Новости за 27.08.2020

US President Donald Trump will announce on Thursday a deal for 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests as he eyes a return to normal life ahead of November's elections, White House officials told AFP. The purchase from Abbott Laboratories is part of a $750 million deal with the company, a senior administration official said. It comes a day after the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency approval for a rapid test made by the Illinois-based firm that is billed as costing $5 and giving results in 15 minutes. Читать дальше...

Already delayed, the Tour de France sets off Saturday shrouded in uncertainty, flying in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the imponderable question of how many of the 176 riders will avoid infection and endure three exceptionally tough weeks of racing to reach the finish in Paris.

The WHO said Thursday it was setting up a committee to consider changing the rules on declaring an international health emergency, following criticism of its Covid-19 pandemic response. The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) over the new coronavirus on January 30 -- at which time the respiratory disease had infected fewer than 100 people outside China, and claimed no lives beyond its borders. But under the current International Health... Читать дальше...

Water covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface and is crucial to life as we know it, but how it got here has been a longstanding scientific debate. The puzzle was a step closer to resolution Thursday after a team of French scientists reported in the journal Science they had identified which space rocks may have been responsible. Cosmochemist Laurette Piani, who led the research, told AFP that, contrary to prevailing theories, Earth's water may have already been contained in its building blocks. Читать дальше...

France recorded a daily tally of 6,111 new confirmed coronavirus infections on Thursday, the highest level since lockdown ended and the second-highest ever.

Criminal networks are profiting from an "overwhelming" surge in plastic waste being shipped from rich countries to Asia and stoking pollution by burning and dumping waste that was supposed to be recycled, a report by Interpol said Thursday. Plastic consumption has exploded in the last decade, with some 360 million metric tons of waste generated just in 2018, mainly by wealthier nations, Interpol said. At least 8 million tons of plastic are thought to end up in oceans every year. Some countries have imposed recycling targets... Читать дальше...

US President Donald Trump accepts the Republican Party nomination for a second term on Thursday seeking to present himself to a nation on edge as the "law and order" candidate who will be the bulwark against "chaos" in American cities and the "radical left." The president's live 10:30 pm (0230 GMT) speech from the White House, less than 70 days from the November vote, will close a Republican convention which has largely been the "Trump Show" and mostly virtual because of the Covid-19 pandemic. ... Читать дальше...

Germany will get tougher on masks, extend a ban on large events and introduce new quarantine rules for travellers to combat a worrying rise in coronavirus cases, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday. "In view of the increased numbers, we now have to take a new approach," Merkel said after talks with the leaders of Germany's 16 federal states aimed at creating a more coherent approach to the pandemic. New measures include a minimum fine of 50 euros ($59) for anyone caught without a face mask in places where wearing one is compulsory... Читать дальше...

Lewis Hamilton will not boycott this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix in sympathy with American sports protests following the shooting of Jacob Blake in the United States, but said he felt unified with their cause. The world championship leader and six-time champion told reporters via an official video news conference that he was impressed by the athletes taking action, which had led to the postponement of events. "I stand unified with them and trying to do what I can over here (in Europe)," he explained. Читать дальше...

Spain's former World Cup-winning goalkeeper Pepe Reina has signed for Lazio from Serie A rivals AC Milan, the Roman club said Thursday. Reina, 37, had been on loan at Aston Villa from Milan since January as cover for injured first-choice keeper Tom Heaton. "Lazio announces that it has permanently acquired the sports services of Jose Manuel Reina Paez," the club said in a brief statement. The former Napoli goalkeeper will be understudy to Albania international Thomas Strakosha next season. "Reina... Читать дальше...

2020-08-22 22:00 Mali unrest: west African delegation pushes for return to civilian rule

Multiple NFL teams cancelled scheduled practice sessions on Thursday in the wake of protests against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. After a day of tumult in US sport on Wednesday, when a boycott by the Milwaukee Bucks forced the NBA to halt its playoff schedule and prompted other sports to follow suit, NFL teams reacted on Thursday by halting training camps. The Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and the New York Jets all scrapped practice sessions with the start of the new season only a fortnight away. Читать дальше...

The European Union and ambassadors of its member states in Belarus on Thursday condemned a crackdown on opposition leaders seeking new elections after a disputed vote this month. Russian President Putin reacted by saying his country had set up a 'reserve police force' to help Belarus's leader if needed.

