france24--2020-02-05--Regional gubernatorial candidate wins with far-right backing, shocking Germany

The small state of Thuringia broke a German political taboo Wednesday after a candidate for the regional premiership was heaved into office with help from the far right for the first time , sending shockwaves to Berlin .
Chancellor Angela Merkel 's centre-right CDU party immediately called for fresh regional elections as a way out of the crisis , a call echoed by other mainstream parties .
Thomas Kemmerich , a politician from the economically liberal Free Democratic Party ( FDP ) , was elected as state premier after lawmakers from the far-right AfD gave him their backing .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ramelow of the Left party 45 to 44 .
`` This is the first time in the history of modern Germany that a state premier has been elected with AfD votes , '' political scientist Andre Brodocz told broadcaster MDR .
While the ballot was secret , Kemmerich must have also had support from CDU MPs , as well as his FDP stablemates .
Media were quick to describe the event as a `` political earthquake '' , as mainstream parties had so far refused to countenance working with anti-immigration , anti-Islam and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result sparked widespread outrage , with Norbert Walter-Borjans , co-leader of Merkel 's junior coalition partner the Social Democratic Party ( SPD ) , calling for a `` clear position '' distancing Merkel 's conservatives from the AfD .
`` What has happened in Thuringia is not just a matter for Thuringia '' but for federal politics too , he told broadcaster ZDF .
`` This is a bad day for Thuringia , a bad day for Germany , '' CDU president Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in French city Strasbourg .
She called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional politicians for breaching the party 's policy of no cooperation with the AfD .
`` New elections would be the best thing for Thuringia , '' the CDU 's secretary general Paul Ziemiak added .
'Bad day for liberals' Addressing the local parliament in Erfurt , Kemmerich sought to assuage concerns by insisting he would stick to a pre-election pledge not to partner with the far right .
`` You have in me a bitter opponent of anything that even hints at radicalism , from the right or left , or fascism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from local MPs and shouts of `` Hypocrite ! ''
and `` Charlatan ! ''
In a news conference , national FDP leader Christian Lindner said if other parties refused to work with Kemmerich to form a government there should be new elections .
AfD 's support for the liberal politician had been `` purely tactical '' and the FDP `` does not share this party 's aims and values , '' he insisted .
But the party 's deputy leader Wolfgang Kubicki welcomed Kemmerich 's election as state premier .
Protestors quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with some holding signs recalling that it was in Thuringia that a Nazi minister was first allowed into government in 1930 .
Demonstrations were planned for other cities around Germany Wednesday evening , including Frankfurt , Leipzig and outside FDP headquarters in Berlin .
Jewish leader 'horrified' Thuringia belongs to Germany 's former communist east , where rejection of the far right has not taken such deep roots as in the west in the decades since the country 's 1990 reunification .
But the dam breaking there is all the more surprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , Bjoern Hoecke , is one of the party 's most radical figures , heading a loose movement within the party known as the `` Wing '' .
He has in the past called for a `` 180 degree turn '' in Germany 's culture of remembrance for the Holocaust and other crimes of the Nazis , which form a central pillar of the country 's post-World War II political life .
Wednesday marked a `` new start for Thuringian politics , '' Hoecke said , adding the AfD had helped stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The CDU 's Ziemiak lamented that Kemmerich had accepted `` votes from Nazis like Mr Hoecke '' .
AfD co-leader Joerg Meuthen told the Frankfurter Allgemeine daily the vote showed there was `` less distance '' between the CDU , FDP and AfD than other parties .
Central Council of Jews in Germany president Josef Schuster said he was `` horrified '' by the vote outcome .

The small state of Thuringia broke a German political taboo Wednesday after a candidate for the regional premiership was heaved into office with help from the far right for the first time, sending shockwaves to Berlin.
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Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU party immediately called for fresh regional elections as a way out of the crisis, a call echoed by other mainstream parties.
Thomas Kemmerich, a politician from the economically liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), was elected as state premier after lawmakers from the far-right AfD gave him their backing.
As a result, Kemmerich beat incumbent Bodo Ramelow of the Left party 45 to 44.
"This is the first time in the history of modern Germany that a state premier has been elected with AfD votes," political scientist Andre Brodocz told broadcaster MDR.
While the ballot was secret, Kemmerich must have also had support from CDU MPs, as well as his FDP stablemates.
Media were quick to describe the event as a "political earthquake", as mainstream parties had so far refused to countenance working with anti-immigration, anti-Islam and anti-EU AfD at any level.
The result sparked widespread outrage, with Norbert Walter-Borjans, co-leader of Merkel's junior coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (SPD), calling for a "clear position" distancing Merkel's conservatives from the AfD.
"What has happened in Thuringia is not just a matter for Thuringia" but for federal politics too, he told broadcaster ZDF.
"This is a bad day for Thuringia, a bad day for Germany," CDU president Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in French city Strasbourg.
She called for new elections in the state and blasted regional politicians for breaching the party's policy of no cooperation with the AfD.
"New elections would be the best thing for Thuringia," the CDU's secretary general Paul Ziemiak added.
'Bad day for liberals'
Addressing the local parliament in Erfurt, Kemmerich sought to assuage concerns by insisting he would stick to a pre-election pledge not to partner with the far right.
"You have in me a bitter opponent of anything that even hints at radicalism, from the right or left, or fascism," he said, to jeers from local MPs and shouts of "Hypocrite!" and "Charlatan!"
In a news conference, national FDP leader Christian Lindner said if other parties refused to work with Kemmerich to form a government there should be new elections.
AfD's support for the liberal politician had been "purely tactical" and the FDP "does not share this party's aims and values," he insisted.
But the party's deputy leader Wolfgang Kubicki welcomed Kemmerich's election as state premier.
Protestors quickly gathered outside the state parliament in Erfurt, with some holding signs recalling that it was in Thuringia that a Nazi minister was first allowed into government in 1930.
Demonstrations were planned for other cities around Germany Wednesday evening, including Frankfurt, Leipzig and outside FDP headquarters in Berlin.
Jewish leader 'horrified'
Thuringia belongs to Germany's former communist east, where rejection of the far right has not taken such deep roots as in the west in the decades since the country's 1990 reunification.
But the dam breaking there is all the more surprising to observers as the AfD's regional leader, Bjoern Hoecke, is one of the party's most radical figures, heading a loose movement within the party known as the "Wing".
He has in the past called for a "180 degree turn" in Germany's culture of remembrance for the Holocaust and other crimes of the Nazis, which form a central pillar of the country's post-World War II political life.
Wednesday marked a "new start for Thuringian politics," Hoecke said, adding the AfD had helped stop it becoming a "left-wing state".
The CDU's Ziemiak lamented that Kemmerich had accepted "votes from Nazis like Mr Hoecke".
AfD co-leader Joerg Meuthen told the Frankfurter Allgemeine daily the vote showed there was "less distance" between the CDU, FDP and AfD than other parties.
Central Council of Jews in Germany president Josef Schuster said he was "horrified" by the vote outcome.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-05--Plane skids off Istanbul runway, breaks into pieces

A plane skidded off the runway Wednesday as it tried to land in Istanbul , crashing into a field and breaking into pieces , killing one person and injuring 157 others , according to Turkish authorities .
The low-cost Pegasus Airlines plane was arriving at Istanbul 's Sabiha Gokcen airport from the western Turkish city of Izmir when it had what the Transportation Ministry described as a “ rough landing ” .
Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the wreckage of the plane in a field adjacent to the end of the runway .
The video shows heavy rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with smoke coming from one of the engines as passengers climb out of the fuselage onto the wings of the plane and away from the crash site .
Dozens of rescue crew members swarmed around the flood-lit fuselage , including around the cockpit , which had flipped over .
The plane was a Boeing 737 that was 11 years old , according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24 .
Speaking to reporters in the eastern province of Van , Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said one person had died in hospital after the accident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were in critical condition .
NTV television said the injured included the plane ’ s two pilots .
The TV station also broadcast a recording of the communications between the pilots and air traffic control in which the pilots are told that previous flights had reported strong tail winds .
The airport was shut down after the crash landing and flights were being diverted to Istanbul 's main airport .
`` According to the information we have , there was a rough landing .
The accident occurred after ( the plane ) could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the end of the runway , '' state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Mehmet Cahit Turan as saying .
Pegasus is a privately-owned , low-cost carrier based in Istanbul that flies 97 routes , mostly within Turkey and to destinations in Europe , the Middle East and Central Asia .
It is majority owned by Turkish billionaire Sevket Sabanci and his family , who have big investments in the country in areas as varied as real estate , clothing , health clubs and packaging materials .
The accident comes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people on board skidded off the runway in Istanbul at the same airport .
There were no deaths or injuries in that incident on January 7 .
In January 2018 , another Boeing 737-800 in the Pegasus ’ fleet slid off a runway at northeastern Turkey ’ s Trabzon Airport and down a dirt embankment .
The plane came to rest in the dirt above the Black Sea with its nose pointed toward the water .
None of the 168 passengers and crew members were injured .
In 2013 , the tail of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the jet hit a seawall during approach to San Francisco International Airport .
Three people died , 49 were seriously injured and scores more suffered minor injuries , according to the US accident report .
That same year , a Lion Air Boeing 737 split in two after landing in shallow water short of the runway in Bali , Indonesia .
All 101 passengers and seven crew members survived .
( FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS )

