An operation by France's Chinese community to help the diaspora during the coronavirus outbreak by distributing masks, disinfectant and gloves has prompted questions and legal problems for some of its backers.
Sceptical of the French government's response to the epidemic, the Chinese embassy, business leaders and ex-pat associations have handed out so-called "COVID kits", masks and other protective equipment to their compatriots.
But this landed some in trouble with the law.
Among the masks given out were the highly sought-after FFP2 type, which in times of critical supply shortages have been reserved for medical personnel on the frontlines of France's coronavirus battle.
Early in the outbreak, France had requisitioned all face mask stocks and production for distribution to doctors, nurses and caregivers.
Yet on April 5, police in Paris detained two representatives of Chinese associations for possession of some 15,000 masks.
Two days later, three students were arrested while handing ..

Chinese help for virus gets wary reception in France

PTI Automatic

The England women's football squad have made a collective donation to the #PlayersTogether fund, launched by Premier League players last week, it was announced.
The fund was created after footballers met to discuss how they could best support staff in Britain's state-run National Health Service and other frontline workers during the coronavirus outbreak, which has halted all major sport worldwide.
A statement issued by the England women's team on Tuesday said: "After discussions with a number of Premier League players, we are delighted to confirm that the whole of the Lionesses squad will make a collective donation to the #PlayersTogether fund."
Highly-paid Premier League players found themselves being criticised, including by prominent politicians, for not doing enough during the coronavirus crisis.
The Premier League's initial plan for a 30-percent wage cut was rebuffed by the players, who wanted their contribution to make a difference to NHS staff.
Several clubs, however, have ...

England women donate to players' appeal for UK health service

Doctors, nurses and healthcare workers have become the unwitting heroes of the coronavirus pandemic, winning applause from balconies and streets around the world.
From Yaounde to Rome to New York, the pandemic has infected more than 1.9 million people and claimed 118,000 lives.
Hospital workers are dealing with a huge influx of patients, while also facing a lack of equipment in many cases and the fear of becoming infected themselves. Often, they face heartbreaking decisions while treating their patients.
AFP journalists spoke to healthcare workers around the world to find out what it's really like to be on the frontline in the coronavirus pandemic.
In Italy, one of the worst affected countries, dozens of doctors and nurses have died from COVID-19 and thousands of healthcare workers have become infected.
Silvana de Florio, nursing coordinator in the COVID-19 intensive care unit of the Tor Vergata Hospital in Rome, underlined the importance of being appropriately kitted out with masks, .

Struggle, fear and heartbreak for medical staff on virus frontline

West Ham manager David Moyes fears a rash of injuries to players should there be a desperate rush to complete the Premier League season if the coronavirus relents sufficiently to allow the resumption of football.
The Premier League has now ditched plans to get back underway at the start of May and a further complication is that a number of players will be out of contract in June.
It has been suggested that clubs may need to play up to three games a week in order to finish this season before the 2020/21 campaign gets going.
Moyes would prefer a four-week build-up on the training ground before the current Premier League season resumes, should lockdown restrictions be relaxed and the Hammers boss fears the consequences if, as seems likely, clubs have less preparation time.
"I think that four weeks would be ideal. But I think three weeks will be the maximum we get," Moyes told beIN Sports on Tuesday.
"Everybody's now talking about the injuries we're liable to pick up either during the ...

Hammers boss Moyes fears injury pile-up if Premier League resumes

President Donald Trump is hankering for a return of live sports action, but US league supremos are taking a cautious approach to competition amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"We have to get our sports back," Trump said Tuesday. "I'm tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old." Sports in America, like the rest of the world, have been brought to a virtual standstill by COVID-19.
The NBA shut down on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus, and the NHL, Major League Soccer and the US PGA Tour quickly followed suit.
Major League Baseball's 2020 season, due to start March 26, is on hold, as is the LPGA tour and motor racing, while the NFL is just hoping it will be able to start its season on time in September.
The dearth of sports has led to a wealth of speculation as to when and how competition could resume.
The NBA and NHL are wrestling with how they might fashion credible ends to campaigns that were heading into their final stages.
Baseball, ..