Afghanistan's government and the Taliban will next week begin long-delayed peace talks aimed at ending the war in the country, a top official leading the reconciliation process said Thursday. The US-backed talks were supposed to have begun in March, but both sides are at loggerheads over a controversial prisoner swap that includes hundreds of Taliban fighters tied to deadly attacks conducted over the past two decades. Abdullah Abdullah, who heads Afghanistan's reconciliation council, told an event organised by a Kabul-based think tank... Читать дальше...

Children above the age of six in Spain will be required to wear face masks at school at all times, the government said Thursday, as it seeks to restart lessons despite a surge in coronavirus infections. "The use of masks will be mandatory in general from the age of six, even if social distance is maintained," Education Minister Isabel Celaa told a news conference ahead of schools' reopening next month. Spain's 17 regional governments, which are responsible for health care and education, have in... Читать дальше...

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed military support for embattled Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, while urging a peaceful resolution to unrest and demonstrations that erupted after a disputed election. EU ambassadors in the capital Minsk on Thursday denounced a crackdown on the opposition in the wake of the presidential poll, in which 65-year-old Lukashenko claimed a landslide reelection with some 80 percent of the vote. The Belarusian strongman's relationship with Putin... Читать дальше...

Leading Jordanian cartoonist Emad Hajjaj was arrested and charged on Thursday with seeking to undermine Jordan's relations with a "friendly country" after publishing a drawing criticising the Israel-UAE peace deal. A judicial source told AFP that the Amman general prosecutor referred Hajjaj to the state security court, a military tribunal, over a cartoon deemed "offensive for the United Arab Emirates". "The prosecutor charged Hajjaj of carrying out acts and publishing material aimed at undermining... Читать дальше...

Just over a week since the end of their Champions League adventure in Lisbon, Lyon return to domestic action on Friday at home to Dijon with aspirations of dethroning Paris Saint-Germain for a first Ligue 1 title since 2008. Lyon reached the Champions League semi-finals for only the second time, eliminating Juventus and Manchester City before falling to eventual winners Bayern Munich, as France had two clubs in the last four of the competition for the first time. Despite matching their best run in the tournament... Читать дальше...

Mali's new military rulers said Thursday that former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was detained during the country's coup on August 18, had been freed. The announcement came on the eve of a summit by Mali's neighbours, who are to decide whether to ratchet up pressure on the fledgling junta. Keita's ouster by rebel troops sent shockwaves through the region and in France, which sees Mali as a linchpin in its campaign against jihadism in the Sahel, where more than 5,000 French troops are based. Читать дальше...

New public toilets recently installed in two Tokyo parks are spacious and pristine – a welcome sight for any passer-by in need of relief. The only catch: the walls are entirely made of transparent glass.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam will try to overcome a quick change in formats in the first of three Twenty20 internationals against England at Old Trafford on Friday. Babar, the world's top-ranked T20 batsman, featured throughout during Pakistan's 1-0 loss to England in a three-Test series only completed on Tuesday -- where he was 63 not out at the finish of a drawn match in Southampton. While none of England's Test side will feature on Friday, with the hosts maintaining separate red and white-ball squads in a Covid-19 hit season... Читать дальше...

Chelsea signed former Nice defender Malang Sarr on a free transfer on Tuesday. Sarr left Nice when his contract expired in the close season and agreed a five-year deal with the Premier League club. The 21-year-old centre-back is seen as one for the future by Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and will be sent on loan this coming season to build his experience. Nice-born Sarr racked up more than 100 appearances at his hometown club since his senior debut aged just 17. He is eligible to play for Senegal due his parents... Читать дальше...

Mali's new military rulers said Thursday that former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was detained during the country's coup on August 18, had been freed.

Face masks have become a key tool in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic but they are also proving a major new source of pollution, with used masks seen littering streets, countryside and waterways across the world. Now, a French start-up believes it has a solution.

Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma announced Thursday they are expecting their first child in January. Photos of Kohli and a pregnant Sharma were posted on the celebrity couple's social media accounts. "And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021," Kohli tweeted. The pair married in a low-key ceremony in Italy in December 2017 after being in a relationship for several years. Kohli, 31, is one of the world's top batsmen and captain of India's national cricket team. Читать дальше...