olive , though his mother , despairing at the infidelities and financial impropriety of her husband , abandoned the family when he was five years old .
Mother and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the boy who became le Carre said he endured `` 16 hugless years '' in the charge of his father , a flamboyant businessman who served time in jail .
At the age of 17 , Cornwell left Sherborne School in 1948 to study German in Bern , Switzerland , where he came to the attention of British spies .
After a spell in the British Army , he studied German at Oxford , where he informed on his left-wing students for Britain 's MI5 domestic intelligence service .
Le Carre was awarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eton College , Britain 's most exclusive school .
He also worked at MI5 in London before moving in 1960 to the Secret Intelligence Service , known as MI6 .
Posted to Bonn , then capital of West Germany , Cornwell fought on one of the toughest fronts of Cold War espionage : 1960s Berlin .
As the Berlin Wall went up , le Carre wrote `` The Spy Who Came in from the Cold , '' where a British spy is sacrificed for an ex-Nazi turned Communist who is a British mole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think spies are ?
, '' asks Alex Leamas , the British spy who is finally shot on the Berlin Wall .
`` They 're just a bunch of seedy , squalid bastards like me : little men , drunkards , queers , hen-pecked husbands , civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives . ''
By casting British spies as every bit as ruthless as their Communist foes , le Carre defined the dislocation of the Cold War that left broken humans in the wake of distant superpowers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failing marriage and far too famous to be a spy , le Carre devoted himself to writing and the greatest betrayal in British intelligence history gave him material for a masterpiece .
The discovery , which began in the 1950s with the defection of Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean , that the Soviets had run spies recruited at Cambridge to penetrate British intelligence hammered confidence in the once legendary services .
Le Carre wove the story of betrayal into the Karla trilogy , beginning with the 1974 novel `` Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People '' ( 1979 ) .
George Smiley seeks to track down a Soviet mole at the top of Britain 's secret service and battles with Soviet spy master Karla , ultimate master of the mole who is sleeping with Smiley 's wife .
Smiley , betrayed in love by his aristocratic wife Ann ( also the name of Cornwell 's first wife ) , traps the traitor .
Karla , compromised by an attempt to save his schizophrenic daughter , defects to the West in the last book .
After the Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mighty spies impoverished , le Carre turned his focus to what he perceived as the corruption of the U.S.-dominated world order .
From corrupt pharmaceutical companies , Palestinian fighters and Russian oligarchs to lying U.S. agents and , of course , perfidious British spies , le Carre painted a depressing - and at times polemical - view of the chaos of the post-Cold War world .
`` The new American realism , which is nothing other than gross corporate power cloaked in demagogy , means one thing only : that America will put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in the foreword to `` The Tailor of Panama '' .
He opposed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and his anger at the United States was evident in his later novels , which sold well and were turned into popular films but did not match the mastery of his Cold War bestsellers .
But in a life of espionage how much was true ?
`` I am a liar , '' le Carre was quoted as saying by his biographer Adam Sisman .
`` Born to lying , bred to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that lies for a living , practised in it as a novelist . ''

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" author John le Carre, who cast flawed spies on to the bleak chessboard of Cold War rivalry, has died aged 89.
British author John Le Carre, centre, with British actor Gary Oldman, left and Swedish director Tomas Alfredson at the UK premiere of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in London September 13, 2011.
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"It is with great sadness that I must share the news that David Cornwell, known to the world as John le Carré, passed away after a short illness (not Covid-19 related) in Cornwall on Saturday evening, 12th December, 2020", his agent said in a statement.
"His like will never be seen again, and his loss will be felt by every book lover, everyone interested in the human condition," said Jonny Geller, CEO of The Curtis Brown Group,
By exploring treachery at the heart of British intelligence in spy novels, le Carre challenged Western assumptions about the Cold War by defining for millions the moral ambiguities of the battle between the Soviet Union and the West.
Unlike the glamour of Ian Fleming's unquestioning James Bond, le Carre's heroes were trapped in the wilderness of mirrors inside British intelligence which was reeling from the betrayal of Kim Philby who fled to Moscow in 1963.
"It’s not a shooting war anymore, George. That’s the trouble," Connie Sachs, British intelligence's resident alcoholic expert on Soviet spies, tells spy catcher George Smiley in the 1979 novel "Smiley's People".
"It’s grey. Half angels fighting half devils. No one knows where the lines are," Sachs says in the final novel of Le Carre's Karla trilogy.
Such a bleak portrayal of the Cold War shaped popular Western perceptions of the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States that dominated the second half of the 20th century until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Cold War, for le Carre, was "A Looking Glass War" (the name of his 1965 novel) with no heroes and where morals were up for sale - or betrayal - by spy masters in Moscow, Berlin, Washington and London.
Betrayal of family, lovers, ideology and country run through le Carre's novels which use the deceit of spies as a way to tell the story of nations, particularly Britain's sentimental failure to see its own post-imperial decline.
Such was his influence that le Carre was credited by the Oxford English Dictionary with introducing espionage terms such as "mole", "honey pot" and "pavement artist" to popular English usage.
British spies were angry that le Carre portrayed the MI6 Secret Intelligence Service as incompetent, ruthless and corrupt. But they still read his novels.
Other fans included Cold War warriors such as former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Soldier, spy
David John Moore Cornwell was born on Oct. 19, 1931, in Dorset, England, to Ronnie and Olive, though his mother, despairing at the infidelities and financial impropriety of her husband, abandoned the family when he was five years old.
Mother and son would meet again decades later, though the boy who became le Carre said he endured "16 hugless years" in the charge of his father, a flamboyant businessman who served time in jail.
At the age of 17, Cornwell left Sherborne School in 1948 to study German in Bern, Switzerland, where he came to the attention of British spies.
After a spell in the British Army, he studied German at Oxford, where he informed on his left-wing students for Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence service.
Le Carre was awarded a first-class degree before teaching languages at Eton College, Britain's most exclusive school. He also worked at MI5 in London before moving in 1960 to the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6.
Posted to Bonn, then capital of West Germany, Cornwell fought on one of the toughest fronts of Cold War espionage: 1960s Berlin.
As the Berlin Wall went up, le Carre wrote "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," where a British spy is sacrificed for an ex-Nazi turned Communist who is a British mole.
"What the hell do you think spies are?," asks Alex Leamas, the British spy who is finally shot on the Berlin Wall.
"They're just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me: little men, drunkards, queers, hen-pecked husbands, civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives."
By casting British spies as every bit as ruthless as their Communist foes, le Carre defined the dislocation of the Cold War that left broken humans in the wake of distant superpowers.
'Moscow rules'
Now rich, but with a failing marriage and far too famous to be a spy, le Carre devoted himself to writing and the greatest betrayal in British intelligence history gave him material for a masterpiece.
The discovery, which began in the 1950s with the defection of Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, that the Soviets had run spies recruited at Cambridge to penetrate British intelligence hammered confidence in the once legendary services.
Le Carre wove the story of betrayal into the Karla trilogy, beginning with the 1974 novel "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and ending with "Smiley's People" (1979).
George Smiley seeks to track down a Soviet mole at the top of Britain's secret service and battles with Soviet spy master Karla, ultimate master of the mole who is sleeping with Smiley's wife.
Smiley, betrayed in love by his aristocratic wife Ann (also the name of Cornwell's first wife), traps the traitor. Karla, compromised by an attempt to save his schizophrenic daughter, defects to the West in the last book.
Absolute friends?
After the Soviet Union collapsed, leaving Russia's once mighty spies impoverished, le Carre turned his focus to what he perceived as the corruption of the U.S.-dominated world order.
From corrupt pharmaceutical companies, Palestinian fighters and Russian oligarchs to lying U.S. agents and, of course, perfidious British spies, le Carre painted a depressing - and at times polemical - view of the chaos of the post-Cold War world.
"The new American realism, which is nothing other than gross corporate power cloaked in demagogy, means one thing only: that America will put America first in everything," he wrote in the foreword to "The Tailor of Panama".
He opposed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and his anger at the United States was evident in his later novels, which sold well and were turned into popular films but did not match the mastery of his Cold War bestsellers.
But in a life of espionage how much was true?
"I am a liar," le Carre was quoted as saying by his biographer Adam Sisman. "Born to lying, bred to it, trained to it by an industry that lies for a living, practised in it as a novelist."
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-12-13--14 dead in migrant shipwreck between Venezuela and Trinidad

