News: Coronavirus calls into question PSA-Fiat Chrysler merger

source: AFP

 AFP/File / MARCO BERTORELLO, Joël SAGET PSA and Fiat Chrysler would create the world's fourth-largest automaker, if they manage to merge

Will they or won't they? On top of massive economic damage, the coronavirus pandemic now is casting doubt over the pending merger of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler (FCA), financial sources told AFP.

The tie-up, announced at the end of October and due to be finalized in early 2021 at the latest, would create the world's fourth-largest automaker, bringing under one roof brands like Peugeot, Citroen, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

Preparations are continuing, with legal teams working hard to get the green light from antitrust authorities, according to the sources who requested anonymity as they discussed this sensitive subject.

Meanwhile, auditors and financial advisors are working on paperwork required by the US Securities and Exchange Commission stock market regulator.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has caused global markets to tumble as it plunges the economy into recession, shutting down auto plants in Europe and the United States. That has called into question the financial terms of the merger, according to the sources who are working on the transaction.

"The two groups need this merger in view of the heavy investments that must be made in electric cars, but they must recognize that, in view of the economic situation, for the merger to take place it will be necessary to review the initial financial terms," one of the sources said.

Karl Brauer, and expert at Kelley Blue Book, agreed, saying: "Assumptions about valuation of the companies, revenues projections, sales for 2020 and beyond for both companies, all those mathematical assumptions that were made during the talks essentially have to be re-evaluated now."

PSA and FCA no longer "have the level of confidence that they had even a month ago in terms of sales revenues, market shares, products mix and products planning," he said.

- Lost value -

The two groups planned a merger of equals, which involves paying a dividend of 1.1 billion euros to their respective shareholders for 2019.

FCA is also expected to pay an extraordinary dividend of 5.5 billion euros, while PSA must distribute to its shareholders its 46-percent stake in French equipment manufacturer Faurecia.

But Faurecia's market capitalization has shrunk by at least a third since the merger was announced, which means the value of PSA's stake lost nearly 1 billion euros as of Monday.

"We will have to rebalance things between shareholders if we still want to talk about a merger of equals," said one of the financial sources.

And an industry expert, who asked not to be named, said, "I have always found that parity is very much to Fiat's advantage."

With the decline in Faurecia value, "It is even more so."

- Dividends at stake -

The promised dividend of 1.1 billion euros is now in doubt as well, the sources said, since the companies will need to preserve their cash to cope with the coming collapse in auto sales, both in Europe, where PSA earns most of its income, and in the US, where FCA generates very large margins.

Governments are urging firms to be cautious.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday warned "all companies, especially the largest, to exercise the utmost restraint on the payment of dividends."

"It is a time when all the money has to be used to run businesses," he said, especially if companies are seeking government help.

Arguing that 14 million European jobs are threatened, the European Automobile Manufacturer's Association (ACEA) last week asked for financial support for the industry, which is facing its "worst crisis" ever experienced.

"If PSA or FCA appeal to the state, how could they justify asking taxpayers for billions and distributing billions to their shareholders at the same time?" said Gregori Volokhine of Meeschaert Financial Services.

But PSA insisted that the deal would still go ahead.

"The merger makes sense more than ever in the current day-to-day context. Our teams are continuing work with the same commitment," PSA wrote in an emailed response to AFP.

"In the context of such a health crisis, we feel it is inappropriate to speculate about any possible changes to the agreement," the carmaker continued. "Our focus is to protect our employees and our business."

France's Economy Ministry, which is an indirect shareholder of PSA via the BPIFrance sovereign wealth fund's 12.2 percent stake in the company, did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

A PSA spokesperson simply said the merger schedule remained "unchanged," while FCA also did not respond to a request for comment.

Jean-Marie Messier, whose firm Messier Maris & Associes advised PSA on the transaction, and Michael Zaoui, counsel to the Peugeot family via Zaoui & Co., also declined to comment.

News: Japan man faces verdict in murder of 19 at disabled care home

source: AFP


JIJI PRESS/AFP/File / Masato YAMASHITA Uematsu appeared before the court in January when the trial began, and has not denied involvement in the grisly stabbing rampage

A Japanese court hands down its verdict Monday in the case of a man accused of murdering 19 disabled people at a care home in 2016, in one of the country's worst mass killings.

Satoshi Uematsu, a former employee at the facility, does not dispute his involvement in the grisly stabbing rampage that shocked Japan where violent crime is rare. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

His lawyers have entered a plea of not guilty, arguing the 30-year-old was suffering a "mental disorder" linked to his use of marijuana.

But prosecutors say Uematsu was capable of taking responsibility for the attack at the Tsukui Yamayuri-en centre in Sagamihara town outside Tokyo and should be executed for his crimes.

The rampage was "inhumane" and left "no room for leniency", prosecutors argued last month.

Uematsu's behaviour in court, including apparently trying to put something in his mouth, disrupted proceedings in the first hearing in January, with the judge calling a recess and then resuming without him.

He faces six charges including murder and has reportedly said he will not appeal whatever decision the court hands down.

But he has also defended himself, arguing his actions do not deserve the death penalty.

Uematsu has reportedly said he wanted to eradicate all disabled people in the horrifying attack that also left 26 people wounded.

He turned himself in to police after the assault, carrying bloodied knives.

It later emerged he had left his job at the home just months earlier and had been forcibly hospitalised after telling colleagues he intended to kill disabled people at the centre.

Uematsu had been discharged after 12 days when a doctor decided he was not a threat. He had also written a letter outlining plans to attack the home, claiming "disabled people only create unhappiness".

- 'I will never forgive you'-


AFP/File / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU Dozens of people queued outside the court in Yokohama outside Tokyo for a seat at the opening session of the trial in January


Among the few victims to be identified publicly was a 19-year-old woman, Miho, whose mother had said at the court that Uematsu "didn't need a future".

"I hate you so much. I want to rip you apart. Even the most extreme penalty is light for you. I will never forgive you," her mother said, according to public broadcaster NHK.

"Please bring back my most precious daughter... You're still alive. It's not fair. It's wrong."

"I demand capital punishment," she added.

Uematsu has shown no remorse for the attack, telling Japan's Mainichi Shimbun daily that people with mental disabilities "have no heart", and for them "there's no point in living".

"I had to do it for the sake of society," he said.

Uematsu's beliefs shocked Japan, with experts and activists raising questions about whether others might hold similar views.

Japan has been making efforts to increase accessibility -- particularly in Tokyo ahead of this year's Paralympic Games -- and activists hailed last year's election of two disabled lawmakers.

But some critics feel the country still falls short of fully integrating people with disabilities.

News: Dutch queue for cannabis as coronavirus closes cafes 2020

source: AFP

ANP/AFP / Phil NIJHUIS People queue outside cannabis cafe in The Hague on Sunday

Cannabis smokers aiming to keep calm and carry on despite coronavirus queued up outside Dutch "coffee shops" on Sunday after the government ordered their closure to beat the outbreak.

Customers lined up in their dozens as they tried to beat a deadline for the closure of the marijuana cafes and stockpile weed supplies for what could be weeks of lockdown.

The Netherlands' famed coffee shops have become as much a part of the country's popular image abroad as sex clubs in Amsterdam's famed red light district, which were also ordered to shut by 6:00 pm along with all bars and restaurants.

"For maybe for the next two months we're not able to get some weed so it should be nice to at least have some in the house," Jonathan, a Dutch buyer, said outside The Point coffee shop in The Hague.

"My friend called me like five minutes ago, he saw the press conference -- good friend," he told AFP.

The queues built up minutes after the Dutch health and education ministers gave a televised press conference announcing the closure of many businesses, along with all Dutch schools.

