france24--2020-09-29--BTS singing all the way to the bank as record label prepares IPO

Members of popular K-pop band BTS are set to become multi-millionaire shareholders when its agency goes public next month K-pop sensation BTS are set for a multi-million-dollar windfall next month when shares in their record label go on sale , with a public offering valuing the company at over $ 4 billion .
The trailblazing septet cemented their prominence in the world 's biggest music market last month , when their all-English track `` Dynamite '' debuted at number one in the Billboard Hot 100 .
The band 's label Big Hit Entertainment priced its initial public offering at 135,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm said in a regulatory filing Monday , the top end of its indicative price range , giving the agency a market value of $ 4.1 billion .
Big Hit CEO Bang Si-hyuk , who owns 43 percent of the agency , is worth $ 1.4 billion with the offerings , according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index .
With the IPO , all seven members of the group -- currently the world 's biggest boyband -- are also set to become multi-millionaire stakeholders .
Last month the members were given 68,385 shares each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million at the offering price .
During demand forecasting sessions last week , 1,420 institutional investors showed interest in more than 1,100 times the number of shares available , the firm said in the regulatory filing .
BTS ' passionate fans , as well as retail investors , are bidding in hopes of securing at least one share .
Big Hit will raise 962.6 billion won ( $ 823 million ) -- according to the firms ' regulatory filings -- the largest South Korean IPO since Celltrion Healthcare raised 1 trillion won ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ K-pop -- along with K-drama soap operas -- has been one of South Korea 's most successful cultural exports and is a key component of the `` Korean Wave '' that has swept Asia and beyond over the last two decades .
The chart-topping single `` Dynamite '' alone could generate more than $ 1.4 billion for the South Korean economy and thousands of new jobs in the country , a government study claimed earlier this month .

Seoul (AFP) –
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K-pop sensation BTS are set for a multi-million-dollar windfall next month when shares in their record label go on sale, with a public offering valuing the company at over $4 billion.
The trailblazing septet cemented their prominence in the world's biggest music market last month, when their all-English track "Dynamite" debuted at number one in the Billboard Hot 100.
The band's label Big Hit Entertainment priced its initial public offering at 135,000 won ($115), the firm said in a regulatory filing Monday, the top end of its indicative price range, giving the agency a market value of $4.1 billion.
Big Hit CEO Bang Si-hyuk, who owns 43 percent of the agency, is worth $1.4 billion with the offerings, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
With the IPO, all seven members of the group -- currently the world's biggest boyband -- are also set to become multi-millionaire stakeholders.
Last month the members were given 68,385 shares each from Bang -- worth about $8 million at the offering price.
During demand forecasting sessions last week, 1,420 institutional investors showed interest in more than 1,100 times the number of shares available, the firm said in the regulatory filing.
BTS' passionate fans, as well as retail investors, are bidding in hopes of securing at least one share.
Big Hit will raise 962.6 billion won ($823 million) -- according to the firms' regulatory filings -- the largest South Korean IPO since Celltrion Healthcare raised 1 trillion won ($855 million) in 2017.
K-pop -- along with K-drama soap operas -- has been one of South Korea's most successful cultural exports and is a key component of the "Korean Wave" that has swept Asia and beyond over the last two decades.
The chart-topping single "Dynamite" alone could generate more than $1.4 billion for the South Korean economy and thousands of new jobs in the country, a government study claimed earlier this month.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--Macron promises Belarus mediation but Putin slams 'pressure'

Tikhanovskaya said the crisis in Belarus should be resolved `` as soon as possible '' and new free and fair elections should be held before the end of the year French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday promised to help with mediation in the political crisis in Belarus , but Russia 's Vladimir Putin lashed out against `` unprecedented external pressure '' .
Macron spoke during a visit to Lithuania after meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya that was being seen as a major show of support for the activist .
`` We will do our best as Europeans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to OSCE mediation in order to progress , '' Macron told reporters , referring to an offer from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE ) .
`` Our objective is for this mediation to begin in the next few days or weeks , '' Macron said .
`` The aim is a peaceful transition , the release of people who are in prison for their political opinions and the holding of free elections under international observation , '' he said .
Belarus has been in upheaval since an August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory against the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko , who has ruled Belarus since 1994 .
Tikhanovskaya fled to Lithuania in the aftermath of the election as mass protests in the streets of the former Soviet republic were met with a crackdown in which thousands were arrested .
The European Union has refused to recognise the result of the presidential election and Macron on Sunday said that Lukashenko `` has to go '' .
Tuesday 's meeting with Macron in Vilnius was Tikhanovskaya 's most high-profile one so far .
She has previously addressed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parliament and has met with EU foreign ministers and the leaders of neighbouring Poland and Lithuania .
Tikhanovskaya , a political novice whose blogger husband is in prison in Belarus accused of trying to overthrow the government , told AFP after the meeting that she had accepted an invitation to speak before the French parliament .
She said the crisis should be resolved `` as soon as possible '' and new free and fair elections should be held before the end of the year .
`` ( Macron ) supports the idea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be involved to begin negotiations with Lukashenko .
He is ready to help with this .
`` I think he will speak with the Russian side about Belarus and will do everything possible to involve Russia in these negotiations , '' she said .
Macron has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin , Lukashenko 's main ally , is favourable to mediation in the Belarus crisis by the OSCE .
But Putin on Tuesday said in televised remarks that Belarus was in a `` difficult situation '' and was facing `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forum on the Belarusian and Russian regions , the Kremlin chief said that Moscow was ready to stand by Minsk , describing ties as `` timeless and all-weather '' .
Putin has promised to provide Lukashenko with security assistance if the political crisis worsens and gave Belarus a loan of $ 1.5 billion .

Vilnius (AFP) –
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French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday promised to help with mediation in the political crisis in Belarus, but Russia's Vladimir Putin lashed out against "unprecedented external pressure".
Macron spoke during a visit to Lithuania after meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya that was being seen as a major show of support for the activist.
"We will do our best as Europeans to help mediate and we will come back to OSCE mediation in order to progress," Macron told reporters, referring to an offer from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
"Our objective is for this mediation to begin in the next few days or weeks," Macron said.
"The aim is a peaceful transition, the release of people who are in prison for their political opinions and the holding of free elections under international observation," he said.
Belarus has been in upheaval since an August 9 presidential election in which Tikhanovskaya claimed victory against the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994.
Tikhanovskaya fled to Lithuania in the aftermath of the election as mass protests in the streets of the former Soviet republic were met with a crackdown in which thousands were arrested.
The European Union has refused to recognise the result of the presidential election and Macron on Sunday said that Lukashenko "has to go".
- New elections this year? -
Tuesday's meeting with Macron in Vilnius was Tikhanovskaya's most high-profile one so far.
She has previously addressed the UN Human Rights Council and the European Parliament and has met with EU foreign ministers and the leaders of neighbouring Poland and Lithuania.
Tikhanovskaya, a political novice whose blogger husband is in prison in Belarus accused of trying to overthrow the government, told AFP after the meeting that she had accepted an invitation to speak before the French parliament.
She said the crisis should be resolved "as soon as possible" and new free and fair elections should be held before the end of the year.
"(Macron) supports the idea of mediation because he understands that powerful countries need to be involved to begin negotiations with Lukashenko. He is ready to help with this.
"I think he will speak with the Russian side about Belarus and will do everything possible to involve Russia in these negotiations," she said.
- 'External pressure' -
Macron has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko's main ally, is favourable to mediation in the Belarus crisis by the OSCE.
But Putin on Tuesday said in televised remarks that Belarus was in a "difficult situation" and was facing "unprecedented external pressure".
Addressing a forum on the Belarusian and Russian regions, the Kremlin chief said that Moscow was ready to stand by Minsk, describing ties as "timeless and all-weather".
Putin has promised to provide Lukashenko with security assistance if the political crisis worsens and gave Belarus a loan of $1.5 billion.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--Amnesty report chastises France over 'draconian crackdown on demonstrations'

Officers pictured during a protest against police brutality in Paris on June 13 , 2020 .
Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday accused French authorities of using `` vague laws '' to crack down on anti-government protesters and deter others from exercising their right to demonstrate .
French authorities have resorted to `` overly broad laws to arrest and prosecute thousands of protesters who did not commit violent acts '' , the group said in a report .
While it did not defend the actions of protesters who commit violence or arson , the rights group said many who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecuted – some for merely bringing goggles to a protest .
The justice ministry told AFP it would comment only after reading the full 63-page report .
According to Amnesty , more than 40,000 people were convicted in France in 2018 and 2019 `` on the basis of vague laws '' for crimes including `` contempt of public officials '' , `` participation in a group with a view to committing violent acts '' and `` organising a protest without complying with notification requirements '' .
Between April and October 2019 , 210 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on wearing face coverings to protests – which many do to protect themselves against police teargas .
The offence comes with a fine of up to 15,000 euros ( $ 17,400 ) and a jail term of up to a year , and led to 41 convictions last year .
`` Participation in protest in France today carries the risk of exposure to tear gas , rubber bullets and other dangerous weapons ; receiving a fine ; spending a day or two in pre-charge detention ; and facing criminal charges without having committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
`` Thousands of peaceful protesters have been swept up in France 's draconian crackdown on demonstrations , '' it added .
Since November 2018 , France has been the scene of near-weekly anti-government demonstrations by so-called `` Yellow Vest '' protesters angry about perceived social inequality and a loss of spending power .
> > A year of insurgency : How Yellow Vests left ‘ indelible mark ’ on French politics The protests have recently resumed , though on a smaller scale , after a hiatus during France 's coronavirus lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations in late 2019 and early 2020 during the country 's longest consecutive public transport strike over proposed pension reforms , and this year saw additional protests against alleged police racism and brutality .
France 's police watchdog has said it received almost 1,500 complaints against officers last year , of which roughly half were for alleged violence against civilians .
The Amnesty report said French authorities had also `` weaponised criminal law '' , for example with `` disproportionate restrictions on public assemblies '' in the context of social distancing measures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three cases in which 85 people were fined for participating in small protests in May and June this year , despite wearing face masks and/or maintaining a safe physical distance from others .
`` A legislative arsenal has been deployed to arrest and prosecute protesters arbitrarily and to unduly restrict their right to freedom of peaceful assembly , '' the report said .
`` Violence during demonstrations is a legitimate concern , but there is a political desire to make examples of people and deter others from taking to the streets , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amnesty International , told AFP .
Amnesty also called for the ban on face coverings at protests to be `` urgently reviewed '' in the context of masks ' role in combating the spread of coronavirus cases .

Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday accused French authorities of using "vague laws" to crack down on anti-government protesters and deter others from exercising their right to demonstrate.
Officers pictured during a protest against police brutality in Paris on June 13, 2020.
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French authorities have resorted to "overly broad laws to arrest and prosecute thousands of protesters who did not commit violent acts", the group said in a report.
While it did not defend the actions of protesters who commit violence or arson, the rights group said many who were peaceful have been fined, arrested and prosecuted – some for merely bringing goggles to a protest.
En France, des milliers de manifestants, notamment des Gilets Jaunes, ont été arrêtés, placés en garde à vue, poursuivis, voire condamnés alors qu’ils n’avaient pas commis de violences.
Découvrez notre enquête.https://t.co/lIWURv5XZA — Amnesty France (@amnestyfrance) September 29, 2020
The justice ministry told AFP it would comment only after reading the full 63-page report.
According to Amnesty, more than 40,000 people were convicted in France in 2018 and 2019 "on the basis of vague laws" for crimes including "contempt of public officials", "participation in a group with a view to committing violent acts" and "organising a protest without complying with notification requirements".
Between April and October 2019, 210 people were detained under a new ban on wearing face coverings to protests – which many do to protect themselves against police teargas.
The offence comes with a fine of up to 15,000 euros ($17,400) and a jail term of up to a year, and led to 41 convictions last year.
Dangerous weapons
"Participation in protest in France today carries the risk of exposure to tear gas, rubber bullets and other dangerous weapons; receiving a fine; spending a day or two in pre-charge detention; and facing criminal charges without having committed violent acts," according to the report.
"Thousands of peaceful protesters have been swept up in France's draconian crackdown on demonstrations," it added.
Since November 2018, France has been the scene of near-weekly anti-government demonstrations by so-called "Yellow Vest" protesters angry about perceived social inequality and a loss of spending power.
>> A year of insurgency: How Yellow Vests left ‘indelible mark’ on French politics
The protests have recently resumed, though on a smaller scale, after a hiatus during France's coronavirus lockdown.
France was also rocked by regular demonstrations in late 2019 and early 2020 during the country's longest consecutive public transport strike over proposed pension reforms, and this year saw additional protests against alleged police racism and brutality.
France's police watchdog has said it received almost 1,500 complaints against officers last year, of which roughly half were for alleged violence against civilians.
'Weaponised law'
The Amnesty report said French authorities had also "weaponised criminal law", for example with "disproportionate restrictions on public assemblies" in the context of social distancing measures to curb the coronavirus epidemic.
It cited three cases in which 85 people were fined for participating in small protests in May and June this year, despite wearing face masks and/or maintaining a safe physical distance from others.
"A legislative arsenal has been deployed to arrest and prosecute protesters arbitrarily and to unduly restrict their right to freedom of peaceful assembly," the report said.
"Violence during demonstrations is a legitimate concern, but there is a political desire to make examples of people and deter others from taking to the streets," Marco Perolini, a French researcher at Amnesty International, told AFP.
Amnesty also called for the ban on face coverings at protests to be "urgently reviewed" in the context of masks' role in combating the spread of coronavirus cases.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-09-29--Spared in spring, Bordeaux now a disease red zone

Bordeaux was relatively spared by the first wave of coronavirus that hit France in spring , but now the disease @ @ @ @ @ among people over 75 .
The city is now a red zone , with doctors @ @ @ @ @ cautious .

Spared in spring, Bordeaux now a disease red zone
01:34
Bordeaux was relatively spared by the first wave of coronavirus that hit France in spring, but now the disease is spreading fast, especially among people over 75. The city is now a red zone, with doctors calling on people to remain cautious.


france24--2020-09-29--Analysis: Trump and Biden hope for killer blow at first debate

Analysis : Trump and Biden hope for killer blow at first debate FRANCE 24 ’ s international affairs editor Philip @ @ @ @ @ between Joe Biden and Donald Trump on Tuesday will be like no other debate .
@ @ @ @ @ , the economy , urban violence and racism , the Supreme Court nomination , electoral @ @ @ @ @ ’ s competing visions , with both hoping to land a killer blow .

Analysis: Trump and Biden hope for killer blow at first debate
03:54
FRANCE 24’s international affairs editor Philip Turle predicts the televised face-off between Joe Biden and Donald Trump on Tuesday will be like no other debate. Issues will likely include Covid-19, the economy, urban violence and racism, the Supreme Court nomination, electoral integrity, and each candidate’s competing visions, with both hoping to land a killer blow.


france24--2020-09-29--Heavy losses claimed as Armenia-Azerbaijan fighting rages

Both sides said fighting was continuing on Tuesday , despite international pleas for a ceasefire Azerbaijani and Armenian forces claimed to have inflicted heavy losses as fighting raged for a third day on Tuesday over the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh .
Urgent calls from world leaders for a halt to the fierce clashes that erupted on Sunday have gone unheeded by the ex-Soviet rivals , who have been locked for decades in a territorial dispute over Karabakh .
The UN Security Council was scheduled to meet Tuesday for emergency talks on the military escalation over the ethnic Armenian exclave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has caused nearly 100 confirmed deaths .
Both sides said fighting was continuing on Tuesday , despite international pleas for a ceasefire .
Armenian defence officials said separatists in Karabakh had repelled Azerbaijani attacks along the frontline and that `` the enemy suffered serious losses in manpower '' .
The defence ministry in Yerevan said Azerbaijan 's military had suffered major losses since the clashes erupted , with nearly 50 drones and four helicopters downed , and 80 tanks destroyed .
Defence officials in Azerbaijan 's capital Baku in turn dismissed claims by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regained control of territory in Karabakh lost in fighting Sunday .
They said `` fierce fighting '' had persisted in the early hours of Tuesday and that their military had repelled an Armenian counterattack , destroying `` an Armenian motorised column and an artillery unit '' and , later , an entire motorised infantry regiment .
Azerbaijani forces `` continued an offensive on the city of Fizuli , destroying four enemy tanks , an armoured vehicle and killing 10 troops , '' officials in Baku said .
`` The enemy ... asked for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' from the battlefield , it said .
The fighting between majority-Muslim Azerbaijan and Christian Armenia is threatening to draw in Turkey and Russia -- the main powerbrokers in the Caucasus region -- who back opposing sides of the conflict .
Yerevan is part of a military alliance of former Soviet states led by Moscow and Russian leader Vladimir Putin has called for a halt to the fighting .
Ankara backs Azerbaijan and has been accused of sending mercenaries from northern Syria to bolster Baku 's army , while Turkish President Recep Tayyip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the longstanding dispute over Karabakh `` to be put to an end '' .
Azerbaijan has not reported military casualties , but the separatist government has released footage from the battlefield showing what it said was the remains of Azerbaijani soldiers .
Armenia 's rights ombudsman Arman Tatoyan confirmed Tuesday the deaths of two more civilians , while Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said civilian casualties on the Azerbaijani side reached 10 on Tuesday .
That brings the total confirmed deaths in the fighting to 98 -- including 84 separatist fighters and 14 civilians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the international community to ramp up efforts aimed at finding a political solution .
The UN Security Council meeting , which was formally requested by Belgium after France and Germany led a push for it to be added to the agenda , will be held at 5:00 pm local time in New York ( 2100 GMT ) , diplomats told AFP .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has `` urgently called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table , '' her spokesman said Tuesday , after she spoke with Aliyev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation Sunday , while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities .
Talks to resolve the conflict -- which emerged amid the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union -- have largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement .
France , Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the `` Minsk Group '' , but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010 .