A plane skidded off the runway Wednesday as it tried to land in Istanbul, crashing into a field and breaking into pieces, killing one person and injuring 157 others, according to Turkish authorities.
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The low-cost Pegasus Airlines plane was arriving at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport from the western Turkish city of Izmir when it had what the Transportation Ministry described as a “rough landing”.
Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the wreckage of the plane in a field adjacent to the end of the runway. The video shows heavy rain and strong winds at the time, with smoke coming from one of the engines as passengers climb out of the fuselage onto the wings of the plane and away from the crash site.
Dozens of rescue crew members swarmed around the flood-lit fuselage, including around the cockpit, which had flipped over. The plane was a Boeing 737 that was 11 years old, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24.
Speaking to reporters in the eastern province of Van, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said one person had died in hospital after the accident but that none of the other wounded were in critical condition.
NTV television said the injured included the plane’s two pilots. The TV station also broadcast a recording of the communications between the pilots and air traffic control in which the pilots are told that previous flights had reported strong tail winds.
The airport was shut down after the crash landing and flights were being diverted to Istanbul's main airport.
"According to the information we have, there was a rough landing. The accident occurred after (the plane) could not decelerate and rammed into a field from the end of the runway," state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Mehmet Cahit Turan as saying.
Previous incidents of planes skidding off runway
Pegasus is a privately-owned, low-cost carrier based in Istanbul that flies 97 routes, mostly within Turkey and to destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. It is majority owned by Turkish billionaire Sevket Sabanci and his family, who have big investments in the country in areas as varied as real estate, clothing, health clubs and packaging materials.
The accident comes a month after a Pegasus plane with 164 people on board skidded off the runway in Istanbul at the same airport. There were no deaths or injuries in that incident on January 7.
In January 2018, another Boeing 737-800 in the Pegasus’ fleet slid off a runway at northeastern Turkey’s Trabzon Airport and down a dirt embankment. The plane came to rest in the dirt above the Black Sea with its nose pointed toward the water. None of the 168 passengers and crew members were injured.
In 2013, the tail of an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 broke off after the jet hit a seawall during approach to San Francisco International Airport. Three people died, 49 were seriously injured and scores more suffered minor injuries, according to the US accident report.
That same year, a Lion Air Boeing 737 split in two after landing in shallow water short of the runway in Bali, Indonesia. All 101 passengers and seven crew members survived.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-05--Coronavirus: Fear and stigma in Paris’s Chinatown

Belleville , in Paris , is home to one of the city 's biggest Chinese populations .
The coronavirus outbreak has killed nearly 500 people in China , but its effects are also being felt more than 8,000 km away in Belleville , Paris , one of the city ’ s two major Chinatowns , where fear of the virus has impacted businesses and left residents facing avoidance and stigmatisation .
France has recorded just six cases of the coronavirus , which first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year .
All patients are currently in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities .
But that has not stopped fear of the virus spreading to Belleville , where Chinese-run businesses have seen a significant drop-off in trade , according to local Deputy Mayor Weiming Shi .
`` Usually , during the Chinese New Year period , merchants normally double or triple their turnover .
But at the moment , merchants are only making between 30 percent and 50 percent of their usual turnover , '' he told AFP .
Some locals admit to avoiding Chinese restaurants and supermarkets over fears of being contaminated .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I will still buy my fruit and vegetable from him , but nothing else , it scares me , '' one local told AFP .
`` Even though I know it 's not transmitted through pasta or stuff like that .
Yeah , still , it 's on my mind . ''
Others report even more overt forms of stigmatisation .
`` My children are mixed race , but it does n't show , '' said Donatien Schramm , an expert on the Chinese diaspora and a local tour guide .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's a guy in the subway getting up because there 's a Chinese guy sitting next to him .
It 's someone raising their scarf because they hear coughing from an Asian person . ''

The coronavirus outbreak has killed nearly 500 people in China, but its effects are also being felt more than 8,000 km away in Belleville, Paris, one of the city’s two major Chinatowns, where fear of the virus has impacted businesses and left residents facing avoidance and stigmatisation.
Belleville, in Paris, is home to one of the city's biggest Chinese populations.
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France has recorded just six cases of the coronavirus, which first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year. All patients are currently in hospital isolation wards, according to French authorities.
But that has not stopped fear of the virus spreading to Belleville, where Chinese-run businesses have seen a significant drop-off in trade, according to local Deputy Mayor Weiming Shi.
"Usually, during the Chinese New Year period, merchants normally double or triple their turnover. But at the moment, merchants are only making between 30 percent and 50 percent of their usual turnover," he told AFP.
Some locals admit to avoiding Chinese restaurants and supermarkets over fears of being contaminated.
"I have a greengrocer who is Chinese. I will still buy my fruit and vegetable from him, but nothing else, it scares me," one local told AFP. "Even though I know it's not transmitted through pasta or stuff like that. Yeah, still, it's on my mind."
Others report even more overt forms of stigmatisation.
"My children are mixed race, but it doesn't show," said Donatien Schramm, an expert on the Chinese diaspora and a local tour guide. "And they hear comments every day. It's a guy in the subway getting up because there's a Chinese guy sitting next to him. It's someone raising their scarf because they hear coughing from an Asian person."
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france24--2020-02-05--Trump faces acquittal ahead of GOP-controlled Senate impeachment vote

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives as Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi look on prior to delivering his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington , U.S. February 4 , 2020 .
Four months after Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump 's dealings with Ukraine , the Senate is poised on Wednesday to acquit him on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
Trump , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. history to be impeached by the House and tried by the Senate , faces a 4 p.m. ( 2100 GMT ) vote that will determine whether he can complete his term as president or must immediately turn over his office to Vice President Mike Pence .
While the vote will be historic , there is little doubt of the outcome as none of the Senate 's 53 Republicans have said they will vote to convict him .
It would take 67 of the 100 senators to oust the 45th president from office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken by the Senate .
In 1999 , Democratic President Bill Clinton was acquitted on charges of lying under oath and obstruction of justice stemming from a sexual relationship with a White House intern .
In 1868 , President Andrew Johnson was found not guilty of 11 charges , which partially revolved around a post-Civil War tussle over his removal of the secretary of war .
Richard Nixon , the only president to resign , did so in 1974 when many of his fellow Republicans abandoned him during a House impeachment probe related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington .
If Trump is acquitted , Republicans and Democrats will take their respective cases to voters as Trump seeks re-election on Nov. 3 .
Rancor amid the proceedings echoed in Congress late Tuesday as Trump delivered his annual State of the Union remarks , with tensions between the president and House Democrats spilling into public view .
Trump 's Senate trial , spanning 21 days , focused on whether he withheld U.S. aid to Ukraine last summer as leverage to get Kiev to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 's U.S. presidential election .
Trump denied any wrongdoing and Republicans in the House and Senate largely rallied around him .
But over the past few days , some Republican senators have criticized Trump 's behavior , while defending his right to remain in office .
`` It was wrong for him to ask a foreign country to investigate a political rival , '' Senator Susan Collins , a moderate Republican up for re-election this year , said on Tuesday , adding that Trump had learned his lesson .
Democratic Senator Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN on Wednesday that `` we know from the president 's own words that he has not , '' as Democrats argue Trump will remain undeterred if faced with no rebuke .
Even with the outcome in sight , it remains to be seen whether any Democrats from Trump-leaning states break ranks to hand Trump a bipartisan acquittal .
Senator Mitt Romney , the only other moderate Republican along with Collins to go against the party earlier by urging more witness testimony , is also expected to make remarks on Wednesday .
Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential nominee , he has at times appeared out of step with a party now fully behind the president .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican , has waged a full-throated defense of Trump on Tuesday , urging the Senate to `` vote to keep factional fever from boiling over and scorching our republic . ''
In response , Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer argued that it was `` the beginning of the end of democracy '' if Americans believe their elections are being manipulated through foreign interference , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll conducted on Jan. 27 and 28 showed 39 % of American adults approved of Trump 's performance in office , while 55 % disapproved .
That is slightly down from when the House launched its impeachment inquiry in September , when his approval stood at 43 % and his disapproval at 53 % .