Similar scenes were reported around the country, with pictures on social media of long queues outside coffee shops in the capital Amsterdam and the historic university city of Utrecht.

Whereas days earlier it was supermarkets besieged with people trying to hoard toilet paper and pasta, the sudden announcement of the coffee shop closure meant there were new priorities.

- 'Bit of weed' -

Staff set up separate lines for cash and cards as customers hurried to order supplies of exotically named strains like "Doctor", "Bubble" and "Purple Haze" before the doors shut.

"I wouldn't mind having a little bit of weed -- keep it easy while we're at home for so long. It might be a long time in quarantine," said an Irish woman who gave her name as Hannah as she queued in The Hague.

"I was literally just watching the press conference with my flatmate and then I just went downstairs and suddenly there's this queue of like 30 people, and all these cars arriving as well now."

Lines also built up at Roermond near the border with Germany, amid fears that the German government would shut its borders with the Netherlands next after introducing strict controls for those arriving from France, Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg and Denmark from Monday


ANP/AFP / Remko DE WAAL Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (r) and Health minister Bruno Bruins using the elbow bump greeting last week to avoid hand-to-hand contamination


Cannabis is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but it decriminalised the possession of less than five grammes (0.18 ounces) of the substance in 1976 under a so-called "tolerance" policy.

The cannabis queues came despite Health Minister Bruno Bruins making an "urgent appeal" to Dutch people during Sunday's press conference, saying: "Do not hoard. It is not necessary."

Prime Minister Mark Rutte will on Monday make a televised address to the nation, which has so far recorded 20 deaths from COVID-19 disease and 1,135 infections.

News :Liverpool eye record-breaking win as top-four battle heats up

source: AFP


 AFP/File / Paul ELLIS Liverpool are on the verge of a 19th successive Premier League win

Liverpool can make Premier League history at Watford on Saturday as the runaway leaders aim to move within three wins of clinching the title.

While Jurgen Klopp's side are racing towards the title, the battle to qualify for the Champions League and the struggle to avoid relegation look set to go down to the wire

Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Wolves can all bolster their European hopes this weekend, with West Ham, Norwich, Bournemouth and Watford among those scrapping for survival.

Liverpool's history boys

Liverpool's historic charge towards a first English title since 1990 will reach another landmark moment if they beat Watford.

The Reds equalled Manchester City's English top-flight record of 18 consecutive league wins, set between August and December 2017, when they fought back from 2-1 down to beat West Ham 3-2 on Monday.

Klopp's men, who need four victories from their final 11 games to guarantee the title, can break City's record with win number 19 at Vicarage Road.

With second-placed Manchester City on League Cup final duty against Aston Villa on Sunday, a victory against the struggling Hornets would put Liverpool 25 points clear at the top.


 AFP/File / JAVIER SORIANO Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp


If they do win their next four games, they will lock up the title with seven matches to spare, beating the Premier League record of five, which is currently shared by Manchester City in 2017-18 and Manchester United in 2000-01.

Undefeated in their past 44 league matches, Liverpool are also five games away from equalling Arsenal's record of 49 unbeaten across 2003 and 2004.

It would be a huge upset if second-bottom Watford stop Liverpool. They have lost the past four meetings, conceding 15 times and failing to score a single goal.

Asked for the secret of Liverpool's success, Reds defender Virgil van Dijk said: "Not being nervous, that is the main thing.

"Keep playing and keep pressing. There will be moments when the opponent is going to have problems if we keep doing the same thing."

Top-four turbulence

With only seven points separating troubled Chelsea in fourth place and resurgent Arsenal in ninth, reaching next season's Champions League will be a tight squeeze for the six clubs in contention.


 AFP / Adrian DENNIS Chelsea and Manchester United are among the clubs hoping to reach next season's Champions League

Leicester, in third place, appear well set despite a recent wobble.

Fifth spot could be enough to ensure qualification depending on the outcome of second-placed Manchester City's appeal against their two-year ban from European competition.

Chelsea could be in danger after Tuesday's chastening 3-0 home defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 first leg.

Blues midfielder Jorginho said Frank Lampard's side cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves at Bournemouth on Saturday.

"It is really tough for the changing room, but we just have to believe in ourselves, and not put our heads down," Jorginho said.

"We need to keep working, keep pushing, because we are a good team."

If Chelsea lose on the south coast, Manchester United would move above them on goal difference, provided they win at Everton.

Successive wins over Chelsea and Watford have revitalised United, with the January addition of Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes sparking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's previously moribund team.

Tottenham, in sixth, host Wolves, with their eighth-placed visitors just one point behind them.

Hamstrung by injuries to Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, Jose Mourinho's side were beaten by Chelsea in their last league game, prompting their manager to hint he does not expect a successful end to the season.

"I would love to be at July 1," said Mourinho. "I would love to be in pre-season, working with Harry and Sonny. That's not possible. It's going to be very difficult, especially when we go into an accumulation of matches."

Arsenal, who are unbeaten in seven league games, are not in action this weekend.

Fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Norwich v Leicester (2000)

Saturday

Brighton v Crystal Palace (1230), Bournemouth v Chelsea, Newcastle v Burnley, West Ham v Southampton, Watford v Liverpool (1730)

Sunday

Everton v Manchester United (1400), Tottenham v Wolves (1400)

News: Turkey says will not stop refugees who 'want to go to Europe'

AFP/File / ANGELOS TZORTZINIS Migrants and refugees are seen on an inflatable boat during a rescue operation near the Greek island from Samos in November 2019

Turkey will no longer close its border gates to refugees who want to go to Europe, a senior official told AFP on Friday, shortly after the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in an airstrike in northern Syria.

"We will no longer keep the doors closed for refugees who want to go to Europe," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Nearly 300 migrants including Syrians have already arrived in Edirne province on the border with Greece in a bid to go to Europe, the private DHA news agency reported.

Another group of migrants arrived on the coast of Ayvacik in Canakkale, western Turkey, and wanted to go to the Greek island of Lesbos by boats, it reported.

The killing of Turkish soldiers in Idlib after an air strike blamed on Damascus has prompted an emergency meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey, which is already home to around 3.6 million Syrian refugees, fears more people arriving in the country where there is growing popular discontent against their presence.

In a series of tweets, Erdogan's top press aide, Fahrettin Altun, accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of "conducting ethnic cleansing" and seeking to drive millions of Syrians out of Idlib.

"These people will try to escape to Turkey and Europe. Already hosting close to 4 million refugees, we do not have the capacity and resources to allow entry to another million," he wrote.

Greece and its EU partners also fear another influx of refugees from Syria after more than one million made their way there in 2015 before an EU-Turkey accord was reached on controlling the numbers.
source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/3954/turkey-says-will-not-stop-refugees-who-want-go-europe-doc-1pe58z3

News: Anxious passengers wait to leave Japan virus ship

News
Anxious passengers wait to leave Japan virus ship



AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU People still in quarantine stand on the deck of the Diamond Princess in Yokohama on February 18, 2020

Several hundred passengers who have endured a torrid 14-day quarantine aboard a coronavirus-riddled cruise ship in Japan are set to disembark Wednesday -- if they have tested negative.

The Diamond Princess moored in Yokohama near Tokyo has proved a fertile breeding ground for the virus with at least 542 positive cases, and Japan has come under fire for its handling of the quarantine arrangements.

The initial 3,700 passengers and crew on board from 56 nations have seen a dream cruise turn into a nightmare as they battled fear and crushing boredom on the vessel, some confined to small windowless cabins apart from brief periods of exercise on deck.


 AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU Diamond Princess passengers stand on the cruise ship's balconies on February 18, 2020


"If you and your roommate are both negative and have no fever or respiratory symptoms, you will be able to prepare for disembarkation," Japanese officials told passengers in a letter, adding it would take at least three days to process everyone.

