France looks past Google, Apple for virus contact tracing

France, which has long been sceptical of the growing power of US tech titans, is seeking to bypass Apple and Google for a smartphone app to help trace people infected with the novel coronavirus.

The move, which leaves France relatively isolated in Europe alongside Britain and Norway, reflects differences on how such apps should be structured, who has access to sensitive data and their effectiveness.

A number of countries have already deployed "contact tracing" apps on smartphones that track a person's contacts and alert them if need be, generating vital information to help contain outbreaks and slow the spread of the virus as nations ease lockdowns and get back to work.

These apps can be based either on a decentralised or centralised architecture.

A decentralised architecture keeps the information about whom a person has been in contact with on the smartphone.

If the person declares themselves to have been infected by the coronavirus, then those people deemed to have been in close contact for an extended period receive a notification to isolate themselves and get tested.

In a centralised system the data is managed by an authority, say a national health service, that would have access to the data to ensure those who are exposed are indeed following the proper health and isolation recommendations.

Apple and Google banded together last month to develop coronavirus contact tracing technology that would work across their operating systems.

The technology, set to be released later this month, embraces a decentralised architecture that would enable smartphone users to control their own data, and choose whether to notify the authorities if they have been exposed.

- Titans setting the terms -

Numerous tech experts and privacy advocates prefer a decentralised option because of data privacy concerns, worried about governments establishing databases that could be used for surveillance, even after the pandemic.

But France, along with London, contest that argument and prefer a centralised architecture that will provide them with the information needed to ensure the spread of the disease is effectively contained.

Norway also opted for a centralised system for its "Smittestop" or "stop infection" app launched last month.


Being dependent on Apple and Google means "staying in an extremely restrictive framework for usage" of the data, said a source close to France's contract tracing effort.

"It is Google and Apple who are defining the debate" in what is essentially a public health issue, the source added.

To become an effective tool for public health authorities, a contact tracing app has to be widely used -- experts say by at least 60 percent of the population -- but also provide them with needed information about who is getting sick as well as where, which can be important for taking quick measures to close hotspots.

Decentralised apps that make use of the Bluetooth radios on smartphones can be built so they do not even record the location of where people are in contact.

Nations cannot easily go around Apple and Google and develop their own apps as Apple in particular makes it difficult to keep Bluetooth enabled in its operating system.

People would need to keep the app open at all times, an inconvenience that would likely lead to many people not having it running on their phones.

- Systems rolled out -

So far Apple has resisted pleas from France and other countries for help to get around that technical issue.

While the European Commission has not yet taken a formal position on the options, it acknowledges a decentralised system is better on data privacy grounds.

"If both approaches can be in conformity with data protection laws, from a point of view of minimising the collection of data, the decentralised approach is preferable as less data would be stored" on a centralised server, a Commission spokesman told AFP.

Several European countries are expected to roll out contact tracing apps in June, which should provide some indication as to the best strategies.

France hopes to have its app in operation on June 2, and the official leading its development has said it will work very well on an iPhone despite Apple's lack of cooperation.

The technology arm of Britain's National Health Service has been testing its centralised system on the Isle of Wight since May 5 and plans to unroll it nationwide in the coming weeks.

Germany has opted for a decentralised system compatible with the Apple/Google initiative that it hopes will be ready in several weeks.

Italy, which has also gone for a decentralised system, should have its app ready by the end of May, Innovation Minister Paola Pisano told the Corriere della Sera daily on Monday.

In Austria, the Red Cross has launched an app based on a centralised model that has 600,000 users, but it is expected to evolve into a decentralised application.

Switzerland is currently testing its decentralised app.

Agence France-Presse

France announces 1st death in Europe of COVID-19 patient

PARIS — The French health minister has announced the first coronavirus death in Europe.

French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn says Saturday that “I was informed last night of the death of an 80-year-old patient who had been hospitalized … since Jan. 25.”


The patient, a Chinese tourist from the province of Hubei, had a lung infection caused by the coronavirus. He arrived in France on Jan. 16, then was hospitalized on Jan. 25 under strict isolation measures. His condition deteriorated rapidly.