A view of the port of Guiria , Venezuela , where the ship that wrecked departed for Trinidad and Tobago The Venezuelan government said Sunday it had found 14 bodies after a ship carrying migrants bound for Trinidad and Tobago was wrecked en route .
The government said in a statement that 11 bodies were found by a Coast Guard patrol on Saturday afternoon , and `` today , following up on the events that occurred , we found 3 dead , 2 adult males and 1 female on the beach . ''
The Trinidadian Coast Guard had said Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 bodies had been recovered that day in waters near the Venezuelan coastal town of Guiria , '' in the northeastern state of Sucre .
Preliminary information suggested that the boat left on December 6 with more than 20 people on board .
Venezuelan opposition deputy Robert Alcala , who represents Sucre state , said that migrant departures to Trinidad often used precarious boats loaded with too much weight .
The deputy said the boat was `` allegedly detained in Trinidad and was returned to Venezuela , '' as part of the island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuelans fleeing their country 's economic crisis .
Citing a police report , he said that the bodies were tied together supposedly to protect themselves from heavy waves and were in an advanced state of decomposition .
The Trinidadian Coast Guard , however , said that it had not intercepted any boats from Guiria .
Venezuela has been crippled by a political and economic crisis causing runaway inflation , long queues for petrol , shortages of water and gas , and power cuts .
The UN estimates that more than five million Venezuelans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the crisis , some 25,000 of whom fled to Trinidad and Tobago .
About 100 people have disappeared during the dangerous journey from Guiria to Trinidad between 2018 and 2019 alone .
The island nation , with a population of 1.3 million , says it has facilitated the registration of 16,000 Venezuelans .

Caracas (AFP) –
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The Venezuelan government said Sunday it had found 14 bodies after a ship carrying migrants bound for Trinidad and Tobago was wrecked en route.
The government said in a statement that 11 bodies were found by a Coast Guard patrol on Saturday afternoon, and "today, following up on the events that occurred, we found 3 dead, 2 adult males and 1 female on the beach."
The Trinidadian Coast Guard had said Saturday that Venezuelan authorities informed them that "11 bodies had been recovered that day in waters near the Venezuelan coastal town of Guiria," in the northeastern state of Sucre.
Preliminary information suggested that the boat left on December 6 with more than 20 people on board.
Venezuelan opposition deputy Robert Alcala, who represents Sucre state, said that migrant departures to Trinidad often used precarious boats loaded with too much weight.
The deputy said the boat was "allegedly detained in Trinidad and was returned to Venezuela," as part of the island nation's response to the arrival of Venezuelans fleeing their country's economic crisis.
Citing a police report, he said that the bodies were tied together supposedly to protect themselves from heavy waves and were in an advanced state of decomposition.
The Trinidadian Coast Guard, however, said that it had not intercepted any boats from Guiria.
Venezuela has been crippled by a political and economic crisis causing runaway inflation, long queues for petrol, shortages of water and gas, and power cuts.
The UN estimates that more than five million Venezuelans have left their country since 2015 due to the crisis, some 25,000 of whom fled to Trinidad and Tobago.
About 100 people have disappeared during the dangerous journey from Guiria to Trinidad between 2018 and 2019 alone.
The island nation, with a population of 1.3 million, says it has facilitated the registration of 16,000 Venezuelans.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-13--British spy thriller author John le Carre dies aged 89