For the travellers, this means a painful wait for test results that can take several days to evaluate.

"We still need our test results, so we're holding off any celebration yet," US lawyer Matt Smith told AFP from on board. "The feeling is anxious."


AFP / Factfile on the virus-stricken Diamond Princess, including daily cases of reported infections

British passenger David Abel, who became a minor celebrity with his upbeat video messages in the early days of the quarantine, typified the mood shift aboard.

"It's all getting to us now and it's not just me, it's the other passengers as well. It's the not-knowing factor that is the real challenge. Mentally, it's now taking its toll. Right now, it's very hard to remain focused on anything," he said.

He later announced he and his wife Sally had tested positive.

- 'Special containment area' -

The Diamond Princess ship is easily the biggest cluster of positive cases outside the Chinese epicentre, with more people succumbing to the virus than in the rest of the world put together.


AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU The Diamond Princess cruise ship, pictured February 18, 2020, has proved a fertile breeding ground for the novel coronavirus

With dozens of new positive cases daily, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the quarantine measures, with passengers allowed to mingle on deck with face masks, and crews passing from cabin to cabin with meals.

"Clearly there has been more transmission than expected on the ship," said Michael Ryan, head of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme.

Japanese authorities are now "taking the necessary public health measures with other countries to evacuate people and deal with the follow-up in a different way," he said.

Several countries appeared to lose patience with the on-board quarantine and announced they would send chartered planes to bring back their citizens.

In the first such evacuation on Sunday, more than 300 Americans flew home even though 14 of the passengers had tested positive. They were separated from others in a "special containment area."

However, more than 100 Americans still remain on the Diamond Princess, the US Centers for Disease Control said.

Early Wednesday, South Korea flew six of its nationals plus a Japanese spouse to Seoul, who will be placed in isolation for 14 days, the Yonhap news agency reported.


AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU People walk by the coast in Yokohama on February 18, 2020


The other eight South Koreans who remain onboard will be evacuated if they test negative, it said.

And Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said his country would evacuate virus-free nationals via plane by the end of the week and place them in quarantine for 14 days.

Of the 256 Canadian passengers aboard, 43 have been confirmed to have the virus and will be transferred to the Japanese health system, the Canadian government said.

Britain, Hong Kong and Australia are among other countries that have vowed to repatriate people from the ship but will insist on a further 14-day quarantine period on home soil.

Around 500 people are expected to leave Wednesday, with more following in the coming days, but not everyone will be allowed to get off so soon.

Anyone who has come into contact with someone who later proved positive has their 14-day quarantine period "reset."

In addition, the crew will begin a quarantine when the last passenger has disembarked.

Many crew members have refused to speak to media for fear of losing their jobs, but some have broken their silence to voice worries over their conditions, as they work and eat together and sleep several to a cabin.

People in Yokohama appeared supportive of the decision to allow the passengers out despite the virus fears.

"I am sure those people on board must be really worried. I hope they can go back to their normal life soon," said 51-year-old Isamu Habiro.

"As a Yokohama resident, I don't want them to be treated unfairly. I want to cheer for them," Habiro told AFP.

News Gutsy Atletico given hope after surprise win over Liverpool

source: AFP NEWS
News
Gutsy Atletico given hope after surprise win over Liverpool



AFP / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez (C) celebrates scoring an early goal against Liverpool at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday.

Liverpool were the victims of an old-fashioned Atletico Madrid masterclass on Tuesday as Diego Simeone's side ground out a 1-0 win in Madrid to give themselves hope of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

Saul Niguez raised the roof at a bouncing Wanda Metropolitano by scoring in the fourth minute before Atletico's defence kicked in, suffocating the European champions and denying them a single shot on target.

If Alvaro Morata had not slipped when given a good chance in the second half, Atleti might even have taken a two-goal lead to Anfield, where they can expect an onslaught next month.

Yet even if Liverpool are still favourites to overturn this deficit and go through, the roar from the Atleti fans at the final whistle, aimed at their fist-pumping players on the pitch, suggested Simeone's team now believe.

Few had tipped them to keep this tie even alive for the second leg, let alone progress, given their own stuttering form while Liverpool, unbeaten in the Premier League, are gunning for a treble.

Jurgen Klopp said on Monday Atletico were a "results machine" but the temptation was to see his words as platitudes, not an accurate reflection of a side that sits 13 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid and had already lost six times this season.

Yet Atletico under Simeone have also become synonymous with upsetting the odds, just as they did when winning the Spanish title in 2014 and then twice reaching the Champions League final.

For all their failings this season, they summoned that spirit here to produce the kind of performance full of tenacity, resilience and guts that was always going to be needed to give them any chance of success.

Simeone sprung a surprise by starting Thomas Lemar for the first time this year while Alvaro Morata and Diego Costa both returned from injury, the former from the start and the latter off the bench in the second half.

- Atletico snapping at heels -

Liverpool, who began with their expected eleven, have blitzed numerous opponents with explosive starts but they were the ones rocking early on as Atletico snapped at their heels, pressed hard and relished being first to every loose ball.

They took the lead, aided by a hint of fortune as Liverpool failed to clear the corner and the ball cannoned back off the foot of Fabinho for Saul to stab in from three yards.

On the sideline, Simeone beckoned his players to stay calm but they were celebrating in the corner while in the stands, the fans were delirious and given hope.

Atletico were given a lead to defend and the rest of the half was largely a picture of Liverpool dominating the ball but failing to break down the 10 red and white shirts in front of them.

Their best chances fell to Mohamed Salah but he passed Jan Oblak's mishit clearance to the offside Firmino before sidefooting into an open net and then saw a deflected shot fly over.

Oblak's error came shortly after an equally unusual mistake from Virgil van Dijk, whose poor header might have proved costly, only for Morata to miss the chance from the angle.

Sadio Mane, on a yellow card, was replaced at half-time by Divock Origi while Lemar made way for the more conscientious Marcos Llorente.

Simeone could sense Liverpool's momentum and he responded by frantically flapping his arms to demand more support.

Salah drifted into space at the back post but headed wide and Atletico came through another spell of pressure unscathed. Morata should even have made it two but slipped when about to pull the tigger on Lodi's cut-back.

He was taken off with 20 minutes left, along with Salah, and Costa made his return shortly after to a wave of approval from the home support. The roar was even bigger when the final whistle blew.

News PSG still 'dangerous', warns record-breaker Haaland

News
PSG still 'dangerous', warns record-breaker Haaland
source: AFP NEWS


 AFP / Ina Fassbender Dortmund's Norwegian forward Erling Braut Haaland is now the Champions League's joint top-scorer this season with 10 goals in Europe.

Teenage record-breaker Erling Braut Haaland warned Borussia Dortmund still have it all to do to reach the Champions League quarter-finals even after his two goals sank Neymar's Paris Saint-Germain.

Haaland netted either side of a Neymar equaliser on Tuesday as the Brazilian superstar scored on his return from injury as the French champions crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Dortmund in the last 16, first leg, tie.

"We want to go through, it's going to be a hard game," Haaland said of the return leg in Paris on March 11, "but we are a good team.

"The result is quite a dangerous one, as Paris has a very strong team and can still go through in the return leg."

Haaland's team-mate Emre Can, who alongside Axel Witsel worked tirelessly in Dortmund's midfield to contain Neymar and France striker Kylian Mbappe, said the home side's defence had been key.

"It was a big statement from the team how we defended today. We know it's not over -- it's just half-time," said Can, whose permanent transfer from Juventus was confirmed Tuesday.

However, the night belonged Haaland who has 11 goals in his first seven games for Dortmund and warned there is more to come.

"I feel like I still can do a lot better," said Haaland.

"I have to work hard to improve to play better at this level."