Yerevan (AFP) –
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Azerbaijani and Armenian forces claimed to have inflicted heavy losses as fighting raged for a third day on Tuesday over the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh.
Urgent calls from world leaders for a halt to the fierce clashes that erupted on Sunday have gone unheeded by the ex-Soviet rivals, who have been locked for decades in a territorial dispute over Karabakh.
The UN Security Council was scheduled to meet Tuesday for emergency talks on the military escalation over the ethnic Armenian exclave, where intense fighting in recent days has caused nearly 100 confirmed deaths.
Both sides said fighting was continuing on Tuesday, despite international pleas for a ceasefire.
Armenian defence officials said separatists in Karabakh had repelled Azerbaijani attacks along the frontline and that "the enemy suffered serious losses in manpower".
The defence ministry in Yerevan said Azerbaijan's military had suffered major losses since the clashes erupted, with nearly 50 drones and four helicopters downed, and 80 tanks destroyed.
Defence officials in Azerbaijan's capital Baku in turn dismissed claims by separatist fighters that the Armenian-backed troops had regained control of territory in Karabakh lost in fighting Sunday.
They said "fierce fighting" had persisted in the early hours of Tuesday and that their military had repelled an Armenian counterattack, destroying "an Armenian motorised column and an artillery unit" and, later, an entire motorised infantry regiment.
Azerbaijani forces "continued an offensive on the city of Fizuli, destroying four enemy tanks, an armoured vehicle and killing 10 troops," officials in Baku said.
"The enemy... asked for help to evacuate corpses and wounded troops" from the battlefield, it said.
- Stalled peace efforts -
The fighting between majority-Muslim Azerbaijan and Christian Armenia is threatening to draw in Turkey and Russia -- the main powerbrokers in the Caucasus region -- who back opposing sides of the conflict.
Yerevan is part of a military alliance of former Soviet states led by Moscow and Russian leader Vladimir Putin has called for a halt to the fighting.
Ankara backs Azerbaijan and has been accused of sending mercenaries from northern Syria to bolster Baku's army, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday it was time for the longstanding dispute over Karabakh "to be put to an end".
Azerbaijan has not reported military casualties, but the separatist government has released footage from the battlefield showing what it said was the remains of Azerbaijani soldiers.
Armenia's rights ombudsman Arman Tatoyan confirmed Tuesday the deaths of two more civilians, while Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said civilian casualties on the Azerbaijani side reached 10 on Tuesday.
That brings the total confirmed deaths in the fighting to 98 -- including 84 separatist fighters and 14 civilians.
Observers to the conflict have urged the international community to ramp up efforts aimed at finding a political solution.
The UN Security Council meeting, which was formally requested by Belgium after France and Germany led a push for it to be added to the agenda, will be held at 5:00 pm local time in New York (2100 GMT), diplomats told AFP.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has "urgently called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table," her spokesman said Tuesday, after she spoke with Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Armenia and Karabakh declared martial law and military mobilisation Sunday, while Azerbaijan imposed military rule and a curfew in large cities.
Talks to resolve the conflict -- which emerged amid the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union -- have largely stalled since a 1994 ceasefire agreement.
France, Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the "Minsk Group", but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--Roadside bomb kills 14 civilians in Afghanistan

Pakistan 's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi ( left ) listens to Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah at an Institute of Strategic Studies meeting in Islamabad At least 14 civilians , including women and children , were killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in central Afghanistan , officials said , as violence continues despite peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government .
Seven women , five children and two men died when their vehicle detonated an explosive device in Daikundi province , interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , blaming the Taliban for the blast .
Nasrullah Ghori -- the spokesman for the governor of Daikundi -- told AFP the victims were travelling to a shrine when their minibus struck the bomb .
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast , but roadside bombs have been a weapon of choice for the Taliban .
`` Deliberate attacks '' targeting civilians killed or wounded more than 800 civilians in Afghanistan during the first half of 2020 , according to a UN report released in July .
The violence comes as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Doha , where they are trying to find a way to end 19 years of war .
Despite calls for a ceasefire , the Taliban have refused to halt their violence , seeing it as key to leverage at the negotiating table .
The blast came as the head of the Afghan peace process , Abdullah Abdullah , kicked off the second day of a three-day visit to neighbouring Pakistan .
Speaking at an event in Islamabad , he proclaimed that the `` ice has been broken '' at peace talks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long accused Islamabad of providing vital support and safe havens to the Taliban .
Islamabad denies it supports the Taliban , but its influence with the militants is seen as pivotal to paving the way for any potential deal .

Kabul (AFP) –
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At least 14 civilians, including women and children, were killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in central Afghanistan, officials said, as violence continues despite peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government.
Seven women, five children and two men died when their vehicle detonated an explosive device in Daikundi province, interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said in a statement.
Three children were also wounded, he added, blaming the Taliban for the blast.
Nasrullah Ghori -- the spokesman for the governor of Daikundi -- told AFP the victims were travelling to a shrine when their minibus struck the bomb.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast, but roadside bombs have been a weapon of choice for the Taliban.
"Deliberate attacks" targeting civilians killed or wounded more than 800 civilians in Afghanistan during the first half of 2020, according to a UN report released in July.
The violence comes as Taliban and Afghan government negotiators are meeting in Doha, where they are trying to find a way to end 19 years of war.
Despite calls for a ceasefire, the Taliban have refused to halt their violence, seeing it as key to leverage at the negotiating table.
The blast came as the head of the Afghan peace process, Abdullah Abdullah, kicked off the second day of a three-day visit to neighbouring Pakistan.
Speaking at an event in Islamabad, he proclaimed that the "ice has been broken" at peace talks, which started September 12.
Afghanistan has long accused Islamabad of providing vital support and safe havens to the Taliban.
Islamabad denies it supports the Taliban, but its influence with the militants is seen as pivotal to paving the way for any potential deal.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-30--Pompeo due in Asia for talks on China, N.Korea

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , wearing a protective face mask on a visit to Greece , will head to Asia for talks focused on China and North Korea US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head next week to Japan , South Korea and Mongolia , the State Department said Tuesday , on a trip expected to focus heavily on China and North Korea .
Pompeo 's trip to Tokyo will be the first by a top US official since Yoshihide Suga took office on September 16 , succeeding veteran prime minister Shinzo Abe , a close ally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tokyo , Pompeo will hold a four-way meeting with his counterparts from Australia , India and Japan -- the `` Quad '' formation , heavily promoted by Abe , that has been widely seen as a bid by the region 's major democracies to step up cooperation in the face of China .
Pompeo is a vociferous critic of China on issues from security to human rights to the Covid-19 pandemic , which President Donald Trump 's administration has sought to blame squarely on Beijing ahead of the November 3 elections .
Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations to shun China , including its technology .
His trip to South Korea comes as hopes subside for a breakthrough with North Korea , earlier a top priority by Trump as he sought foreign policy wins before elections .
Trump has met three times with the authoritarian state 's leader Kim Jong Un , and Pompeo recently said that talks were continuing behind the scenes with North Korea , although he admitted that the administration would have liked to achieve more progress .
Pompeo , the former head of the CIA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea in hopes of sealing a breakthrough .
But he has not been to the region since June 2019 , when he joined Trump at a Group of 20 summit in Japan and a stop in South Korea that included an impromptu meeting with Kim in the Demilitarized Zone .
Pompeo on October 7 will be the first US secretary of state since 2016 to visit Mongolia , which has sought close relations with the United States amid its delicate position sandwiched between China and Russia .
Pompeo has been traveling frequently in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
He will head to Asia shortly after wrapping up a trip to Greece , Italy and Croatia .

Washington (AFP) –
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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head next week to Japan, South Korea and Mongolia, the State Department said Tuesday, on a trip expected to focus heavily on China and North Korea.
Pompeo's trip to Tokyo will be the first by a top US official since Yoshihide Suga took office on September 16, succeeding veteran prime minister Shinzo Abe, a close ally of Washington.
On October 6 in Tokyo, Pompeo will hold a four-way meeting with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan -- the "Quad" formation, heavily promoted by Abe, that has been widely seen as a bid by the region's major democracies to step up cooperation in the face of China.
Pompeo is a vociferous critic of China on issues from security to human rights to the Covid-19 pandemic, which President Donald Trump's administration has sought to blame squarely on Beijing ahead of the November 3 elections.
Pompeo has led an international campaign for other nations to shun China, including its technology.
His trip to South Korea comes as hopes subside for a breakthrough with North Korea, earlier a top priority by Trump as he sought foreign policy wins before elections.
Trump has met three times with the authoritarian state's leader Kim Jong Un, and Pompeo recently said that talks were continuing behind the scenes with North Korea, although he admitted that the administration would have liked to achieve more progress.
Pompeo, the former head of the CIA, traveled four times in 2018 to North Korea in hopes of sealing a breakthrough.
But he has not been to the region since June 2019, when he joined Trump at a Group of 20 summit in Japan and a stop in South Korea that included an impromptu meeting with Kim in the Demilitarized Zone.
Pompeo on October 7 will be the first US secretary of state since 2016 to visit Mongolia, which has sought close relations with the United States amid its delicate position sandwiched between China and Russia.
Pompeo has been traveling frequently in recent weeks after a slowdown due to the coronavirus. He will head to Asia shortly after wrapping up a trip to Greece, Italy and Croatia.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-30--Amazon unveils payment by hand-waving