Le Carre was 'not only a brilliant writer but he also penetrated popular culture ' said fellow novelist Robert Harris John le Carre , the British writer best known for his Cold War espionage novels `` Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy '' and `` The Spy Who Came In From The Cold '' , has died aged 89 , his agent said Sunday .
The author , whose real name was David Cornwell , wrote 25 novels and one memoir in a career spanning six decades , selling some 60 million books worldwide .
`` Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy '' was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alec Guinness starring as George Smiley , and became a classic .
Gary Oldman reprised the role in the 2011 film , winning an Oscar the following year .
Le Carre 's last novel , `` Agent Running in the Field '' , was published in October 2019 .
His wife of nearly 50 years , Jane , and sons Nicholas , Timothy , Stephen and Simon , said in a statement he died from pneumonia on Saturday night after a short battle with the illness .
`` We all grieve deeply his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff at the hospital in Cornwall , southwest England , for their care .
`` We know they share our sadness , '' they added .
The novelist Robert Harris called le Carre `` one of those writers who really was not only a brilliant writer but he also penetrated popular culture -- and that 's a great rarity '' .
Harris told Sky News television le Carre was a `` brilliant novelist '' and said `` The Spy Who Came In From The Cold '' was a `` masterpiece '' .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very deep , and it transformed the writing of spy fiction .
It was a brilliant , psychological portrait of spying and of betrayal and of the decline of British power . ''
Jonny Geller , le Carre 's literary agent , said : `` His like will never be seen again , and his loss will be felt by every book lover , everyone interested in the human condition .
`` We have lost a great figure of English literature , a man of great wit , kindness , humour and intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mentor and an inspiration . ''

London (AFP) –
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John le Carre, the British writer best known for his Cold War espionage novels "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold", has died aged 89, his agent said Sunday.
The author, whose real name was David Cornwell, wrote 25 novels and one memoir in a career spanning six decades, selling some 60 million books worldwide.
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was adapted for television in 1979, with Alec Guinness starring as George Smiley, and became a classic. Gary Oldman reprised the role in the 2011 film, winning an Oscar the following year.
Le Carre's last novel, "Agent Running in the Field", was published in October 2019.
His wife of nearly 50 years, Jane, and sons Nicholas, Timothy, Stephen and Simon, said in a statement he died from pneumonia on Saturday night after a short battle with the illness.
"We all grieve deeply his passing," they said, thanking staff at the hospital in Cornwall, southwest England, for their care. "We know they share our sadness," they added.
The novelist Robert Harris called le Carre "one of those writers who really was not only a brilliant writer but he also penetrated popular culture -- and that's a great rarity".
Harris told Sky News television le Carre was a "brilliant novelist" and said "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" was a "masterpiece".
"It's an incredibly engrossing tale and very deep, and it transformed the writing of spy fiction. It was a brilliant, psychological portrait of spying and of betrayal and of the decline of British power."
Jonny Geller, le Carre's literary agent, said: "His like will never be seen again, and his loss will be felt by every book lover, everyone interested in the human condition.
"We have lost a great figure of English literature, a man of great wit, kindness, humour and intelligence. I have lost a friend, a mentor and an inspiration."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-13--Who said what in sport this weekend

Who said what in sport this weekend

Cause for concern : Schalke 's Mark Uth receives medical treatment after being knocked unconscious in the Bundesliga game with Augsburg Who said what in sport this weekend : '' I did n't realise how serious it was at first , but then I saw him lying on the floor .
A lot of things go through your head , I was scared and worried .
I am so happy that he is ok. '' -- Augsburg footballer Felix Uduokhai after his accidental clash of heads with Mark Uth left the Schalke striker unconscious and needing 15 minutes of on-pitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour to get our feet in the game , that 's why I shouted a bit at them . ''
-- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on his frustrations at seeing his team struggle to get a foothold at Fulham before salvaging a 1-1 draw .
`` Paolo was a lot of things to me .
He was a hero as a 14-year-old .
For all Italians is a myth . ''
-- Former Italy international Paolo Maldini speaking at the funeral of 1982 World Cup winner Paolo Rossi .
`` We started from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Once the base has been built , one can think of the skyscraper , the kind Inter fans deserve . ''
-- Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte on his plans for the Serie A club after a Champions League group stage exit .
`` I 'm not 100 per cent -- I still have some feeling within my lungs , but nonetheless , normally I would drive if one of my arms was hanging off – that 's what we do as racing drivers . ''
-- Lewis Hamilton after admitting he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix .
He eventually finished third in the race .
`` Nothing about today should get mentioned .
It was quite a bad race for us . ''
-- Sebastian Vettel after finishing his last race as a Ferrari driver in 14th place in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix .
`` It 's been 20 years since I sat there at Valderrama , to win the Order of Merit as it was then .
It 's not getting any easier , I am not getting any younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against these great young players -- these kids are so good now . ''
-- Lee Westwood after winning the 2020 Race to Dubai to be crowned Europe 's top golfer with his second-place finish at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship .

Paris (AFP) –
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Who said what in sport this weekend:
"I didn't realise how serious it was at first, but then I saw him lying on the floor. A lot of things go through your head, I was scared and worried. I am so happy that he is ok."
-- Augsburg footballer Felix Uduokhai after his accidental clash of heads with Mark Uth left the Schalke striker unconscious and needing 15 minutes of on-pitch treatment.
"We needed half an hour to get our feet in the game, that's why I shouted a bit at them."
-- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on his frustrations at seeing his team struggle to get a foothold at Fulham before salvaging a 1-1 draw.
"Paolo was a lot of things to me. He was a hero as a 14-year-old. For all Italians is a myth."
-- Former Italy international Paolo Maldini speaking at the funeral of 1982 World Cup winner Paolo Rossi.
"We started from the ground up, we need time. Once the base has been built, one can think of the skyscraper, the kind Inter fans deserve."
-- Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte on his plans for the Serie A club after a Champions League group stage exit.
"I'm not 100 per cent -- I still have some feeling within my lungs, but nonetheless, normally I would drive if one of my arms was hanging off – that's what we do as racing drivers."
-- Lewis Hamilton after admitting he was still feeling the effects of Covid-19 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He eventually finished third in the race.
"Nothing about today should get mentioned. It was quite a bad race for us."
-- Sebastian Vettel after finishing his last race as a Ferrari driver in 14th place in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"It's been 20 years since I sat there at Valderrama, to win the Order of Merit as it was then. It's not getting any easier, I am not getting any younger. I am just enjoying playing golf against these great young players -- these kids are so good now."
-- Lee Westwood after winning the 2020 Race to Dubai to be crowned Europe's top golfer with his second-place finish at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--All Blacks face France in 2023 Rugby World Cup pool stages

