Новости за 11.11.2020

News of a vaccine that is 90 percent effective against Covid-19 has sparked widespread hope across the world. The vaccine has been developed by the New York-based drug giant Pfizer and German company BioNTech. The EU Commission confirmed it will soon sign a contract with Pfizer and BioNTech for up to 300 million doses. We dig deeper with our panel and ask if this is the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

Iran continues to increase its stockpile of low-enriched uranium far beyond the limits set in a landmark nuclear deal with world powers and to enrich it to a greater purity than permitted, the U.N.’s atomic watchdog agency said Wednesday.

Residents of the Tunisian town of Chebba were beside themselves when the Tunisian Football Federation decided on October 17 to suspend their football club. Some outraged fans actually started organising an effort to collectively migrate to Italy in protest – and two thousand people added their names to a protest form. The threat is largely symbolic, but may have real consequences, says our Observer

Polish far-right supporters on Wednesday clashed with riot police near Warsaw's main stadium, which is being used as a temporary hospital for Covid-19 victims. The clashes broke out after thousands joined a march in cars, motorbikes and on foot, ignoring police warnings to disperse in order to limit infection risks. "Several officers were injured" after being attacked by "groups of hooligans" the police said on Twitter. "Officers had to act decisively in order to clear a passage for ambulances... Читать дальше...

On Yerevan's emblematic Republic Square, a giant screen continuously broadcasting videos to the glory of Armenian soldiers fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh has been quickly, quietly removed. The announcement early Tuesday of a peace deal that cedes swathes of the disputed region to Azerbaijan has traumatised Armenians. Shock at the news has made way for a mix of incomprehension, despair, helplessness and rage. - 'Broken' - "Armenians are broken, still standing but knocked out," says Jenny, a student... Читать дальше...

US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau prepared to smash tee shots into places that Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones never imagined on the eve of the 84th Masters. World number six DeChambeau will try to overpower the famed layout, soaked by a half-inch of overnight rain with more forecast before his early morning Thursday tee time. DeChambeau, who overwhelmed Winged Foot in September to capture his first major title, bulked up during the Covid-19 layoff that postponed the Masters from its usual April date. Читать дальше...

As numbers of coronavirus cases in France continue to rise, many are questioning the impact of protective measures on controlling the disease. FRANCE 24’s health editor Julia Sieger says the second wave is more violent, and unresponsive, despite the mandatory wearing of face-masks and prevalence of diagnostic tests.

Warmer seas caused by climate change are making hurricanes stronger for longer after landfall, increasing the destruction they can wreak on impact, a new study has found. Researchers warn the finding suggests inland communities -- which may be less prepared than coastal regions to face hurricanes -- are increasingly at risk. The effects of climate change on tropical storms including hurricanes are still being studied, although the warming planet is already known to be making storms bigger and stronger. Читать дальше...

Several people were injured in what French officials described as a “bomb attack” in the Saudi city of Jeddah. The attack took place at a ceremony marking the end of World War I at a cemetery for non-Muslims organised by the French consulate in Jeddah. FRANCE 24’s chief foreign editor Robert Parsons says the explosion, which comes two weeks after an attack on a French security guard in the country, points to growing tensions between France and the Muslim world.

The first anti-Covid vaccinations could be available in the European Union early next year, the bloc's health agency said Wednesday, as Russian developers reported initial test results showing their Sputnik V vaccine to be 92 percent effective. The Russian announcement came two days after pharma giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech said phase-three results found their vaccine to be more than 90 percent effective, injecting hope into the battle against the virus and thrilling stock markets. Speaking to AFP... Читать дальше...

FRANCE 24 international affairs editor Philip Turle says President Donald Trump will be willing to ‘go all the way’ in his bid to retain power. The president has refused to concede election defeat, and over the last 48 hours placed loyalists in key Pentagon roles.