Amazon unveils payment by hand-waving

This undated handout photo courtesy of Amazon shows a person waving their hand above the new Amazon palm recognition payment system called `` Amazon One '' to be used in the company 's retail locations Amazon on Tuesday unveiled a new biometric payment system using palm recognition , to be made available to rival retailers and also promoted as a replacement for badge entry at stadiums or workplaces .
The system called Amazon One was touted as `` a fast , convenient , contactless way for people to use their palm to make everyday activities like paying at a store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a location like a stadium , or badging into work more effortless . ''
The US technology giant said it would be installing the system at its Amazon Go retail locations , starting with two stores in its hometown of Seattle , Washington .
Amazon vice president Dilip Kumar said the system was developed as `` a quick , reliable , and secure way for people to identify themselves or authorize a transaction while moving seamlessly through their day . ''
Amazon One uses each individual 's `` unique palm signature , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as fingerprint , iris or facial recognition .
`` No two palms are alike , so we analyze all these aspects with our vision technology and select the most distinct identifiers on your palm to create your palm signature , '' Kumar said in a blog post .
In Amazon Go stores , the palm-waving system will be added to the store 's entry gate as an option for shoppers .
`` In most retail environments , Amazon One could become an alternate payment or loyalty card option with a device at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sale system , '' Kumar added .
The company said it was `` in active discussions with several potential customers , '' which could include other retailers , but offered no details .
The announcement comes amid rapid growth in the use of biometric payments ranging from fingerprint verification on smartphones to more sophisticated systems using facial recognition .
China 's Alipay -- the financial arm of ecommerce giant Alibaba -- has been using a `` Smile-to-Pay '' system , with a machine roughly the size of an iPad , for retailers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns about how biometric data will be safeguarded and protected from hackers .
Amazon said the biometric data would be `` protected by multiple security controls and palm images are never stored on the Amazon One device '' but send to a `` highly secure area we custom-built in the cloud . ''
Doug Stephens of the consulting firm Retail Prophet , said Amazon would need to protect the data to gain user trust in the system to make it mainstream .
`` Biometrics as a form of ID/payment etc .
has always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter .
`` The question is , will Amazon mainstream our comfort with them or violate our trust ? ''

Washington (AFP) –
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Amazon on Tuesday unveiled a new biometric payment system using palm recognition, to be made available to rival retailers and also promoted as a replacement for badge entry at stadiums or workplaces.
The system called Amazon One was touted as "a fast, convenient, contactless way for people to use their palm to make everyday activities like paying at a store, presenting a loyalty card, entering a location like a stadium, or badging into work more effortless."
The US technology giant said it would be installing the system at its Amazon Go retail locations, starting with two stores in its hometown of Seattle, Washington.
Amazon vice president Dilip Kumar said the system was developed as "a quick, reliable, and secure way for people to identify themselves or authorize a transaction while moving seamlessly through their day."
Amazon One uses each individual's "unique palm signature," an alternative to other biometric identifiers such as fingerprint, iris or facial recognition.
"No two palms are alike, so we analyze all these aspects with our vision technology and select the most distinct identifiers on your palm to create your palm signature," Kumar said in a blog post.
In Amazon Go stores, the palm-waving system will be added to the store's entry gate as an option for shoppers.
"In most retail environments, Amazon One could become an alternate payment or loyalty card option with a device at the checkout counter next to a traditional point of sale system," Kumar added.
The company said it was "in active discussions with several potential customers," which could include other retailers, but offered no details.
- Biometric blues -
The announcement comes amid rapid growth in the use of biometric payments ranging from fingerprint verification on smartphones to more sophisticated systems using facial recognition.
China's Alipay -- the financial arm of ecommerce giant Alibaba -- has been using a "Smile-to-Pay" system, with a machine roughly the size of an iPad, for retailers.
The shift has also raised privacy concerns about how biometric data will be safeguarded and protected from hackers.
Amazon said the biometric data would be "protected by multiple security controls and palm images are never stored on the Amazon One device" but send to a "highly secure area we custom-built in the cloud."
Doug Stephens of the consulting firm Retail Prophet, said Amazon would need to protect the data to gain user trust in the system to make it mainstream.
"Biometrics as a form of ID/payment etc. has always made ultimate sense," Stephens said on Twitter. "The question is, will Amazon mainstream our comfort with them or violate our trust?"
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-30--Messi says he wants to 'put an end' to Barcelona feuding

Stop arguing : Lionel Messi said he wants everyone at Barcelona to pull together Lionel Messi called for `` an end '' to arguments at Barcelona as he urged unity at the club he tried to leave before the season .
The Barcelona captain spoke to Barcelona newspaper Sport in an interview published online late on Tuesday .
`` After so many disagreements , I would like to put an end to it , '' said Messi .
`` We must unite all Barcelona 's people and assume that the best is yet to come . ''
Messi referred to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him from the final year of his contract after the disastrous end to last season left the club without a trophy .
`` I take responsibility for my mistakes , that , if they existed , were only to make a better and stronger FC Barcelona , '' said the Argentine .
`` I wanted to send a message to all the club members and to all the fans .
If any of them is bothered for a second by something I said or did , they should never doubt that I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the club . ''
`` Adding passion and desire will be the only way to achieve our objectives , always united and pulling in the same direction , '' said Messi , who last Friday criticised the way Barcelona had let Luis Suarez go saying `` the truth is nothing surprises me anymore . ''

Barcelona (AFP) –
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Lionel Messi called for "an end" to arguments at Barcelona as he urged unity at the club he tried to leave before the season.
The Barcelona captain spoke to Barcelona newspaper Sport in an interview published online late on Tuesday.
"After so many disagreements, I would like to put an end to it," said Messi.
"We must unite all Barcelona's people and assume that the best is yet to come."
Messi referred to his attempt to force Barcelona to release him from the final year of his contract after the disastrous end to last season left the club without a trophy.
"I take responsibility for my mistakes, that, if they existed, were only to make a better and stronger FC Barcelona," said the Argentine.
"I wanted to send a message to all the club members and to all the fans. If any of them is bothered for a second by something I said or did, they should never doubt that I am always thinking about what is best for the club."
"Adding passion and desire will be the only way to achieve our objectives, always united and pulling in the same direction," said Messi, who last Friday criticised the way Barcelona had let Luis Suarez go saying "the truth is nothing surprises me anymore."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-30--Care home workers suffer Covid trauma, anxiety: study

As Covid-19 began its spread throughout Europe , northern regions of Italy -- home to a high proportion of elderly people -- were at the frontline Nearly half of care home workers in northern Italy may be suffering from post-traumatic stress or anxiety following the first wave of the pandemic , new research showed Wednesday .
As Covid-19 began its spread throughout Europe , northern regions of Italy -- home to a high proportion of elderly people -- were at the frontline as intensive care units were inundated with patients .
While much attention was focused on the physical health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less study has been given over to the mental well-being of the nurses , cleaners and caterers at care homes .
Researchers in Italy and Britain conducted an anonymous survey of more than 1,000 care home workers to check their levels of stress and anxiety after months of caring for sick residents .
They found that 43 percent of respondents passed the symptom threshold for anxiety and PTSD .
`` Due to the severity of the situation , we were expecting a reasonably high prevalence , but not as high as we found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Trento 's Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science , told AFP .
Authors of the research , published in the journal Royal Society Open Science , said care home workers had faced exceptionally testing conditions during the first wave .
Unlike emergency health staff , care home workers often form tight bonds with residents , making it all the more emotionally taxing when one gets ill or dies .
In addition , they had to manage communication with families who were unable to see their loved ones because of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective equipment and materiel for hygiene and safety protocols .
Rusconi said the research showed how governments and society at large often overlook care home workers , especially in times of crisis .
She said that care work required skill and dedication , yet often went underappreciated .
`` They deal with a part of society that we do n't want to think too much about , perhaps from a sense of guilt , '' Rusconi said .
Noting that `` many ( not all ) care home staff in Italy come from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although they may have resided in Italy for a long period and have citizenship , they originally came to take on a job that is , perhaps , considered undesirable and is certainly less esteemed compared to that of hospital doctors and nurses . ''
As Europe braces for a resurgence of cases , the authors called for an `` urgent in-depth assessment of the psychological status '' of all care home workers .

Paris (AFP) –
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Nearly half of care home workers in northern Italy may be suffering from post-traumatic stress or anxiety following the first wave of the pandemic, new research showed Wednesday.
As Covid-19 began its spread throughout Europe, northern regions of Italy -- home to a high proportion of elderly people -- were at the frontline as intensive care units were inundated with patients.
While much attention was focused on the physical health of first responders and doctors, far less study has been given over to the mental well-being of the nurses, cleaners and caterers at care homes.
Researchers in Italy and Britain conducted an anonymous survey of more than 1,000 care home workers to check their levels of stress and anxiety after months of caring for sick residents.
They found that 43 percent of respondents passed the symptom threshold for anxiety and PTSD.
"Due to the severity of the situation, we were expecting a reasonably high prevalence, but not as high as we found," Elena Rusconi, from the University of Trento's Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, told AFP.
- Overlooked -
Authors of the research, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, said care home workers had faced exceptionally testing conditions during the first wave.
Unlike emergency health staff, care home workers often form tight bonds with residents, making it all the more emotionally taxing when one gets ill or dies.
In addition, they had to manage communication with families who were unable to see their loved ones because of the virus.
The workers frequently lacked sufficient personal protective equipment and materiel for hygiene and safety protocols.
Rusconi said the research showed how governments and society at large often overlook care home workers, especially in times of crisis.
She said that care work required skill and dedication, yet often went underappreciated.
"They deal with a part of society that we don't want to think too much about, perhaps from a sense of guilt," Rusconi said.
Noting that "many (not all) care home staff in Italy come from abroad," she added: "Although they may have resided in Italy for a long period and have citizenship, they originally came to take on a job that is, perhaps, considered undesirable and is certainly less esteemed compared to that of hospital doctors and nurses."
As Europe braces for a resurgence of cases, the authors called for an "urgent in-depth assessment of the psychological status" of all care home workers.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--Mexico shuts jail made infamous by El Chapo's escape

Mexico says it is closing the Puente Grande maximum security prison where notorious drug lord Joaquin `` El Chapo '' Guzman made his first escape in a laundry cart .
An armored vehicle escorted by a military convoy began transferring prisoners from the jail in the western state of Jalisco to a nearby air base on Tuesday .
The inmates then boarded a Hercules plane that was expected to fly them to other prisons around the country .
The government said Monday that the closure of the jail , which was inaugurated 27 years ago , was aimed at `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guzman 's jail break in 2001 with the help of bribed accomplices was part of a series of dramatic arrests and escapes by the head of the powerful Sinaloa drugs cartel .
He was captured for the first time in 1993 in neighboring Guatemala and spent eight years in Puente Grande until he fled .
He was a fugitive for 13 years but was arrested again in 2014 and transferred to the high-security Altiplano prison in central Mexico .
Seventeen months later , the drug kingpin escaped again through a hole under his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motorcycle mounted on rails along a tunnel dug out by his henchmen .
Guzman was captured for a third time in 2016 and extradited to the United States , where he is serving a life sentence .

