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World

Pressuring France to Bring Them Home, Women Who Joined ISIS Stage Hunger Strike

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PARIS — In a desperate appeal to France’s government, some 10 Frenchwomen who joined the Islamic State and are now being held in detention camps in Syria began a hunger strike on Saturday, protesting the government’s refusal to bring them home for trial.

The women are among dozens of French mothers and their 200 or so children who have been detained by Kurdish forces for at least two years in squalid camps, and are in a state of legal limbo.

“We decided to stop feeding ourselves, regardless of the risks, until we meet the right people to get answers about our future,” one of the women said in a voice message obtained by The New York Times.

Two French lawyers representing the women confirmed the hunger strike in a statement released on Sunday evening.

Since at least 2019, when the Islamic State lost its final foothold in Syria, some 60,000 relatives of Islamic fighters, mostly women and children, have been stuck in fetid, disease-ridden detainment camps run by Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, with no clear future in sight.

France, along with other Western nations that also have citizens detained there, has resisted calls from families and rights groups to repatriate its people, and it has brought back only a handful of children.

Repatriating citizens who had left to wage jihad has long been a sensitive issue in France, a country that is still reeling from years of Islamist terrorist attacks. But the hunger strike, along with recent initiatives from French lawmakers and citizens, may add pressure on the government to take action in the face of a situation that is worsening by the day.

United Nations human rights experts last week urged 57 states, including France, to repatriate women and children whose “continued detention, on unclear grounds” in the camps “is a matter of grave concern and undermines the progression of accountability, truth and justice.”

France has long argued that adults who joined the Islamic State, including women, should be tried where they committed their crimes: in Syria and Iraq. Several men have already been tried and sentenced in Iraqi courts.

But trying women has so far proved impossible since their potential crimes are unclear and because the Kurdish administration that is detaining them is not internationally recognized. Kurdish forces who run the camps have called for the repatriation of all foreigners, saying they cannot keep them indefinitely in an unstable region.

The women holding the hunger strike say they want to be tried in France.

“We are there, waiting, in tents, in the cold, in the winter,” one hunger striker said in a voice message.

She said: “We want to pay our debt to society for the choice we made to come here. But it’s time for this nightmare to end and for us to go home.”

The New York Times obtained several voice messages from the women but is not publishing their names because they have received death threats from Islamic State supporters who oppose their desire to return to France.

Countries like Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have each repatriated more than 100 of their citizens, many more than Western nations where public opinion is firmly against bringing home those who left to fight with Islamic State.

Rights groups have pressed the governments to at least bring home their citizens’ children, arguing that the minors did not choose to go to Syria and that having them raised in camps that have become cauldrons of Islamist radicalization would only aggravate the situation.

But France has agreed to repatriate children only on a case-by-case basis, giving priority to orphans and fragile children whose mothers agree to let them go. To date, 35 children have been brought back, including a 7-year-old girl suffering from a heart defect who was flown to France for urgent medical care in April.

In the current French political climate, repatriations might prove even more fraught. In the fall, the country was hit by several Islamist terrorist attacks that reopened old wounds. A draft law aimed at combating Islamism is expected to get final approval in the French Senate next month.

Families of relatives stranded in Syrian camps and rights groups have long denounced this piecemeal repatriation process. In northern France, the mother of a Frenchwoman detained in Syria has been on hunger strike since Feb. 1 to protest France’s policy.

In a public letter, a French lawmaker recently condemned the conditions of the camps and the government’s reluctance to act, which he called “deeply inhuman and irresponsible political cowardice.”

“If, because of our inertia, we continue to condone the guilty silence of the government,” the letter read, “then we will have been the lawmakers who let innocent children die.”

A spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry, which oversees the repatriation process, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Marie Dosé and Ludovic Rivière, the lawyers for the women on hunger strike, said in a statement that the women should be only tried in France, and that “for more than two years,” they “have been waiting to pay for what they have done.”

In one of the voice messages, a woman said that they needed “a helping hand from our country now.”

A trial in France, she said, would be “a second chance.”



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World

France passes anti-radicalism bill that worries Muslims

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PARIS (AP) — Lawmakers in the French parliament’s lower house on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would strengthen oversight of mosques, schools and sports clubs to safeguard France from radical Islamists and to promote respect for French values – one of President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark projects.

After two weeks of intense debate, the vote in the National Assembly house was the first critical hurdle for the legislation that has been long in the making. The bill passed 347-151, with 65 abstentions.

With France bloodied by terror attacks, having hundreds of citizens who went to Syria in years past and thousands of French troops now fighting extremists in Mali, few disagree that radicalization is a danger. But critics also see the proposed law as a political ploy to lure the right wing to Macron’s centrist party ahead of next year’s presidential election.

The wide-ranging bill, titled “Supporting respect for the principles of the Republic,” covers most aspects of French life. It has been hotly contested by some Muslims, lawmakers and others who fear the state is intruding on essential freedoms and pointing a finger at Islam, the nation’s No. 2 religion.