Four months after Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine, the Senate is poised on Wednesday to acquit him on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives as Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi look on prior to delivering his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. February 4, 2020.
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Trump, a Republican and only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached by the House and tried by the Senate, faces a 4 p.m. (2100 GMT) vote that will determine whether he can complete his term as president or must immediately turn over his office to Vice President Mike Pence.
While the vote will be historic, there is little doubt of the outcome as none of the Senate's 53 Republicans have said they will vote to convict him.
It would take 67 of the 100 senators to oust the 45th president from office - an action that has never been taken by the Senate.
In 1999, Democratic President Bill Clinton was acquitted on charges of lying under oath and obstruction of justice stemming from a sexual relationship with a White House intern.
In 1868, President Andrew Johnson was found not guilty of 11 charges, which partially revolved around a post-Civil War tussle over his removal of the secretary of war.
Richard Nixon, the only president to resign, did so in 1974 when many of his fellow Republicans abandoned him during a House impeachment probe related to a break-in at Democratic Party offices in Washington.
If Trump is acquitted, Republicans and Democrats will take their respective cases to voters as Trump seeks re-election on Nov. 3. Rancor amid the proceedings echoed in Congress late Tuesday as Trump delivered his annual State of the Union remarks, with tensions between the president and House Democrats spilling into public view.
Trump's Senate trial, spanning 21 days, focused on whether he withheld U.S. aid to Ukraine last summer as leverage to get Kiev to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democratic contender in this year's U.S. presidential election.
Trump denied any wrongdoing and Republicans in the House and Senate largely rallied around him. But over the past few days, some Republican senators have criticized Trump's behavior, while defending his right to remain in office.
"It was wrong for him to ask a foreign country to investigate a political rival," Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican up for re-election this year, said on Tuesday, adding that Trump had learned his lesson.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen rejected that argument, telling CNN on Wednesday that "we know from the president's own words that he has not," as Democrats argue Trump will remain undeterred if faced with no rebuke.
Even with the outcome in sight, it remains to be seen whether any Democrats from Trump-leaning states break ranks to hand Trump a bipartisan acquittal.
Senator Mitt Romney, the only other moderate Republican along with Collins to go against the party earlier by urging more witness testimony, is also expected to make remarks on Wednesday. Once the party's standard-bearer as its 2012 presidential nominee, he has at times appeared out of step with a party now fully behind the president.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, has waged a full-throated defense of Trump on Tuesday, urging the Senate to "vote to keep factional fever from boiling over and scorching our republic."
In response, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer argued that it was "the beginning of the end of democracy" if Americans believe their elections are being manipulated through foreign interference, such as that solicited by Trump.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Jan. 27 and 28 showed 39% of American adults approved of Trump's performance in office, while 55% disapproved. That is slightly down from when the House launched its impeachment inquiry in September, when his approval stood at 43% and his disapproval at 53%.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-05--French figure-skating chief refuses to resign despite growing paedophilia scandal

French ice sports federation president Didier Gailhaguet delivers a speech during the press conference at the headquarters of the French Federation of Ice Sports , in Paris , on February 5 , 2020 , a day after French prosecutors opened an investigation into the scandal of sex abuse brought to light by former world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol .
As a sexual abuse scandal rocks French skating , the boss of the country ’ s ice-skating federation Didier Gailhaguet said on Wednesday that he won ’ t resign and that his reputation is being “ soiled by shady people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denial that he knew about rape accuisations at the heart of French skating in a press conference on Wednesday , a day after French prosecutors opened an investigation into the scandal brought to light by former world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol .
In her autobiography published last week , Abitbol accused coach Gilles Beyer of raping her several times from 1990 to 1992 when she was between the ages of 15 and 17 .
Further allegations by three other skaters of underage sexual abuse followed .
It has been shown that Gailhaguet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Beyer , but the skating federation said on Wednesday that he had “ never heard ” of these accusations .
“ I ’ m an imperfect man but I ’ m a clean man , ” he continued .
“ The federation is absolutely not a group of sexual perverts with a culture of rape ” .
He added that the cloud of scandal enshrouding it has been “ unleashed by the media to say the least ” and denounced France ’ s sport minister for “ moralising ” .
‘ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scourge ’ Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu on Monday called for Gailhaguet to resign , saying he `` can not absolve himself of his moral and personal responsibility '' .
But after a meeting at the federation 's Paris headquarters on Tuesday , Gailhaguet said he would not make a decision on whether to step down until the investigation had concluded .
`` I am a little speechless before this gentleman whom I met for an hour two days ago and who spent half the time defending himself , '' Maracineanu told French television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say before me what his vision was with regard to this problem which affects his federation .
`` We must see today how to respond to this scourge .
If this gentleman is more interested by his job ... it just strikes me as incredible . ''
Maracineanu , a former swimming world champion , does not have the power to sack Gailhaguet , but has intimated that the federation would face state sanctions if he remains .
Gailhaguet has been the most influential man in French ice skating since he first became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged offences .
He has headed the federation ever since apart from a three-year hiatus between 2004 and 2007 which followed a judging scandal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City .
He was suspended by the International Skating Union for three years from 2002 and duly gave up , temporarily , the presidency of the French federation .
Gailhaguet 's accession to the presidency opened the door for Abitbol 's coach Gilles Beyer to take charge of the French national team .
A 2000 inquiry led the sports ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the federation , but he remained a coach at club level and held an executive position at the federation until 2018 .

As a sexual abuse scandal rocks French skating, the boss of the country’s ice-skating federation Didier Gailhaguet said on Wednesday that he won’t resign and that his reputation is being “soiled by shady people”.
French ice sports federation president Didier Gailhaguet delivers a speech during the press conference at the headquarters of the French Federation of Ice Sports, in Paris, on February 5, 2020, a day after French prosecutors opened an investigation into the scandal of sex abuse brought to light by former world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol.
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Gailhaguet gave a strongly worded denial that he knew about rape accuisations at the heart of French skating in a press conference on Wednesday, a day after French prosecutors opened an investigation into the scandal brought to light by former world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol.
In her autobiography published last week, Abitbol accused coach Gilles Beyer of raping her several times from 1990 to 1992 when she was between the ages of 15 and 17. Further allegations by three other skaters of underage sexual abuse followed.
It has been shown that Gailhaguet was aware of complaints of inappropriate behaviour against Beyer, but the skating federation said on Wednesday that he had “never heard” of these accusations.
“I’m an imperfect man but I’m a clean man,” he continued. “The federation is absolutely not a group of sexual perverts with a culture of rape”.
He added that the cloud of scandal enshrouding it has been “unleashed by the media to say the least” and denounced France’s sport minister for “moralising”.
‘We must see how to respond to this scourge’
Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu on Monday called for Gailhaguet to resign, saying he "cannot absolve himself of his moral and personal responsibility".
But after a meeting at the federation's Paris headquarters on Tuesday, Gailhaguet said he would not make a decision on whether to step down until the investigation had concluded.
"I am a little speechless before this gentleman whom I met for an hour two days ago and who spent half the time defending himself," Maracineanu told French television.
"At no time did he say before me what his vision was with regard to this problem which affects his federation.
"We must see today how to respond to this scourge. If this gentleman is more interested by his job... it just strikes me as incredible."
Maracineanu, a former swimming world champion, does not have the power to sack Gailhaguet, but has intimated that the federation would face state sanctions if he remains.
Gailhaguet has been the most influential man in French ice skating since he first became president in 1998, some years after the alleged offences.
He has headed the federation ever since apart from a three-year hiatus between 2004 and 2007 which followed a judging scandal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
He was suspended by the International Skating Union for three years from 2002 and duly gave up, temporarily, the presidency of the French federation.
Gailhaguet's accession to the presidency opened the door for Abitbol's coach Gilles Beyer to take charge of the French national team.
A 2000 inquiry led the sports ministry to remove Beyer from his technical role at the federation, but he remained a coach at club level and held an executive position at the federation until 2018.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-02-05--Femi Oluwole, the political maverick thinking outside Brexit box

An EU law graduate galvanized into activism , Femi Oluwole never thought he would end up a leading light of the anti-Brexit movement .
Having co-founded a Europhile youth movement and resolutely sparred prominent Brexiteers , he now changes his point of attack .
His aim ?
A Labour government .
In the meantime , however , Oluwole will do everything to prevent a no-deal and remain a thorn in the side of “ Leavers ” .
Femi Oluwole , 29 , is not one to bow out of a fight .
Fearless in the face of Brexit celebrities Nigel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chairman of The Brexit Party , he has openly spoken out against their policies , taking to Twitter and YouTube to slate them .
They are reluctant to debate him , even though his Brexit battle is lost .
But Oluwole hopes he can win the war .
The day after the UK ’ s departure from the EU , Oluwole was disappointed but determined to continue the fight with a new strategy .
'Just a random guy' Born to Nigerian doctors who had emigrated to the UK in the 1980s , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East England , moving house 14 times by the age of 14 .
`` I was always the new guy , '' he remembers .
`` Independent thinking is something that ’ s hard-wired into me . ''
Oluwole studied Law and French at Nottingham University , including an Erasmus Programme year in the Breton city of Brest , where he polished his French language skills .
Stints followed working for non-governmental organisations ( NGOs ) and human rights agencies in Brussels and Vienna . '
I had to get involved : no-one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combined with his knowledge of EU law , sharpened a sense that “ Europe ” was misunderstood in the UK .
“ I have sat in the committee rooms of the European Parliament where elected politicians pass laws that affect us in every area of our lives , ” he says .
“ I knew the narrative in the UK that the EU is full of unelected bureaucrats was false.
” Oluwole says he felt frustrated by the efforts of David Cameron and the pro-EU campaign in 2016 - and a patriotic duty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answering questions and providing information about complex EU legal issues to people in the street : “ I got semi-famous politically because I ’ ve been explaining the stuff that politicians failed to ” he recalls .
“ I realised I had to get involved because no-one else was going to .
I felt I had the ability to solve this lack of understanding in the UK surrounding the EU.
” 'Explaining politics in ways politicians were just not doing' In October 2017 , he co-founded Our Future Our Choice ( OFOC ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people – and it was social media that took Femi ’ s activism from his local streets to a vastly wider audience .
“ In 2016 , I had about 20 followers on Twitter so every time I tweeted something , it was the same stuff as today , but nobody was hearing it .
Now I ’ ve got a quarter of a million followers because I ’ ve been explaining politics in ways the politicians were just not doing.
” OFOC ’ s Twitter account has now amassed a healthy 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought-after speaker at anti-Brexit demonstrations , notably the People ’ s Vote rally in March 2019 which drew hundreds of thousands to London ’ s Parliament Square .
Oluwole also clashed with The Brexit Party Chairman Richard Tice , who threatened to sue Femi for labelling his organisation Leave.EU “ overtly anti-Jewish ” .
A tale of two sides The Brexit Party is certainly not ready to forgive or forget : “ He is someone who has been employed by the state to make a nuisance of himself and his pro-EU agenda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party parliamentary candidate for Buckingham in the 2019 election .
For his part , Femi has previously stated that OFOC raises the bulk of its funding through its own crowdfunding , and that it receives support from bigger non-governmental anti-Brexit organisations .
Alex Story , a former Conservative Party politician and representative for the Leave.EU Business Group , dismisses the legitimacy of Oluwole and OFOC altogether , asserting that “ the main misunderstanding in Femi ’ s campaign is that only 20 % of young people voted in 2016 .
Young people don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevertheless , many openly respect his work and determination .
“ Combative , energetic and flamboyant ” is how Nicolas Hatton describes the 29-year-old campaigner .
Hatton himself is founder of “ the3million ” , the largest grassroots organisation of EU citizens in the UK , campaigning to protect citizens ’ rights after Brexit .
He says he admires Oluwole ’ s drive : “ Femi is fighting a good cause and is unique .
He definitely has a future.
” The UK may have officially left the EU , but Oluwole says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the story for him .
He joined Labour after December ’ s snap election , when the party slumped to its lowest haul of seats since 1935 , and hopes to “ make Labour more electable '' .
His strategy to reach that goal is clear .
“ That means working with other parties , '' Femi says , `` being less extreme on the far left and supporting electoral reforms so that people in those other parties on the left can feel they can vote for Labour as a way of making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” For Femi , it might be too late to change Brexit but not to change UK ’ s political landscape .