Hosts France will play three-time winners New Zealand in the standout match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool phase , after the draw was made in Paris on Monday .
The countries have met each other seven times in World Cups , including in the 1987 and 2011 finals with the All Blacks winning on both occasions .
Italy and two qualifiers , one from the Americas and another from Africa , make up Pool A .
Holders South Africa will face Ireland and 2003 champions England take on Japan , who hosted the last World Cup in 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zealand for the first time in their history in November .
`` It 's exciting , really , to know who your RWC pool opponents will be for the 2023 tournament in France , '' Springboks captain Siya Kolisi said .
`` For now , we have to turn our attention to the massive challenge the British and Irish Lions will bring next year – there is huge anticipation , both at home and in the UK , for what promises to be another memorable Lions series in South Africa , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up against Scotland and a side from Asia/Pacific and a further European nation in Pool B. Wales , who lost to England in the 2019 semi-finals , are in Pool C with two-time Webb Ellis trophy holders Australia as well as Fiji , a European team and the winner of the final qualifying tournament .
A qualifier each from Oceania and the Americas rounds out a competitive-looking Pool D with England , Japan and Argentina .
Due to the coronavirus pandemic , seeding levels for the tournament draw were based on the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of after the autumn internationals as originally intended .
Organisers also moved the event forward to be able to start selling tickets in March next year , before ticket sales for the 2024 Paris Olympics begin in 2022 .
The dozen countries from the draw will be joined by eight qualifiers , with the final lineup known by November 22 .

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Hosts France will play three-time winners New Zealand in the standout match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool phase, after the draw was made in Paris on Monday.
The countries have met each other seven times in World Cups, including in the 1987 and 2011 finals with the All Blacks winning on both occasions.
Italy and two qualifiers, one from the Americas and another from Africa, make up Pool A.
Holders South Africa will face Ireland and 2003 champions England take on Japan, who hosted the last World Cup in 2019, and Argentina, who beat New Zealand for the first time in their history in November.
"It's exciting, really, to know who your RWC pool opponents will be for the 2023 tournament in France," Springboks captain Siya Kolisi said.
"For now, we have to turn our attention to the massive challenge the British and Irish Lions will bring next year – there is huge anticipation, both at home and in the UK, for what promises to be another memorable Lions series in South Africa," he added.
The Springboks will also go up against Scotland and a side from Asia/Pacific and a further European nation in Pool B.
Wales, who lost to England in the 2019 semi-finals, are in Pool C with two-time Webb Ellis trophy holders Australia as well as Fiji, a European team and the winner of the final qualifying tournament.
A qualifier each from Oceania and the Americas rounds out a competitive-looking Pool D with England, Japan and Argentina.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, seeding levels for the tournament draw were based on the world rankings on January 1, 2020 instead of after the autumn internationals as originally intended.
Organisers also moved the event forward to be able to start selling tickets in March next year, before ticket sales for the 2024 Paris Olympics begin in 2022.
The dozen countries from the draw will be joined by eight qualifiers, with the final lineup known by November 22.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--PSG to face Barcelona in Champions League round of 16

Thumbs up from Paris Saint-Germain 's Kylian Mbappe .
Four years after the infamous `` remontada '' , PSG will once again face FC Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the Champions League .
Paris Saint-Germain , last season 's beaten finalists , will face Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League while Liverpool were paired with RB Leipzig in Monday 's draw .
Bayern Munich , who beat PSG in the 2020 final to win a sixth European crown , play Lazio in the knockout phase .
Pep Guardiola 's Manchester City team , still seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get past Borussia Moenchengladbach .
Chelsea , winners in 2012 , have a tough task against Atletico Madrid .
Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus will play Portuguese side Porto , winners in 2004 , while Real Madrid take on last season 's surprise quarter-finalists Atalanta .
PSG will relish another chance to avenge their soul-destroying defeat to Barcelona in 2017 .
Having beaten the Catalans 4-0 in the French capital , PSG crashed to a 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou orchestrated by Neymar .
The Brazilian joined PSG in a world record move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be played in February , PSG will hope Neymar will have recovered from an ankle injury which forced him to be stretchered off the pitch in the 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday .
Liverpool will be wary of an attack-minded Leipzig side who ended the hopes of Manchester United in the group phase .

Paris Saint-Germain, last season's beaten finalists, will face Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League while Liverpool were paired with RB Leipzig in Monday's draw.
Thumbs up from Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe. Four years after the infamous "remontada", PSG will once again face FC Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the Champions League.
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Bayern Munich, who beat PSG in the 2020 final to win a sixth European crown, play Lazio in the knockout phase.
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City team, still seeking a first Champions League title, must get past Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Chelsea, winners in 2012, have a tough task against Atletico Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus will play Portuguese side Porto, winners in 2004, while Real Madrid take on last season's surprise quarter-finalists Atalanta.
PSG will relish another chance to avenge their soul-destroying defeat to Barcelona in 2017.
Having beaten the Catalans 4-0 in the French capital, PSG crashed to a 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou orchestrated by Neymar. The Brazilian joined PSG in a world record move weeks later.
With the matches due to be played in February, PSG will hope Neymar will have recovered from an ankle injury which forced him to be stretchered off the pitch in the 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday.
Liverpool will be wary of an attack-minded Leipzig side who ended the hopes of Manchester United in the group phase.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-12-14--Below-average fires in 2020 despite monster blazes: EU