But the legislation breezed through a chamber in which Macron’s party has a majority. It is not set to go to the conservative-controlled Senate until March 30, but final passage is seen as all but assured.

The bill gained added urgency after a teacher was beheaded outside Paris in October and three people were killed during a knife attack at a Nice basilica the same month.

A section that makes it a crime to knowingly endanger the life of a person by providing details of their private life and location is known as the ’’Paty law.” It was named for Samuel Paty, the teacher who was killed outside his school after information about where he taught was posted online in a video.

The bill bolsters other French efforts to fight extremism, mainly security-based.

Detractors say the measures are already covered in current laws. Some voice suspicions about a hidden political agenda.

Days before Tuesday’s vote, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin – the bill’s main sponsor – accused far-right leader Marine Le Pen during a nationally televised debate of being “soft” on radical Islam, saying she needs to take vitamins.

The remark was intended to portray the government as tougher than the far-right in tackling Islamic extremists. But Le Pen criticized the bill as too weak and offered what she called her own, tougher counter-proposal. Le Pen, who has declared her presidential candidacy for the 2022 election, lost in the 2017 runoff against Macron.

Jordan Bardella, vice president of Le Pen’s National Rally party. said on BFM TV that the legislation approved Tuesday “misses its target” because it doesn’t attack radical Islamist ideology head-on, .

The bill mentions neither Muslims nor Islam by name. Supporters say it is aimed at snuffing out what the government describes as an encroaching fundamentalism that is subverting French values, notably the nation’s foundational value of secularism and gender equality.

The measure has been dubbed the “separatism” bill, a term used by Macron to refer to radicals who would create a “counter society” in France.

Top representatives of all religions were consulted as the text was drafted. The government’s leading Muslim conduit, the French Council for the Muslim Faith, gave its backing.

Ghaleb Bencheikh, head of the Foundation for Islam of France, a secular body seeking a progressive Islam, said in a recent interview that the planned law was “unjust but necessary” to fight radicalization.

Among other provisions, the bill would ban virginity certificates and crack down on polygamy and forced marriage, practices not formally attached to a religion. Critics say those and other provisions are already covered in existing laws.

It would also ensure that children attend regular school starting at age 3, a way to target home schools where ideology is taught, and provide for training all public employees in secularism. Anyone who threatens a public employee risks a prison sentence. In another reference to Paty, the slain teacher, the bill obligates the bosses of a public employee who has been threatened to take action, if the employee agrees.

The bill introduces mechanisms to guarantee that mosques and associations that run them are not under the sway of foreign interests or homegrown Salafists with a rigorous interpretation of Islam.

Associations must sign a contract of respect for French values and pay back state funds, if they cross a line. Police officers and prison employees must take an oath swearing to respect the nation’s values and the constitution,

To accommodate changes, the bill adjusts France’s 1905 law guaranteeing separation of church and state.

Some Muslims said they sensed a climate of suspicion.

“There’s confusion… A Muslim is a Muslim and that’s all,” taxi driver Bahri Ayari said after worshipping at midday prayers at the Grand Mosque of Paris.

“We talk about radicals, about I don’t know what,” he said. “There is a book. There is a prophet. The prophet has taught us.”

As for convicted radicals, he said, their crimes “get put on the back of Islam. That’s not what a Muslim is.”

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Jeffrey Schaeffer in Paris contributed to this report.

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World

France fights hold of Islamist radicals with dragnets, laws

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PARIS (AP) — More than three dozen French police officers descended on a small private school in Paris, blocked the 92 students inside their classrooms, took photos everywhere even inside the refrigerator, and grilled the school director.

“It was like they were moving in on a drug deal,” Hanane Loukili, the director and co-founder of the MHS middle and high school said, recalling the Nov. 17 scene.

Loukili didn’t know it then, but a team from the Cell to Fight Radical Islam and Community Withdrawal, or CLIR, had arrived for an inspection. The dragnet sweeps schools, shops, clubs or mosques to rout out “radicalization.” Within a week, a shaken Loukili informed students their school was shutting down.

Loukili insists she is no radical, but such operations illustrate the extent of French efforts to fight extremism as lawmakers prepare to vote Tuesday on a bill aimed at snuffing it out.

The MHS school had an unusual profile. It was secular and co-educational but allowed female Muslim students to wear headscarves in class — which is forbidden in French public schools — and to pray during breaks. Unlike private Muslim schools in France, where headscarves are also allowed, MHS did not offer religion courses.

Loukili and others at the school claim it was a perfect target in what some say is an uncomfortable climate for France’s Muslims.

Scrubbing France clean of radicals and their breeding grounds is a priority for President Emmanuel Macron in a nation bloodied by terror attacks, including the beheading of a teacher outside his school in a Paris suburb in October, followed by a deadly attack inside the basilica in Nice.

