Новости за 29.12.2020

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune returned to Algeria on Tuesday and appeared on television after a two-month absence in Germany, where he received treatment for Covid-19.

France will not enforce a new lockdown for the time being to curb the spread of the coronavirus but it could soon impose an earlier curfew in eastern areas of the country, the worst-hit by infections, the health minister said on Tuesday.

Rights groups on Tuesday demanded that Palestinian authorities free a woman disc jockey arrested after a dance event at a Muslim religious site near the West Bank city of Jericho.

The year 2020 was the hottest year in France since records began in 1900, state weather forecaster Météo-France said, in a new sign of global warming.

The Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that 18 players and staff have tested positive for coronavirus, plunging the continuation of the season amid a mass spike in infection rates across England into doubt. That figure is the highest since weekly testing began, surpassing the previous high of 16 recorded for November 9-15. Manchester City's clash at Everton was postponed on Monday after an outbreak of multiple positive cases at City. "The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 21 December and Sunday 27 December... Читать дальше...

Just four in 10 people in France want to have a vaccination against Covid-19, a poll showed Tuesday, as concern also grows over the slow star to the country's immunisation campaign. According to the poll by Ipsos Global Advisor in partnership with the World Economic Forum, just 40 percent of French want to take the vaccine. This puts it behind even other laggards like Russia on 43 percent and South Africa on 53 percent, let alone those countries where eagerness to take the vaccine is high such as China on 80 percent and Britain on 77 percent.

The United States and European Union on Tuesday demanded that China release a citizen journalist jailed for reports from Wuhan, with top US diplomat Mike Pompeo accusing Beijing of covering up Covid-19. Zhang Zan, a former lawyer in custody since May, was Monday handed four years in prison over her early online accounts that provided a rare unvarnished glimpse of the city where the mysterious respiratory illness was first detected a year ago. Pompeo in a statement called on China to "release her... Читать дальше...

US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received her Covid vaccine live on television Tuesday and urged public trust in the process, while her choice of hospital highlighted the plight of the hard-hit African-American community. A mask-wearing Harris received the first of her two shots at United Medical Center, located in an area of Washington, DC with a large African-American population. African-American communities nationwide have seen disproportionately high levels of death and illness related to the Covid-19 pandemic... Читать дальше...

Jake Ball will effectively end his Wales career by leaving the Scarlets at the end of the season to return to Australia for family reasons. The 29-year-old lock has won 49 caps since his debut in 2014, becoming one of Wales' frontline tight-five forwards. Wales players must pass 60 caps to play for the nation while based overseas in club rugby. Ball, however, has opted to return to Australia after missing the birth of his fourth child in November. "It has been a difficult decision to make but one I have made for the family," said Ball. Читать дальше...

The coronavirus pandemic continues to reshape the men's tennis calendar with Indian Wells absent from the schedule for the eight weeks following the Australian Open, released by the ATP on Tuesday. Indian Wells in California is traditionally the first Masters event of the year on the men's tour and runs alongside a women's tournament. The ATP said that "due to the impact of COVID-19" it would not be held on "its customary dates in March." The tournament organisers released a statement saying:... Читать дальше...

Rangers at a UN-listed wildlife sanctuary in eastern DR Congo protested on Tuesday for the sixth day running over what they say is months of unpaid salary, witnesses said. Eco-guards at the Kahuzi-Biega National Park set up barricades at the entrance preventing employees from going in, although inhabitants of the vast park were allowed through, they told AFP. The park, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, comprises 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) of tropical rainforest that is notably... Читать дальше...

South Africa banned alcohol sales and made masks mandatory in public from Tuesday, tightening restrictions after a surge in coronavirus cases as more countries joined in mass vaccination campaigns to beat the pandemic. Nations around the world are struggling with winter spikes in infections that have pushed the global caseload close to 81 million and killed more than 1.77 million, even as the rollout of vaccines gathers pace in North America and Europe. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced... Читать дальше...