SPECIAL REPORT
An EU law graduate galvanized into activism, Femi Oluwole never thought he would end up a leading light of the anti-Brexit movement. Having co-founded a Europhile youth movement and resolutely sparred prominent Brexiteers, he now changes his point of attack. His aim? A Labour government. In the meantime, however, Oluwole will do everything to prevent a no-deal and remain a thorn in the side of “Leavers”.
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Femi Oluwole, 29, is not one to bow out of a fight. Fearless in the face of Brexit celebrities Nigel Farage and Richard Tice, Leader and Chairman of The Brexit Party, he has openly spoken out against their policies, taking to Twitter and YouTube to slate them. They are reluctant to debate him, even though his Brexit battle is lost. But Oluwole hopes he can win the war. The day after the UK’s departure from the EU, Oluwole was disappointed but determined to continue the fight with a new strategy.
'Just a random guy'
Born to Nigerian doctors who had emigrated to the UK in the 1980s, he grew up in Darlington, in North East England, moving house 14 times by the age of 14. "I was always the new guy,"he remembers. "Independent thinking is something that’s hard-wired into me."
Oluwole studied Law and French at Nottingham University, including an Erasmus Programme year in the Breton city of Brest, where he polished his French language skills. Stints followed working for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and human rights agencies in Brussels and Vienna.
'I had to get involved: no-one else was going to'
These experiences, combined with his knowledge of EU law, sharpened a sense that “Europe” was misunderstood in the UK. “I have sat in the committee rooms of the European Parliament where elected politicians pass laws that affect us in every area of our lives,” he says. “I knew the narrative in the UK that the EU is full of unelected bureaucrats was false.”
Oluwole says he felt frustrated by the efforts of David Cameron and the pro-EU campaign in 2016 - and a patriotic duty to get involved. He began by answering questions and providing information about complex EU legal issues to people in the street: “I got semi-famous politically because I’ve been explaining the stuff that politicians failed to” he recalls. “I realised I had to get involved because no-one else was going to. I felt I had the ability to solve this lack of understanding in the UK surrounding the EU.”
How have we allowed the Brexit Party to be seen as a tolerant party when its Chairman, Richard Tice, founded an overtly anti-Jewish organisation? https://t.co/mIhWZ4PWlr — Femi (@Femi_Sorry) July 19, 2019
'Explaining politics in ways politicians were just not doing'
In October 2017, he co-founded Our Future Our Choice (OFOC), a pro-EU advocacy group for young people – and it was social media that took Femi’s activism from his local streets to a vastly wider audience. “In 2016, I had about 20 followers on Twitter so every time I tweeted something, it was the same stuff as today, but nobody was hearing it. Now I’ve got a quarter of a million followers because I’ve been explaining politics in ways the politicians were just not doing.”
OFOC’s Twitter account has now amassed a healthy 75 thousand followers. Oluwole has become a sought-after speaker at anti-Brexit demonstrations, notably the People’s Vote rally in March 2019 which drew hundreds of thousands to London’s Parliament Square.
Oluwole also clashed with The Brexit Party Chairman Richard Tice, who threatened to sue Femi for labelling his organisation Leave.EU “overtly anti-Jewish”.
A tale of two sides
The Brexit Party is certainly not ready to forgive or forget: “He is someone who has been employed by the state to make a nuisance of himself and his pro-EU agenda,” claims Andrew Bell, The Brexit Party parliamentary candidate for Buckingham in the 2019 election.
For his part, Femi has previously stated that OFOC raises the bulk of its funding through its own crowdfunding, and that it receives support from bigger non-governmental anti-Brexit organisations.
Alex Story, a former Conservative Party politician and representative for the Leave.EU Business Group, dismisses the legitimacy of Oluwole and OFOC altogether, asserting that “the main misunderstanding in Femi’s campaign is that only 20% of young people voted in 2016. Young people don’t care about politics”.
Nevertheless, many openly respect his work and determination.
“Combative, energetic and flamboyant”is how Nicolas Hatton describes the 29-year-old campaigner. Hatton himself is founder of “the3million”, the largest grassroots organisation of EU citizens in the UK, campaigning to protect citizens’ rights after Brexit. He says he admires Oluwole’s drive: “Femi is fighting a good cause and is unique. He definitely has a future.”
The UK may have officially left the EU, but Oluwole says it’s not the end of the story for him. He joined Labour after December’s snap election, when the party slumped to its lowest haul of seats since 1935, and hopes to “make Labour more electable".
His strategy to reach that goal is clear. “That means working with other parties," Femi says, "being less extreme on the far left and supporting electoral reforms so that people in those other parties on the left can feel they can vote for Labour as a way of making their votes count at the following election.”
For Femi, it might be too late to change Brexit but not to change UK’s political landscape.
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france24--2020-02-05--Chairman of top French football side held over sexual assault claims

French police on Wednesday detained the chairman of top flight football side Angers on suspicion of harassment and sexual assault , prosecutors said Wednesday , in the latest scandal to rock sports in the country .
Said Chabane , 55 , was detained by police early in the morning for questioning about complaints brought by employees and an ex-employee , Angers chief prosecutor Eric Bouillard told AFP .
He said an investigation was opened in January after an employee of the Ligue 1 side complained of sexual assault .
Two other alleged victims then came forward .
The three victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged they were caressed in a forceful way in intimate areas by Chabane in 2019 .
`` It does not appear that this is a pattern of behaviour that has just started , '' the prosecutor added .
The club said in a statement that Chabane rejected all the allegations against him and would fully cooperate with investigators .
`` He will offer the judicial authorities all the elements needed to re-establish the truth and preserve his honour , '' it said .
Angers are currently lying 13th in the Ligue 1 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ice skating in France was rocked by claims from former world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol that she was raped by coach Gilles Beyer from 1990 to 1992 , starting when she was just 15 years old .

French police on Wednesday detained the chairman of top flight football side Angers on suspicion of harassment and sexual assault, prosecutors said Wednesday, in the latest scandal to rock sports in the country.
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Said Chabane, 55, was detained by police early in the morning for questioning about complaints brought by employees and an ex-employee, Angers chief prosecutor Eric Bouillard told AFP.
He said an investigation was opened in January after an employee of the Ligue 1 side complained of sexual assault. Two other alleged victims then came forward.
The three victims, aged between 25 and 30, alleged they were caressed in a forceful way in intimate areas by Chabane in 2019.
"It does not appear that this is a pattern of behaviour that has just started," the prosecutor added.
The club said in a statement that Chabane rejected all the allegations against him and would fully cooperate with investigators.
"He will offer the judicial authorities all the elements needed to re-establish the truth and preserve his honour," it said.
Angers are currently lying 13th in the Ligue 1.
The case comes as the sport of ice skating in France was rocked by claims from former world championship bronze medallist Sarah Abitbol that she was raped by coach Gilles Beyer from 1990 to 1992, starting when she was just 15 years old.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-04--Buttigieg leads in chaotic Iowa caucus, followed by Sanders

Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend , Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during a campaign stop in Portsmouth , New Hampshire , U.S. , February 4 , 2020 .
Democratic White House candidate Pete Buttigieg seized a shock lead in the chaotic Iowa caucuses , closely trailed by leftist senator Bernie Sanders , according to partial returns released on Tuesday after an embarrassing delay in reporting the results .
Progressive standard-bearer Elizabeth Warren was in third place followed by Joe Biden , a disappointing showing for the former vice president who has claimed he is best positioned to defeat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , who has been battling Biden for the moderate wing of the party , hailed what he called an `` astonishing victory '' in the midwestern farm state which kicks off the presidential nominating process .
`` I have never been more confident in our campaign , in our team , and in the vision that brought to us this point , '' Buttigieg told ecstatic supporters in New Hampshire , which holds the next nominating contest on February 11 .
With polls still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an openly gay president , Buttigieg also made a rare , though implicit , reference to his sexuality -- and the added significance it gave the Iowa outcome .
`` It validates for a kid , somewhere in a community , wondering if he belongs , or she belongs , or they belong in their own family , that if you believe in yourself and your country there 's a lot backing up that belief , '' he said with a catch in his voice .
According to the partial results , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leads with 26.8 percent followed by Sanders , the 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist , with 25.2 percent , followed by Senator Warren with 18.4 percent , and Biden with 15.4 percent .
The centrist senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar was in fifth place on 12.6 percent , with 71 percent of the precincts reporting .
The results were posted some 21 hours after Iowans gathered across the state to hold the first vote of the presidential nominating season .
Troy Price , the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party , apologized profusely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` coding error '' with an app being used for the first time to report the returns from precincts across the farm state .
Price pledged to provide the full results as soon as possible .
`` We have been working day and night to make sure that the results are accurate , '' he said .
`` And we also have a paper trail and documentation that we have been able to use to provide information to help verify the results . ''
As Iowa struggled to publish the results and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pounced on the hold-up , describing the Democrats ' failure to deliver timely results as an `` unmitigated disaster . ''
`` Nothing works , just like they ran the country , '' tweeted Trump -- hours before delivering his annual State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress under the cloud of impeachment .
The results are usually known within hours of the conclusion of the caucuses , which do not involve a traditional ballot but see voters attending public gatherings and voicing support for the candidate of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of selecting presidential nominees every four years , but the fiasco surrounding the results is likely to increase calls for the state to lose the honor .
`` The top finishers , probably Sanders and Buttigieg , could have used their showings to launch into New Hampshire , '' the next contest , said Larry Sabato , a professor of politics at the University of Virginia .
`` Instead , the story is the shocking incompetence of the Iowa Democratic Party . ''
He called for an end to the `` strange system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in favor of giving other states a chance to kick off the process .
`` This chaos has created an environment where misinformation is now running rampant online , further undermining confidence in the democratic process , '' he said .
With Iowa still mired in confusion , the Democratic candidates turned their sights on New Hampshire .
According to a Boston Globe/WBZ-TV/Suffolk University poll released Monday , Sanders is leading in the Granite State with 24 percent , followed by Biden on 18 percent , Warren with 13 percent and Buttigieg with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory in Republican caucuses in Iowa , Trump said that `` the only person that can claim a very big victory in Iowa last night is 'Trump . '
'' `` When will the Democrats start blaming RUSSIA , RUSSIA , RUSSIA , instead of their own incompetence for the voting disaster that just happened in the Great State of Iowa ? ''
Trump tweeted .

Democratic White House candidate Pete Buttigieg seized a shock lead in the chaotic Iowa caucuses, closely trailed by leftist senator Bernie Sanders, according to partial returns released on Tuesday after an embarrassing delay in reporting the results.
Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during a campaign stop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., February 4, 2020.
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Progressive standard-bearer Elizabeth Warren was in third place followed by Joe Biden, a disappointing showing for the former vice president who has claimed he is best positioned to defeat Donald Trump in November.
Buttigieg, the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who has been battling Biden for the moderate wing of the party, hailed what he called an "astonishing victory" in the midwestern farm state which kicks off the presidential nominating process.
"I have never been more confident in our campaign, in our team, and in the vision that brought to us this point," Buttigieg told ecstatic supporters in New Hampshire, which holds the next nominating contest on February 11.
02:20
With polls still mixed on whether Americans would be comfortable with an openly gay president, Buttigieg also made a rare, though implicit, reference to his sexuality -- and the added significance it gave the Iowa outcome.
"It validates for a kid, somewhere in a community, wondering if he belongs, or she belongs, or they belong in their own family, that if you believe in yourself and your country there's a lot backing up that belief," he said with a catch in his voice.
05:48
According to the partial results, Buttigieg, unknown nationally a year ago, leads with 26.8 percent followed by Sanders, the 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, with 25.2 percent, followed by Senator Warren with 18.4 percent, and Biden with 15.4 percent.
The centrist senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar was in fifth place on 12.6 percent, with 71 percent of the precincts reporting.
The results were posted some 21 hours after Iowans gathered across the state to hold the first vote of the presidential nominating season.
Troy Price, the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, apologized profusely for the delay and blamed it on a "coding error" with an app being used for the first time to report the returns from precincts across the farm state.
Price pledged to provide the full results as soon as possible.
"We have been working day and night to make sure that the results are accurate," he said. "And we also have a paper trail and documentation that we have been able to use to provide information to help verify the results."
As Iowa struggled to publish the results and frustrated Democratic candidates fumed, Trump gleefully pounced on the hold-up, describing the Democrats' failure to deliver timely results as an "unmitigated disaster."
"Nothing works, just like they ran the country," tweeted Trump -- hours before delivering his annual State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress under the cloud of impeachment.
The Democrat Caucus is an unmitigated disaster. Nothing works, just like they ran the Country. Remember the 5 Billion Dollar Obamacare Website, that should have cost 2% of that. The only person that can claim a very big victory in Iowa last night is “Trump”. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2020
'Shocking incompetence'
The results are usually known within hours of the conclusion of the caucuses, which do not involve a traditional ballot but see voters attending public gatherings and voicing support for the candidate of their choice.
Iowa kicks off the process of selecting presidential nominees every four years, but the fiasco surrounding the results is likely to increase calls for the state to lose the honor.
"The top finishers, probably Sanders and Buttigieg, could have used their showings to launch into New Hampshire," the next contest, said Larry Sabato, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia.
"Instead, the story is the shocking incompetence of the Iowa Democratic Party."
He called for an end to the "strange system in a 91 percent white state" in favor of giving other states a chance to kick off the process.
Virginia Senator Mark Warner expressed alarm over the Iowa debacle.
"This chaos has created an environment where misinformation is now running rampant online, further undermining confidence in the democratic process," he said.
With Iowa still mired in confusion, the Democratic candidates turned their sights on New Hampshire.
According to a Boston Globe/WBZ-TV/Suffolk University poll released Monday, Sanders is leading in the Granite State with 24 percent, followed by Biden on 18 percent, Warren with 13 percent and Buttigieg with 11 percent.
Alluding to his own victory in Republican caucuses in Iowa, Trump said that "the only person that can claim a very big victory in Iowa last night is 'Trump.'"
"When will the Democrats start blaming RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, instead of their own incompetence for the voting disaster that just happened in the Great State of Iowa?" Trump tweeted.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-05--Half a million flee Syrian regime's offensive in Idlib

Members of a family flee with their belongings toward the Turkish border , from the town of Dana in the northwest of Syria 's Idlib province , on February 5 , 2020 .
A regime offensive in Syria 's last rebel enclave has caused one of the biggest waves of displacement in the nine-year war , with tensions spiking between Ankara and Damascus following a deadly exchange of fire .
Weeks of intensive aerial bombardment and a bruising ground offensive have emptied entire towns in northwest Idlib and sent huge numbers fleeing north towards the Turkish border .
`` Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been displaced from their homes , the vast majority -- 80 percent -- of them women and children , '' said David Swanson , spokesman for the United Nation 's humanitarian coordination office , OCHA .
The exodus , coinciding with a biting winter , is one of the largest since the 2011 start of a conflict that has seen more than half of Syria 's pre-war population of 20 million displaced .
`` This latest displacement compounds an already dire humanitarian situation on the ground , '' Swanson said .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than three million people -- half of them displaced by violence elsewhere -- who live in Idlib province and surrounding areas .
Government troops and militia forces backed by Russian and other allied forces have in recent weeks upped the pressure on the jihadist-dominated region .
Mohammad Bahjat , 34 , said he and his family were escaping deadly bombardment for the third time in days .
`` We fled in the middle of the night and have no idea where to go , '' he told AFP , sitting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his wife and three small boys .
`` You never know when a rocket or shell is going to hit . ''
Regime forces also exchanged deadly fire with Turkish troops on Monday , an escalation UN chief Antonio Guterres called `` extremely worrying '' .
Regime shelling of Turkish positions in Idlib killed at least five Turkish soldiers and three civilians , Ankara said .
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that retaliatory fire from Turkey killed at least 13 Syrian government troops .
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ankara would respond `` firmly '' to any new Syrian attack .
Syria 's military command said the presence of Turkish forces was `` illegal and a flagrant act of aggression '' , vowing to respond to any Turkish attack on its forces , state news agency SANA reported .
Guterres , speaking at UN headquarters , appealed for `` a cessation of hostilities '' .
But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo backed Washington 's NATO ally , calling the Syrian mortar attack `` a grave escalation '' and saying US officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions in response '' .
Syrian forces have retaken dozens of villages and some major towns -- including the former rebel bastion of Maaret al-Numan -- and continue to advance , pushing displaced populations ever closer to the Turkish frontier .
Erdogan accused Damascus of driving `` innocent and grieving people in Idlib toward our borders '' .
Turkey , which already hosts more than three million displaced Syrians , is keen to stop another mass influx .
But in the town of Hazano , an AFP correspondent saw dozens of small trucks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belongings crawling along a main road .
They advanced bumper-to-bumper , carrying men , women and children , along with blankets , carpets , washing basins and furniture .
Almost 300 civilians have been killed since mid-December in bombardment on the Idlib region , says the Britain-based Observatory .
Syrian forces seized much ground in the enclave 's south and are also attacking from Aleppo province to the east .
UN experts said Tuesday that the latest attacks could be war crimes .
The UN 's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks on civilian infrastructure , including schools , markets , and medical facilities '' in the last two weeks .
`` The deliberate and systematic targeting of hospitals follows a pattern already documented by the Commission , and may amount to war crimes , '' it said in a statement .
Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) also condemned attacks against healthcare infrastructure .
Several hospitals `` have been hit and have been either partially or fully destroyed in ... the space of just a few months '' said Cristian Reynders , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The spiking tensions between Ankara and Damascus have raised fears of yet more violence .
Monday 's incident was their deadliest clash since Ankara sent troops to Syria in 2016 .
The incident further tested the uneasy coordination between Russia and Turkey -- the two main foreign brokers in the Syrian conflict .
Under a deal reached last year , Russia was to prevent Damascus from launching a devastating operation in the densely populated region .
Turkey was to contain the extremist groups running the region , but instead , the forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's former Al-Qaeda affiliate , Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , which dominates Idlib .