The proposed legislation is intended to re-anchor secularism in a changing France, where Muslims are increasingly visible and Islam — the nation’s No. 2 religion — is gaining a stronger voice.

The legislation, expected to pass Tuesday’s vote in the lower house of parliament, will also expand the crackdown.

Along with the bill, contested by some Muslims, politicians and others, such strong-arm inspections risk accentuating the climate of suspicion many Muslims feel in a country where the vast majority of Muslims don’t hold extremist views.

Loukili, herself a Muslim, is well aware of major fire hazard problems her school faced but fervently denied in an Associated Press interview any links to radicalism by her or staff at the school, which opened in 2015.

Only on Dec. 9, did Loukili learn her situation was graver than she thought. A statement from the Police Prefecture and prosecutors office suggested the closure was part of a growing push to “fight all forms of separatism” — the word coined by Macron for extremists who undermine the nation’s values.

Dragnet raids like those unleashed against Loukili’s school have been unearthing soft spots on a local level to nip Islamist radicalization in the bud. They now reach across the country, with police accompanied by education or other specialists, depending on the target.

In December alone, teams carried out 476 raids and closed 36 establishments, according to Interior Ministry figures. Since November 2019, 3,881 establishments have been inspected and 126 closed, mostly small businesses but also two schools.

One was an underground school with no windows or educational program, along with sports clubs that included preaching and obligatory prayer. Five were closed.

The proposed law and the Cell to Fight Radical Islam program, led by prefects in each region, are just part of a many-layered operation to rout out what authorities call “enemies of the Republic.” Mayors of towns considered most impacted by the extremist threat have been asked to sign a charter agreeing to cooperate in the hunt for radicals, the AP has learned.

The Cell to Fight Radical Islam would also get a boost from the planned law, which would provide new legal tools to shut down facilities.

“Today, we’re obliged to use administrative motives to close establishments that don’t respect the law,” said an official close to Citizenship Minister Marlene Schiappa, who oversees the Cell to Fight Radical Islam program and is also a sponsor of the proposed law, along with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

The official, not authorized to speak publicly, could not address the case of the MHS school. Police also would not comment.

The school’s problems began more than a year ago with safety concerns linked mainly to its large building. Loukili, its director and a math teacher, was ordered to close the school, stop teaching and not run any future educational establishment. She returns to court March 17.

“I think they (accuse) us of separatism because they needed to make an example,” Loukili said.

“I was afraid … we didn’t understand,” said Omar, a 17-year-old MHS student who was in class when the police arrived. “They were taking pictures” and some officers insulted the teenagers, he said.

Omar was among those who took part in a Paris protest Sunday against the draft law.

A mother who had to scramble to find new schools for her children after the school closed said her son is fine but her 15-year-old daughter, who wears a headscarf, had to switch to a Muslim school where the head coverings are allowed but where boys and girls are separated inside classrooms and at lunch.

Her daughter, unhappy in the strict climate, “comes home with her stomach in knots,” said the woman, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Rafika, to protect her daughter.

Jean-Riad Kechaou, a history teacher in the working class Paris suburb of Chelles, sees anger in his Muslim adolescent students.

“It comes from this permanent stigmatization of their religion,” he said. “In the head of an adolescent of 12, 13, 14, 15 years old, everything gets mixed up and what comes out is his religion has been completely dirtied and fingers are pointed at him.”

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Masha Macpherson in Paris contributed to this report.

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Science

Conch shell in French museum found to be 17,000-year-old wind instrument | World news

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A 17,000-year-old conch shell that lay forgotten for more than 80 years in a museum collection has been discovered to be the oldest known wind instrument of its type, after researchers found it had been modified by its prehistoric owners to be played like a horn.

First unearthed in a richly decorated cave in the Pyrenees in 1931, the large shell was initially overlooked by archaeologists, who assumed it was a communal “loving cup” used by the Palaeolithic people whose wall art adorns the space.

But a re-examination of the conch, carried out during a recent inventory of items held at the Muséum de Toulouse in southern France, has revealed that it had in fact been carefully drilled and shaped to hold what experts now believe was a mouthpiece.

Remarkably, a skilled horn player enlisted by the multi-disciplinary team of French scientists was able to produce three clear notes of C, D and C sharp from the artefact, offering a tantalising hint of how it sounded to its original owners.

The conch, the team discovered, had also been decorated in its inner whorls with red pigment marks strikingly similar to fingerprint artworks on the walls of the cave. “We are supposing that the shell was decorated with the same pattern as was used in the cave art of Marsoulas, which establishes a strong link between the music played [by] the conch and the images on the walls,” said Gilles Tosello, an archaeologist and cave art specialist who was part of the investigating team.





 Experts believe the shell was shaped to hold a mouthpiece. Photograph: Carole Fritz et al. 2021/CNRS – the French National Centre for Scientific Research

“That, to our knowledge, is the first time that we can see [evidence of] such a relationship between music and cave art in European prehistory.”

