Новости за 04.11.2020

France registered 40,558 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, compared to 36,330 on Tuesday and a record of 52,518 on Monday, health ministry data showed.

Will it be Joe Biden or Donald Trump? The race to the White House is far from over. Although polls closed long ago, we're now entering a new phase. Two days after the US presidential election, ballot-counting is still under way due to record early voting. But it's contentious, and the longer it goes on, the more the lawyers from both sides will get involved. To break it all down, we bring you another special edition of the FRANCE 24 Debate from Washington.

A Ukrainian soldier acquitted of killing an Italian photographer and his Russian assistant during a war in the country's east returned home to a hero's welcome on Wednesday. Last year, former national guard commander Vitaliy Markiv had been sentenced to 24 years in prison for the killing of Italian photographer Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian assistant Andrei Mironov in May 2014. The pair were hit by shrapnel from mortar shells during a fierce firefight between government forces and Russian-backed separatists in the rebel-held east. Читать дальше...

Spanish prosecutors have opened an investigation into whether former king Juan Carlos I used credit cards linked to accounts not registered in his name in a possible money-laundering offence, judicial sources said Wednesday. The probe is latest of a string of legal inquiries into the finances of the scandal-hit 82-year-old who fled into self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates in August. His departure came as investigators in Spain and Switzerland were looking his financial affairs following revelations by his former mistress... Читать дальше...

The San Francisco 49ers shuttered the team's facilities on Wednesday after a player tested positive for Covid-19, the NFL club said in a statement. US media reported that 49ers receiver Kendrick Bourne had returned a positive test for the coronavirus on the eve of their team's clash with the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium. "The San Francisco 49ers were informed today that a player has tested positive for COVID-19 and the individual immediately went into self-quarantine," the Niners statement said. Читать дальше...

Scotland have suffered a major double setback on Wednesday when fly-halves Finn Russell and Adam Hastings were both ruled out of the Autumn Nations Cup. Worse still, Glasgow's Hastings -- the son of Scotland great Gavin -- is unlikely to feature at all in next year's Six Nations. Russell, now with French club Racing 92, suffered a groin injury as he made his first Scotland start since last year's World Cup during last Saturday's win over Wales in Llanelli. Russell was replaced by Hastings, but... Читать дальше...

The world's biggest iceberg is on a collision course with a remote South Atlantic island that is home to thousands of penguins and seals, and could impede their ability to gather food, scientists told AFP Wednesday. Icebergs naturally break off from Antarctica into the ocean, but climate change has accelerated the process -- in this case, with potentially devastating consequences for abundant wildlife in the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia. Shaped like a closed hand with a pointing finger... Читать дальше...

Major persistent "divergences" are dogging talks between the EU and Britain meant to work out a post-Brexit relationship, the chief negotiators from both sides said Wednesday. The downbeat assessment, tweeted separately by the EU's Michel Barnier and Britain's David Frost, cast a pall over efforts to strike a deal within the next few days, before the negotiating window closes. Any accord needs to be swiftly arrived at and then ratified before a post-Brexit transition period finishes at the end of next month. Читать дальше...

German tennis player Alexander Zverev said on Wednesday that accusations by an ex-girlfriend that he attacked her last year were "not true". The world number seven insisted last week in a social media post that claims made by Olga Sharypova that he tried to "strangle" her while at last year's US Open were "unfounded" and made him "very sad". "I have said everything on my Instagram. There is nothing else I can add right now," Zverev said after his 6-2, 6-2 Paris Masters second-round win over Miomir Kecmanovic at Bercy Arena. Читать дальше...

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson, who spent 11 days battling boredom in a hotel room after contracting Covid-19, returns Thursday at the PGA Houston Open while preparing for next week's Masters. The 36-year-old American missed last month's CJ Cup and Zozo tournaments after contracting the deadly virus, halting a run of strong play and pushing him to play ahead of a major showdown at Augusta National. "I was pleased with the way I was playing. I was very consistent and I like the way I was striking it," said Johnson... Читать дальше...

Shalom Berntholz never closes his kosher restaurant in central Vienna, but as a new coronavirus-induced lockdown approached, he decided to shut early. That saved his life. A gunman who supported the Islamic State (IS) group kicked off his shooting rampage on Monday evening right in front of his closed restaurant, killing a waitress opposite. "Normally, we're open 365 days a year, even for Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Exceptionally, we closed. That's what saved our lives," Berntholz tells AFP. ... Читать дальше...

Despite threats of widespread voter suppression, rampant fake news and public violence, the US Election Day on November 3 went off generally without incident. However, tensions ran high in polling booths and on the street, with voters capturing scenes of confusion, incidents of voter intimidation and scuffles with police in protests from Portland to Washington, D.C..