A regime offensive in Syria's last rebel enclave has caused one of the biggest waves of displacement in the nine-year war, with tensions spiking between Ankara and Damascus following a deadly exchange of fire.
Members of a family flee with their belongings toward the Turkish border, from the town of Dana in the northwest of Syria's Idlib province, on February 5, 2020.
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Weeks of intensive aerial bombardment and a bruising ground offensive have emptied entire towns in northwest Idlib and sent huge numbers fleeing north towards the Turkish border.
"Since 1 December, some 520,000 people have been displaced from their homes, the vast majority -- 80 percent -- of them women and children," said David Swanson, spokesman for the United Nation's humanitarian coordination office, OCHA.
The exodus, coinciding with a biting winter, is one of the largest since the 2011 start of a conflict that has seen more than half of Syria's pre-war population of 20 million displaced.
"This latest displacement compounds an already dire humanitarian situation on the ground," Swanson said.
He said the UN was alarmed by the plight of more than three million people -- half of them displaced by violence elsewhere -- who live in Idlib province and surrounding areas.
Government troops and militia forces backed by Russian and other allied forces have in recent weeks upped the pressure on the jihadist-dominated region.
Mohammad Bahjat, 34, said he and his family were escaping deadly bombardment for the third time in days.
"We fled in the middle of the night and have no idea where to go," he told AFP, sitting in the front of a pickup truck next to his wife and three small boys.
"You never know when a rocket or shell is going to hit."
Three million displaced
Regime forces also exchanged deadly fire with Turkish troops on Monday, an escalation UN chief Antonio Guterres called "extremely worrying".
Regime shelling of Turkish positions in Idlib killed at least five Turkish soldiers and three civilians, Ankara said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that retaliatory fire from Turkey killed at least 13 Syrian government troops.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Ankara would respond "firmly" to any new Syrian attack.
Syria's military command said the presence of Turkish forces was "illegal and a flagrant act of aggression", vowing to respond to any Turkish attack on its forces, state news agency SANA reported.
Guterres, speaking at UN headquarters, appealed for "a cessation of hostilities".
But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo backed Washington's NATO ally, calling the Syrian mortar attack "a grave escalation" and saying US officials "fully support Turkey's justified self-defence actions in response".
Syrian forces have retaken dozens of villages and some major towns -- including the former rebel bastion of Maaret al-Numan -- and continue to advance, pushing displaced populations ever closer to the Turkish frontier.
Erdogan accused Damascus of driving "innocent and grieving people in Idlib toward our borders".
Turkey, which already hosts more than three million displaced Syrians, is keen to stop another mass influx.
But in the town of Hazano, an AFP correspondent saw dozens of small trucks, vans and tuk-tuks piled high with belongings crawling along a main road.
They advanced bumper-to-bumper, carrying men, women and children, along with blankets, carpets, washing basins and furniture.
Almost 300 civilians have been killed since mid-December in bombardment on the Idlib region, says the Britain-based Observatory.
Syrian forces seized much ground in the enclave's south and are also attacking from Aleppo province to the east.
'War crimes'
UN experts said Tuesday that the latest attacks could be war crimes.
The UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic cited reports of "attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools, markets, and medical facilities" in the last two weeks.
"The deliberate and systematic targeting of hospitals follows a pattern already documented by the Commission, and may amount to war crimes," it said in a statement.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also condemned attacks against healthcare infrastructure.
Several hospitals "have been hit and have been either partially or fully destroyed in... the space of just a few months" said Cristian Reynders, the NGO's project coordinator for northern Idlib.
The spiking tensions between Ankara and Damascus have raised fears of yet more violence.
Monday's incident was their deadliest clash since Ankara sent troops to Syria in 2016.
The incident further tested the uneasy coordination between Russia and Turkey -- the two main foreign brokers in the Syrian conflict.
Under a deal reached last year, Russia was to prevent Damascus from launching a devastating operation in the densely populated region.
Turkey was to contain the extremist groups running the region, but instead, the forces it supports have been sidelined by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which dominates Idlib.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-02-06--Ex-Ivory Coast leader Gbagbo wants unconditional release from ICC

Lawyers for Ivory Coast 's former president Laurent Gbagbo argued on Thursday that he should be released without conditions while awaiting the prosecution 's appeal against his acquittal at the International Criminal Court .
The ICC , the world 's first permanent war crimes court , acquitted Gbagbo on crimes against humanity charges on Jan. 15 , saying prosecutors had failed to prove any case against him .
He was then conditionally released from detention after more than seven years in custody to Belgium .
He was not allowed to return to Ivory Coast and has to remain in Belgium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing in his case is called .
`` The defence is of the view that in principle no restriction should be placed on a person who has been acquitted , '' Gbagbo 's lawyer Dov Jacobs told the court .
The defence has indicated that Gbagbo would like to return to Ivory Coast and possibly participate in some form in October 's presidential election .
Gbagbo has not said whether he intends to run again for the presidency .
Ivory Coast 's government has submitted arguments to the ICC saying Gbagbo 's possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that he continues to pose a flight risk .
In October last year the ICC prosecutor asked the appeals judges to reverse the acquittal and to declare a mistrial , resetting Gbagbo 's legal process .

Lawyers for Ivory Coast's former president Laurent Gbagbo argued on Thursday that he should be released without conditions while awaiting the prosecution's appeal against his acquittal at the International Criminal Court.
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The ICC, the world's first permanent war crimes court, acquitted Gbagbo on crimes against humanity charges on Jan. 15, saying prosecutors had failed to prove any case against him.
He was then conditionally released from detention after more than seven years in custody to Belgium. He was not allowed to return to Ivory Coast and has to remain in Belgium and report to the court whenever a hearing in his case is called.
"The defence is of the view that in principle no restriction should be placed on a person who has been acquitted," Gbagbo's lawyer Dov Jacobs told the court.
01:36
The defence has indicated that Gbagbo would like to return to Ivory Coast and possibly participate in some form in October's presidential election. Gbagbo has not said whether he intends to run again for the presidency.
Ivory Coast's government has submitted arguments to the ICC saying Gbagbo's possible return to the country could cause unrest and that he continues to pose a flight risk.
In October last year the ICC prosecutor asked the appeals judges to reverse the acquittal and to declare a mistrial,
resetting Gbagbo's legal process.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-06--Coronavirus death toll surpasses 560 as world health experts hunt for cure