His daughter was also hospitalized, but authorities say she is expected to recover.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Baby gets free lifetime entry in nightclub after being born on its dance floor

A 19-year-old woman’s night out ended up changing her life in a most interesting way, when she gave birth on a club’s dance floor last Monday, Nov. 11, in Toulouse, France.

The teenager (unnamed in report) welcomed her child at around 5:30 a.m. at the O’Club, as per French newspaper La Depeche via Newsweek on Tuesday, Nov. 12.


Marie-Helene, a manager at the club, explained that the woman was already into her late pregnancy at the time. The teenager went to the club at the urging of a friend to help “get her mind off some personal problems.”

“I know she didn’t drink,” the manager was quoted as saying.

After a short time at the club, the young woman had become incapacitated as she suddenly came into labor.

“She was one of the last people to leave, because she couldn’t walk,” Marie-Helene pointed out, unaware that the woman was about to give birth.

Marie-Helene found out about the situation when one of the employees approached her, saying something was “urgent.”

“I could see that the woman was about to give birth,” the manager was quoted as saying. “We had to act very quickly.”

Since there was not enough time to bring the teenager to a hospital, as per report, Marie-Helene and her staff took the responsibility of delivering the baby into their own hands.

“A staff member called the urgent medical aid service, who talked us through what we had to do,” she said. “The young woman wasn’t panicked, but she was worried. Then the baby came out.”

Moments after the child’s birth, emergency medical staff arrived at the club to assist the young woman and her newborn.

“It’s one of the more bizarre closings we’ve had. My team worked together,” Marie-Helene said in the report. “We all cried. The positive thing to come out of all of this is that none of us panicked and we weren’t scared. Anyway, we got it done.”

Marie-Helene also noted that the staff is eager to know about what happens to the teenager and her child, adding that she hopes the mother would update them about the baby.

Following the child’s birth, as per report, the club has decided to give the newborn “free admission for life” at their establishment. Ryan Arcadio/JB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Macron announces changes to France’s health care system

PARIS  — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled plans to make France’s health care system, considered one of the best in the world, more efficient and sustainable for the next 50 years.

Macron announced organizational changes at hospitals, in the recruitment of doctors, and a better use of digital technologies to provide health care to patients across the country, regardless of where they live.


Macron said “a lot of our neighbors envy the excellence of our health care system. We are attached to our model which associates hospital medicine — public and private — and private medical practice.”

France came out number 1 in a World Health Organization report comparing 191 countries in 2000.

But the country’s health care system is struggling with increasing costs and lack of doctors in some rural region and poor neighborhoods.

One short-term measure consists in hiring 400 family doctors — paid by the state— in so-called “medical deserts.”

The current rule that sets quotas on the number of students in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy will be abolished in 2020.

Hospitals will be classified into in three categories: local health care, specialized care and ultra-specialized care — each focusing on its priorities, to optimize patient care.

Private doctors and other health care professionals will be required in the coming years to organize themselves into “communities” to be able to respond to daily emergency calls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day in their geographic area — leaving hospitals for only the most serious cases.

The set of measures is estimated to cost 3.4 billion euros ($4 billion) by 2022.

“My ambition is clear: I want what we call the health care system to be one of the pillars of the welfare state of the 21st century,” Macron said. “A health care system that prevents and protects against today’s and tomorrow’s health risks.”

France’s health care system involves a state-funded health insurance that reimburses patients for most medical interventions and medicines prescribed by a doctor.

France’s health insurance budget in 2018 is 195.2 billion euros ($229 billion) — financed by taxes.

In addition, the French can also apply to private insurance to increase their health coverage. /ee

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

World Cup winner Lloris fined $65,000 for drunk driving

LONDON — World Cup-winning France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been fined 50,000 pounds ($65,000) and banned from driving for 20 months for drunk driving.