Data showed that carbon emissions from fires were set to be lower than previous years and that 2020 was one of the lowest years for active fires globally , despite several hot spots There was a lower-than-average number of wildfires in 2020 despite hotspots such as California and Australia being hit by blazes of unprecedented intensity , the European Union 's satellite monitoring service said Monday .
A year of data collected by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service ( CAMS ) showed that carbon emissions from fires were set to be lower than previous years and that 2020 was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globally .
Despite this , it said that the worst affected areas had experienced above average fire intensity , leading to roughly 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon pollution .
This compares with 1.9 billion tonnes in 2019 .
`` While 2020 has certainly been a devastating year for wildfires in the most badly-affected hotspots , emissions across the world have been lower due to better fire management and mitigation measures , '' said Mark Parrington , senior scientist and wildfire expert at CAMS .
He said that globally fires had declined consistently since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` However , this is no time to be complacent as wildfires in the worse affected areas were of record intensity as a result of warmer , drier conditions , '' Parrington added .
`` This resulted in increased pollutants being carried thousands of miles , affecting air quality for millions of people . ''
CAMS said four areas were especially hard hit .
In the western United States , data showed some of the most severe wildfire regions on record following abnormally hot and dry weather in August and September .
Smoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington spread across the Atlantic Ocean as far as northern Europe -- releasing more than 30 megatonnes of carbon into the atmosphere .
Fires in the Arctic beat all previous annual emissions records as early as September , with emissions in the first nine months of 2020 topping 244 megatonnes , compared with 181 megatonnes for all of 2019 .
The Caribbean was also badly hit , with record fire emissions in Guatemala and above average emissions levels across the region .
And in Australia , fires of record-breaking intensity released some 400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the blazes producing smoke clouds large enough to cover Russia , CAMS , said .

Paris (AFP) –
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There was a lower-than-average number of wildfires in 2020 despite hotspots such as California and Australia being hit by blazes of unprecedented intensity, the European Union's satellite monitoring service said Monday.
A year of data collected by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) showed that carbon emissions from fires were set to be lower than previous years and that 2020 was one of the lowest years for active fires globally.
Despite this, it said that the worst affected areas had experienced above average fire intensity, leading to roughly 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon pollution.
This compares with 1.9 billion tonnes in 2019.
"While 2020 has certainly been a devastating year for wildfires in the most badly-affected hotspots, emissions across the world have been lower due to better fire management and mitigation measures," said Mark Parrington, senior scientist and wildfire expert at CAMS.
He said that globally fires had declined consistently since 2003 when the monitoring service began.
"However, this is no time to be complacent as wildfires in the worse affected areas were of record intensity as a result of warmer, drier conditions," Parrington added.
"This resulted in increased pollutants being carried thousands of miles, affecting air quality for millions of people."
CAMS said four areas were especially hard hit. In the western United States, data showed some of the most severe wildfire regions on record following abnormally hot and dry weather in August and September.
Smoke from fires in California, Oregon and Washington spread across the Atlantic Ocean as far as northern Europe -- releasing more than 30 megatonnes of carbon into the atmosphere.
Fires in the Arctic beat all previous annual emissions records as early as September, with emissions in the first nine months of 2020 topping 244 megatonnes, compared with 181 megatonnes for all of 2019.
The Caribbean was also badly hit, with record fire emissions in Guatemala and above average emissions levels across the region.
And in Australia, fires of record-breaking intensity released some 400 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, with the blazes producing smoke clouds large enough to cover Russia, CAMS, said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--Arsenal players must take blame for 'terrible' form, says Tierney

Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney says the players must take responsibility for the club 's `` terrible '' form after the Gunners lost a fourth home Premier League game in a row .
Burnley recorded their first-ever win at the Emirates on Sunday as a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang own goal secured a 1-0 victory for the visitors after Granit Xhaka was sent off for the hosts .
The result leaves Mikel Arteta 's side just five points clear of the relegation zone and without a Premier League win since November 1 .
It is the first time since 1959 that Arsenal have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- they host Southampton on Wednesday looking to get back to winning ways .
The current run has left them languishing in 15th place in the table and Tierney knows that results have to improve .
`` It 's not good enough , '' he said .
`` There is no way to disguise it .
It 's terrible , to be honest .
It 's not what we are , not where we are as a club .
`` It 's not what the fans deserve , it 's not what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the board and that deserve .
It 's us players that need to take responsibility for this .
`` It 's on us and nobody else .
We have got a great manager and we believe in him 100 per cent .
The blame is on us , nobody else . ''
Burnley had never even led a Premier League game against Arsenal but picked up a second win of the campaign to move out of the bottom three .
`` There 's a feel-good factor about the place now , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I know we 're still low down in the table but that 's not too concerning .
We 've been close a few years to nicking a result here , but I felt we did what we needed to do . ''

London (AFP) –
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Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney says the players must take responsibility for the club's "terrible" form after the Gunners lost a fourth home Premier League game in a row.
Burnley recorded their first-ever win at the Emirates on Sunday as a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang own goal secured a 1-0 victory for the visitors after Granit Xhaka was sent off for the hosts.
The result leaves Mikel Arteta's side just five points clear of the relegation zone and without a Premier League win since November 1.
It is the first time since 1959 that Arsenal have suffered four home league defeats in succession -- they host Southampton on Wednesday looking to get back to winning ways.
The current run has left them languishing in 15th place in the table and Tierney knows that results have to improve.
"It's not good enough," he said. "There is no way to disguise it. It's terrible, to be honest. It's not what we are, not where we are as a club.
"It's not what the fans deserve, it's not what the manager deserves, it's not what the board and that deserve. It's us players that need to take responsibility for this.
"It's on us and nobody else. We have got a great manager and we believe in him 100 per cent. The blame is on us, nobody else."
Burnley had never even led a Premier League game against Arsenal but picked up a second win of the campaign to move out of the bottom three.
"There's a feel-good factor about the place now," said Burnley's England defender James Tarkowski.
"I know we're still low down in the table but that's not too concerning. We've been close a few years to nicking a result here, but I felt we did what we needed to do."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--PSG face Barcelona in Champions League knockout phase