Trump eager to 'get sports back' as league chiefs remain wary

Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande sacked Yu Hanchao and the international winger faces 15 days in police custody after he was spotted altering the licence plate on his Mercedes 4x4.
Guangzhou, who are managed by Italian World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, said that the 33-year-old had "severely violated" the club's strict disciplinary code.
Police in the southern city fined Yu 5,000 yuan (USD700), added 12 points to his licence and will hold him for 15 days in "administrative detention".
It came after footage emerged on Tuesday of the 59-capped Yu, who has scored nine goals for China, appearing to change a letter E on his registration plate to F for reasons that were not immediately clear.
"Guangzhou traffic police found an illegal traffic safety act of using a modified vehicle number plate," police officials said in a statement on the Twitter-like Weibo.
"After investigation and evidence collection by Guangzhou traffic police, the perpetrator surnamed Yu admitted the .

China's Yu sacked by Guangzhou for altering car licence plate

Malawi's Supreme Court on Wednesday is to begin hearing an appeal by President Peter Mutharika against the re-run of an election in which he was returned to office last year.
The Constitutional Court in February annulled the results of the May 2019 poll and ordered a re-run, citing "grave" and "widespread" irregularities including the use of correction fluid on tally sheets.
Mutharika appealed against the landmark ruling, accusing the court of bias against him.
Two weeks of hearings will begin Wednesday in Lilongwe, judiciary spokeswoman Agnes Patemba told AFP.
In his appeal papers, Mutharika said the judges had "erred in law" and asked the Supreme Court to reverse the judgement.
The president described the ruling as "a serious miscarriage of justice and an attack on the foundations of the country's democracy".
A new election has been set for July 2, although it could be delayed by the appeal and the coronavirus outbreak in the southern African country.
The Malawi Electoral Commission 

Malawi court to hear president's appeal against vote re-run

It is "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus," United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday.
"It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19," he said, after US President Donald Trump announced earlier that his country would cut off funding to the UN health body for mishandling the coronavirus pandemic.

'Not the time to reduce the resources' of WHO: UN chief

The number of coronavirus-linked deaths in New York City soared past 10,000 on Tuesday after officials said almost 4,000 people who never tested positive were presumed to have died from COVID-19.
The city's health department announced that 3,778 people had probably succumbed to the illness -- on top of the 6,589 confirmed fatalities.
The new figures, released at 4:00 pm (2000 GMT), saw the total number of deaths in the Big Apple, which quickly became America's coronavirus epicentre, soar to 10,367.
"While these data reflect the tragic impact that the virus has had on our city, they will also help us to determine the scale and scope of the epidemic and guide us in our decisions," the city's health commissioner, Oxiris Barbot, said.
The probable deaths define someone "who had no known positive lab test but with a death certificate that lists as a cause of death 'COVID-19 or an equivalent'," according to the department guidelines.
New York state has borne the brunt of America's ...

New York City coronavirus deaths suspected to be more than 10,000

A 99-year-old World War II veteran in Brazil was released from hospital with military honours Tuesday after recovering from COVID-19.
Second Lieutenant Ermando Piveta, who served in the Brazilian artillery in Africa during World War II, was brought out of the Armed Forces Hospital in Brasilia to a burst of trumpet music and applause.
Wearing an army-green side cap, he raised his arms in the air as he left the hospital after eight days as a patient.
"He won another battle, this time against the new coronavirus. He was released from hospital the same day Brazil is commemorating the 75th anniversary of its troops' successful campaign in the Battle of Montese in Italy during World War II," the army said in a statement.
Piveta served in the army's fourth artillery regiment, which trained in Dakar in 1942, soon after Brazil entered the war on the side of the Allies, the army said.  He then returned to Brazil with his regiment to defend the country from an Axis invasion that never came to ...