The Tottenham goalkeeper was pulled by over by police in central London last month when his Porsche was veering toward parked vehicles before going through a red light. Police discovered vomit in the car and Lloris had to be helped out.


Lloris, who was in goal when France beat Croatia in the World Cup final, admitted to the charge of drunk driving during a London court appearance on Wednesday.

David Sonn, the lawyer representing the player in court, says “the spectacular fall from grace is not lost on Mr. Lloris.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Holiday reads: Beachgoers check out French seaside libraries

Going to the beach can be tough work, but if you need a break from all the grueling swimming and sunbathing this summer, a trip to one of France’s pop-up seaside libraries could be just the thing.

Lulled by the gentle cries of seagulls in the distance, flocks of readers have been heading to the book-filled beach huts that authorities have opened along the coast of Normandy in northern France and elsewhere.

“It’s a perfect break for reading and relaxing between two dips in the sea,” said 52-year-old hairdresser Isabelle from her deckchair at the library in Etretat, a Normandy resort famed for its dramatic white cliffs.


“Since I’m not going away on holiday, this is my treat every afternoon,” she said, before diving back into a detective novel.

Etretat is one of 12 local resorts where authorities have set up library beach-huts this summer. Open from July 7 until August 26, each of the wooden huts has been filled with 1,000 books.

Normandy launched its “Read At The Beach” scheme in 2005 with three huts and by last year was welcoming more than 38,000 bookworms along this stretch of the coast.

The idea has since taken off elsewhere in France, with the Herault region in the south attracting 21,000 readers to its own beach huts last year.

Similar schemes have also been launched in other countries including Australia, Bulgaria, Israel and Spain.

Poetry and gentleman-thieves

In Normandy, anyone is welcome to dip into a book, with no registration needed — but readers must stay in the deck chairs provided, rather than taking them down to the sea to get sand between the pages.

This year 400 chairs are up for grabs around the region at the beach huts, which are open every day between 2 pm and 7 pm, with some books in English, German and Italian provided for foreign readers.


On a recent sunny afternoon in Etretat, a dozen readers — aged between nine months and 70 — come to transport themselves to other worlds from the hut, overlooking the sea.

“We need more of this kind of place,” said Romain Mace, an engineer on vacation from the city of Rouen, enjoying a volume of poetry as his baby slept beside him — a rare pleasure for sleep-deprived young parents.

Since the books cannot be taken off-site, the hut’s two librarians will happily put aside a novel you’ve started so that you can pick up the story where you left off the next day.

Corinne Ait Amar, 47, had returned to delve back into the thrilling exploits of gentleman-thief Arsene Lupin while her daughter was engrossed in a Japanese manga comic.

“It’s perfect,” said the nurse, on vacation with her family from the eastern city of St Etienne.

“My daughter and I have been saying to ourselves that we might meet up with the rest of the family a little later than planned…” NVG

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

With flags, song, pride, French celebrate unifying victory

PARIS — It was a victory for all of France and the home crowd did it justice, pouring into Paris’ Champs-Elysees Avenue by the tens of thousands to celebrate in an explosion of joy.

France’s 4-2 win over Croatia in the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday marked the second time in 20 years that France has won the World Cup, and came at a time when the people feel needy.

“It represents enormous things,” said Goffrey Hamsik, dressed in a hat resembling a rooster — the French national symbol — and a shirt with the No. 10 for Kylian Mpappe, the 19-year-old breakout star who hails from the Paris suburb of Bondy.


"We’ve had lots of problems in France these past years,” he said, recalling deadly terror attacks. “This is good for the morale … Here, we are all united. We mix. There is no religion, there is nothing, and that’s what feels good.”

Troublemakers marred some of the festivities at the top of the Champs-Elysees, breaking the window of a major store, throwing bottles, temporary barriers and even a bicycle at riot police as the celebrations wound down close to midnight. Police responded with water cannon and tear gas. BFM-TV reported that the store was pillaged.

Earlier, people wrapped in flags and dressed in crazy hats, and one man spotted totally nude except for the Tricolor, marched down the avenue where France displayed its military might a day earlier for Bastille Day.