Having also scored eight goals for Salzburg in the group stages before his 20 million-euro ($22 million) transfer to Dortmund, Haaland made Champions League history on Tuesday.

His tally of 10 goals in his first seven Champions League matches is now a new record in the competition and makes him the joint top-scorer alongside Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.

The teenage goal-machine has so far scored 39 times in 29 games this season for Salzburg and Dortmund.

The 19-year-old had already sent records tumbling since arriving in Dortmund last month when he became the first player to score a hat-trick off the bench on his Bundesliga debut.

His incredible strike for his second goal on Tuesday overshadowed Neymar's return from a rib injury with PSG desperate to break their last 16 jinx having exited at this stage in the competition in each of the last three seasons.

- 'Important Neymar goal' -


 AFP / SASCHA SCHUERMANN Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar scored an away goal at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.


Paris defender Marquinhos said Neymar's away goal could prove crucial in the home leg.

"We weren't intense enough with or without the ball and did a lot of things badly, however the goal we got is important for the second leg," he said.

The presence of the world's most expensive player was a major boost for his team, after Neymar missed last season's surprise last-16 loss to Manchester United with a foot injury.

He also sat out the second leg of their defeat by Real Madrid at the same stage in 2018.

PSG's German coach Thomas Tuchel admitted Neymar's lack of match fitness had been a factor in the away defeat, but said his team still has time to find their form.

"Neymar hadn't played for a fortnight, but he is very important for Kylian (Mbappe), there is harmony between them and if Neymar lacks rhythm, it's immediately noticeable," said Tuchel.

"We didn't have enough possession, we made too many easy mistakes, we weren't smart enough and we lost the ball too early.

"It's difficult, but it's 2-1 and we still have a few games left to get back into the rhythm."

His counterpart Lucien Favre echoed Haaland's insistence that the result gives Dortmund only a slender advantage with PSG's passionate home fans set to get behind their team in the return leg.

"Of course it's a dangerous result, but we played well in both defence and attack," said Dortmund's Swiss coach.

"However, as things stand it's 2-1 to us."

News Despite trade wars, Trump says US 'open for business'

source: AFP
News
Despite trade wars, Trump says US 'open for business'



 AFP / JIM WATSON US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars in goods and launched disputes with most key US trading partners over the past three years

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wants to avoid policies that make it difficult for other countries to do business with the United States -- even as his administration has done precisely the opposite.

Trump has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars in goods and launched disputes with most key US trading partners over the past three years, but in a lengthy Twitter thread, the president said, "We don't want to make it impossible to do business with us. That will only mean that orders will go to someplace else."

"The United States cannot, & will not, become such a difficult place to deal with in terms of foreign countries buying our product, including for the always used National Security excuse, that our companies will be forced to leave in order to remain competitive," he tweeted.

Trump appeared to be directing his tweets at hardliners in his White House, referring to a proposal to block General Electric from selling jet engines to China.


AFP/File / - Trump seems to be aiming his ire at hardline officials in his own White House who want to block sales of jet engines to China used in the Comac C919, the China's first medium-haul passenger jet


"I want China to buy our jet engines, the best in the World," he said. "I have seen some of the regulations being circulated... and they are ridiculous."

US officials are considering denying a license to CFM International, a joint venture between GE and France's Safran SA, to export more of its jet engines to China, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend, citing people familiar with the discussions.

The report said the aim was to cripple development of China's Comac airliner.

- National security threat -

But Trump has freely used the national security justification in his confrontational trade strategy, imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum worldwide to protect key American industry, and threatening to do likewise for cars from Europe.


AFP/File / SAUL LOEB US President Donald Trump at a press conference with China’s Vice Premier Liu He (L), the country’s top trade negotiator, in the East Room of the White House

In the most costly trade conflict, Trump announced tariffs on virtually 100 percent of goods imported from China. A truce signed in January suspended the most damaging of those, but the majority remain in place.

US trading partners have not stood idly by as Trump imposes tariffs, retaliating with punitive duties on American goods like bourbon, motorcycles and farm products, which obliged the government to provide millions in aid to farmers.

In the latest dispute -- a 15-year-old case over European government subsidies to Airbus -- Washington hit out with 25 percent tariffs on a host of goods, including Scotch whisky, French and Spanish wines, and English cheeses.

Trump also slapped penalties on French goods in response to a digital tax.

Nonetheless, he said, "I want to make it EASY to do business with the United States, not difficult."

"THE UNITED STATES IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!"

In fact, US companies have been forced to shift operations or find new sources for components, or plead for exemptions from the trade policies.

Likewise, foreign buyers of American goods have gone elsewhere in many cases.

"With each round of cascading tariffs, Trump has bullied more American companies into becoming protectionist," Chad Bown, trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said in a recent paper.

"For many Americans, the higher costs resulting from his tariffs mean they can no longer compete with foreign firms in either the US or global market."

News US takes aim at Russian oil giant Rosneft to press Venezuela

source: AFP NEWS
News
US takes aim at Russian oil giant Rosneft to press Venezuela



AFP / YURI CORTEZ Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has remained in power despite US sanctions and diplomatic pressure

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions against a subsidiary of Russian state-controlled oil giant Rosneft over its key role in Venezuela, stepping up international pressure to break leftist President Nicolas Maduro's grip on power.

Rosneft Trading SA, which has helped sell Venezuelan oil despite unilateral US sanctions, and Rosneft vice president Didier Casimiro were targeted by the US Treasury Department.

"As the primary broker of global deals for the sale and transport of Venezuela's crude oil, Rosneft Trading has propped up the dictatorial Maduro, enabling his repression of the Venezuelan people," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

Pompeo added in a tweet: "Those who prop up the corrupt regime and enable its repression of the Venezuelan people will be held accountable."

The sanctions will block any assets of Rosneft Trading or the Belgian-born Casimiro that come through the United States. It also makes transactions with them a crime for anyone under US jurisdiction.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido, who recently returned from a global tour that included a White House meeting with President Donald Trump, hailed the new US pressure on Maduro's regime.

"This news is a victory!" Guaido tweeted.


AFP / Brendan Smialowski US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams announces measures against a subsidiary of Russian oil giant Rosneft over its trade


"Whoever supports the dictator, no matter who they are or where they come from, must bear the consequences," he said.

Russia denounced what it described as a US attempt to "bend the world to its will" as well as Washington's "banal desire to create advantages for American businesses that cannot stand up against fair competition from Russian companies on the world stage."

"The destructive US policy of sanctions is increasingly undermining global freedom of commerce, which the Americans say they defend, and raises international tensions," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, whose government espouses socialism, said the sanctions "violate the rights to free trade and free enterprise."

- Seeking to dent Maduro cash -

The United States and about 60 other countries recognize Guaido as Venezuela's interim president and not Maduro, who presides over a crumbling economy that has sent millions fleeing for lack of basic staples.


 Venezuelan Presidency/AFP/File / HO Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro greets he head of Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft, Igor Sechin, during a December 2017 meeting in Caracas

But US pressure has failed to oust Maduro who still enjoys the support of the Venezuelan military as well as Russia, China and Cuba.

Washington has already imposed multiple sanctions aimed at toppling Maduro's regime, particularly by cutting his government's oil revenue.

Maduro on Monday accused Trump of plotting an invasion and said "we are not afraid of military combat and we are going to guarantee peace."

Elliott Abrams, who is leading the US effort to topple Maduro, voiced hope the latest step would make a significant dent on Maduro's most important source of revenue.

"Today's sanctions are another step in the policy of pressuring the Maduro regime to allow Venezuela to escape from its terrible crisis through free and fair presidential elections," Abrams told reporters.

"There will be more steps and further pressure in the coming weeks and months," he warned.

Abrams said Rosneft handles around 70 percent of Venezuela's oil and that the country's top importer has been India, followed by China.