El Salto (Mexico) (AFP) –
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Mexico says it is closing the Puente Grande maximum security prison where notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman made his first escape in a laundry cart.
An armored vehicle escorted by a military convoy began transferring prisoners from the jail in the western state of Jalisco to a nearby air base on Tuesday.
The inmates then boarded a Hercules plane that was expected to fly them to other prisons around the country.
The government said Monday that the closure of the jail, which was inaugurated 27 years ago, was aimed at "modernizing" the Mexican penal system.
Guzman's jail break in 2001 with the help of bribed accomplices was part of a series of dramatic arrests and escapes by the head of the powerful Sinaloa drugs cartel.
He was captured for the first time in 1993 in neighboring Guatemala and spent eight years in Puente Grande until he fled.
He was a fugitive for 13 years but was arrested again in 2014 and transferred to the high-security Altiplano prison in central Mexico.
Seventeen months later, the drug kingpin escaped again through a hole under his cell's shower, riding a modified motorcycle mounted on rails along a tunnel dug out by his henchmen.
Guzman was captured for a third time in 2016 and extradited to the United States, where he is serving a life sentence.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--Regeneron says early trials promising for Covid-19 treatment

A 3D print of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , in front of a 3D print of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle The US biotech firm Regeneron said Tuesday its antibody cocktail against the coronavirus reduced viral load and recovery time in non-hospitalized Covid-19 patients during an early-stage clinical trial .
`` We are highly encouraged by the robust and consistent nature of these initial data , '' said George Yancopoulos , the company 's president and chief scientific officer .
`` We have begun discussing our findings with regulatory authorities while continuing our ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results related to the first 275 patients recruited into Regeneron 's Phase 1 trial .
The patients were randomized to receive either a low-dose , high-dose or placebo of the drug , and they were also classed by whether their bodies had mounted their own antibody response or not .
The greatest treatment benefit was seen in patients who had not mounted their own effective immune response , which suggested the drug , called REGN-COV2 , could act as a substitute in the absence of naturally occurring antibodies , according to Yancopoulos .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the next stages of the outpatient trial .
It is also concurrently running late-stage trials for hospitalized Covid-19 patients and for the drug 's potential use as a prophylaxis .
Antibodies are infection-fighting proteins made by the immune system that can bind to particular structures on the surfaces of pathogens and prevent them from invading cells .
Vaccines work by teaching the body to make its own antibodies , while scientists are also testing ready-made antibodies from the blood of recovered patients , called convalescent plasma .
But it is not possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Researchers can also comb through the antibodies produced by recovered patients and select the most effective out of thousands , and then manufacture it at scale .
Regeneron uses a multi-antibody strategy to decrease the chances that the virus will mutate in order to evade the blocking action of a single antibody , an approach the company detailed in a recent study in Science .
Last year , a triple-antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron was shown to be effective against the Ebola virus .
Also on Tuesday , the biotech firm Moderna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine -- reported results from the Phase 1 portion of its clinical trial that showed its drug was safe and generated a strong immune response among a group of 40 older adults .
Moderna 's Phase 3 trial , the final phase before possible approval , is also underway and could report interim results by the end of the year .

Washington (AFP) –
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The US biotech firm Regeneron said Tuesday its antibody cocktail against the coronavirus reduced viral load and recovery time in non-hospitalized Covid-19 patients during an early-stage clinical trial.
"We are highly encouraged by the robust and consistent nature of these initial data," said George Yancopoulos, the company's president and chief scientific officer.
"We have begun discussing our findings with regulatory authorities while continuing our ongoing trial," he added.
The results related to the first 275 patients recruited into Regeneron's Phase 1 trial. The patients were randomized to receive either a low-dose, high-dose or placebo of the drug, and they were also classed by whether their bodies had mounted their own antibody response or not.
The greatest treatment benefit was seen in patients who had not mounted their own effective immune response, which suggested the drug, called REGN-COV2, could act as a substitute in the absence of naturally occurring antibodies, according to Yancopoulos.
Regeneron said it would recruit 1,300 patients for the next stages of the outpatient trial. It is also concurrently running late-stage trials for hospitalized Covid-19 patients and for the drug's potential use as a prophylaxis.
Antibodies are infection-fighting proteins made by the immune system that can bind to particular structures on the surfaces of pathogens and prevent them from invading cells.
Vaccines work by teaching the body to make its own antibodies, while scientists are also testing ready-made antibodies from the blood of recovered patients, called convalescent plasma.
But it is not possible to make convalescent plasma a mass treatment.
Researchers can also comb through the antibodies produced by recovered patients and select the most effective out of thousands, and then manufacture it at scale.
Regeneron uses a multi-antibody strategy to decrease the chances that the virus will mutate in order to evade the blocking action of a single antibody, an approach the company detailed in a recent study in Science.
Last year, a triple-antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron was shown to be effective against the Ebola virus.
Also on Tuesday, the biotech firm Moderna -- one of the frontrunners in the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine -- reported results from the Phase 1 portion of its clinical trial that showed its drug was safe and generated a strong immune response among a group of 40 older adults.
Moderna's Phase 3 trial, the final phase before possible approval, is also underway and could report interim results by the end of the year.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--LeBron says 'bubble' season the toughest challenge of career

LeBron James says leading the Los Angeles Lakers into the NBA Finals after nearly three months inside the league 's `` bubble '' in Orlando ranks as the biggest challenge of his career .
The 35-year-old superstar is readying for a 10th NBA Finals appearance on Wednesday when the Lakers face the Miami Heat in the championship round of an unprecedented season that began 11 months ago .
The coronavirus pandemic forced the NBA to shut down in mid-March , and anger over racism and police brutality almost prompted James and the Lakers to abandon the season in August .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fourth championship ring with a third different team after previous victories with Miami and Cleveland , said Tuesday that this year 's disjointed season ranked as the toughest of the lot .
`` It 's probably been the most challenging thing I 've ever done as far as a professional , as far as committing to something and actually making it through , '' James told reporters .
`` But I knew when I was coming what we were coming here for .
I would be lying if I sat up here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the toll that it would take on your mind and your body and everything else , because it 's been extremely tough .
`` But I 'm here for one reason and one reason only , and that 's to compete for a championship .
That was my mindset once I entered the bubble , once I entered the quarantine process the first two days .
The main thing was for us to finish the season and compete for a championship . ''
James who in July jokingly compared entering the bubble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he had lost track of time in Florida .
`` I do n't even know how many days it is .
However many days it is , it feels like five years , '' he said .
`` So it really does n't matter .
I 've been as locked in as I 've ever been in my career . ''
James said until the Lakers departed Los Angeles for Orlando in July , he had n't even been certain that the season would be completed .
`` I did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we actually got on the plane in LA to fly here to Orlando , '' he said .
`` Until we landed here , actually got off the plane , got on the bus and pulled up here to the hotel , that 's when it became a reality to me .
This year 's finals pits James against his old team and former coach Erik Spoelstra .
James won back-to-back titles with Miami in 2012 and 2013 , but departed the franchise in 2014 to return to Cleveland .
James , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tense relationship with Spoelstra during his time with the franchise , said winning against Miami would carry no added satisfaction .
`` Absolutely not , '' James said .
`` It 's no extra meaning to winning a championship , no matter who you 're playing against .
It 's already hard enough to even reach the Finals , to be in this position .
`` If you 're able to become victorious out of the Finals , it does n't matter who it 's against .
I 'm just happy that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only myself but represent our fans , our fan base , our organization , my teammates , our coaching staff , our training staff and so many others that represent this organization to the utmost respect . ''

Orlando (AFP) –
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LeBron James says leading the Los Angeles Lakers into the NBA Finals after nearly three months inside the league's "bubble" in Orlando ranks as the biggest challenge of his career.
The 35-year-old superstar is readying for a 10th NBA Finals appearance on Wednesday when the Lakers face the Miami Heat in the championship round of an unprecedented season that began 11 months ago.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the NBA to shut down in mid-March, and anger over racism and police brutality almost prompted James and the Lakers to abandon the season in August.
James, who is hoping to win a fourth championship ring with a third different team after previous victories with Miami and Cleveland, said Tuesday that this year's disjointed season ranked as the toughest of the lot.
"It's probably been the most challenging thing I've ever done as far as a professional, as far as committing to something and actually making it through," James told reporters.
"But I knew when I was coming what we were coming here for. I would be lying if I sat up here and knew that everything inside the bubble, the toll that it would take on your mind and your body and everything else, because it's been extremely tough.
"But I'm here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to compete for a championship. That was my mindset once I entered the bubble, once I entered the quarantine process the first two days. The main thing was for us to finish the season and compete for a championship."
James who in July jokingly compared entering the bubble in Orlando to starting a prison sentence, said he had lost track of time in Florida.
- 'Feels like five years' -
"I don't even know how many days it is. However many days it is, it feels like five years," he said. "So it really doesn't matter. I've been as locked in as I've ever been in my career."
James said until the Lakers departed Los Angeles for Orlando in July, he hadn't even been certain that the season would be completed.
"I didn't know that this was a possibility until we actually got on the plane in LA to fly here to Orlando," he said.
"Until we landed here, actually got off the plane, got on the bus and pulled up here to the hotel, that's when it became a reality to me.
This year's finals pits James against his old team and former coach Erik Spoelstra. James won back-to-back titles with Miami in 2012 and 2013, but departed the franchise in 2014 to return to Cleveland.
James, who is reputed to have had a sometimes tense relationship with Spoelstra during his time with the franchise, said winning against Miami would carry no added satisfaction.
"Absolutely not," James said. "It's no extra meaning to winning a championship, no matter who you're playing against. It's already hard enough to even reach the Finals, to be in this position.
"If you're able to become victorious out of the Finals, it doesn't matter who it's against. I'm just happy that I'm here with the opportunity to represent not only myself but represent our fans, our fan base, our organization, my teammates, our coaching staff, our training staff and so many others that represent this organization to the utmost respect."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--US women drank more during pandemic: study