Paris Saint-Germain will hope Neymar has recovered from injury in time to face Barcelona Paris Saint-Germain , last season 's beaten finalists , will face Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League while Liverpool were paired with RB Leipzig in Monday 's draw .
Bayern Munich , who beat PSG in the 2020 final to win a sixth European crown , play Lazio in the knockout phase .
Pep Guardiola 's Manchester City team , still seeking a first Champions League title , must get past Borussia Moenchengladbach .
Chelsea , winners in 2012 , have a tough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Juventus will play Portuguese side Porto , winners in 2004 , while Real Madrid take on last season 's surprise quarter-finalists Atalanta .
PSG will relish another chance to avenge their soul-destroying defeat to Barcelona in 2017 .
Having beaten the Catalans 4-0 in the French capital , PSG crashed to a 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou orchestrated by Neymar .
The Brazilian joined PSG in a world record move weeks later .
With the matches due to be played in February , PSG will hope Neymar will have recovered from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be stretchered off the pitch in the 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday .
Liverpool will be wary of an attack-minded Leipzig side who ended the hopes of Manchester United in the group phase .

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Paris Saint-Germain, last season's beaten finalists, will face Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League while Liverpool were paired with RB Leipzig in Monday's draw.
Bayern Munich, who beat PSG in the 2020 final to win a sixth European crown, play Lazio in the knockout phase.
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City team, still seeking a first Champions League title, must get past Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Chelsea, winners in 2012, have a tough task against Atletico Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus will play Portuguese side Porto, winners in 2004, while Real Madrid take on last season's surprise quarter-finalists Atalanta.
PSG will relish another chance to avenge their soul-destroying defeat to Barcelona in 2017.
Having beaten the Catalans 4-0 in the French capital, PSG crashed to a 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou orchestrated by Neymar. The Brazilian joined PSG in a world record move weeks later.
With the matches due to be played in February, PSG will hope Neymar will have recovered from an ankle injury which forced him to be stretchered off the pitch in the 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday.
Liverpool will be wary of an attack-minded Leipzig side who ended the hopes of Manchester United in the group phase.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--Civilians in Ethiopia's Tigray speak of horror as blackout lifts

Ethiopia said Monday that power and phone connections had been partly restored in Tigray , where civilians spoke of deprivation , fear and violence in the troubled region after six weeks of silence .
Tigray has been under a communications blackout since November 4 , when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a major military offensive against the ruling party of the dissident northern region .
The shutdown , coupled with restrictions on access to the region , made verifying the situation on the ground difficult as the army battled forces loyal to the Tigray People 's Liberation Front ( TPLF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year 's Nobel Peace Prize , visited the regional capital Mekele on Sunday for the first time since fighting began .
He met with soldiers and said that damaged telecommunications and other key infrastructure were being repaired .
As the blackout lifted , civilians inside the city of half a million spoke of the joy of hearing loved ones for the first time in weeks -- and their desperation at trying to locate others in areas still in the dark .
`` When communication came back , I felt really great , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even locally , they were not sure whether I was alive or dead , '' said Mulubirhan Hailemariam , who spoke with AFP from Mekele .
`` But I 'm worried about my family in Adigrat , '' he added , referring to another city in Tigray where communications have not been fully restored .
The government said Monday that mobile voice services had been restored to about half a dozen other cities besides Mekele , but that reliable power remained a problem outside the capital .
`` The lights came on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services were working since Sunday .
My immediate family is safe , but I do n't have information on the safety of other family members living in other parts of Tigray , '' said one woman , a business owner , who requested anonymity .
Abiy declared victory over the TPLF on November 28 with the capture of Mekele , which he said was achieved without incurring civilian casualties .
But civilians in Tigray told AFP that soldiers patrolling the streets of the capital had violently enforced a dusk curfew .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evenings , in the name of law enforcement , people are being killed , '' said Mulubirhan , who alleged Eritrean soldiers were among the uniformed troops present in Mekele .
`` I personally attended the funeral of three people .
But I know many more people that were killed by Ethiopian security forces , mostly soldiers , when they allegedly broke the curfew . ''
Zadig Abraha , Ethiopia 's democratisation minister , told AFP that any reports of extrajudicial killings by Ethiopian soldiers were `` false '' .
Other Mekele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executions , as well as a drastic shortages of supplies , with shops boarded up and businesses yet to reopen .
`` The view in Mekele city is that the war is just starting and things are only going to get worse , '' said one man , who declined to be named , describing ongoing battles outside the city limits .
Abiy last week dismissed reports of ongoing hostilities as `` sporadic gunfire '' as the army hunts down militias and special forces allied to the TPLF .
`` We will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted on Twitter late Sunday , accompanied by images of his visit to Mekele .
Abiy has resisted calls for mediation to end the conflict , which has left thousands dead , according to the International Crisis Group think tank , and driven 50,000 refugees into Sudan .
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced Sunday that Abiy had agreed to hold an urgent meeting of a bloc of East African countries to resolve the crisis , but Addis Ababa is yet to formally respond .
State media reported at the weekend that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging civil servants and businesses to return to work on Monday .
The head of the administration , Mulu Nega , was also quoted as saying that anyone in Tigray in possession of a weapon -- legal or illegal -- should turn it over to security forces by Tuesday .