Delhi has promised to cut down purchases because of its strong ties with the United States.

Abrams voiced confidence that the global oil market would remain stable, pointing in part to rising US production.

"We're not trying to raise oil prices. We're trying to diminish the amount of money available to the Maduro regime," Abrams said.

- Latest US-Russia rift -


AFP / Federico PARRA Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido, who has been trying for more than a year to unseat President Nicolas Maduro, hailed the new US sanctions as a victory


The sanctions are the latest dispute between Washington and Moscow, with Pompeo speaking out forcefully against Russian support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's devastating assault on the rebel bastion of Idlib.

The United States in 2014 already imposed sanctions on Rosneft, one of Russia's largest companies, over Moscow's backing of separatists in Ukraine and takeover of Crimea, although the measures were limited to curbing US financing for the oil giant.

Pompeo told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of the impending sanctions over Venezuela when they met at the Munich Security Conference last weekend, Abrams said.

Lavrov earlier this month visited Caracas where he said US sanctions were illegal and "the main cause of the crisis in the Venezuelan economy."

News: Libya's UN-backed government suspends participation in Geneva talks

source: AFP
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Libya's UN-backed government suspends participation in Geneva talks



AFP/File / Mahmud TURKIA Libya has been mired in chaos since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi

Libya's unity government announced late Tuesday it would halt its participation in UN talks aimed at brokering a lasting ceasefire in the war-torn country where a fragile truce has been repeatedly violated.

The pull-out came after a barrage of rocket fire hit a port in the capital Tripoli -- the target of a months-long operation by eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar to oust the Government of National Accord (GNA).

"We are announcing the suspension of our participation in the military talks taking place in Geneva until firm positions are adopted against the aggressor (Haftar) and his violations" of the truce, the GNA said in a press release.

"Without a lasting ceasefire... negotiations make no sense. There can be no peace under the bombing," it added.

The port strikes were the latest violation of a tenuous truce that came into effect in January, brokered by Haftar-backer Russia and Turkey, which supports the UN-recognised government in Tripoli.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

"It is clear the objective of the systematic bombardments of the residential areas, the airport and the port, in addition to the total blockage of the oil installations, is to provoke crises for the citizens in all the aspects of their life", the GNA statement said.

It added that Haftar's forces were "trying in vain" to destabilise the state, having failed to seize power.

UN Libya envoy Ghassan Salame launched the second round of talks on Tuesday in the latest international effort to end fighting between the warring sides, with five senior officers from the GNA and five appointed by Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) taking part.

A first round of the talks ended with no result earlier this month but Salame said there was "more hope" this time, mainly because of the approval of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a "lasting ceasefire".

- EU to launch naval mission -

Libya has been in turmoil since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival armed factions still vying for power.

In the latest outbreak of fighting, Haftar launched his offensive on Tripoli last April but after rapid advances his forces stalled on the edges of the capital.


 AFP / Mahmud TURKIA Some EU countries were worried a naval operation may encourage more migrants to try to cross from Libya


The fighting has left more than 1,000 people dead and displaced some 140,000 according to the United Nations.

Further talks were planned to start in Geneva on February 26 on finding a political solution.

World leaders had agreed at a Berlin summit last month to end all meddling in the conflict and stop the flow of weapons, but little has changed on the ground since then.

EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday to launch a naval mission to enforce an arms embargo, which the UN said was being violated by air, land and sea.

The naval operation will be authorised to intervene to stop weapons shipments into the North African state.

States including Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt support Haftar, while the UN-recognised government led by Fayez al-Sarraj is backed by Turkey and Qatar.

News: Iran dissidents urge vote boycott as leaders eye high turnout

source: AFP
News
Iran dissidents urge vote boycott as leaders eye high turnout



AFP/File / ATTA KENARE Analysts say Iran's leaders want to see a high turnout to bolster their legitimacy

Opponents of Iran's theocratic leadership are urging an outright boycott of its parliamentary elections, arguing that it is anything but democratic and that casting a ballot serves only to bolster the country's Islamic rulers.

The country's supreme leader has urged Iranians to "disappoint the enemy" by participating en masse in the vote on Friday, which coincides with one of the most testing periods for the country since the ousting of the pro-US shah in 1979.

"Participating in elections and voting... is a religious duty" that will strengthen the Islamic republic against the "propaganda" of its enemies, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday.

Analysts say Iran's leaders want to see a high turnout to bolster their legitimacy as they battle an economic crisis spurred by crippling American sanctions imposed after Washington abandoned the 2015 deal curtailing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

The crisis prompted some of the most potent protests since the Revolution and the ferocious crackdown that followed.

The elections have been overshadowed by mass disqualifications of over 7,000 mainly moderate and reformist candidates by the Guardian Council oversight body.

The council threw out more candidates than it allowed in, including most incumbent MPs.

In a message from her jail cell, posted on her husband's Facebook page, Iranian rights activist Narges Mohammadi said a boycott of the elections was the only peaceful means of protest left now that demonstrations are no longer being authorised.

"We need to rise up in the most civilised way and launch a strong boycott campaign to respond to the repressive policies of the government," wrote Mohammadi, who is serving a 10-year sentence for "forming and managing an illegal group."

- 'Stage-managed' -

Opponents outside Iran argue that the government's pressure on citizens to vote means that anyone who casts their ballot is effectively legitimising the system.

Masih Alinejad, a former journalist who has left the country and leads a campaign against the enforced Islamic headscarf for women, has issued a viral video on social media warning that voting overlooks the memory of those killed in the protests.

While officials tell everyone to vote for the sake of the country, "the day after the election, it's back to normal -- the establishment claims the votes gave the Islamic regime legitimacy, and all promises of greater freedoms are forgotten," she told AFP from New York.


AFP/File / ATTA KENARE Iranian women attend a campaign meeting of Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former mayor of Tehran


"The candidates are pre-selected, no opposition views are tolerated and even the turnout is stage-managed," she said, adding that instead of voting, people should demand a UN investigation into the November protests.

Amnesty International has confirmed the deaths of 300 people in the crackdown that followed those protests, and some estimates are far higher.

Iran rejects the reports but has yet to give its own figures.

Tehran's admission that it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner in January, killing all 176 on board, sparked more protests, at the very moment when the authorities were seeking to consolidate national sentiment following the US killing of top commander Qasem Soleimani.

Underlining the importance of mass participation, Khamenei said in a speech on February 5 that "the enemies who threaten the country and the nation are more afraid of popular support than our armaments."

- City turnout -

Turnout has varied widely in Iranian parliamentary elections over the past decades, but has generally been recorded at more than 50 percent and sometimes topping 60 percent -- a figure the authorities will want to see repeated on Friday.

While the leadership should be able to count on a reasonable turnout from supporters of conservatives and in more rural areas, it is not certain how many will vote in bigger cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and even the holy city of Mashhad, said Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.


AFP / Valentina BRESCHI Sanctions and the Iranian economy

"The question mark is over the bigger urban cities," she told AFP.

In any case, conservatives -- or "principalists", who are themselves split between different factions -- will likely dominate the next parliament after the disqualification of reformists, which risks putting off many voters.

"The scale of disqualifications and what many see as a lack of competitive choice for the Iranian electorate may result in much lower voter participation in the urban areas relative to the last election," Geranmayeh said.

On the other hand, "supporters of the principalists are expected to turn out and vote. We should not underestimate their numbers. They have also been galvanised by recent events including the killing of Soleimani," she said.

News: Former South Korean president jailed after losing appeal

News
Former South Korean president jailed after losing appeal



 AFP/File / Jung Yeon-je Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak arriving at court to attend his original trial in 2018

Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak was taken to prison Wednesday to begin a 17-year term for bribery and embezzlement after losing an appeal against a lighter sentence.