Societies from Oceania to Europe, India to Japan have been known to use conch shells as musical instruments, calling devices or sacred objects. But while bone flutes were used as early as 35,000 years ago, Tosello said, no known example of a conch instrument dates to such an early period.

Carbon dating of the Marsoulas conch, named after the cave near Toulouse in which it was found, established it was about 17,000 years old, from a time when Magdalenian hunter-gatherers hunted bison and deer at the end of the last ice age.

The apex of the shell has been purposely removed, creating a round aperture through which a narrow stick was inserted to drill a hole, described by the scientists as “a really complex technical operation”. The outermost lip of the shell had also been trimmed, potentially to allow a player to insert his or her hand to modulate the sound.

Traces of a brown organic substance were also detected around the apex hole, which the researchers believe may have been a form of glue used to attach the mouthpiece.

The shell itself, which is 31cm long, belongs to an Atlantic mollusk species called Charonia lampas which, while rare, can still be found in the Bay of Biscay. The Magdalenian people are known to have links with the Atlantic coast and the region of Cantabria in northern Spain, said Carole Fritz, the lead archaeologist based at the University of Toulouse.

The team hope to experiment playing the conch in the cave where it would first have been sounded, which Tosello said he expected would be “a moment of great emotion”.

The research is published in the journal Science Advances.

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Health

France Stalls Between Stubbornly High Infection Rates and Slow Vaccine Rollout

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PONTOISE, France — In the town of Pontoise, which gently slopes upward from the Oise River about 15 miles northeast of Paris, Mayor Stéphanie Von Euw is laser-focused on her new vaccination center — a blocky, sand-colored recreational facility where up to 450 shots are administered daily to those over 75 or otherwise at high risk.

Ms. Von Euw was energetic on a recent visit, chatting with doctors and vaccine recipients. But here in Pontoise, as in many other parts of France, there is no hiding that a winter of pandemic doldrums has set in.

“To keep my chin up, I try to follow this rule: I take one day at a time,” Ms. Von Euw said across a table covered with chocolate boxes left by recent vaccine recipients. “If I look to the future, I lose myself.”

Caught between infection rates that remain stubbornly high despite months of economically damaging restrictions and a slow-moving vaccine rollout, there is a growing and glum sense in France that the country’s battle against the pandemic has stalled.

Last month, the country was bracing for a third nationwide lockdown when President Emmanuel Macron unexpectedly decided against it. He made a calculated gamble that he could tighten restrictions just enough to stave off a new surge of virus cases while avoiding the heavier economic and social toll of more drastic measures like those currently in force in Germany or Britain.

Weeks later, it is still unclear whether that bet will pay off or if, as some health experts have warned, there is little chance of containing the spread without a strict lockdown.

The average number of daily infections, at about 20,000, has neither spiked nor fallen much over the past month. But more contagious variants from other parts of the world are spreading.

Arnaud Fontanet, an epidemiologist at the Institut Pasteur who is also a member of the government’s Covid-19 advisory council, said on Sunday that the chances of containing the epidemic without a tight lockdown are thin.

“Everything will depend on our ability to control the spread of the British variant,” Mr. Fontanet told the Journal du Dimanche. “If we wait too long, we could be taken by surprise by the epidemic’s acceleration.”

Hospitalizations are stable but still at high levels, with about 28,000 Covid-19 patients across the country, including about 3,300 taking up more than half of the capacity in intensive care units.

Some experts said they worry that a plateau in infection numbers at these higher levels leaves little room to maneuver if hospitals face a new spike in cases.

The government is projecting optimism, and the health minister even told Franceinfo radio on Tuesday that the country might not have to go under lockdown ever again. But the public’s mood is one of uncertainty.

“There is a lot of wavering,” said Odile Essombé-Missé, 79, who was standing in line at the vaccination center in Pontoise for her 85-year-old husband’s injection. Asked about a new lockdown, she just shrugged.

“We put up with it,” she said finally, with her eyeglasses, perched atop a colorful blue and orange face mask, fogged over.

Mr. Macron has vowed that all adults who want to get vaccines would be offered them by summer’s end.

More than 2.2 million out of France’s population of 67 million have received at least one dose so far, and nearly 250,000 have been fully vaccinated. But with 3.1 doses administered per 100 people, according to a New York Times database, France still trails neighbors like Italy or Spain.

“We could double, even triple the rhythm,” Ms. Von Euw said, if her center were allocated more supply of vaccines.

But the European Union has struggled in recent weeks to secure a steady supply of doses. The French government has managed to open up a promising 1.7 million new appointment slots in the coming weeks as deliveries roll in.

“I’m not yet immune, but I’m still reassured,” said Eliane Coudert, an 80-year-old retiree who had come from the neighboring town of Éragny to Pontoise for her shot. She was sitting patiently with a handful of newly inoculated companions in a small waiting area, where doctors monitor for adverse side-effects.