A vendor shows the only type of face mask available for sale as people scramble to buy masks in a medical supply store after the Philippine government confirmed the first coronavirus death in Manila , Philippines on January 31 , 2020 .
The death toll from a new coronavirus jumped by 73 to 563 on Thursday .
The great majority of deaths have been in mainland China , as experts intensified efforts to find a vaccine for a disease that has shut down Chinese cities and forced thousands more into quarantine around the world .
Hubei province , the epicentre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths on Wednesday and 2,987 new confirmed cases – more than 80 percent of the total reported by Chinese authorities .
The other fatalities were in Tianjin city , the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and Guizhou province in the southwest .
Hubei province in central China has been in virtual lockdown for nearly two weeks , with its train stations and airports shut and its roads sealed off .
The flu-like virus was first identified in Hubei 's provincial capital of Wuhan and is believed to have originated at a seafood market in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths outside mainland China – in the Philippines and Hong Kong – both involving people who had been to Wuhan where more than 400 people have died .
Hundreds of foreigners have been evacuated from Wuhan and placed in quarantine centres around the world , and thousands of passengers and crew were in lockdown on two cruise ships in Asian waters .
Ten more people on a cruise liner in the Japanese port of Yokohama , south of Tokyo , tested positive for the coronavirus , the Japanese health ministry said , bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 20 .
About 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks quarantined on the ship after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who travelled on it late last month tested positive .
`` We are hopeful that the US government will be sending transport for the Americans on board , '' Gay Courter , a 75-year-old American novelist aboard the ship , told Reuters .
`` It ’ s better for us to travel while healthy and also if we get sick to be treated in American hospitals . ''
In Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their ship docked in the city for tests after three people on board had tested positive earlier .
In the United States , another 350 American evacuees from Wuhan were placed under quarantine at two military bases in California , bringing to nearly 400 the number of people subject to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's ( CDC ) first public health quarantine in 50 years .
`` We are in a critical time period in the international spread of the virus , and this action is necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Dr. Christopher Braden , deputy director of the CDC 's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases .
More than two dozen airlines have suspended or restricted flights to China and several countries , including the United States , have banned entry to anyone who has been in China over the previous two weeks .
Hong Kong said all visitors from mainland China would be quarantined for two weeks , while Taiwan extended a ban on entry to foreigners who had been to mainland China in the past 14 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macau as well .
Hundreds of experts will gather in Geneva next week , on February 11-12 , in an attempt to find a way to fight back against the outbreak by speeding research into drugs and vaccines , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) said .
A multinational WHO-led team would go to China `` very soon '' , it added .
Asked about reports of `` drug breakthroughs '' , WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said : `` There are no known effective therapeutics against this 2019-nCoV ( virus ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus recover quickly with only mild symptoms , the virus can lead to pneumonia and other severe respiratory illnesses .
It is still too early to know what its death rate will be , since there are likely to be many cases of milder disease going undetected .
China 's National Health Commission said another 3,694 coronavirus cases were reported throughout the country on February 5 , bringing the total to 28,018 .
It was the first day in over a week since testing rates stabilised that new daily cases in China have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported in 31 other countries and regions outside mainland China , according to a Reuters tally based on official statements .
China has bristled at some international measures to shut off borders to Chinese travellers .
`` The Chinese people are using all their strength to fight the epidemic and we are fully confident and capable of winning the battle of epidemic prevention and control , '' Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said , according to a ministry statement .
Many analysts cut their growth outlook for the Chinese economy as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stabilised in recent days on central bank stimulus measures and media reports of `` breakthrough '' drugs .
Asian stocks edged up on Thursday after European stocks jumped sharply , US Treasury yields rose and US stock index futures surged .
Fitch Ratings said a shock to China 's services sector and industrial output similar in scale to that from SARS – another coronavirus originating from China that killed almost 800 people in a pandemic in 2002-2003 – would cut its first-quarter economic growth to around 4 percent year-on-year , from 6 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 700 billion was wiped off mainland Chinese stocks on Monday with many factories shut , cities cut off and travel links constricted , fuelling worries about global supply chains .
China 's major trading partners are also worried about the impact on their economies , particularly sectors such as tourism and education .
Top US officials have said the benefits of a new Phase 1 trade deal with China could be delayed as a result of the virus , and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said the economic fallout on Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The death toll from a new coronavirus jumped by 73 to 563 on Thursday. The great majority of deaths have been in mainland China, as experts intensified efforts to find a vaccine for a disease that has shut down Chinese cities and forced thousands more into quarantine around the world.
A vendor shows the only type of face mask available for sale as people scramble to buy masks in a medical supply store after the Philippine government confirmed the first coronavirus death in Manila, Philippines on January 31, 2020.
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Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic, reported 70 new deaths on Wednesday and 2,987 new confirmed cases – more than 80 percent of the total reported by Chinese authorities. The other fatalities were in Tianjin city, the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and Guizhou province in the southwest.
Hubei province in central China has been in virtual lockdown for nearly two weeks, with its train stations and airports shut and its roads sealed off. The flu-like virus was first identified in Hubei's provincial capital of Wuhan and is believed to have originated at a seafood market in the city.
There have been two deaths outside mainland China – in the Philippines and Hong Kong – both involving people who had been to Wuhan where more than 400 people have died.
Hundreds of foreigners have been evacuated from Wuhan and placed in quarantine centres around the world, and thousands of passengers and crew were in lockdown on two cruise ships in Asian waters.
Ten more people on a cruise liner in the Japanese port of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, tested positive for the coronavirus, the Japanese health ministry said, bringing the total number of cases on board to 20.
About 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks quarantined on the ship after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who travelled on it late last month tested positive.
"We are hopeful that the US government will be sending transport for the Americans on board," Gay Courter, a 75-year-old American novelist aboard the ship, told Reuters.
"It’s better for us to travel while healthy and also if we get sick to be treated in American hospitals."
In Hong Kong, 3,600 passengers and crew were confined to their ship docked in the city for tests after three people on board had tested positive earlier.
In the United States, another 350 American evacuees from Wuhan were placed under quarantine at two military bases in California, bringing to nearly 400 the number of people subject to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) first public health quarantine in 50 years.
"We are in a critical time period in the international spread of the virus, and this action is necessary to try to prevent the spread here," said Dr. Christopher Braden, deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
More than two dozen airlines have suspended or restricted flights to China and several countries, including the United States, have banned entry to anyone who has been in China over the previous two weeks.
Hong Kong said all visitors from mainland China would be quarantined for two weeks, while Taiwan extended a ban on entry to foreigners who had been to mainland China in the past 14 days to include those from Hong Kong and Macau as well.
Search for a treatment
Hundreds of experts will gather in Geneva next week, on February 11-12, in an attempt to find a way to fight back against the outbreak by speeding research into drugs and vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. A multinational WHO-led team would go to China "very soon", it added.
Asked about reports of "drug breakthroughs", WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said: "There are no known effective therapeutics against this 2019-nCoV (virus)."
While most people infected with the virus recover quickly with only mild symptoms, the virus can lead to pneumonia and other severe respiratory illnesses. It is still too early to know what its death rate will be, since there are likely to be many cases of milder disease going undetected.
China's National Health Commission said another 3,694 coronavirus cases were reported throughout the country on February 5, bringing the total to 28,018. It was the first day in over a week since testing rates stabilised that new daily cases in China have gone down.
There were 258 cases reported in 31 other countries and regions outside mainland China, according to a Reuters tally based on official statements.
China has bristled at some international measures to shut off borders to Chinese travellers.
"The Chinese people are using all their strength to fight the epidemic and we are fully confident and capable of winning the battle of epidemic prevention and control," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said, according to a ministry statement.
Economic impact
Many analysts cut their growth outlook for the Chinese economy as the epidemic spread, but global markets have stabilised in recent days on central bank stimulus measures and media reports of "breakthrough" drugs.
Asian stocks edged up on Thursday after European stocks jumped sharply, US Treasury yields rose and US stock index futures surged.
Fitch Ratings said a shock to China's services sector and industrial output similar in scale to that from SARS – another coronavirus originating from China that killed almost 800 people in a pandemic in 2002-2003 – would cut its first-quarter economic growth to around 4 percent year-on-year, from 6 percent in the last quarter.
Nearly $700 billion was wiped off mainland Chinese stocks on Monday with many factories shut, cities cut off and travel links constricted, fuelling worries about global supply chains.
China's major trading partners are also worried about the impact on their economies, particularly sectors such as tourism and education.
Top US officials have said the benefits of a new Phase 1 trade deal with China could be delayed as a result of the virus, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said the economic fallout on Australia was likely to be "significant".
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-02-05--The last of the Golden Age: Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas dies at 103