Revelers set off smoke bombs in the national colors — blue, white and red — obscuring Napoleon’s triumphal arch. People climbed atop every newspaper kiosk and bus stop in the area to wave flags and lead the crowds below in cheers. The national anthem, the Marseillaise, rang out, cars honked horns and cherry bombs cracks.

A young man sprayed a fire extinguisher on the crowd on a late hot afternoon.

Hundreds of police in riot gear were discretely lined up on side streets to monitor revelers. Typically, celebrations in France end up with some broken shop windows and other destruction, and Sunday was no exception. Tear gas was lobbed at one point on the Champs-Elysees. About 4,000 police watched over the fan zone — packed to its 90,000 capacity — during the match, then moved to the Champs-Elysees and neighboring streets.

As night fell, The Eiffel Tower flashed 1998-2018 to mark France’s two World Cup titles.

The Arc de Triomph was awash in the national colors, lit with the rooster, the faces of the winning team and the words “Proud to be Blue,” or French.


The celebrations were spread across the nation.

For all the crazy antics — and some revelers who got out of control — a sense of patriotism and unity was almost visceral.

Antoine Griezmann, the France striker who scored one of the goal’s Sunday, told a news conference two days before the final, televised on BFM TV, that pride in country is in short supply.

“We say it so little … We should be proud to be French,” Griezmann said.

Mahmoud Bourassi was among those taking a longer-term view and he had some sobering thoughts about France’s run to the title and the festivities it has sparked.

Bourassi runs a youth center in Bondy — Mbappe’s home that was among those scarred by riots in 2005 that exposed the fissures of France that have yet to heal — and he knows the teenage star of the tournament.

“All this euphoria and effervescence, it’s positive but it’s emotional and ephemeral,” he said ahead of France’s win. Bourassi said sports is a “catalyst to bring people and nations together.”

But, he added, it must be built on.

“What we’re seeing is magic, exceptional. But what are we going to do with it tomorrow?”

That is a question for President Emmanuel Macron, who was in Moscow celebrating with the team on victory night, and will receive the squad more formally on Monday at the presidential Elysee Palace.

Revelers celebrated the moment.

“We’re happy. It took 20 years … It’s the pride of the nation. It unites everyone. It federates,” Frederique Pourquet said as she and her friend left the Champs-Elysees.

The win “shows that the French people are consolidated and the work of all France,” said Omar Bzi.

Hajar Maghnaoui, of Asnieres, north of Paris, said “It’s a way to bring the French people together, and also the world.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

France probing Apple’s secret slowdown of old iPhones

PARIS, France — French authorities have opened an investigation into Apple over revelations it secretly slowed down older versions of its iPhones, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Tuesday.

The preliminary probe was opened last week over alleged “deception and planned obsolescence” of some Apple products, the office said. It is led by the French body in charge of fraud control, which is part of the finance ministry.

It follows a legal complaint filed in December by a French consumer rights group whose aim is to stop the intentional obsolescence of goods by companies.

In France it is illegal to intentionally shorten the lifespan of a product in order to encourage customers replace it. A 2015 law makes that a crime, with penalties of up to two years in prison and fines of up to 5 percent of the company’s annual turnover.

Apple apologized in December for secretly slowing down older iPhones, a move it said was necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns related to battery fatigue. As part of its contrition, Apple is now offering to replace the batteries on older iPhones for $29, a $50 discount from the usual price.

But Apple also has denied the slowdown of the older phones is a ploy designed to spur sales of newer models. “We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades,” the company said on its website.

Apple France didn’t respond to email and phone requests for comment on the latest legal developments in France from The Associated Press.

Lawsuits against the company have also been filed in the U.S. and Israel.

Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi believes Apple’s throttling of older iPhones is helping to extend the devices’ lives by enabling to take advantage of the new features in the company’s free software updates each year.

The company’s choice boiled down to “let the phone just run at full speed and kill the prematurely aged batteries or slow down the phone so the battery would last longer,” Milanesi wrote in a recent analysis.

