Новости за 22.10.2020

More than four out of 10 French people would be reluctant to get a vaccine for Covid-19 should one become available, a new study has found. FRANCE 24 spoke to a public health expert who says the government should commit to transparency and listening to medical professionals to help ease the roll-out of any future inoculation plans.

Poland’s top court ruled Thursday that a law allowing abortion of fetuses with congenital defects is unconstitutional, shutting a major loophole in the predominantly Catholic country’s abortion laws that are among the strictest in Europe.

Arsenal came from behind to down Rapid Vienna 2-1 and Rangers beat Standard Liege 2-0 in the opening round of Europa League group stage matches on Thursday. Arsenal, the 2019 finalists under Unai Emery, were struggling to make an impact in Austria. After a goalless first half they went behind when keeper Bernd Leno fluffed a clearance on a night he will want to forget. Taxiarchis Fountas capitalised on Leno's clanger, much to the joy of the 3,000 home fans allowed in to watch under coronavirus safety protocol... Читать дальше...

A prominent Syrian Muslim cleric in charge of the Damascus region was killed Thursday when a bomb planted in his car exploded outside the capital, state news agency SANA said. Adnan al-Afiyuni, the Sunni Muslim mufti for Damascus province, was considered to be close to President Bashar al-Assad who hails from the Alawite offshoot of Shiite Islam. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the 66-year-old cleric played a key role in reaching reconciliation deals with rebel fighters... Читать дальше...

Female and minority actors are almost fairly represented in US television series but remain shut out of key behind-the-camera roles including executive jobs, a major new study found Thursday. The "Hollywood Diversity Report" from University of California Los Angeles found 35 percent of lead roles went to minority actors on cable shows last year. Minorities represent around 40 percent of the US population. Women accounted for 45 percent of lead roles on cable, climbing to 49 percent on streaming. Читать дальше...

When it comes to friendships, people are known to become more selective with age. It turns out the same is true of male chimps, who have fewer yet more genuine pals to ape around with as they get older, according to a study published in the journal Science on Thursday. The research, which was led by animal psychologist Alexandra Rosati at the University of Michigan, was said to provide the first evidence that animals exhibit age-related social selectivity, and could help us understand more about why humans behave as they do. Читать дальше...

Venezuela's opposition warned of a potential "environmental catastrophe" Thursday as a damaged oil tanker threatened to spill 1.3 million barrels of crude into waters separating Venezuela from Trinidad and Tobago. The Nabarima tanker, anchored for several months in the Gulf of Paria, is used to store oil but video footage shared on October 16 by the Fisherman and Friends of the Sea NGO, showed it tilting. According to Eudis Girot, a Venezuelan oil sector union leader, the 855-foot (264-meter) ship has had maintenance problems since 2014. Читать дальше...

Lewis Hamilton appeared to be at loggerheads with Formula One's ruling body again on Thursday when he criticised the selection of Vitaly Petrov as a race steward for this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix. The six-time champion, who is bidding to secure a record 92nd career win, said he was surprised that the FIA (International Motoring Federation) had chosen someone who held views that were counter to the body's 'We Race as One' campaign for diversity and inclusivity. "We should definitely be including people here who are with the times... Читать дальше...

Biotech firm Moderna said Thursday that it had successfully recruited ethnic minorities, older people and those with underlying health issues for its Covid-19 vaccines trial, after it pushed to enrol groups most vulnerable to the virus. Moderna said it had now signed up all 30,000 participants for the phase-3 trial, and more than 25,000 of them had already received a second dose of the vaccine, four weeks after the first. The firm said it was working "to develop a vaccine for everyone, including... Читать дальше...

Edouard Mendy says his struggles to save his football career when he found himself without a club have set him up to succeed at Chelsea. The Senegal goalkeeper joined the Blues in a £20 million ($26 million) deal from Rennes last month, but in 2014 he was without a club and feared for his future in the sport. The 28-year-old was forced to take unemployment benefit in France after being released by Cherbourg, and then his partner became pregnant. After a year in the wilderness and training with Le Havre's reserves... Читать дальше...