Ms. Coudert, who is diabetic, said she was determined to get vaccinated so she could see her great-granddaughters again.

“I see them a bit outside,” she said. “But we can’t kiss each other.”

France has been under a night curfew since mid-January and restaurants, cafes, museums or movie theaters are closed, turning even the liveliest of French cities into ghost towns after 6 p.m.

So in some ways, the vaccination center — where the local Rotary Club sometimes brings croissants and other pastries — represented a much-needed social outing for seniors who have spent weeks or months in near-isolation.

“The restrictions imposed by social distancing are starting to exasperate everyone,” said Dr. Edouard Devaud, an infectious diseases specialist at the Centre Hospitalier René-Dubos, the main hospital in Pontoise. “There isn’t any speck of light at the end of the tunnel.”

Variants of the virus, mainly the British one, now account for one in seven of every new infection. Some areas, like the Paris region, have reported even higher proportions. But the country’s infection numbers have otherwise remained frustratingly stable.

Dr. Devaud said the average number of Covid-19 patients in his unit — about five to 10, plus another dozen in intensive care — was completely manageable so far thanks to better understanding and treatment of the disease.

But the prospect of a new lockdown worries him.

After the first lockdown last spring canceled all non-urgent care, doctors were alarmed to see the consequences of deferred treatment, like deteriorating cancers.

Health professionals have also seen an increased incidence of young people with severe mental health issues.

“So we need to get out of this pandemic,” Dr. Devaud said.

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Business

Societe General earnings q4 2020

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This photo, taken on October 28, 2019, shows the logo of the Societe Generale bank, in Ouistreham, Normandy, France.

SAMEER AL-DOUMY | AFP | Getty Images

LONDON — Societe Generale beat analyst expectations on Wednesday with what it described as a “significant improvement” in the business during the second half of 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The French bank reported a net profit of 470 million euros ($569 million) for the fourth quarter. Analysts were expecting a net income of 252 million euros for the quarter and a loss of 822 million for the year. The French lender ended 2020 with a net loss of 258 million euros.

Frédéric Oudéa, the group’s chief executive officer, said in a statement: “The fourth quarter results provide further confirmation of the rebound in our businesses observed in the third quarter after a beginning of the year marked by the impacts of the Covid crisis.”

The lender saw a 1.26 billion euro loss during the second quarter while Europe struggled with the first wave of the coronavirus. However, Societe Generale returned to profit in the following two quarters.

Here are other highlights for the final quarter of 2020:

  • Revenues hit 5.8 billion euros, a 6% drop from a year ago.
  • Operating expenses dropped by 3.4% from the fourth quarter of 2019.
  • The CET 1 ratio, a measure of bank solvency, stood at 13.4% from 12.7% a year ago.

Dividend and share buyback

The French bank said it will pay a cash dividend of 0.55 euros per share, in accordance with European rules. The European Central Bank has asked lenders to be cautious with dividend payouts and share buybacks given the ongoing economic crisis, at least until September.

In this context, Societe Generale announced it will buy around 470 million euros in shares during the fourth quarter of 2021, provided that the ECB’s recommendation does not get extended.

The French bank has also said its costs of risk will fall in 2021.

The stock is down over 43% in the past 12 months.

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Business

BNP Paribas q4 2020 earnings

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LONDON — BNP Paribas beat analyst expectations when it reported earnings Friday, as its CFO spoke of a “gradual pickup” for the economy looking ahead.

The French bank reported net income of 1.59 billion euros ($ 1.90 billion) for the fourth quarter of 2020, beating analyst expectations of 1.2 billion euros, according to Refinitiv. It marked a 15.9% drop in profit from the previous three-month period.

Annual profit reached 7 billion euros, down 13.5% from December 2019. Analysts polled by Refinitiv had forecast net income for 2020 of 6.5 billion euros.

The French lender also said its cost of risk had increased as a result of the Covid pandemic, and set aside a further 1.4 billion euros in loan loss provisions.

“The revenues are stable compared to the year before at 44 billion (euros), the costs are down by 1.1 billion (euros). So the gross operating income, the difference between the two, is up in a very material way,” Lars Machenil, CFO of BNP Paribas, told CNBC’s Charlotte Reed after the results were published.

Here are other highlights:

  • Revenues came in at 10.8 billion euros for the fourth quarter, a drop of 4.5% from a year ago.
  • For the fiscal year, revenues stood at 44.2 billion euros, marginally lower than in 2019.
  • Gross operating income rose by 6.2% from the previous year.
  • CET 1 ratio — a measure of bank solvency — stood at 12.8%, up by 70 basis points from a year ago.

The CIB (Corporate and Institutional Banking) division saw a 1.7% drop in revenues from the previous quarter, whereas domestic markets delivered a 2.8% increase in revenues over the same period.