The French consumer rights group, called HOP, filed a lawsuit on Dec. 27. Its statement claims Apple slowed down older smartphones in order to make clients buy the new iPhone 8, which was launched on the market around the same time.

Benchmark tests have suggested the slowdown isn’t huge, but noticeable. Although Apple has said that’s done to prevent iPhones from unexpectedly shutting down because of weak batteries, lawsuits filed against Apple say that its failure to disclose that right away could have led some people to wrongly conclude they needed a newer, faster phone rather than just a new battery.

Laetitia Vasseur, the director of HOP, said studies have showed that peaks in speed reductions match the releases of new phones on the market.

“We can see that there is an intention to have people buy new phones because of the speed reduction,” she told the AP.

Vasseur said her group launched a survey following its complaint so that users can report problems they have faced. In 10 days, HOP has received more than 3,000 reports that will be handed over to the DGCCRF, the government fraud watchdog in charge of the investigation, she said.

Vasseur said she hopes that the consequences globally could be to go toward more sustainable and durable products “for all manufacturers that won’t want to face the same kind of scandal.”

A similar investigation targeting Japanese printer-maker Epson was opened in November, also following a complaint by HOP.

The Epson probe, was launched by another prosecutor’s office, in Nanterre outside Paris, is related to some of its ink cartridges and printers’ spare parts. It was the first legal action ever for planned obsolescence and deception in France, HOP said in a statement.

Epson has denied any wrongdoing, saying that planned obsolescence is not part of the company’s policy.

In the French legal system, preliminary investigations are launched and led by prosecutors’ offices. Such probes can last weeks or months. When they’re over, prosecutors can either decide to drop the cases or to send them to investigating judges for full investigations. Judges, in turn, can also dismiss the cases, due to lack of evidence for instance, or send them to courts for trial. In these cases, the whole process may last months or even years.

Since Epson and Apple cases are the first legal actions for planned obsolescence in France, there hasn’t been case law yet on possible penalties, fines or damages awarded by courts under this particular offense.

Any fine imposed on Apple would probably hurt its pride more than its pocketbook. The company has accumulated nearly $270 billion in cash from its sales of iPhones and other products. /cbb

source: technology.inquirer.net

15 hurt as lightning strikes French music festival

STRASBOURG, France — Fifteen people were hurt, two of them seriously, when lightning struck a tent during a music festival in northeast France on Saturday, local officials and reports said.

“The lightning struck in several areas during” the Vieux Canal festival in the northeast town of Azerailles, the regional council said in a statement.


A woman in her 60s and a 44-year-old man were said to be in serious condition after being struck. The victims were “directly hit by the lightning and suffered burns”.

According to local media, lightning struck a big tent under which festival goers had taken refuge, which was located near a large tree.

Those injured received first aid from the festival’s emergency center before being taken to hospitals in the area.

Two children aged about 10 were also taken to hospital after suffering shock.

All Saturday evening concerts have since been cancelled, local reports said.   CBB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Macron, Trudeau ‘bromance’ fires up internet

“A liberal fantasy dream sequence”, “a bromance,” “insanely romantic”.

The Internet was abuzz Friday with pictures of French President Emmanuel Macron and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau schmoozing at the G7 summit in Sicily, strolling through flowered walkways and chatting against the backdrop of a sparkling blue Mediterranean sea.

“Apparently Justin Trudeau and Emmanuel Macron flew to Sicily for their wedding photoshoot,” netizen @sherlockify joked on Twitter.

The reaction to the telegenic pair’s encounter in the picturesque, hillside town of Taormina, immortalized by Macron himself who tweeted a video of their meeting, provided some light relief from a summit otherwise devoted to thorny issues such as climate change and the threat of extremism.

“The Franco-Canadian friendship has a new face,” Macron tweeted after sitting down for talks with Trudeau and taking the now famous stroll.

“@JustinTrudeau, it’s up to us to take on the challenges of our generation!”