99-year-old WWII vet beats coronavirus in Brazil

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a suspension of US funding to the World Health Organization because he said it had covered up the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak in China before it spread around the world.
Trump told a press conference he was instructing his administration to halt funding while "a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."
According to Trump, the WHO prevented transparency over the outbreak and the United States -- the UN body's biggest funder which provided USD 400 million last year -- will now "discuss what to do with all that money that goes to the WHO."
"With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible.

Trump announces funding halt to World Health Organization

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and major US airlines on Tuesday reached an agreement on aid amid the coronavirus pandemic, in a bid to pay workers and avoid bankruptcies in an industry that employs 750,000 people.
The Treasury came to terms with 10 airlines, including the four largest -- Delta Air Lines, Americans Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Some were initially hesitant to accept the money for fear of nationalization despite the damage done by the virus, which has brought air travel to a standstill.
"We look forward to working with the airlines to finalize the necessary agreements and disburse funds as quickly as possible," Mnuchin said in a statement.
Congress last month approved a USD 2.2 trillion stimulus plan to rescue the world's largest economy, which includes USD 25 billion for airlines to continue paying employees' salaries and benefits until September 30.
While details of the agreement were not disclosed, a source close to the negotiations said the 

US Treasury, airlines reach deal on financial aid

Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel, a leading opponent of President Jair Bolsonaro's calls to relax COVID-19 containment measures, said Tuesday he had tested positive for the new coronavirus.
In a video posted to Twitter, Witzel said he had started feeling unwell Friday, with a fever, sore throat and loss of smell, a key symptom of the virus.
"Today, the test result came back positive... Now, thank God, I'm feeling better, and will continue working while following my doctors' advice," said Witzel, 52.
"I ask you once again to stay at home, because this disease, as everyone can see, spreads quickly and doesn't spare anyone."
Along with Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria, Witzel has been one of the leading proponents for closing non-essential businesses and ordering people to stay home to slow the spread of the disease.
On Monday he extended Rio de Janeiro's stay-at-home measures until April 30.
Those policies have been attacked by Bolsonaro, who accuses them of needlessly wrecking Latin .

Rio de Janeiro governor has coronavirus

Temperature checks on voters, separate booths for those with fevers, special polling stations for the quarantined: South Koreans headed to the polls Wednesday with a big turnout expected despite the coronavirus threat.
South Korea is the first country with a major virus outbreak to hold a national election since the global pandemic began, and a complex web of safety measures was spun around the ballot, as well as the campaigning that preceded it.
The parliamentary poll vote kicked off at 6 am (2100 GMT Tuesday) with 43.9 million voters eligible to cast their ballots.
All citizens must wear protective masks and undergo temperature checks at the polling station. Those found to have fever will cast their ballots in separate booths to be disinfected after each use.
Voters have also been asked to wear plastic gloves after cleaning their hands with sanitiser at polling stations, and to keep at least one metre (three feet) apart.
"We are now holding an election at a very difficult time amid .

South Koreans head to polls despite global pandemic

The US military's top general played down North Korea's fresh batch of suspected missile launches on Tuesday, saying the Pentagon did not see them as threatening.
"These were short range. These aren't any particularly big, big missiles," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley said.
While the Pentagon was still analysing its data, "I don't think it's particularly provocative or threatening to us," Milley said.
"It may be tied to some celebrations that are happening inside North Korea, as opposed to any deliberate provocation against us."
South Korea's Joint Chiefs said the North earlier Tuesday fired what were believed to be short-range cruise missiles from Munchon into the sea, one day before Seoul holds parliamentary elections.
The firing also came a day before the nuclear-armed North marks the 108th anniversary of the birth of founder Kim Il Sung, grandfather of the current leader Kim Jong Un.