Dividends in May

Despite euro zone banks having restrictions on dividends given the severe economic crisis in the region, BNP Paribas will pay out a dividend of 1.11 euros per share in May, equivalent to 21% of its 2020 net income.

The French lender also said that 29% if its 2020 net income would be invested in share buybacks once the European Central Bank repeals its current recommendation on dividends and share buybacks.

Machenil said the bank is nonetheless following the ECB’s recommendation by announcing a dividend within certain parameters advised by the central bank.

Going forward the bank said the aim was to distribute 50% of its 2021 net income as well.

“When we look at the year 2021 what we have assumed is that there will be a gradual pickup,” Machenil said about the economic environment this year.

“So before the summer, there can still be a bit of ups and downs,” he said, adding that he expects the Covid-19 vaccine rollout will lead to an economic improvement in the second half of 2021.

The bank’s stock is down almost 3% since the start of the year.

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World

France says no AstraZeneca virus vaccine for people over 65

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PARIS (AP) — France will only administer the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to people under age 65, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday after the government’s health advisory body cited a lack of sufficient data about its effectiveness in older people.

The decision could shake up the French vaccination strategy, because the country has prioritized nursing home residents and people over 75. France had counted on the AstraZeneca vaccine for a large part of its upcoming inoculations, until the company announced delays affecting countries around Europe and the world.

“For this AstraZeneca vaccine, we will not propose it to those older than 65,” Macron told TF1 television Tuesday night. Instead, the vaccine the British-Swedish company developed with Oxford University will be given to medical personnel under 65, individuals with health vulnerabilities or those facing high exposure, he said.

The French practice differs from the guidance given by the European Medicines Agency, which authorized AstraZeneca’s vaccine for use in all adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.

Health authorities in Germany and other countries have raised concerns that the Anglo-Swedish company didn’t test the vaccine in enough older people to prove it works for them, and indicated they would not recommend it for people over 65.

In guidance issued Tuesday, France’s High Authority for Health said it “recommends that the vaccine … be given preferentially to people under 65.” It says it will review this guidance when AstraZeneca has more data on the vaccine’s effectiveness in older people.

The French government depends on the High Authority’s guidance and is adapting its strategy based on the announcement. Health officials have said they constantly adapt vaccine strategy based on availability of doses, demand and regulatory guidance.

Macron said France still aims to offer the vaccine to anyone who wants it by the end of the summer.

Macron met Tuesday night with international vaccine producers and major pharmaceutical companies that have an industrial site in France to discuss ways to “quickly” and “significantly” boost short-term production capabilities in France and in Europe. The meeting came amid criticism of the EU’s handling of its collective vaccine strategy across the bloc’s 27 member nations.

Macron said he sent a scientific team to Russia several weeks ago to study that country’s vaccine efforts and “the exchanges were very positive.” The French leader noted early results of an advanced study of Russia’s Sputnik V published in The Lancet medical journal that showed the vaccine was about 91% effective.

Macron said that if and when the European Medicines Agency decides approve the Russian vaccine, it will not be a “political decision. It’s a decision that is scientific.”

France has seen some of the world’s highest numbers of confirmed virus cases and deaths, which have been steadily rising in recent weeks.

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Follow AP coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at:

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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Entertainment

Demi Moore’s face appears back to normal in new Fendi show image after sparking plastic surgery

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She shocked fans while she appeared on the Fendi runway show on Wednesday during Haute Couture Fashion Week, sparking plastic surgery rumors.

But it appears the dramatic runway look was simply just due to an overly contoured face and makeup tricks, as Demi Moore’s face appeared to be back to normal in a new image.

On Friday, the 58-year-old actress shared a candid snap of herself posing with supermodels Christy Turlington and Kate Moss as well as Fendi’s artistic director Kim Jones.

She shocked fans while she appeared on the Fendi runway show on Wednesday during Haute Couture Fashion Week, sparking plastic surgery rumors. But it appears the dramatic runway look was simply just due to an overly contoured face and makeup tricks, as Demi Moore’s face appeared to be back to normal in a new image

The brunette beauty’s cheeks looked full and plump with no sign of the eye-catching defined cheekbones she had sported on the runway, as well as the downturned lips with the bottom lip much more fuller.

In the image, the mother of three looked pretty in glasses with no makeup on and her signature long brunette tresses sleek and loose around her.

The movie star grinned ear to ear in the Instagram image she posted on Friday, January 29, 2021 with the caption: ‘A lot of testing went into this group hug. Loved being part of the @fendi show with you @ctrulington and #kate moss. Thank you @mrkimjones,’ adding a heart emoji.

Demi sparked speculation that she has undergone plastic surgery after showing off a very dramatic new look on the Fendi runway at Haute Couture Fashion Week on Wednesday – leaving spectators stunned. 