“Sitting down with @EmmanuelMacron for the first time, talking jobs, security & climate -– looking forward to more conversations, my friend,” Trudeau responded on Twitter, posting pictures of both smiling, shaking hands, and looking out over the Mediterranean, their dapper suit jackets billowing in the breeze.

Macron, 39, has only been in power for 12 days but enjoys similar kudos, particularly abroad where he has been compared to Trudeau.

“This image of Trudeau and Macron in Sicily is right out of a liberal fantasy dream sequence,” tweeted Dhruva Jaishankar, an expert on foreign policy at the India section of the Brookings Institution think tank.

Others were even more explicit.

“Le swoon, le sigh,” tweeted netizen MissMary, above a photo of both leaders in apparent earnest chat.

“Is there a budding bromance between Macron and Trudeau? Two hunks!” added @MaureenRamsden.

source: technology.inquirer.net

French president denounces third ‘terrorist’ act in 18 months

PARIS—French President Francois Hollande said Friday that an attack which saw a truck plough into a crowd in Nice, killing 80 people, was clearly a “terrorist” act.

There was a sense of deja vu in France as the visibly moved president took to the airwaves to address a nation once again in mourning.

If confirmed as an act of terror, the incident will be the third major attack on French soil in 18 months — with several smaller-scale jihadist killings also having taken place.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack in the resort city, Hollande vowed to strengthen his country’s role in the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

“Nothing will make us yield in our will to fight terrorism. We will further strengthen our actions in Iraq and in Syria. We will continue striking those who attack us on our own soil,” he said, in reference to the IS group.

Hollande said several children were among the dead after the attack, which he said was of an “undeniable terrorist nature”.

He vowed ever stronger security measures — calling up reservists and extending a state of emergency — as he reached for familiar, and new words to boost the morale of a battered nation.

“France is horrified by what has happened, this monstrosity which is using a truck to deliberately kill dozens of people who simply came to celebrate July 14.

“France was struck on its national day, a symbol of freedom,” said Hollande.

France “will always be stronger, I promise you, than the fanatics that want to strike it.”

The Islamic State group has repeatedly singled out France as a prime target for its military actions against the group in Iraq and Syria, and hundreds of jihadists have left France to go and fight in its ranks.

The country has been under a state of emergency ever since jihadists killed 130 in Paris on November 13, and the government has boosted its security laws.

Just hours before the attack Hollande said the state of emergency would not be renewed beyond July 26 after the adoption of a new law in May bolstering security.

However after the incident he said it would be extended for another three months.

While security forces will remain on high alert, Hollande also called on France’s “operational reservists” to boost the ranks of police and gendarmes.

These include French citizens with or without military experience as well as former soldiers.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

France, Portugal head for Euro 2016 final showdown

The Euro 2016 final on Sunday sees a match between hosts France and Portugal that will unleash a clash between one of the world’s greatest players ever Cristiano Ronaldo and would be pretender Antoine Griezmann.

After 50 matches over a month of football that has seen stunning shocks by Iceland and Wales, Ronaldo is counting on his side producing one more upset so he can finally win an international trophy.

Portugal will have to beat a French side who have found new inspiration from Griezmann — the tournament’s leading scorer on six goals — and being willed on by a nation avid to rediscover the feelgood factor.

With the country still on terrorist alert after the November 13 attacks in which 130 people died, more than 3,400 police will be on the Champs Elysees in Paris alone when the match starts at the Stade de France at 1900 GMT.

Rival coaches Didier Deschamps of France and Fernando Santos of Portugal have been desperately trying to shield their teams from the sky high hopes of two nations.

Deschamps, who captained the French side that won the 1998 World Cup and the Euro title in 2000, said he could feel the adrenaline pumping.

Deschamps wants to play

“It’s an exceptional moment, a privilege, a unique chance because there is a title at the end,” Deschamps said of the final.

“What you need to do is approach it as relaxed as possible while being at the same time totally focussed on the match,” he added.

“On the bench, there is a frustration in not taking part, but I can’t do that anyway. But I’m fine, I don’t feel any pressure, no stress, just adrenaline and that’s positive.”