Two Ivory Coast government supporters were killed and a minister's convoy hit by gunfire, officials said on Wednesday, as tensions build over President Alassane Ouattara's contested reelection.

Brazilian prosecutors on Wednesday charged President Jair Bolsonaro's son Flavio with corruption, accusing him of skimming money off the top of his staffers' salaries when he was a Rio de Janeiro state lawmaker. The charges are the first to be brought in a series of investigations involving the president's family, and could prove damaging for the far-right leader, who ran on an anti-corruption platform. Rio state prosecutors accuse Flavio Bolsonaro, 39, of embezzlement, money laundering and operating a criminal enterprise from 2007 to 2018. Читать дальше...

The US Supreme Court will soon review the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. More commonly known as Obamacare, it was one of the most ambitious reforms in US history and expanded healthcare access for millions of Americans. But the recent appointment of Amy Coney Barrett now gives conservatives a near-absolute majority to repeal the law. This has been Donald Trump's objective since 2016. Now, as early as December, 50 million Americans with serious medical conditions could lose their health insurance. Читать дальше...

The winner of the US presidential election - as well as lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives - will need to address urgent economic challenges when they get back to Washington. FRANCE 24's Business Editor Stephen Carroll has been looking at some of the main issues they're facing, as the economy remains scarred by the coronavirus pandemic. Also, we see how US campaigns spent a record-breaking amount of money on Tuesday's elections, with one estimate putting the total at almost $14 billion.

British heavyweight Dereck Chisora has said he is prepared to face Dillian Whyte for a third time barely three weeks on from his defeat by Oleksandr Usyk. Whyte was next scheduled to be in action on November 21 but a rematch with Alexander Povetkin was scuppered when the Russian tested positive for coronavirus. Chisora told Whyte's promoter, Eddie Hearn, on Instagram live: "Do you want to give me that fight? I'll take that." Hearn, however, has tweeted Whyte would like to face WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury... Читать дальше...

IN THE PRESS - November 4, 2020: We see how newspapers around the world are covering the US presidential election, with the result still too close to call. We specifically look at how the vote unfolded, with papers hailing a largely peaceful process, while others warn of possible post-electoral violence. We also look at articles explaining why it could take days to designate the winner. Finally, we turn to different scenarios and projections looking at what a Trump or Biden win could mean for the future of America.

Ethiopia’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister on Wednesday ordered the military to confront the country’s Tigray regional government after he said it carried out a deadly attack on a military base overnight, citing months of “provocation and incitement” and declaring “the last red line has been crossed.”

Dubai budget airline flydubai said Wednesday it will start direct flights to Tel Aviv this month, the first regular commercial service between the cities, after the UAE and Israel agreed to normalise ties. "The carrier will operate 14 flights a week, offering a double daily service between Dubai International Airport and Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport," it said in a statement, adding that flights will start from November 26. The United Arab Emirates in September signed a US-brokered deal to formalise relations with Israel... Читать дальше...

The discovery that coral-eating starfish are late risers and feed mostly at night could help slow the decline of the Great Barrier Reef and other shallow-water corals already ravaged by global warming, scientists reported Wednesday. Crown-of-thorns starfish suck the colour and life out of corals, a favourite food, but in a healthy ecosystem their numbers are held in check. When marine heatwaves bleach large swathes of coral, however, bigger fish leave the area and the spiky multi-armed predators proliferate and zero in on what's left. Читать дальше...

Hungary's foreign minister tested positive for coronavirus in Thailand, the kingdom's health minister said Wednesday, a day after he jetted in from a meeting with Cambodian premier Hun Sen. Peter Szijjarto flew into Phnom Penh Tuesday for a one-day official visit to sign agreements on civil aviation, agriculture and water management, as well as reopening an embassy after a 25-year hiatus. He was pictured with Hun Sen at a meeting where neither appeared to be socially distancing or wearing a mask. Читать дальше...

The United States left the Paris accord on Wednesday, becoming the first country to ever withdraw from an international climate change pact as the fate of its presidential election hangs in the balance.

Hong Kong's "mom and pop" investors had been looking forward to an instant jackpot via Ant Group's record-busting $34 billion IPO. Instead, China's shock suspension of the listing has left them baffled and angry. The financial tech titan's listing came crashing down on Tuesday evening as regulators pulled the plug just two days before its dual debut in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Demand was so strong in Hong Kong that Ant announced it was going to stop selling a day early, while in Shanghai it was more than 800 times over-subscribed. Читать дальше...

In the Press: Describing the US election as a battle for America’s soul, and the future of the planet, the Guardian was not the only media outlet around the world to attach great import to the US election. Politico meanwhile said Joe Biden must win by a landslide to refute Trumpism, which has not been borne out by results. As for when observers can expect an outcome, Vox says it may take days to count mail-in ballots.