All smiles: On Friday, the 58-year-old actress shared a candid snap of herself posing with supermodels Christy Turlington and Kate Moss as well as Fendi’s artistic director Kim Jones

The actress was almost unrecognizable as she joined a host of A-list models on the catwalk for designer Kim Jones’ Fendi Spring Summer 2021 presentation in Paris on Wednesday, and left many social media users questioning whether her transformation has come as the result of cosmetic enhancements, or ‘terrible’ makeup.  

Within minutes of Demi’s appearance on the couture catwalk – for which she modeled a plunging black satin blouse and large statement earrings – Twitter had been flooded with questions from perplexed users about the Striptease star’s new look.   

Makeup: The actress was almost unrecognizable as she joined a host of A-list models on the catwalk for designer Kim Jones’ Fendi Spring Summer 2021 presentation in Paris on Wednesday, and left many social media users questioning whether her transformation has come as the result of cosmetic enhancements, or ‘terrible’ makeup 

Shock: Soon after images of Demi appeared online, social media users expressed their shock over her dramatic new look, with some questioning whether she has had surgery

Questions: Other social media users queried whether her transformation had come as the result of ‘terrible’ makeup , which appears to be the case

Upset: One social media user expressed concern for Demi, suggesting that she had transformed her face because she was struggling with her ‘confidence’ 

‘I wouldn’t have thought that was Demi Moore without the headline,’ one user wrote in reaction to a news story about the actress’s surprise catwalk appearance. ‘Is that all bad fillers? Or is there some horrible contouring happening there also? 

‘That face just doesn’t look right but I can’t figure out if it’s all plastics or of the makeup artist was doing something odd.’ 

Another cheekily wrote: ‘Demi NoMoore plastic surgery! That’s a shame! I wish women would allow themselves to age gracefully. 

‘It’s so much more attractive than when they start messing with their face.’ 

Makeup magic: Demi (seen left in February 2020), 58, sparked rumors that she’s had plastic surgery when she showed off a dramatic new look in Paris on Wednesday (right) but it now appears to be due to over contouring and makeup

‘Demi Moore unfortunately who used to be beautiful is now just a poster child for why not to get plastic surgery,’ said one comment.  

One person expressed their upset over Demi’s changed appearance, commenting: ‘This is total self destruction. This is painful insecurity. This is total lack of confidence. What in the world would make you do that to your own face?’  

Others simply voiced their shock over the images of the Striptease star on the runway, with many admitting that they didn’t initially recognize Demi.  

Working it: Demi made her mark in the style industry as she ruled the catwalk for Kim Jones’ Fendi Spring-Summer presentation during Paris Haute Couture Week on Wednesday

Turning heads: The actress, 58, caught the eye as she was dressed in a satin black blouse, complete with a peplum hemline

Way back when: Demi (pictured left in 1993 and right in 1996) has long been known for maintaining incredibly youthful looks, having been in the spotlight since the early 90s 

Rumors: The actress was plagued by reports in the early 2000s that she’d had $250,000 worth of plastic surgery ahead of her appearance in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (pictured)

Shut down: Demi (pictured in July 2020) denied the surgery reports in a 2007 interview, insisting that she had ‘never’ gone under the knife for a cosmetic procedure

‘I cannot believe this is Demi Moore,’ someone said, while another agreed, writing: ‘That can’t be Demi Moore. I had a huge crush on her.’ 

The latest images of Demi reveal a very changed appearance that that seen in the candid snaps the actress has been sharing from home throughout the pandemic – many of which have shown her with no makeup on while lounging around with her family.  

Demi has long been known for her age-defying looks, and has often stunned with her ever-youthful appearance and impressively trim and toned physique, which she has maintained for decades. 

However this is not the first time that she has had to face rumors about whether she has undergone cosmetic surgery.  

It was widely reported almost 20 years ago that Demi had spent nearly $250,000 on plastic surgery to complete transform her face and body ahead of her appearance in the 2003 movie Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, however she shut down the reports as nothing more than speculation, insisting in 2007 that she had ‘never’ had any cosmetic surgery. 

‘I don’t like the idea of having an operation to hold up the aging process – it’s a way to combat your neurosis,’ she said at the time. ‘The scalpel won’t make you happy.’   

During a 2019 interview with the Daily Mirror, Demi said that she is ’embracing’ the natural aging process, despite admitting that there were times when she looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize herself. 

‘Gravity is going in some directions I’m not fond of. I can look in the mirror ­occasionally and say, “You’re lying, I don’t look like that,”‘ the Ghost star explained.  

Confusion: Twitter was flooded with posts about Demi’s new look, with many remarking on her unrecognizable appearance, while others asked what was behind it 

Speculation: Many Twitter users questioned whether Demi had undergone plastic surgery, while others suggested that her dramatic new look may have been due to ‘horrible’ makeup

All eyes on her: The producer teamed the bold piece with a pair of wide-leg trousers and ensured focus remained on her outfit by ditching bracelets and necklaces

All eyes on her: Exuding edgy chic, the screen star’s shirt featured a low-cut neckline, which highlighted her cleavage

Great idea: Models stayed socially distanced from one another amid the global coronavirus pandemic as they stood inside giant perspex letters which spelled out the word ‘Fendi’

‘But I feel for myself it’s about acceptance… embracing it and no longer looking for what’s wrong – just being accepting of everything.’ 