France have put in some stylish performances, including their 5-2 win over Iceland to end the giant killing run of the team that dumped England out of the contest.

France captain Hugo Lloris said the team wants to put their name in the football history books to redeem themselves for a player revolt at the 2010 World Cup that made them a national disgrace.

The troubles were worsened by the exclusion of star striker Karim Benzema over an alleged sextape blackmail attempt.

“We have come through a crisis in French football,” the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper said. “We have climbed back up the slope, we have done it step by step.”

Lloris said that Sunday’s final is “the chance to go into French football history.”

France with home advantage in the 85,000 capacity stadium, Griezmann, star midfielder Paul Pogba and the calming influence of Lloris start as favorites.

But they acknowledge the omnipresent danger of Ronaldo on the pitch.

Santos has succeeded by building a team around the superstar striker and winning “ugly” when necessary to get to the next round.

Portugal’s 2-0 win over Wales in the semi-final was the first in the tournament achieved within 90 minutes.

Veterans such as defender Pepe and Ricardo Quaresma have played lynchpin roles on days when Ronaldo has failed to fire.

Portugal have been criticized for some of their European Championship performances but Santos said he does not care.

He also says France are the favorites but believes Portugal can win.

“Let them carry on saying that Portugal won without deserving it,” he said.

“I will be very happy if they say that again tomorrow. I will go home very happy.”

Portugal have never fully recovered from losing the 2004 Euro final to Greece when they hosted the tournament.

Ronaldo who shed tears as a 19-year-old at that match said this week he wants to be “crying with joy” on Sunday.

Ronaldo’s Real teammate Pepe is fully fit again after missing the semi-final through injury. Pepe said Portugal were strong because they want to win.

“I’ve been at a very demanding club for 10 years and I’ve been playing for Portugal since 2008,” he said when asked about his own ambition to win at the age of 33.

“I have three European Championship and two World Cup campaigns to my name.

“I have always been very demanding of myself. I don’t like to lose, I want to help my team. That makes me play at the highest level and to be recognized at the highest level.

“The most important thing is to always want more,” he said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Griezmann’s double gives France 2-0 win over Germany in semis

MARSEILLE, France—France is heading back to soccer’s elite, and Antoine Griezmann is the man leading the way.

Griezmann scored both goals to give France a 2-0 win over world champion Germany on Thursday and a place in the European Championship final against Portugal.

It was a victory built as much on German errors as it was on Griezmann’s skill, with a handball in the box and a poor defensive pass paving the way for his goals.

But that didn’t matter to the fans who made Marseille’s Stade Velodrome ring with the sound of the “Marseillaise,” France’s national anthem. Their team won this tournament in 2000, two years after lifting the World Cup, but it hasn’t had a trophy since then.

Developed as a player in Spain, Griezmann has been the star of the show for France, leading a high-scoring team with six goals, twice as many as any other player in the tournament.

“I think there’s a lot of happiness around France tonight,” said coach Didier Deschamps, whose team faces Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Sunday at the Stade de France.

“This team has everything it needs to be loved, I’m very proud… It’s fabulous to be in the final.”

Griezmann, who could have completed a hat trick in the 86th minute but shot straight at goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, was already looking ahead.

“We’re very happy,” he said. “We have to keep our feet on the ground. We still have a match to go.”

For Germany, defeat cost it the chance to add the European title to the World Cup it won in 2014.

It had gone 50 years unbeaten against host nations at major tournaments, dating back to its loss to England in the 1966 World Cup final and encompassing a famous 7-1 humbling of Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semifinals.

While a repeat of the Brazil rout was never on the cards, Germany could have scored more than once as it dominated the first half. But it was denied by poor shooting from Thomas Mueller, who ended his tournament scoreless, and a save by Hugo Lloris to block Emre Can’s bouncing shot.

France took the lead from the penalty spot in first half stoppage time after Bastian Schweinsteiger handled the ball in an aerial challenge with Patrice Evra.