FILE PHOTO : Actor Kirk Douglas arrives to receive an inaugural award for Excellence in Film presented by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival at a black-tie gala fundraiser in his honor at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara , California on July 30 , 2006 .
Kirk Douglas , the cleft-chinned movie star who fought gladiators , cowboys and boxers on the screen and the Hollywood establishment , died on Wednesday at the age of 103 , his son Michael Douglas said .
“ It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 103 , ” Michael Douglas said in a statement to People magazine and on his Facebook page .
“ To the world , he was a legend , an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years , a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to , ” Douglas added .
“ Kirk ’ s life was well lived , and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet , ” Michael added , saying he was `` so proud '' to be his father 's son .
Douglas made more than 90 movies in a career that stretched across seven decades and films such as `` Spartacus '' and `` The Vikings '' made him one of the biggest box-office stars of the 1950s and '60s .
He also played a major role in breaking the Hollywood blacklist - actors , directors and writers who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communist movement in the 1950s .
Douglas said he was more proud of that than any film he made .
Tributes poured in from Hollywood .
Actor and director Rob Reiner said on Twitter that Douglas `` will always be an icon in the pantheon of Hollywood .
He put himself on the line to break the blacklist . ''
Mitzi Gaynor , who appeared with Douglas in the 1963 movie `` For Love or Money , '' said the film would `` always hold a special place in my heart . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your amazing talent with all of us , '' Gaynor tweeted .
Danny DeVito called him an `` inspirational Scallywag , '' while Ed Asner tweeted `` I will always be in your awe . ''
A stroke in 1996 at age 80 left Douglas with slurred speech and damaged facial nerves .
But two weeks later he showed his spirit by attending the Academy Awards ceremony to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award .
He also continued to take small acting roles through 2008 but said the stroke left him suicidal .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parade magazine in 2014 .
`` At first , I thought my life was at an end .
But when I put the gun in my mouth , it hit a tooth .
Ow !
And that struck me funny .
A toothache was stopping me from committing suicide ? ''
In one of his last public appearances , Douglas was frail and barely audible in a wheelchair as he helped daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones present the Oscar for best screenplay in January 2018 .
In November of that year he joined his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .
Douglas had a distinctive chin , razor-sharp cheekbones and a jutting jaw - looks that he passed along to Michael - and that made him a natural for playing all manner of rugged characters .
He also had a demanding nature that earned him a reputation in his prime as the actor who directed directors .
Long-time friend and sometime co-star Burt Lancaster loved to introduce him by saying , `` Kirk would be the first to admit he is a difficult person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second . ''
`` I make my own way , '' Douglas once told an interviewer .
`` Nobody 's my boss .
Nobody 's ever been my boss ...
I 've been a maverick . ''
Douglas said playing Vincent van Gogh in `` Lust for Life '' ( 1956 ) was his favorite role but `` Spartacus '' ( 1960 ) was his favorite film because , as producer , he took a big step toward breaking the Hollywood blacklist .
The lifetime Oscar was Douglas ' only Academy Award @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruthless boxer Midge Kelly in `` Champion '' ( 1949 ) , a movie executive in `` The Bad and the Beautiful '' ( 1952 ) and van Gogh in `` Lust for Life . ''
Douglas ' first movie was `` The Strange Love of Martha Ivers '' in 1946 after being suggested for the part by acting school classmate Betty Joan Perske , who became famous after changing her name to Lauren Bacall .
Douglas was known for powerful performances as characters who had to endure intense on-screen pain .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hole , '' crucified in `` Spartacus , '' lost an eye in `` The Vikings , '' an ear in `` Lust for Life , '' and a finger in `` The Big Sky . ''
His other notable movies were `` Lonely Are the Brave , '' `` The Devil 's Disciple , '' `` Victory at Entebbe '' and `` Tough Guys , '' which he made with Lancaster in 1986 .
Douglas ' independent streak led him to set up Bryna Production Co , which he named after his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studio bosses and helping break their monopoly on the industry .
Born Issur Danielovich on Dec. 9 , 1916 , in Amsterdam , New York , Douglas was the only son of seven children born to illiterate Russian immigrants .
After graduating from high school , he hitch-hiked to St. Lawrence University in Canton , New York , where he became a wrestling champion .
He also staged and starred in theatrical productions and changed his name to Izzy Demsy .
After St. Lawrence , he graduated from New York 's American Academy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his name to Kirk Douglas .
He joined the Navy following two small Broadway roles .
While in the Navy he married British actress Diana Dill and they had two sons , Michael and Joel , before the marriage ended after eight years .
Douglas had a reputation as a Hollywood ladies ' man .
Among the lovers listed in the 1988 book `` The Ragman 's Son , '' one of several books he wrote about his life , were Joan Crawford , Marlene Dietrich , Rita Hayworth , Marilyn Maxwell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making `` Act of Love , '' Douglas met Anne Buydens , the film 's publicist , and they married in 1954 .
Their marriage became one of Hollywood 's most enduring despite his affairs .
They had two sons , Peter and Eric .
Douglas , who survived a 1991 helicopter crash that killed two people , tried to discourage his children from following him into acting .
Still , Michael became a superstar and a successful producer , Joel and Peter also were producers and Eric was an actor until his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` You see how they listened to me , '' Douglas once said .
Douglas , who grew a long white ponytail in his later years , published several books , including a book of poetry , prose and photographs in 2014 and “ Kirk and Anne : Letters of Love , Laughter and a Lifetime in Hollywood , '' in 2017 with his wife .
He established the Douglas Foundation for making charitable donations and in 2015 he and Anne announced plans to give away his $ 80 million fortune to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shelter for homeless women named after Anne , the Los Angeles public school district , St. Lawrence University and hospitals .
To mark his 99th birthday in 2015 he donated $ 15 million to the Motion Picture and Television Fund to help build a facility for entertainment industry figures with Alzheimer ’ s disease .

Kirk Douglas, the cleft-chinned movie star who fought gladiators, cowboys and boxers on the screen and the Hollywood establishment, died on Wednesday at the age of 103, his son Michael Douglas said.
FILE PHOTO: Actor Kirk Douglas arrives to receive an inaugural award for Excellence in Film presented by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival at a black-tie gala fundraiser in his honor at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California on July 30, 2006.
Advertising Read more
“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” Michael Douglas said in a statement to People magazine and on his Facebook page.
“To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to,” Douglas added.
“Kirk’s life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet,” Michael added, saying he was "so proud" to be his father's son.
01:33
Douglas made more than 90 movies in a career that stretched across seven decades and films such as "Spartacus" and "The Vikings" made him one of the biggest box-office stars of the 1950s and '60s.
He also played a major role in breaking the Hollywood blacklist - actors, directors and writers who were shunned professionally because of links to the communist movement in the 1950s. Douglas said he was more proud of that than any film he made.
Tributes poured in from Hollywood. Actor and director Rob Reiner said on Twitter that Douglas "will always be an icon in the pantheon of Hollywood. He put himself on the line to break the blacklist."
Mitzi Gaynor, who appeared with Douglas in the 1963 movie "For Love or Money," said the film would "always hold a special place in my heart."
"Thank you for so generously sharing your amazing talent with all of us," Gaynor tweeted.
Danny DeVito called him an "inspirational Scallywag," while Ed Asner tweeted "I will always be in your awe."
A stroke in 1996 at age 80 left Douglas with slurred speech and damaged facial nerves. But two weeks later he showed his spirit by attending the Academy Awards ceremony to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. He also continued to take small acting roles through 2008 but said the stroke left him suicidal.
"Humor saved me," Douglas told Parade magazine in 2014. "At first, I thought my life was at an end. But when I put the gun in my mouth, it hit a tooth. Ow! And that struck me funny. A toothache was stopping me from committing suicide?"
In one of his last public appearances, Douglas was frail and barely audible in a wheelchair as he helped daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones present the Oscar for best screenplay in January 2018. In November of that year he joined his son Michael as the younger Douglas was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Douglas had a distinctive chin, razor-sharp cheekbones and a jutting jaw - looks that he passed along to Michael - and that made him a natural for playing all manner of rugged characters.
He also had a demanding nature that earned him a reputation in his prime as the actor who directed directors. Long-time friend and sometime co-star Burt Lancaster loved to introduce him by saying, "Kirk would be the first to admit he is a difficult person. (Pause) I would be the second."
"I make my own way," Douglas once told an interviewer. "Nobody's my boss. Nobody's ever been my boss ... I've been a maverick."
Douglas said playing Vincent van Gogh in "Lust for Life" (1956) was his favorite role but "Spartacus" (1960) was his favorite film because, as producer, he took a big step toward breaking the Hollywood blacklist.
The lifetime Oscar was Douglas' only Academy Award even though he was nominated for playing ruthless boxer Midge Kelly in "Champion" (1949), a movie executive in "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) and van Gogh in "Lust for Life."
Douglas' first movie was "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" in 1946 after being suggested for the part by acting school classmate Betty Joan Perske, who became famous after changing her name to Lauren Bacall.
Douglas was known for powerful performances as characters who had to endure intense on-screen pain. He was stabbed in "Ace in the Hole," crucified in "Spartacus," lost an eye in "The Vikings," an ear in "Lust for Life," and a finger in "The Big Sky."
His other notable movies were "Lonely Are the Brave," "The Devil's Disciple," "Victory at Entebbe" and "Tough Guys," which he made with Lancaster in 1986.
Douglas' independent streak led him to set up Bryna Production Co, which he named after his mother, in 1955, snubbing big studio bosses and helping break their monopoly on the industry.
Born Issur Danielovich on Dec. 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, New York, Douglas was the only son of seven children born to illiterate Russian immigrants.
After graduating from high school, he hitch-hiked to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, where he became a wrestling champion. He also staged and starred in theatrical productions and changed his name to Izzy Demsy.
After St. Lawrence, he graduated from New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1941 and changed his name to Kirk Douglas. He joined the Navy following two small Broadway roles.
While in the Navy he married British actress Diana Dill and they had two sons, Michael and Joel, before the marriage ended after eight years.
Douglas had a reputation as a Hollywood ladies' man. Among the lovers listed in the 1988 book "The Ragman's Son," one of several books he wrote about his life, were Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Maxwell, Patricia Neal and Gene Tierney.
While making "Act of Love," Douglas met Anne Buydens, the film's publicist, and they married in 1954. Their marriage became one of Hollywood's most enduring despite his affairs. They had two sons, Peter and Eric.
Douglas, who survived a 1991 helicopter crash that killed two people, tried to discourage his children from following him into acting. Still, Michael became a superstar and a successful producer, Joel and Peter also were producers and Eric was an actor until his 2004 death from a drug overdose.
"You see how they listened to me," Douglas once said.
Kirk Douglas has passed away and I think the world is a poorer place without him. The term legend is used to often these days, but this man was a living legend. 103 years are a long life, but in my eyes he was still too young. Rest in Peace, #KirkDouglas pic.twitter.com/LOj22gBb24 — The real Dr Vries (@DrVries) February 5, 2020
Douglas, who grew a long white ponytail in his later years, published several books, including a book of poetry, prose and photographs in 2014 and “Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter and a Lifetime in Hollywood," in 2017 with his wife.
He established the Douglas Foundation for making charitable donations and in 2015 he and Anne announced plans to give away his $80 million fortune to a variety of causes. The beneficiaries included a shelter for homeless women named after Anne, the Los Angeles public school district, St. Lawrence University and hospitals.
To mark his 99th birthday in 2015 he donated $15 million to the Motion Picture and Television Fund to help build a facility for entertainment industry figures with Alzheimer’s disease.
Sadly today a true legend has parted this world. Kirk Douglas has died at the age of 103. Rest easy sweet Spartacus. #kirkdouglasrip #KirkDouglas #spartacus pic.twitter.com/gVj0EY7Eg9 — cinematicanarchy (@cinematicanarc1) February 5, 2020
(REUTERS)
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