The mother-of-three’s appearance on the runway comes after a low-key few months for Demi, who has spent much of the pandemic hunkering down at home with her family. 

Despite the controversy over her new look, Demi certainly stood her own during the fashion show while modeling alongside A-list fashion stars like Kate Moss and Bella Hadid. 

Demi’s enviable figure was accentuated by the plunging neckline of her black silk blouse, which nipped in at the waist, and left her decolletage and shoulders bare.  

Her long bell-bottom sleeves covered her hands, while the peplum finish helped to emphasize her curves. 

The form-flattering blouse was paired with matching wide-leg trousers, and Demi’s look was completed with some plain black shoes, and some very large statement earrings that dangled down to her armpits. 

She also modeled a chunky cuff on her left ear that sparkled under the glare of the spotlights – which also helped to accentuate Demi’s pronounced cheek bones and plump pout. 

Her youthful-looking complexion was given an extra boost courtesy of some simply yet chic dewy make-up.   

Sticking to the rules: Demi sensibly covered her face with a mask as she left the show following her catwalk appearance 

No rest for the wicked: The producer arrived in France with her daughter Scout Willis and other A-list stars on Tuesday (pictured)

The mother-of-three is not a newcomer to the runway having recently starred in Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty showcase. 

Models stayed socially distanced from one another amid the global coronavirus pandemic as they stood inside giant perspex letters which spelled out the word ‘Fendi’.  

British designer Kim, who joined Italian fashion house Fendi as its lead designer for womenswear in September 2020, and continues to fulfil his role as artistic director at Dior Men’s.

The fashion expert succeeds the late Karl Lagerfeld in his Fendi role, which the designer held from the mid-1960s. 

Chanel designer Karl sadly passed away aged 85 from complications of pancreatic cancer on February 2019. 

Supermodel Kate Moss told Vogue ahead of the show: ‘I always wanted to wear his [Kim’s] menswear – and now he’s making womenswear!’  

How Demi usually looks: The star was seen promoting her book Inside Out last year

The fashion icon, 47, was one of Jones’s muses for the latest collection, and one of his best friends, and the publication notes that she modeled his clothing at Charleston, in the March 2021 issue. 

‘It’s quite a challenge,’ said Antoine Arnault, the LVMH group head of communications and chief executive of Berluti, who has known Mr. Jones since they worked together at Vuitton. 

The businessman told the New York Times: ‘Mr. Jones is one of our superstars. When you have a top footballer on your team, you want to let him play to to his full potential.’  

Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane have all made the leap from menswear to womenswear.

The site reports that Fendi surpassed a billion euros in revenue in 2017 (about $1.2 billion) to become one of the more important brands in the LVMH portfolio.

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World

France passes law protecting the sounds and smells of the countryside

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(CNN) — France has passed a law protecting the “sensory heritage” of its rural areas, in the face of complaints about the noises and smells typical of the countryside.

Senators voted to approve the law, which passed through the lower house of parliament last year, on Thursday, according to a statement from Joël Giraud, the Minister for Rural Affairs.

Giraud said he celebrated the adoption of the law, which aims to “define and protect the sensory heritage of the French countryside.”

Better understanding the typical “sounds and smells” of rural areas will be useful in “preventing disagreements between neighbors,” the statement continued.

Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron in western France was the rural community at the center of Maurice the rooster’s 2019 trial.

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Regional authorities will be tasked with defining “rural heritage, including its sensory identity,” Giraud said.

“It’s a real victory for rural communities,” he added. “Do your part, let’s preserve the countryside.”

France has seen an increasing number of social conflicts between long-term residents of rural communities and new arrivals.

One emblematic case involved a rooster called Maurice, who was put on trial in July 2019 after neighbors complained about his early morning crowing.

However, a court in Rochefort, western France, rejected the neighbors’ complaints of noise pollution and ordered them to pay €1,000 (around $1,200) in damages.

The case came to symbolize growing divisions between rural and urban France as the neighbors were city-dwellers who only visited Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron a few times a year.

“He is a rooster. Roosters have the desire to sing,” Corinne Fesseau, who owned Maurice, said at the time of the trial.

“That is the countryside. We must protect the countryside,” she added.

Christophe Sueur, mayor of Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, told CNN the verdict was “common sense,” adding: “I am all for preserving French traditions. The rooster cry is a French tradition that needs to be preserved.”

Maurice is now sadly deceased, but Giraud mentioned the rooster in a tweet celebrating the new law, writing: “A posthumous victory for Maurice the rooster, a symbol of rural life!”



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