Lee, in office from 2008 to 2013, was briefly jailed in 2018 after being sentenced to 15 years and fined 13 billion won ($11 million), but was granted bail while he appealed.

He was found guilty of creating slush funds of tens of millions of dollars and accepting bribes from Samsung Electronics in return for a presidential pardon for its chairman, Lee Kun-hee, who was jailed for tax evasion.

At a hearing on Wednesday, Seoul's Central District Court ordered a heavier sentence, saying Lee "did not show a sign of remorse or sense of responsibility" for his wrongdoings.

He instead blamed civil servants he worked with and Samsung employees, the court said.

Several South Korean presidents have ended up in prison after leaving office -- often as a result of investigations started by political rivals.

Lee's successor, Park Geun-hye, is currently serving 32 years in jail for bribery and abuse of power after being ousted in 2017 over a nationwide corruption scandal that prompted massive street protests.

Another former leader, Roh Moo-hyun, committed suicide after being questioned in a corruption probe involving his family.

News: Facebook faces off with IRS in big-ticket tax case

AFP
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Facebook faces off with IRS in big-ticket tax case



AFP/File / Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD his illustration picture shows the US social media Facebook logo on February 14, 2020 in Brussels.

A multi-billion dollar dispute between Facebook and US tax authorities over profits shifted to an Irish subsidiary began playing out in front of a judge on Tuesday.

The Internal Revenue Service contends that Facebook dodged about $9 billion in taxes, while the leading social network says it is actually owed a refund, according to US media reports.

"This trial is about transactions that took place in 2010, when Facebook had no mobile advertising revenue, its international business was nascent, and its digital advertising products were unproven," spokesperson Bertie Thomson said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.

"We look forward to presenting our case in court and putting an end to this years-long dispute."

The judge is to hear from an array of Facebook executives during the course of proceedings.

Shifting profits to low-tax countries is a routine practice by international companies, and the judge's decision in this case is seen as a possible harbinger about whether that tactic will become less effective.

The tax period involved dates back nearly a decade to before Facebook became a publicly traded company and smartphones became primary devices for engaging with social media.

The IRS contends that Facebook undervalued technology it licensed to its Irish subsidiary, thereby cutting the amount of money that came to the US for taxation here.

Facebook has countered that it should have valued the technology even lower, further reducing the amount paid by the subsidiary and, therefore, the amount subject to taxation in the US.

"Throughout Facebook's history, we have worked with the IRS and complied with all applicable tax laws," Thomson said.

"Our business has had hits and misses but we stand behind the actions taken over a decade ago during a time of great risk and uncertainty for the company."

News: Dell sells RSA cyber-security unit for $2 bn

AFP NEWS
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Dell sells RSA cyber-security unit for $2 bn



AFP/File / Pau Barrena The Dell Technologies logo is displayed at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on February 26, 2019.Phone makers will focus on foldable screens and the introduction of blazing fast 5G wireless networks at the world's biggest mobile fair as they try to reverse a decline in sales of smartphones.

Dell Technologies on Tuesday announced a $2.08 billion cash deal to sell cyber-security unit RSA to a consortium led by Symphony Technology Group.

RSA specializes in defending computer systems and runs eponymous cyber-security conferences. The deal was expected to close by the end of this year.

The consortium includes a teachers' pension plan board and Alpinvest Partners.

"As one of the world's elite security brands, RSA represents a great opportunity for solving some of the rapidly developing customer challenges that go along with digital transformation," said Symphony group managing partner William Chisholm said in a joint release.

RSA has more than 12,500 customers, and its main conference is billed as the largest in the cyber-security industry, according to Dell.

"The transaction will further simplify our business and product portfolio," said Dell Technologies chief operating officer Jeff Clarke.

"It also allows Dell Technologies to focus on our strategy to build automated and intelligent security into infrastructure, platforms and devices to keep data safe, protected and resilient."

Founded in 1982, RSA invented a data encryption system. The US company was bought in 2006 for approximately $2.1 billion by EMC, which was acquired a decade later by Dell for $67 billion.

News: Top talent: six to watch at the women's Twenty20 World Cup

AFP NEWS
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Top talent: six to watch at the women's Twenty20 World Cup



AFP / William WEST Silky stroke play: Australia's Meg Lanning sweeps against India in the recent tri-nations series

Six players to watch when the women's Twenty20 World Cup begins on Friday:

- Meg Lanning (AUS) -

Known for her silky stroke play and cricketing brain, Australia captain Lanning is one of the game's greats.

She made her domestic debut aged 16 and has routinely smashed batting records, while winning praise for her innovative approach to captaincy.

Nicknamed "Megastar", Lanning has played 98 Twenty20 internationals, hitting more than 2,600 runs with a top score of 133 not out, and skippered Australia to the 2018 world title.

- Heather Knight (ENG) -

The England captain is hitting form with the bat at just the right time, stroking a career-best 78 against host Australia in the recent tri-nation series and then crucial consecutive boundaries under pressure to set up a pulsating Super Over win.


AFP / William WEST In-form: England's Heather Knight


She also plundered 67 against India to end up as third highest run scorer in the series with 176 runs at an average of 44.00 behind India's Smriti Mandhana (216 at 43.20) and Australia's Beth Mooney (208 at 52.00).

- Suzie Bates (NZL) -

A multi-talented athlete, Bates represented New Zealand in basketball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She has played at every World Cup and has scored a record 22 innings of fifty or more in Twenty20 internationals.


AFP / Patrick HAMILTON Power-hitter: New Zealand's prolific Suzie Bates

One of the game's power hitters, she was captain from 2011 until 2018 when she relinquished the role to Amy Satterthwaite.

Bates has played 115 Twenty20 internationals, smacking 3,195 runs and taking 49 wickets. She is ranked the world's leading batswoman in the shortest format.

- Shafali Verma (IND) -

The youngest woman to play Twenty20 cricket for India, the fearless 16-year-old has the potential to set the tournament alight.


AFP / William WEST Teenage sensation: India's Shafali Verma


An attacking top-order batter, she debuted in September and became the youngest Indian to score an international half-century in her fifth outing against the West Indies -- surpassing a 30-year-old record held by Sachin Tendulkar.

She recently slammed a 78-ball 124 against Australia A in Brisbane, smashing 19 fours and four sixes.

- Stafanie Taylor (WIS)

Acclaimed Jamaican-born Taylor is the West Indian captain and has been the mainstay at the top of the order since 2008, scoring nearly 3,000 runs in 100 Twenty20 internationals.


AFP / DIBYANGSHU SARKAR Batting mainstay: West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor

She also bowls dangerous off-spin and is renowned as an athletic fielder.

Taylor was the 2016 World Cup player of the tournament, and is the heart and soul of her team. If she fires with bat and ball, the West Indies have a real chance of reclaiming the title they won four years ago.

- Ellyse Perry (AUS) -

One of the world's best all-round sportswomen, Perry not only plays cricket for her country but has won 18 caps for the Australian football team, including the 2011 FIFA World Cup.


AFP / William WEST Genuine all-rounder: Ellyse Perry of Australia


Now devoted entirely to cricket, she is one of Australia's pace spearheads, while also proving her credentials as a genuine all-rounder capable of turning any game.

She was the first Australian, male or female, to play 100 Twenty20 internationals.

News: Turkish rights defender Kavala re-arrested after acquittal

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Turkish rights defender Kavala re-arrested after acquittal
AFP


AFP / Ozan KOSE Turkish sociologist Ayse Bugra, Osman Kavala's wife, reacts after Istanbul prosecutors issued a new arrest warrant for him

Turkey's civil society swung from hope to despair Tuesday after counter-terror police detained leading rights defender Osman Kavala just hours after a court ordered his release from jail.