England forwards coach Matt Proudfoot has insisted history will be irrelevant when the Six Nations champions face Georgia in their Autumn Nations Cup opener at Twickenham on Saturday. The teams have only met twice before, with England enjoying comfortable 84-6 and 41-10 wins at the 2003 and 2011 World Cups respectively. But Proudfoot, who joined England's backroom staff after being a member of the South Africa set-up that beat Eddie Jones' men in the 2019 World Cup final, insisted Wednesday any... Читать дальше...

Several were arrested in Armenia’s capital on Wednesday as protestors voiced their anger at the terms of a peace deal Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed with Azerbaijan. The agreement gives Azerbaijan control of all territory gained during the last six weeks of conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the strategically important town of Shushi. Yet without such a capitulation, some believe Armenia’s losses could have been much worse.

Back when Israeli bartender Lotem Benbenishti was mixing cocktails for a living, the beach was where she went for fun. But on a recent sunny morning in northern Israel, she was hard at work -- scooping plastic off a sandy beach and stuffing it into a garbage bag. Benbenishti's transition from the bar to the beach was forced by the novel coronavirus pandemic that has devastated Israel's economy and left hundreds of thousands jobless. Like many Israelis, the 28-year-old found her unemployment benefits did not cover her expenses... Читать дальше...

Hong Kong's pro-democracy opposition lawmakers said on Wednesday they will resign in protest against the dismissal of four of their colleagues from the city assembly after Beijing gave local authorities new powers to further curb dissent. The Chinese parliament adopted a resolution earlier in the day allowing the city's executive to expel legislators deemed to be advocating Hong Kong independence, colluding with foreign forces or threatening national security, without having to go through the courts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wooed sceptical investors Wednesday with a promise of painful reforms, throwing his full support behind a new economic team installed after his powerful son-in-law quit. In remarks that saw the Turkish lira gain more than three percent against the dollar, Erdogan told parliament he was prepared to "make sacrifices and swallow a bitter pill" to revive the sagging economy. He vowed to implement "uncompromising structural reforms" and to organise international... Читать дальше...

France is not yet prepared to let shops selling "non-essential" goods reopen as efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 must be upheld, Marc Fesneau, Junior Minister of Relations with Parliament said on Wednesday.

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim trial results, the country's sovereign wealth fund saidon Wednesday, as Moscow rushes to keep pace with Western drugmakers in the race for a shot.

At least three people were wounded Wednesday in what French officials described as a "bomb attack" targeting a World War I commemoration ceremony attended by European diplomats at a non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Hong Kong's pro-democracy opposition lawmakers said on Wednesday they will resign in protest against the dismissal of four of their colleagues from the city assembly after Beijing gave local authorities new powers to further curb dissent.

France this week commemorates the deeds of a boy who died aged just six and is hailed as the youngest French World War II hero for carrying messages under his shirt to leaders of the resistance against Nazi occupation.

Veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat is to be buried Wednesday following his death from Covid-19 complications, as hope emerges of new peace talks during Joe Biden's presidency. Erekat, who died Tuesday at Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital, was praised worldwide for his enduring belief that negotiations could end the conflict with Israel and lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who described Erekat as "a brother and friend" whose death was a "great loss" for the Palestinian cause... Читать дальше...

President Emmanuel Macron leads France's traditional Armistice Day ceremony honouring soldiers who fought and perished during World War I on Wednesday. Watch the event live on FRANCE 24 at 11am Paris time (GMT+2) at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Bahrain's Prince Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the world's longest-serving prime minister who had held the post since independence in 1971, died Wednesday at the age of 84, state media announced. "The Royal Court mourns His Royal Highness... who passed away this morning at Mayo Clinic Hospital in the United States of America," the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said, adding that the country will hold a week of official mourning. The burial ceremony will take place after the body has been transported home from the United States... Читать дальше...

Mongolia Wednesday reported its first domestic transmissions of the coronavirus, from a truck driver who infected his wife and two other relatives after three weeks of quarantine. The landlocked country bordering Russia and China has so far reported just 376 virus cases -- all imported -- and enforced strict arrival controls that have prompted protests by Mongolians stranded abroad. But national emergency committee officials said a truck driver who had arrived in the capital Ulaanbaatar from Russia... Читать дальше...