The data firm Nielsen had previously reported a 21 percent increase in off-premise alcohol dollar sales in the week ending June 13 2020 compared to the year before , but it was n't clear how much more people were actually drinking Alcohol consumption among women in the United States rose during the Covid-19 pandemic , according to a new study published Tuesday .
Researchers found that women drank about 5.4 days per month compared to their 2019 average of 4.6 days What 's more , women drank heavily on average 0.6 days a month during the pandemic compared to 0.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JAMA Network Open .
Heavy drinking was defined as five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women within a couple of hours .
The authors used survey data from April-June of 2019 to establish a baseline and compared those responses to May-June 2020 , when bars and restaurants were again open in many parts of the US after virus-related shutdowns .
The data firm Nielsen had previously reported a 21 percent increase in off-premise alcohol sales in the week ending June 13 , 2020 compared to the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much more people were actually drinking .
This gap has now been partly filled by the new study , which compared the responses of the same 1,500 people in the two waves .
The results also suggested that men drank more frequently , but the data was inconclusive .
What was more certain was men continued to be the biggest drinkers , with around 23 drinks per month compared to 15 for women .
The authors cautioned that a limitation of their study was it was based on self-reporting , which could @ @ @ @

Washington (AFP) –
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Alcohol consumption among women in the United States rose during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new study published Tuesday.
Researchers found that women drank about 5.4 days per month compared to their 2019 average of 4.6 days
What's more, women drank heavily on average 0.6 days a month during the pandemic compared to 0.4 before, according to the study in JAMA Network Open.
Heavy drinking was defined as five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women within a couple of hours.
The authors used survey data from April-June of 2019 to establish a baseline and compared those responses to May-June 2020, when bars and restaurants were again open in many parts of the US after virus-related shutdowns.
The data firm Nielsen had previously reported a 21 percent increase in off-premise alcohol sales in the week ending June 13, 2020 compared to the year before, but it wasn't clear how much more people were actually drinking.
This gap has now been partly filled by the new study, which compared the responses of the same 1,500 people in the two waves.
The results also suggested that men drank more frequently, but the data was inconclusive.
What was more certain was men continued to be the biggest drinkers, with around 23 drinks per month compared to 15 for women.
The authors cautioned that a limitation of their study was it was based on self-reporting, which could have distorted the results
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--Paris knife attacker charged with 'attempted terrorist killings': prosecutor

A man who wounded two people in a meat cleaver attack in Paris last week has been charged with `` attempted murder with relation to a terrorist enterprise , '' French anti-terrorist prosecutors told AFP on Tuesday .
A judge also placed the man -- who has identified himself as 25-year-old Pakistani-born Zaheer Hassan Mehmood -- under judicial investigation for criminal association with terrorists , the prosecuting authority PNAT said , adding that a request had been made for him to be remanded in custody .
Earlier , the suspect admitted he lied to police when he said he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minor , the lead prosecutor in the case said .
The assailant in what the French government has called an act of `` Islamist terrorism '' had identified himself as Hassan A. , an 18-year-old born in the Pakistani town of Mandi Bahauddin .
He entered France in 2018 under the false identity that gave him access to social security aid for minors , national anti-terror prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard told a news conference .
After the attack last Friday , investigators became suspicious about his claims when they found a photo of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to suggest he was actually called Zaheer Hassan Mehmood , aged 25 .
`` He eventually admitted that this was his true identity and that he was 25 years old , '' Ricard said .
It was under that identity that he appeared in a video filmed before the attack , in which he said he was avenging the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed by the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo .
The magazine was the scene of a massacre by Islamist gunmen in January 2015 , and the trial of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently under way in Paris .
The attacker seriously wounded two employees of a TV production agency whose offices are on the same block that used to house Charlie Hebdo .
They are now in stable condition , officials said .
He told investigators he thought he was targeting employees of Charlie Hebdo , but did not realise they had since moved to a new location that is kept secret because of security risks .
Ricard said the attacker had never attracted the attention of any government intelligence agency before Friday 's assault @

Paris (AFP) –
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A man who wounded two people in a meat cleaver attack in Paris last week has been charged with "attempted murder with relation to a terrorist enterprise," French anti-terrorist prosecutors told AFP on Tuesday.
A judge also placed the man -- who has identified himself as 25-year-old Pakistani-born Zaheer Hassan Mehmood -- under judicial investigation for criminal association with terrorists, the prosecuting authority PNAT said, adding that a request had been made for him to be remanded in custody.
Earlier, the suspect admitted he lied to police when he said he was 18 and had entered the country as a minor, the lead prosecutor in the case said.
The assailant in what the French government has called an act of "Islamist terrorism" had identified himself as Hassan A., an 18-year-old born in the Pakistani town of Mandi Bahauddin.
He entered France in 2018 under the false identity that gave him access to social security aid for minors, national anti-terror prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard told a news conference.
After the attack last Friday, investigators became suspicious about his claims when they found a photo of an identity document on his phone that appeared to suggest he was actually called Zaheer Hassan Mehmood, aged 25.
"He eventually admitted that this was his true identity and that he was 25 years old," Ricard said.
It was under that identity that he appeared in a video filmed before the attack, in which he said he was avenging the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed by the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
The magazine was the scene of a massacre by Islamist gunmen in January 2015, and the trial of 14 alleged accomplices in that attack is currently under way in Paris.
The attacker seriously wounded two employees of a TV production agency whose offices are on the same block that used to house Charlie Hebdo. They are now in stable condition, officials said.
He told investigators he thought he was targeting employees of Charlie Hebdo, but did not realise they had since moved to a new location that is kept secret because of security risks.
Ricard said the attacker had never attracted the attention of any government intelligence agency before Friday's assault.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--TikTok launches US election guide to battle misinformation

TikTok has launched an in-app guide to the US election that provides links to voter registration pages and access to election information from sources such as the National Association of Secretaries of State and BallotReady TikTok on Tuesday launched a US election guide as part of an effort to battle misinformation on the wildly popular video-sharing app that the White House has targeted for a ban .
Facebook , Twitter , YouTube and other internet platforms have all ramped up efforts to provide users reliable news and avoid being used to mislead voters during a contentious US election .
TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registration pages and access to election information from sources such as the National Association of Secretaries of State and BallotReady , according to head of US public policy Michael Beckerman .
`` Our goal is to keep TikTok a place where authentic content can thrive , and our elections guide reflects our ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of our platform and the US elections , '' Beckerman said in a blog post .
The guide can be accessed from a Discover page in the TikTok app and will appear on election-related search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also be linked at the bottom of videos related to the election or on verified political accounts , he said .
`` On TikTok we 're seeing how people , especially younger voters , are passionate about important issues and are ready to make their voices heard , '' BallotReady chief executive Alex Niemczewski said in the release .
`` Younger voters often do not realize everything that will appear on their ballot , and we believe that TikTok can help them vote their entire ballot . ''
MediaWise at the Poynter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on TikTok aimed at teaching first-time voters how to spot bogus information online , according to program manager Katy Byron .
`` We are excited to partner with TikTok to help teach their community how to sort fact from fiction online , '' Byron said .
The election guide makes its debut as TikTok battles to stop a ban ordered by US President Donald Trump .
The company has challenged the ban in court as being capricious and politically motivated .
A US judge who stopped a ban on TikTok downloads from kicking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overstepped the law with the attempted move .
District Judge Carl Nichols issued a temporary injunction at the request of TikTok , which the White House has called a national security threat stemming from its Chinese parent firm 's links to the Beijing government .
The government order sought to ban new downloads of the app from midnight on Sunday .
A second phase of the ban aimed at stopping TikTok operations in the US is set to take effect on November 12 .
Government lawyers have argued the president has a right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the ban was needed because of TikTok 's links to the Chinese government through its parent firm ByteDance .