Pentagon downplays North Korea's apparent missile launches

Algerian author Abdelouahab Aissaoui on Tuesday won a prestigious prize for Arabic fiction with his novel "The Spartan Court".
Backed by the UK's Booker Prize Foundation, the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) is financed by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism.
Aissaoui will receive $50,000 and funds will be provided to translate the book into English, the organisers said on their website.
Published by Dar Mim, "The Spartan Court" is a historical novel that relates the power struggle between Ottoman and French colonial powers in Algeria at the start of the 19th century.
Born in the northern Algerian city of Djelfa in 1985, Aissaoui graduated in electromechanical engineering before devoting himself to writing, penning several books and receiving many awards.
The Spartan Court "invites the reader to gain a greater understanding of live under occupation and the different forms of resistance that grow against it," said Muhsin al-Musawi, chair of the prize's ...

Algerian author wins top Arab fiction prize for 'Spartan Court'

It will be difficult to hold the Cannes film festival in its original form in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak, organisers said Tuesday, adding they were looking at new ways of hosting the world's biggest annual celebration of cinema.
The festival had already been postponed from its original mid-May dates to late June and early July.
But organisers said this is "no longer an option" after President Emmanuel Macron said cultural festivals could not resume until mid-July at the earliest.
"It is clearly difficult to assume that the Festival de Cannes could be held this year in its original form," the organisers said in a statement, adding they were exploring "all contingencies" to realise Cannes 2020 "in one way or another".
The virus outbreak has ravaged France's glittering spring and summer cultural calender, with organisers last night cancelling the world's most prestigious theatre festival in the city of Avignon which had been due to start in early July.
However Cannes has so far 

Cannes film festival difficult to hold 'in original form': organisers

New York will start making tens of thousands of coronavirus test kits a week, its mayor announced Tuesday, as the city looks to boost testing capacity with a view to ending its shutdown.
Bill de Blasio said manufacturers in the Big Apple would start producing 50,000 tests per week beginning next month because they are not receiving enough kits from federal agencies.
The city will also start buying another 50,000 kits from a company in Indiana beginning Monday, he added, meaning New York will soon have 100,000 new tests a week.
"For the first time, we're going to have a truly reliable major supply of testing," de Blasio told reporters.
Increased testing is seen as essential to New York being able to reopen its shuttered economy following a weeks-long lockdown.
It will help isolate the virus, with infection rates expected to rise as businesses and schools gradually reopen.
More than 7,300 people have already died in New York City, according to Johns Hopkins University, out of more than .

New York City to manufacture thousands of virus test kits

France on Tuesday reported 762 more COVID-19 deaths in hospitals and nursing homes, bringing its total toll from the epidemic to 15,729.
The number of confirmed cases in France now exceeds 100,000, health official Jerome Salomon told reporters, adding however that the total number of patients in intensive care fell for the sixth day in a row, by 91 to 6,730 Despite the heavy new death toll, Salomon said that the latest data confirmed that France's month-long lockdown was beginning to have an effect.
"We have observed a plateau over the last days... Thanks to your efforts and the lockdown we have managed to limit the spread of the virus," he said.
The new toll was released after President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said that the epidemic "was beginning to steady" in France and added the lockdown could begin to be eased from May 11.
The details of how the lockdown will be eased have yet to be made clear and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner emphasised that the date was not set in ...

France reports 762 more coronavirus deaths

The French foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest a string of controversial comments by Beijing's embassy in Paris on the coronavirus.
"I made clear my disapproval of certain recent comments when the ambassador... was summoned this morning," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a ministry statement, adding that the remarks were not in line with the "quality of the bilateral relationship" between the two countries.

France summons Chinese ambassador over virus comments: ministry

The United States is seeking to "fundamentally change" the World Health Organization amid threats to withhold contributions in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has promised an announcement this week on US funding to the UN body on the forefront of the crisis. The United States is the top donor to the WHO, offering USD 400 million last year.
"The World Health Organization in its history has done some good work. Unfortunately here, it didn't hit the top of its game," Pompeo told Florida radio program "Good Morning Orlando."
"We need to make sure that we push through efforts to fundamentally change that or make a different decision that says we're going to do our part to make sure that these important world health obligations -- things that frankly keep Americans safe, too -- actually function," he said.
The Trump administration, a frequent critic of UN bodies, says that the WHO relied too much on Chinese ...

AFP

AFP

Page 33 - Afp