Australian Jai Hindley said Sunweb's strategy was "perfect" as he won Thursday's gruelling Giro d'Italia 18th stage on the Stelvio pass in the northern Italian Alps to help team-mate Wilco Kelderman take the leader's pink jersey. Dutch rider Kelderman struggled on the final two climbs but his fifth-place finish was enough to overtake Joao Almeida three days before the race finishes in Milan. "Winning here is such an incredible feeling," said 24-year-old Hindley. "It's a big step forward in my... Читать дальше...

Bending the curve of nature's rapid decline will require attacking the problem aggressively along several fronts at once, leading scientists warned Thursday. From preventing the extinction of lions and polar bears to halting the destruction of life-sustaining primary forests, only a multi-pronged plan can stitch together a "safety net" for the natural world, they argued in a peer-reviewed commentary in Science. "It will not be enough to have, for example, an ambitious goal for reducing species... Читать дальше...

US President Donald Trump squares off against Democratic challenger Joe Biden on Thursday in what promises to be a bruising final debate with less than two weeks left in the fight for the White House. After the last televised debate was marred by serial interruptions and unintelligible cross-talk, tonight's moderator will have the power to mute the candidates' mics.

Inmates at a Chicago jail have been casting their ballots this week in the US presidential election, a rare chance to vote in person in a country where millions of incarcerated people cannot vote at all.

Six days after curfews came into effect in greater Paris and eight other metropolitan areas, French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced new measures to stem the spread of coronavirus as cases rise across the country.

Supermodel, singer-songwriter, France's former first lady: Carla Bruni has already enjoyed many lives. She's now releasing an eponymous album of love songs and speaks to FRANCE 24's Louise Dupont about making music during lockdown. Bruni also takes a look back at a career that's taken her from fashion catwalks to the world's concert halls, with a little detour via the presidential palace in Paris.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday called for an end to street protests in the country, as authorities in the commercial capital Lagos struggled to enforce a curfew imposed to contain anger over a crackdown on anti-police protesters.

President Donald Trump and Joe Biden are preparing for the second and final debate, which will cover six topics ranging from the Covid-19 response to climate change. FRANCE 24 foreign affairs editor Philip Turle says while viewers can expect fireworks, a new microphone mute button means there will be fewer than in the first round. Trump is trailing in recent polls, and behind in swing states he won in 2016.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden will on Thursday go head to head in their second and final debate, with less than two weeks to election day. The 90-minute debate in Nashville will introduce modifications designed to minimise the chaos of the first debate, including a mute button – much to the president's chagrin.

Ireland is the first state in Europe to enter a second lockdown, with businesses shuttered and people forced to stay home for six weeks in Dublin, while Wales is to impose a lockdown starting Friday. Spain, one of the hardest-hit EU countries, has now passed one million infections.

Iran has dismissed US claims of interference in its upcoming election as baseless. Mohammad Marandi, professor at the University of Tehran professor, says the US has constantly sought to undermine Iran, and is looking for an overseas scapegoat to divert attention from its own divisions. Iran has previously sought to influence US elections in the 1960s.

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun on Thursday asked Saad Hariri, a former prime minister, to form a new government to tackle the worst crisis since the country's 1975-1990 civil war.

The European Parliament has awarded this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the democratic opposition in Belarus, which has faced a fierce crackdown by security forces loyal to longtime President Alexander Lukashenko.

Ahead of Election Day on November 3, we're answering your questions about the US presidential election and in particular the Electoral College. It's one of the most confusing aspects about the US election process. Many Americans themselves don't understand how it works, or even why it's still around. In five presidential elections so far – including the last one in 2016 – the eventual winner lost the popular vote, but won thanks to the Electoral College. We explain how it works.

Rudy Giuliani is shown in a compromising position in a hotel room with a young woman acting as a television journalist in a scene in Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest mockumentary, a sequel to his hit “Borat” film.