French designer Pierre Cardin, who shook up the fashion world with his visionary creations but also turned his name into a money-spinning global brand, died Tuesday aged 98. Cardin won renown in postwar Europe with his futurist designs that looked like they had arrived from another planet, but he also used his business acumen to create the first truly global fashion empire. Cardin, who was born into a low-income family in northern Italy but became a France-based fashion superstar, died in a hospital in Neuilly in the west of Paris... Читать дальше...

The evening of Saturday, December 26, a concert taking place at an Islamic sacred site, the An-Nabi Musa tomb in the West Bank near Jericho, was broken up by a group of citizens who had heard about the event through social networks. The event’s organisers maintain that they were authorised to use the space, but the DJ has been arrested and the Palestinian Authority has opened an investigation into the event.

The European Union on Tuesday demanded China release citizen journalist Zhang Zhan and 12 Hong Kong activists detained at sea, as it looks to seal an investment deal with Beijing.

American Mikaela Shiffrin edged Swiss rival Michelle Gisin to clock the fastest time in the first leg of the World Cup slalom in the Austrian resort of Semmering on Tuesday. Shiffrin, a three-time overall World Cup winner, is seeking a 68th World Cup victory which would see her move ahead of Austria's Marcel Hirscher into stand-alone third on the all-time winners' list. The 25-year-old is still behind compatriot Lindsey Vonn's 82 World Cup wins and Swede Ingemar Stenmark, who racked up 86 victories during his career. Читать дальше...

Yemeni men, women and children filled a hall earlier this month in rebel-held Sanaa, laughing and clapping as actors took to the stage with comic relief for their war-wracked country.

Each year generates new words or expressions but a year of pandemic perhaps more than others, whether debating “herd immunity”, monitoring the "R rate", or sharing a “quarantini” on Zoom.

Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday confirmed the sacking of coach Thomas Tuchel, who had been at the club since July 2018, but did not name his successor.

Fifty journalists and media workers were killed in connection with their work in 2020, the majority in countries that are not at war, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Tuesday.

The charming German city of Luebeck was lovingly done up for the holidays with fairy lights and garlands but the usual festive bustle was eerily absent this pandemic-scarred winter. Across the country, all non-essential businesses have been forced to shut until at least mid-January to help stem a second coronavirus wave engulfing Europe's top economy. But many of the "closed" signs in shop windows in the town centre, with its signature brick facades and sumptuous art nouveau villas that made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site... Читать дальше...

Fifty journalists and media workers were killed in connection with their work in 2020, the majority in countries that are not at war, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Tuesday. The figure shows an increase in the targeting of reporters investigating organised crime, corruption or environmental issues, the watchdog said. It highlighted murders in Mexico, India and Pakistan. Eighty-four percent of those killed this year were "deliberately targeted" for their work, RSF said in its annual report, compared to 63 percent in 2019. Читать дальше...

The Buffalo Bills, their first AFC East title in 25 years already in hand, completed a season sweep of division rivals New England Monday with a 38-9 triumph at the Patriots' Gillette Stadium. Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw four touchdowns, three of them to Stefon Diggs as Buffalo completed a season sweep of the Pats for the first time since 1999. Allen completed 27-of-36 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns -- setting Bills franchise records for TDs in a season with 34 and completions with 375. Читать дальше...

A father and son have been rescued in the remote Australian outback after their car became bogged in floodwaters, forcing a 12-hour trek for help. A 10-year-old boy and his father were among a group of travellers whose car became stuck near Queensland's Mount Isa on Sunday night, RACQ LifeFlight Rescue said in a statement. After spending the night in their car, the boy and his father stayed behind while three of the group set off to get help -- walking 50 kilometres (31 miles) across remote country... Читать дальше...

Stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane led India to a dominant eight-wicket win over Australia in the second Test Tuesday, levelling the series 1-1 and capping an extraordinary turnaround after their record collapse in the opening game. Rahane, deputising during Virat Kohli's paternity leave, hit an unbeaten 27 in Melbourne -- after a century in the first innings -- as India reached the meagre target of 70 for the loss of two wickets. It capped a remarkable comeback for an Indian side desperate to make... Читать дальше...