Addis Ababa (AFP) –
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Ethiopia said Monday that power and phone connections had been partly restored in Tigray, where civilians spoke of deprivation, fear and violence in the troubled region after six weeks of silence.
Tigray has been under a communications blackout since November 4, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a major military offensive against the ruling party of the dissident northern region.
The shutdown, coupled with restrictions on access to the region, made verifying the situation on the ground difficult as the army battled forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
Abiy, the winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, visited the regional capital Mekele on Sunday for the first time since fighting began. He met with soldiers and said that damaged telecommunications and other key infrastructure were being repaired.
As the blackout lifted, civilians inside the city of half a million spoke of the joy of hearing loved ones for the first time in weeks -- and their desperation at trying to locate others in areas still in the dark.
"When communication came back, I felt really great, because family and friends from abroad and even locally, they were not sure whether I was alive or dead," said Mulubirhan Hailemariam, who spoke with AFP from Mekele.
"But I'm worried about my family in Adigrat," he added, referring to another city in Tigray where communications have not been fully restored.
- 'People are being killed' -
The government said Monday that mobile voice services had been restored to about half a dozen other cities besides Mekele, but that reliable power remained a problem outside the capital.
"The lights came on Sunday, while on and off, telecom services were working since Sunday. My immediate family is safe, but I don't have information on the safety of other family members living in other parts of Tigray," said one woman, a business owner, who requested anonymity.
Abiy declared victory over the TPLF on November 28 with the capture of Mekele, which he said was achieved without incurring civilian casualties.
But civilians in Tigray told AFP that soldiers patrolling the streets of the capital had violently enforced a dusk curfew.
"The Tigrayan people are being abused. In the evenings, in the name of law enforcement, people are being killed," said Mulubirhan, who alleged Eritrean soldiers were among the uniformed troops present in Mekele.
"I personally attended the funeral of three people. But I know many more people that were killed by Ethiopian security forces, mostly soldiers, when they allegedly broke the curfew."
Zadig Abraha, Ethiopia's democratisation minister, told AFP that any reports of extrajudicial killings by Ethiopian soldiers were "false".
- 'War is just starting' -
Other Mekele residents contacted Monday reported looting and arbitrary executions, as well as a drastic shortages of supplies, with shops boarded up and businesses yet to reopen.
"The view in Mekele city is that the war is just starting and things are only going to get worse," said one man, who declined to be named, describing ongoing battles outside the city limits.
Abiy last week dismissed reports of ongoing hostilities as "sporadic gunfire" as the army hunts down militias and special forces allied to the TPLF.
"We will continue apprehending the criminal clique," Abiy posted on Twitter late Sunday, accompanied by images of his visit to Mekele.
Abiy has resisted calls for mediation to end the conflict, which has left thousands dead, according to the International Crisis Group think tank, and driven 50,000 refugees into Sudan.
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced Sunday that Abiy had agreed to hold an urgent meeting of a bloc of East African countries to resolve the crisis, but Addis Ababa is yet to formally respond.
State media reported at the weekend that the provisional administration appointed to oversee Tigray was urging civil servants and businesses to return to work on Monday.
The head of the administration, Mulu Nega, was also quoted as saying that anyone in Tigray in possession of a weapon -- legal or illegal -- should turn it over to security forces by Tuesday.
str-rcb-np-dl/jj
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--French city of Le Havre begins mass testing for Covid-19

Over the next five days , the entire population of Le Havre is invited to get tested for free , with results promised within half an hour The northern French port city of Le Havre on Monday launched a mass drive to test its 270,000 inhabitants for Covid-19 before a nationwide lockdown is lifted .
After six weeks of seclusion aimed at taming a second wave of coronavirus infections , French people will be allowed move about more freely starting Tuesday .
But with the number of new infections still averaging about 12,000 a day -- down from a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October but still far above an official target of a maximum 5,000 -- the government is anxious to step up testing .
Over the next five days , the entire population of Le Havre is invited to get tested for free , with results promised within half an hour .
Former prime minister Edouard Philippe , who is Le Havre 's mayor , cited the British city of Liverpool , which trialled city-wide coronavirus testing last month , as an inspiration .
`` In Liverpool , they managed to test one third of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If we test 50 percent of the population ( of Le Havre ) , I would be the happiest of men , '' Philippe said .
The scheme in Liverpool , where many of those who tested positive for Covid-19 had not suspected they were infected because they were not showing any symptoms , led to a dramatic drop in infection rates .
The northeastern French city of Charleville-Mezieres and nearby town of Sedan , home to a combined 123,000 people , are also conducting mass testing this week .
Two other cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in central France -- will follow suit in January .
Health Minister Olivier Veran announced the testing schemes last week while announcing the end of the lockdown in place since October 30 .
He said that contact tracing would be carried out on those who test positive .
Starting on Tuesday , the French will no longer need to fill out forms justifying their reason for leaving home .
They will , however , be subject to a new 8:00 pm-6:00 am curfew as the country battles to avoid a third wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastating third national lockdown .
The curfew will be waived for Christmas Eve in order to allow families to travel to celebrate together but it will be kept in place for New Year 's Eve , a time when young people particularly usually attend house parties .
The death toll in France since the start of the pandemic stands at 57,911 .

Paris (AFP) –
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The northern French port city of Le Havre on Monday launched a mass drive to test its 270,000 inhabitants for Covid-19 before a nationwide lockdown is lifted.
After six weeks of seclusion aimed at taming a second wave of coronavirus infections, French people will be allowed move about more freely starting Tuesday.
But with the number of new infections still averaging about 12,000 a day -- down from a high of around 50,000 at the end of October but still far above an official target of a maximum 5,000 -- the government is anxious to step up testing.
Over the next five days, the entire population of Le Havre is invited to get tested for free, with results promised within half an hour.
Former prime minister Edouard Philippe, who is Le Havre's mayor, cited the British city of Liverpool, which trialled city-wide coronavirus testing last month, as an inspiration.
"In Liverpool, they managed to test one third of its 500,000 inhabitants within four days. If we test 50 percent of the population (of Le Havre), I would be the happiest of men," Philippe said.
The scheme in Liverpool, where many of those who tested positive for Covid-19 had not suspected they were infected because they were not showing any symptoms, led to a dramatic drop in infection rates.
The northeastern French city of Charleville-Mezieres and nearby town of Sedan, home to a combined 123,000 people, are also conducting mass testing this week.
Two other cities -- Roubaix in the north and Saint-Etienne in central France -- will follow suit in January.
Health Minister Olivier Veran announced the testing schemes last week while announcing the end of the lockdown in place since October 30. He said that contact tracing would be carried out on those who test positive.
Starting on Tuesday, the French will no longer need to fill out forms justifying their reason for leaving home.
They will, however, be subject to a new 8:00 pm-6:00 am curfew as the country battles to avoid a third wave of coronavirus infections that could require an economically devastating third national lockdown.
The curfew will be waived for Christmas Eve in order to allow families to travel to celebrate together but it will be kept in place for New Year's Eve, a time when young people particularly usually attend house parties.
The death toll in France since the start of the pandemic stands at 57,911.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-12-14--Rugby World Cup: Draw for pool stages taking place in Paris