San Francisco (AFP) –
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TikTok on Tuesday launched a US election guide as part of an effort to battle misinformation on the wildly popular video-sharing app that the White House has targeted for a ban.
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other internet platforms have all ramped up efforts to provide users reliable news and avoid being used to mislead voters during a contentious US election.
TikTok's in-app guide provides links to voter registration pages and access to election information from sources such as the National Association of Secretaries of State and BallotReady, according to head of US public policy Michael Beckerman.
"Our goal is to keep TikTok a place where authentic content can thrive, and our elections guide reflects our ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of our platform and the US elections," Beckerman said in a blog post.
The guide can be accessed from a Discover page in the TikTok app and will appear on election-related search results, according to Beckerman.
It will also be linked at the bottom of videos related to the election or on verified political accounts, he said.
"On TikTok we're seeing how people, especially younger voters, are passionate about important issues and are ready to make their voices heard," BallotReady chief executive Alex Niemczewski said in the release.
"Younger voters often do not realize everything that will appear on their ballot, and we believe that TikTok can help them vote their entire ballot."
- Voting information -
MediaWise at the Poynter Institute will post a series of videos on TikTok aimed at teaching first-time voters how to spot bogus information online, according to program manager Katy Byron.
"We are excited to partner with TikTok to help teach their community how to sort fact from fiction online," Byron said.
The election guide makes its debut as TikTok battles to stop a ban ordered by US President Donald Trump. The company has challenged the ban in court as being capricious and politically motivated.
A US judge who stopped a ban on TikTok downloads from kicking in on Monday said that Trump likely overstepped the law with the attempted move.
District Judge Carl Nichols issued a temporary injunction at the request of TikTok, which the White House has called a national security threat stemming from its Chinese parent firm's links to the Beijing government.
The government order sought to ban new downloads of the app from midnight on Sunday. A second phase of the ban aimed at stopping TikTok operations in the US is set to take effect on November 12.
Government lawyers have argued the president has a right to take national security actions, and said the ban was needed because of TikTok's links to the Chinese government through its parent firm ByteDance.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--300 million delta dwellers vulnerable to cyclones, flooding

Partially submerged village in the mangrove-covered delta region the Sunderbans , some 100 km south of Kolkata , in May 2009 after a cyclone tore into the northern coast of the Bay of Bengal More than 300 million people in low-lying river deltas , mostly in poorer nations , are exposed to flooding from tropical storms made more deadly and destructive by global warming , researchers said Tuesday .
One in ten live on floodplains hit by once-a-century cyclones that can generate 350-kilometre ( 200-mile ) per hour winds and up to a metre ( 40 inches ) of rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communications .
Warmer oceans and more moisture in the atmosphere mean these powerful storms may become more frequent , including in regions rarely touched by their terrible power in the past .
Densely populated deltas where rivers meet the sea are especially vulnerable to flooding caused by such warm-weather monsters , which crisscross the world 's major oceans in summer and fall .
As the reality of climate change sinks in , policymakers must figure out not only how to slow rising temperatures but also prepare for inevitable climate impacts already in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population of the world 's cyclone-exposed river deltas was not precisely known , making it difficult to plan ahead .
`` The big question we are trying to answer is how may people live on river deltas and what is their vulnerability to coast flooding , '' lead author Douglas Edmonds , a geomorphologist at Indiana University , told AFP .
To find out , Edmonds and colleagues combed through 2017 data for 2174 deltas across the globe .
They calculated that 339 million people lived within their boundaries , all but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least developed countries .
More than three-quarters reside in only 10 river basins , including the Ganges-Brahmaputra , with 105 million people , and the Nile delta with 45 million .
All but a few delta dwellers are potentially in the pathway of tropical storms , with exceptions such as Saint Petersburg , Russia , built at the mouth of the Neva River .
Deltas , the researchers discovered , occupy just over 0.5 percent of Earth 's land mass , but are home to nearly five percent of the planet 's human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn that most of the deltas with a large number of people living in the 100-year tropical cyclone floodplain are sediment-starved , '' Edmond said .
That , he added , is very bad news in the face of rising seas and ever bigger storm surges .
`` Delta landforms exist at the coastline because sentiment is deposited near shore , '' he explained .
`` When sea level rises , the delta can respond by either shrinking in size or by filling the space with sediment . ''
But much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land and built up natural defences against ocean tides and surges has been blocked by dams upstream in virtually all major river systems .
`` That means natural mitigation through sediment deposition is not possible , '' Edmond said , noting that the problem is often compounded by subsidence -- cities sinking under their own weight and due to depleted water tables .
A third of greater Jakarta , home to 30 million people , could be submerged by 2050 , according to experts .
The only option left in that case to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures , '' Edmond added .

Paris (AFP) –
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More than 300 million people in low-lying river deltas, mostly in poorer nations, are exposed to flooding from tropical storms made more deadly and destructive by global warming, researchers said Tuesday.
One in ten live on floodplains hit by once-a-century cyclones that can generate 350-kilometre (200-mile) per hour winds and up to a metre (40 inches) of rain per day, they reported in Nature Communications.
Warmer oceans and more moisture in the atmosphere mean these powerful storms may become more frequent, including in regions rarely touched by their terrible power in the past.
Densely populated deltas where rivers meet the sea are especially vulnerable to flooding caused by such warm-weather monsters, which crisscross the world's major oceans in summer and fall.
As the reality of climate change sinks in, policymakers must figure out not only how to slow rising temperatures but also prepare for inevitable climate impacts already in the pipeline.
But up to now, the population of the world's cyclone-exposed river deltas was not precisely known, making it difficult to plan ahead.
"The big question we are trying to answer is how may people live on river deltas and what is their vulnerability to coast flooding," lead author Douglas Edmonds, a geomorphologist at Indiana University, told AFP.
To find out, Edmonds and colleagues combed through 2017 data for 2174 deltas across the globe.
They calculated that 339 million people lived within their boundaries, all but 10 million of them in developing and least developed countries.
- Not enough sediment -
More than three-quarters reside in only 10 river basins, including the Ganges-Brahmaputra, with 105 million people, and the Nile delta with 45 million.
All but a few delta dwellers are potentially in the pathway of tropical storms, with exceptions such as Saint Petersburg, Russia, built at the mouth of the Neva River.
Deltas, the researchers discovered, occupy just over 0.5 percent of Earth's land mass, but are home to nearly five percent of the planet's human population.
"We were surprised to learn that most of the deltas with a large number of people living in the 100-year tropical cyclone floodplain are sediment-starved," Edmond said.
That, he added, is very bad news in the face of rising seas and ever bigger storm surges.
"Delta landforms exist at the coastline because sentiment is deposited near shore," he explained. "When sea level rises, the delta can respond by either shrinking in size or by filling the space with sediment."
But much of the silt and sediment that once enriched agricultural land and built up natural defences against ocean tides and surges has been blocked by dams upstream in virtually all major river systems.
"That means natural mitigation through sediment deposition is not possible," Edmond said, noting that the problem is often compounded by subsidence -- cities sinking under their own weight and due to depleted water tables.
A third of greater Jakarta, home to 30 million people, could be submerged by 2050, according to experts.
The only option left in that case to combat coastal flooding is "hard engineering measures," Edmond added.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--Tottenham make light of heavy schedule to beat Chelsea on penalties

Mason Mount missed the final spot-kick as Tottenham beat Chelsea 5-4 on penalties to progress to the quarter-finals of the League Cup after a 1-1 draw .
Timo Werner 's first goal for Chelsea put Frank Lampard 's men in command against a much-changed Tottenham team playing the second of four games in eight days .
But Erik Lamela deservedly levelled for Spurs seven minutes from time and new Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was unable to stop Eric Dier , Lamela , Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg , Lucas Moura and Harry Kane scoring from the spot .
Tammy Abraham , Cesar Azpilicueta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penalties as the first nine of the shootout were successful .
But Mount 's effort clipped the post to the delight of the watching Gareth Bale , who could be fit to feature in the last eight with the quarter-finals not till late December .
Mourinho claimed the fixture pile up gave him no choice but to prioritise Thursday 's Europa League tie against Maccabi Haifa given the financial incentive on offer for the club .
But despite making nine changes , he named a strong side , including captain Hugo Lloris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing Sergio Reguilon on his debut .
Chelsea also handed a debut to Mendy and the early signs from the Frenchman were encouraging that he can solve the Blues ' problem position .
Lampard made eight changes , but Werner was one of those retained from the 3-3 draw at West Brom on Saturday and he took the opportunity to get his first goal for the club after a big money move from RB Leipzig .
Reguilon was twice at fault in the build up as he gifted possession to Azpilicueta and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's cross , which allowed the Chelsea captain to pick out Werner at the edge of the box to arrow a shot into the bottom corner .
Tottenham responded well to going behind as only a last-ditch intervention from Kurt Zouma denied Gedson Fernandes an equaliser .
Lampard had won his previous three meetings against his former manager Mourinho and the tensions between the two flared during the first-half as they exchanged angry words on the touchline .
On the field , Spurs were the better side as Mendy made important saves from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mourinho showed his intent by introducing Harry Kane from the bench with 20 minutes to go .
Moments later the Portuguese was marching down the tunnel after Dier as the defender made a dash to the dressing room before quickly returning .
Chelsea did not make the most of a brief period with an extra man as Callum Hudson-Odoi fired over and Werner 's fierce effort was saved by Lloris .
And the visitors were punished seven minutes from time when Lamela slotted home at the far post from Reguilon 's cross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ultimately Spurs into the last eight .