Kavala and eight other defendants were acquitted by a court outside Istanbul in the highly controversial "Gezi Park" trial.

But within hours, a new warrant from the Istanbul prosecutor's office called for his arrest as part of an investigation into a failed 2016 coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, and under the charge of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.

After his release from the heavily-guarded prison complex in Silivri outside Istanbul, where he has spent more than 800 days in pre-trial detention, the official Anadolu news agency said Kavala was taken by police to an Istanbul hospital for health checks before being formally detained.

The judge had earlier said there was "not enough concrete evidence" that he and the other defendants sought to overthrow the government.

Seven other defendants, who remain on the run, were not formally acquitted.

Kavala, the only defendant kept in jail throughout the trial, faced a life sentence without parole if convicted for his alleged role in orchestrating the "Gezi Park" protests of 2013 that presented the first major challenge to Erdogan, then prime minister.

News of a fresh arrest came as supporters waited for him to be released from the Silivri court and prison complex, and was met with shocked silence, while his wife Ayse Bugra was visibly upset.

Kavala has became a symbol of what critics say is a crackdown on civil society under Erdogan, and received loud cheers as he left the packed courtroom in Silivri.

- 'Cynical and outrageous' -

The mass protests of 2013 began over plans to demolish Gezi Park -- one of the only green spaces in Istanbul's centre -- but quickly spiralled into broader demonstrations against the government.


 AFP / OZAN KOSE The Gezi protests erupted over plans to demolish an Istanbul park but grew into a broader rally against the government


Critics have called the Gezi trial "a mockery" in which the prosecution failed to present any evidence of wrong-doing by the defendants.

And the re-arrest of Kavala on new charges sparked condemnation from rights advocates.

"This is a vindictive and lawless move, further demonstrating that Turkey's justice system is under tight political control," Emma Sinclair-Webb, of Human Rights Watch, told AFP.

Amnesty International slammed the "cynical and outrageous detention" and called for his immediate release.

"This decision smacks of deliberate and calculated cruelty," Amnesty's Turkey campaigner Milena Buyum said in a statement.

"It is time for Turkey to end the relentless crackdown on dissenting voices."

- Criticisms -

In December, the European Court of Human Rights heavily criticised the quality of the Gezi Park prosecution.

It ruled that the 657-page indictment against Kavala lacked "facts, information or evidence" to raise even the suspicion that he helped organise the protests, let alone attempted to overthrow the government, and called for his immediate release.

The Turkish court still put Kavala and the other defendants through two more hearings in December and January.


AFP / Ozan KOSE Security was high around the courthouse before the decision

Among the criticisms of the trial was the fact that defence lawyers were denied the chance to cross-examine the key government witness, identified as Murat Papuc, when he gave evidence in December after he claimed his life was in danger.

Lawyers also decried the inclusion of testimony from a police officer convicted of kicking a Gezi Park protester to death in July 2013, who now portrays himself as a victim of the demonstrations.

The defendants received support from Ekrem Imamoglu, the new high-profile mayor of Istanbul who took control of the city out of the hands of the ruling party last year.


 AFP / Ozan KOSE


"The acquittal of all the defendants in the #GeziPark trial is a true source of joy, and restores trust in the Turkish judicial system. I salute all those who stand to defend our city's history, culture and nature," he tweeted.

Kavala's supporters say he was targeted because he worked to build bridges across Turkey's often fractious ethnic and social divides, in contrast to the combative rhetoric favoured by Erdogan's ruling party.

News: Five ties to watch in the Europa League this week

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Five ties to watch in the Europa League this week
AFP


 AFP / Glyn KIRK Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes his Manchester United side to Club Brugge in their Europa League last 32 first leg this week

The Europa League knockout phase begins on Thursday, with VAR being introduced to Europe's secondary club competition for the first time outwith the final for the last 32, first-leg ties. AFP Sport picks five games to watch this week:

- Man Utd in Bruges -

Manchester United's Champions League aspirations have been given a major boost in recent days, first with the news of Manchester City's two-year ban from the competition. Then, on Monday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side beat Chelsea 2-0 away to close to within three points of their opponents in fourth place in the Premier League.

Now they revert their focus to the Europa League, which could also offer them a ticket to next season's Champions League if they reach the final in Gdansk in May and lift the trophy.

United head to Belgium to take on Club Brugge in the first leg of their tie. Beaten by Liverpool in two European finals in the 1970s, Club Brugge are not a side to be taken lightly. They dropped out of the Champions League group stage despite holding Real Madrid away, and are nine points clear atop the Belgian league.

- Arsenal 'deserve our respect' -


AFP/File / Ian KINGTON Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are in Greece to take on Olympiakos, who held Tottenham to a draw in the Champions League earlier this season


Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games under Mikel Arteta, although the Gunners' new Spanish boss could do with turning some of his team's many draws into more victories.

Currently in mid-table in the Premier League, last season's beaten finalists travel to face Olympiakos knowing this competition is surely their best bet if they are to return to the Champions League next term.

"They may not have started well in the Premier League this season, but they have great players, are dangerous and deserve our respect," said Pedro Martins, the coach of Olympiakos.

The Greek league leaders dropped out of the Champions League group stage despite holding Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-2 draw in Piraeus.

- Ajax set for battle in Spain -

After enchanting Europe on their run to the Champions League semi-finals last year, Ajax were brought crashing back to earth when they were eliminated from this season's competition in the group stage.


ANP/AFP/File / Maurice van STEEN Dusan Tadic (L) has warned his Ajax teammates to prepare for a battle in their tie with Spanish surprise package Getafe

The Dutch champions were then handed a tough Europa League draw against a Getafe side who have been one of the stories of the season in Spain.

The unfashionable outfit from the working-class satellite town just south of Madrid finished fifth in La Liga last season and are currently third under Jose Bordalas, whose his idol as a youngster was Johan Cruyff.

"They are warriors. They fight for every ball and really give everything," Ajax star Dusan Tadic told Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad. "They are physically very strong and go beyond the limits if necessary."

It is Getafe's first European knockout tie since they took Bayern Munich to extra time in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 2008.

- Will Salzburg survive without Haaland? -

Erling Braut Haaland's eight goals were not enough for Salzburg to qualify from the Champions League group stage, and the Austrians have since lost their striker to Borussia Dortmund. Japanese winger Takumi Minamino also departed for Liverpool, leaving them looking seriously weakened for the second half of the season.

Salzburg did sign Swiss starlet Noah Okafor, but their first league game after a long winter break ended in a 3-2 home defeat by title rivals LASK Linz last weekend.

Now Salzburg face Eintracht Frankfurt, meaning a reunion with Adi Huetter, who coached Salzburg to a league and cup double in 2015.


 AFP/File / ANDY BUCHANAN Celtic topped their Europa League group and now take on FC Copenhagen


- Celtic fairytale in Copenhagen? -

Celtic have been eliminated at this stage in the last two seasons but should fancy their chances against FC Copenhagen as they head to Denmark.

While Celtic have claimed nine straight wins this calendar year, Copenhagen's first league game of 2020 ended in defeat last weekend.

Current Celtic manager Neil Lennon was a player when the Glasgow giants lost 3-1 on their last trip to Copenhagen in the Champions League in 2006.

His team qualified by topping their group, and of this tie he said: "It's great to have European football after Christmas, and it's a tough draw. It could have been tougher, but it could have been easier."

Passengers leave Japan virus ship, but new infections detected

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Passengers leave Japan virus ship, but new infections detected



AFP / Kazuhiro NOGI The passengers were removed in city of Yokohama buses

Hundreds of relieved passengers disembarked Wednesday from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship in Japan after being given the all-clear, but health officials said 79 new cases had been detected.