Holders South Africa could face hosts France at the 2023 Rugby World Cup with the draw for the pool stages @ @ @ @ @ Monday with a cloud hanging over the sport .
FRANCE 24 's Sport Editor Simon @ @ @ @ @

Rugby World Cup: Draw for pool stages taking place in Paris
03:57
Holders South Africa could face hosts France at the 2023 Rugby World Cup with the draw for the pool stages taking place in Paris on Monday with a cloud hanging over the sport. FRANCE 24's Sport Editor Simon Harding tells us more.


france24--2020-12-14--Ivory Coast election: Ouattara to be sworn in for disputed third term

Ivory Coast election : Ouattara to be sworn in for disputed third term # IvoryCoast 's president Alassane # Ouattara @ @ @ @ @ for a third presidential term on Monday .
Ouattara went on to serve as elected @ @ @ @ @ third term at the ballot box on October 31 .
The opposition says he breached @ @ @ @ @ third term and has mounted a campaign of `` civil disobedience '' aimed at pushing @ @ @

Ivory Coast election: Ouattara to be sworn in for disputed third term
01:27
#IvoryCoast's president Alassane #Ouattara is to be sworn in for a third presidential term on Monday. Ouattara went on to serve as elected president and won a disputed third term at the ballot box on October 31. The opposition says he breached the constitution by seeking a third term and has mounted a campaign of "civil disobedience" aimed at pushing him out.


france24--2020-12-14--'Reconsider holiday travel', Japan PM warns, as virus spikes

Japan 's prime minister on Monday urged citizens to reconsider their holiday travel plans and suspended a controversial domestic tourism campaign as the country battles record numbers of coronavirus infections .
Yoshihide Suga also pledged more support for medical workers and institutions overwhelmed by the country 's third wave of cases , and promised expanded subsidies for restaurants and other struggling businesses .
Suga , who took office in September , has seen his approval ratings plunge in recent weeks in part over his handling of the new wave of cases and his refusal to heed calls to halt the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday night he reversed course under increasing pressure , including from medical advisors to the government .
`` We have decided to take strongest steps possible in order to stop the spread of the infections ... so that all of you can welcome the New Year in peace and quiet , '' Suga told a special cabinet-level meeting on anti-pandemic measures .
He said the travel subsidy programme would be suspended between December 28 and January 11 , with the halt coming into effect earlier for hardest-hit areas , including the capital Tokyo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconsider plans to visit relatives during the holiday season .
`` I ask ( the public ) to carefully reconsider travel plans to return to home towns .
I ask for your help so that all of us can spend a calm and quiet New Year , '' he said .
The call came as Japan sees rising infections -- standing around 3,000 new cases per day -- with doctors and nurses warning they are overwhelmed .
A poll by national broadcaster NHK found 81 percent of respondents had no plans to travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year period , traditionally a busy travel time in Japan .
Japan has been less hard-hit than many countries -- with 177,960 infections and 2,584 deaths recorded since the first case in January -- and has avoided the strict lockdowns seen elsewhere .
With cases falling over the summer , the government launched campaigns to encourage travel and eating out , but these have been under fire as infections have risen , hitting daily records .
The cabinet 's approval rating has plunged 17 points in the last month , to 40 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper .

Tokyo (AFP) –
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Japan's prime minister on Monday urged citizens to reconsider their holiday travel plans and suspended a controversial domestic tourism campaign as the country battles record numbers of coronavirus infections.
Yoshihide Suga also pledged more support for medical workers and institutions overwhelmed by the country's third wave of cases, and promised expanded subsidies for restaurants and other struggling businesses.
Suga, who took office in September, has seen his approval ratings plunge in recent weeks in part over his handling of the new wave of cases and his refusal to heed calls to halt the Go To travel campaign.
But on Monday night he reversed course under increasing pressure, including from medical advisors to the government.
"We have decided to take strongest steps possible in order to stop the spread of the infections... so that all of you can welcome the New Year in peace and quiet," Suga told a special cabinet-level meeting on anti-pandemic measures.
He said the travel subsidy programme would be suspended between December 28 and January 11, with the halt coming into effect earlier for hardest-hit areas, including the capital Tokyo.
He also urged the public to reconsider plans to visit relatives during the holiday season.
"I ask (the public) to carefully reconsider travel plans to return to home towns. I ask for your help so that all of us can spend a calm and quiet New Year," he said.
The call came as Japan sees rising infections -- standing around 3,000 new cases per day -- with doctors and nurses warning they are overwhelmed.
A poll by national broadcaster NHK found 81 percent of respondents had no plans to travel or visit their parents during the new year period, traditionally a busy travel time in Japan.
Japan has been less hard-hit than many countries -- with 177,960 infections and 2,584 deaths recorded since the first case in January -- and has avoided the strict lockdowns seen elsewhere.
With cases falling over the summer, the government launched campaigns to encourage travel and eating out, but these have been under fire as infections have risen, hitting daily records.
The cabinet's approval rating has plunged 17 points in the last month, to 40 percent, according to an opinion poll released Sunday by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
© 2020 AFP