London (AFP) –
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Mason Mount missed the final spot-kick as Tottenham beat Chelsea 5-4 on penalties to progress to the quarter-finals of the League Cup after a 1-1 draw.
Timo Werner's first goal for Chelsea put Frank Lampard's men in command against a much-changed Tottenham team playing the second of four games in eight days.
But Erik Lamela deservedly levelled for Spurs seven minutes from time and new Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was unable to stop Eric Dier, Lamela, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane scoring from the spot.
Tammy Abraham, Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Emerson also converted their penalties as the first nine of the shootout were successful.
But Mount's effort clipped the post to the delight of the watching Gareth Bale, who could be fit to feature in the last eight with the quarter-finals not till late December.
Mourinho claimed the fixture pile up gave him no choice but to prioritise Thursday's Europa League tie against Maccabi Haifa given the financial incentive on offer for the club.
But despite making nine changes, he named a strong side, including captain Hugo Lloris, club record signing Tanguy Ndombele and new signing Sergio Reguilon on his debut.
Chelsea also handed a debut to Mendy and the early signs from the Frenchman were encouraging that he can solve the Blues' problem position.
Lampard made eight changes, but Werner was one of those retained from the 3-3 draw at West Brom on Saturday and he took the opportunity to get his first goal for the club after a big money move from RB Leipzig.
Reguilon was twice at fault in the build up as he gifted possession to Azpilicueta and then dived in trying to block the Spaniard's cross, which allowed the Chelsea captain to pick out Werner at the edge of the box to arrow a shot into the bottom corner.
Tottenham responded well to going behind as only a last-ditch intervention from Kurt Zouma denied Gedson Fernandes an equaliser.
Lampard had won his previous three meetings against his former manager Mourinho and the tensions between the two flared during the first-half as they exchanged angry words on the touchline.
On the field, Spurs were the better side as Mendy made important saves from Lamela and Reguilon either side of half-time.
Mourinho showed his intent by introducing Harry Kane from the bench with 20 minutes to go.
Moments later the Portuguese was marching down the tunnel after Dier as the defender made a dash to the dressing room before quickly returning.
Chelsea did not make the most of a brief period with an extra man as Callum Hudson-Odoi fired over and Werner's fierce effort was saved by Lloris.
And the visitors were punished seven minutes from time when Lamela slotted home at the far post from Reguilon's cross to send the game to a shootout and ultimately Spurs into the last eight.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-09-29--'Snake' Djokovic dominates French Open leaving opponent ‘suffocated’

Serbia 's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Sweden 's Mikael Ymer , in Paris on September 29 , 2020 .
Novak Djokovic was likened to a snake devouring its prey Tuesday as his bid to become the first man in half a century to win all four Grand Slam titles twice got off to a straightforward start at Roland Garros while a 'double bounce ' row prompted calls for video replays to be introduced in tennis .
World number one Djokovic , returning to Grand Slam action for the first time since his US Open disqualification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ranked 80 , in straight sets 6-0 , 6-2 , 6-3 .
It was his 32nd win in 33 matches in 2020 and kept him on course for a second French Open title following his 2016 triumph , and 18th career major .
`` It 's always a pleasure to return to Paris on Philippe Chatrier , this important court .
The atmosphere is a little different this year with few fans but I remain motivated to win the title , '' said Djokovic , only one of two men to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in Paris .
The 33-year-old top seed is in the second round for a record-equalling 16th time , matching Guillermo Vilas and Nadal .
Djokovic , who suffered no immediate hangover from his US Open controversy by quickly wrapping up a record 36th Masters title in Rome on the eve of Roland Garros , next faces Lithuania 's Ricardas Berankis .
Ymer , making just his fourth main draw appearance at a major , graphically summed up the challenge of facing Djokovic .
`` It felt like when a snake kills its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I had chances to rally but then I got suffocated . ''
Russia 's Andrey Rublev , the 13th seed who won the Hamburg title just two days ago , staged a remarkable recovery from two sets and 3-5 down in the third to beat Sam Querrey of the United States 6-7 ( 5/7 ) , 6-7 ( 4/7 ) , 7-5 , 6-4 , 6-3 .
`` My attitude today was really horrible and it needs to change , '' said Rublev , who had lost both his previous matches in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the runner-up in Hamburg , also needed five sets to make the second round , beating Spain 's Jaume Munar 4-6 , 2-6 , 6-1 , 6-4 , 6-4 on the back of 54 winners .
`` I never had a match like this before , '' said Tsitsipas after coming back from two sets down for the first time in his career .
Kristina Mladenovic called for a football-style VAR system to be introduced in tennis after her opponent profited from a double bounce to help knock the Frenchwoman out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5-1 up and with a set point against Laura Siegemund when the German scooped a winner despite the ball appearing to bounce twice .
The incident was missed by chair umpire Eva Asderaki .
World number 44 Mladenovic pleaded in vain before Siegemund took full advantage , racing into the next round with a 7-5 , 6-3 win .
`` It would be great to have that , '' said Mladenovic when asked if video replays should be introduced .
`` It 'd be a pity to replace a human with a camera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't see how the umpire could not see it .
Unfortunately , she continues at Roland Garros but I do not . ''
Second seed Karolina Pliskova ended Mayar Sherif 's fairytale Grand Slam breakthrough to set up a second round clash against former champion Jelena Ostapenko .
Pliskova , a semi-finalist in 2017 , squandered eight set points in the opener as world number 172 Sherif , the first Egyptian woman to play in the main draw at a Slam , took a shock lead .
However , the Czech 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to progress 6-7 ( 9/11 ) , 6-2 , 6-4 .
Latvia 's Ostapenko , the world 43 , won her first match at the French Open since sweeping to her shock 2017 title when she fired 46 winners past Madison Brengle of the United States to win 6-2 , 6-1 .
`` After I won here it was a tough time .
I had to get used to the pressure but now it 's all gone , '' said the 23-year-old Ostapenko .
Denmark 's Clara Tauson , just 17 and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out American 21st seed and US Open semi-finalist Jennifer Brady 6-4 , 3-6 , 9-7 .
Tauson also saved two match points on her way to a maiden career main draw win .
Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin recovered from a break down in the final set to defeat 125th-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-4 , 3-6 , 6-3 .
Fourth seed Kenin , who dumped out Serena Williams in Paris a year ago , fought back from 2-0 down in the decider to advance to a second-round tie against Romania 's Ana Bogdan @

Novak Djokovic was likened to a snake devouring its prey Tuesday as his bid to become the first man in half a century to win all four Grand Slam titles twice got off to a straightforward start at Roland Garros while a 'double bounce' row prompted calls for video replays to be introduced in tennis.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Sweden's Mikael Ymer, in Paris on September 29, 2020.
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World number one Djokovic, returning to Grand Slam action for the first time since his US Open disqualification, eased past Sweden's Mikael Ymer, ranked 80, in straight sets 6-0, 6-2, 6-3.
It was his 32nd win in 33 matches in 2020 and kept him on course for a second French Open title following his 2016 triumph, and 18th career major.
"It's always a pleasure to return to Paris on Philippe Chatrier, this important court. The atmosphere is a little different this year with few fans but I remain motivated to win the title," said Djokovic, only one of two men to have defeated 12-time champion Rafael Nadal in 15 years in Paris.
The 33-year-old top seed is in the second round for a record-equalling 16th time, matching Guillermo Vilas and Nadal.
Djokovic, who suffered no immediate hangover from his US Open controversy by quickly wrapping up a record 36th Masters title in Rome on the eve of Roland Garros, next faces Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis.
Ymer, making just his fourth main draw appearance at a major, graphically summed up the challenge of facing Djokovic.
"It felt like when a snake kills its prey," said 22-year-old Ymer. "I had chances to rally but then I got suffocated."
Russia's Andrey Rublev, the 13th seed who won the Hamburg title just two days ago, staged a remarkable recovery from two sets and 3-5 down in the third to beat Sam Querrey of the United States 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.
"My attitude today was really horrible and it needs to change," said Rublev, who had lost both his previous matches in Paris.
Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up in Hamburg, also needed five sets to make the second round, beating Spain's Jaume Munar 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 on the back of 54 winners.
"I never had a match like this before," said Tsitsipas after coming back from two sets down for the first time in his career.
Kristina Mladenovic called for a football-style VAR system to be introduced in tennis after her opponent profited from a double bounce to help knock the Frenchwoman out of her home Grand Slam.
Mladenovic was 5-1 up and with a set point against Laura Siegemund when the German scooped a winner despite the ball appearing to bounce twice. The incident was missed by chair umpire Eva Asderaki.
World number 44 Mladenovic pleaded in vain before Siegemund took full advantage, racing into the next round with a 7-5, 6-3 win.
'Replace human with camera'
"It would be great to have that," said Mladenovic when asked if video replays should be introduced.
"It'd be a pity to replace a human with a camera but to err is human. I don't see how the umpire could not see it. Unfortunately, she continues at Roland Garros but I do not."
Second seed Karolina Pliskova ended Mayar Sherif's fairytale Grand Slam breakthrough to set up a second round clash against former champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Pliskova, a semi-finalist in 2017, squandered eight set points in the opener as world number 172 Sherif, the first Egyptian woman to play in the main draw at a Slam, took a shock lead.
However, the Czech's greater experience eventually told as she recovered to progress 6-7 (9/11), 6-2, 6-4.
Latvia's Ostapenko, the world 43, won her first match at the French Open since sweeping to her shock 2017 title when she fired 46 winners past Madison Brengle of the United States to win 6-2, 6-1.
'Pressure all gone'
"After I won here it was a tough time. I had to get used to the pressure but now it's all gone," said the 23-year-old Ostapenko.
Denmark's Clara Tauson, just 17 and a qualifier, unleashed 48 winners to knock out American 21st seed and US Open semi-finalist Jennifer Brady 6-4, 3-6, 9-7. Tauson also saved two match points on her way to a maiden career main draw win.
Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin recovered from a break down in the final set to defeat 125th-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Fourth seed Kenin, who dumped out Serena Williams in Paris a year ago, fought back from 2-0 down in the decider to advance to a second-round tie against Romania's Ana Bogdan.
(AFP)
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