With 621 positive cases the Diamond Princess is easily the biggest cluster of infected people outside China, and Japan has faced mounting criticism for its quarantine arrangements as passengers disperse across the world.

The disease has now claimed more than 2,000 lives in China and spread panic worldwide.

Those newly diagnosed with the virus will be taken off the ship to hospital, and after being treated will have to undergo another quarantine.

Earlier, those who had tested negative for the virus began leaving the ship.

"I'm relieved... I want to take a good rest," said a departing 77-year-old Japanese passenger, who declined to give his name. He said he would be boarding Japan's famously crowded railway system to head home.

A fleet of yellow-dotted city buses, plus a dozen or so taxis, whisked away the passengers, many of whom dragged their luggage behind them and waved to former ship-mates on balconies as they disembarked.


AFP / Factfile on the virus-stricken Diamond Princess, including daily cases of reported infections


Latest figures from China showed the death toll surging beyond 2,000 with more than 74,000 infected, although the rate of new cases is slowing.

Hundreds more cases have been reported in two dozen countries, including 20 in South Korea -- a two-thirds rise -- with a cluster of at least 16 around the southern city of Daegu.

Hong Kong also reported its second death from the virus, which has proved extremely infectious.

For the 500 passengers leaving the Diamond Princess after testing negative, a difficult 14-day quarantine period has come to an end after their dream cruise turned into a nightmare of fear and boredom, confined in many cases to small windowless cabins.

"Our last deep gratitude to the crews and captain for such an amazing care... during the epic crisis... we can't wait to see you again soon on board again," tweeted passenger Yardley Wong, who left after 14 days cooped in a small cabin with her six-year-old son.

- 'Major failure' -

Many were left onboard with an anxious wait for test results that would allow them to disembark.


AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU Some passengers waved off their former ship-mates

Asked how he felt seeing others disembark while remaining on the ship, American lawyer Matt Smith told AFP: "I need an emoji for envy."

Michael Ryan, head of the World Health Organization's emergencies programme, said the outbreak was "very serious" and could grow, but stressed that outside China's Hubei, it was "affecting a very, very tiny, tiny proportion of people".

But in Japan, some have raised concerns about allowing people from the cruise ship to board flights home or spread into the notoriously busy Japanese capital.

Kentaro Iwata, a professor at the infectious diseases division of Kobe University, blasted the on-ship quarantine as a "major failure, a mistake".

"It is highly likely secondary infections occurred," Iwata told AFP, saying scepticism from abroad of the quarantine was "only natural".

He later said in a video published online that he was self-quarantining after a brief visit to the ship, where he raised major concerns about the procedures on board.

"It was completely chaotic," he said.

- 'Hugs and flowers' -

Elated passengers also began disembarking from a second cruise ship that has been at the centre of coronavirus fear, the Westerdam, which made shore in Sihanoukville in Cambodia.


AFP / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU Those who left had all tested negative for the illness


Hundreds were allowed off after basic health checks -- among them an 83-year-old American woman who was later diagnosed with the virus while in transit in Malaysia.

That raised fears many other Westerdam passengers could be spreading the virus as they scattered, although no other cases have been recorded.

American Christina Kirby, fretted about the stigma some Westerdam passengers could face once they return home.

"I want people to remember that... there's a human behind each of these stories and those who are ill deserve compassion," she told AFP.

Several countries appear to have lost patience with the quarantine on board the Diamond Princess and chartered planes to repatriate citizens.

In the first such evacuation Monday, more than 300 Americans flew home -- even though 14 had tested positive.

Britain, Hong Kong and Australia are among other countries that have vowed to repatriate people from the ship but will insist on a further 14-day quarantine on home soil.

Nathalie MacDermott, a medical expert at King's College London, recommended a further 14-day self-quarantine for those leaving.

"Given the circumstances on board the Diamond Princess, those passengers leaving the boat should be managed in a similar manner to those individuals departing a highly affected city or region," said MacDermott.

Disembarkation is expected to take around three days as more test results become available. The crew will begin a new quarantine when the last passenger has left.

People in Yokohama appeared supportive of the decision to allow the passengers out despite the virus fears.

"I am sure those people on board must be really worried. I hope they can go back to their normal life soon," said 51-year-old Isamu Habiro.

burs-ric/

News: Russia warns against Turkey operation in Syria

News
Russia warns against Turkey operation in Syria
source: AFP


AFP / Delil SOULEIMAN The Syrian army's offensive, backed by Russian air power, has triggered the biggest wave of displaced civilians in the nine-year conflict

Turkey and Russia exchanged warnings on Wednesday after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened an "imminent" operation in Syria to end the regime's brutal assault on the last rebel enclave.

Syrian aid workers called urgently for a ceasefire and international help for nearly a million people fleeing the regime onslaught in the country's northwestern Idlib province -- the biggest wave of displaced civilians in the nine-year conflict.

Turkey, supporter of some rebel groups in Idlib, has been pushing for a renewed ceasefire in talks with Russia, which backs the Syrian regime. Ankara is eager to prevent another flood of refugees into its territory adding to the 3.7 million Syrians it already hosts.

The Syrian NGO Alliance said displaced people are "escaping in search of safety only to die from extreme weather conditions and lack of available resources".

"We have hundreds and thousands of people who are fleeing... not just from bombardments but from lack of insulation, from the weather, a lack of heating. It feels like doomsday," Razan Saffour, of the Syrian Expatriate Medical Association, told AFP at the press conference in Istanbul.

The group said a total of $336 million was needed for basic food, water and shelter. Education resources were also needed for 280 million displaced school-aged children.


AFP / Rami al SAYED Syrian aid workers issued an urgent call for a ceasefire and international help for nearly a million people fleeing the regime


Erdogan said talks with Moscow over the past fortnight had so far failed to achieve "the desired result" and warned that Turkey would launch an offensive into Syria unless Damascus pulled its forces back by the end of the month.

"An operation in Idlib is imminent... We are counting down, we are making our final warnings," Erdogan said in a televised speech.

He called for Syrian forces to retreat behind Turkey's military posts in Idlib, which were set up under a 2018 deal with Russia designed to hold off a regime advance.

The Kremlin quickly responded to Erdogan's threat, warning that any operation against Syrian forces would be "the worst scenario".

With Turkey moving large numbers of reinforcements into Idlib in recent weeks, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar emphasised that it was "out of the question for us to withdraw from our observation posts".

"If there is any sort of attack against them, we will retaliate in kind," he told reporters in Ankara.

- 'Indiscriminate' violence -

Earlier this week the United Nations said the displaced were mainly women and children and warned that babies were dying of cold because aid camps are full.


AFP / AAREF WATAD Syrian NGO Alliance said existing camps are overcrowded and civilians forced to sleep in the open

The Syrian NGOs called for the warring parties to allow safe access for humanitarian groups and for a "complete ceasefire and end to human rights violations".

The regime offensive has killed more than 400 civilians since it began in December, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"The violence in northwest Syria is indiscriminate. Health facilities, schools, residential areas, mosques and markets have been hit," the UN head of humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, Mark Lowcock, said earlier this week.

Moscow has repeatedly vetoed Security Council resolutions.


AFP / Syria: 900,000 displaced


The head of the World Health Organization said Tuesday that out of nearly 550 health facilities in northwest Syria, only about half were operational.

"We repeat: health facilities and health workers are not a legitimate target," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in Geneva.

Syrian troops have reconquered swathes of Idlib and retaken the key M5 highway connecting the country's four largest cities as well as the entire surroundings of Aleppo city for the first time since 2012.

According to the Observatory, government forces made new gains in western Aleppo province on Tuesday and were pushing towards the Sheikh Barakat mountain.

That would give them a vantage point over large parts of Idlib and Aleppo provinces, including sprawling camps housing tens of thousands of displaced people.