Griezmann stepped up to score, striking the penalty hard to Neuer’s right.

“I really wanted to take a penalty in a big match like that. I was very composed, I didn’t think twice,” Griezmann said.

It was the second time in as many games that Germany had given away a spot-kick for handball. Jerome Boateng blocked the ball with an arm above his head in the quarterfinal against Italy.

“It’s just bad luck, just an unlucky action,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said of the penalty. “In a challenge, when you’re jumping, there are movements that you can’t really control.”

Trailing in a match for the first time in the tournament, Germany could not recover its previous dominance after halftime. It then had to cope with losing key defender Boateng, who picked up an ankle injury after an hour.

The German defense had not conceded from open play all tournament, but it fell apart for Griezmann’s second goal in the 72nd minute. A sluggish pass by Benedikt Hoewedes to right back Joshua Kimmich was cut out by Paul Pogba and Neuer could only palm away the midfielder’s cross to Griezmann, who finished with ease.

Germany responded well and could have pulled one back when Kimmich hit the post, before Julian Draxler sent a free-kick narrowly wide and Hoewedes headed over.

“We had chances to come back,” Neuer said. “We played a good European Championship and it’s very bitter to go out.”

Loew insisted his team had played better than France but had been denied by “bad luck,” including the injuries and suspensions that hit four key players – Boateng, as well as defender Mats Hummels, midfielder Sami Khedira and forward Mario Gomez, with the latter three missing the game.

Loew, who is under contract until the 2018 World Cup, said he was not sure of his future.

France, while not always reassuring in defense, came through victorious in its first game of the tournament against genuinely top-class opposition.

After the final whistle, France’s jubilant players celebrated with the fans by performing the “Huh” chant made famous at the tournament by Iceland.

Across France and in the French team, the attention was firmly on the diminutive Griezmann after another decisive performance. “He’s our little man that gives us that bit extra,” teammate Olivier Giroud said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Seine water levels decrease again after Paris flooding peaks

PARIS—French authorities say the water level of the Seine river in Paris is starting to decrease after reaching its peak overnight, the highest in nearly 35 years.

But authorities warned it could take up to ten days for the river to come back to its normal levels after the flooding that swelled the river to about 4.5 meters (15 feet) above average levels in Paris.

Floods due to heavy rains have inundated parts of France, Germany and Belgium this week.

Over 17,000 homes were still without electricity Saturday in the Paris region and center of France.

Authorities have also shut the Louvre museum, the national library, the Orsay museum and the Grand Palais, Paris’ striking glass-and-steel topped exhibition center.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Kristen Stewart, Marion Cotillard: Queens of Cannes 2016

There will be no shortage of movie star royalty at the Cannes film festival, but the true queens of this year’s red carpet will be “Twilight” megastar turned indie darling Kristen Stewart and French film siren Marion Cotillard.

Both actresses are sweeping into the French resort town with two films in the official selection.

Cotillard, 40, who has become a transatlantic celebrity with an Oscar and several Hollywood blockbusters under her belt, will appear in two films in the running for the top prize, the Palme d’Or.

In “From the Land of the Moon”, set just after World War II, Cotillard stars as a woman caught in an unhappy marriage who falls in love again. She also stars in “It’s Only the End of the World” by French Canadian wunderkind Xavier Dolan, about a writer who returns home to tell his family he is dying.

While Cotillard was the first French actress since 1960 to win America’s highest acting award in 2008, Kristen Stewart became the first American actress ever to win France’s equivalent, the Cesar, in 2015, for her supporting role in “Clouds of Sils Maria”

Stewart, 26, became a celebrity icon for an entire generation as Bella in the blockbuster vampire romance-thriller trilogy “Twilight” but has gained a reputation for taking on passion projects, sometimes for little pay.

“I take part in successful productions to facilitate the existence of more modest films,” she told France’s Le Monde magazine.

This year she appears in the out-of-competition opening film, Woody Allen’s “Cafe Society”, about a young couple who fall in love in 1930s Hollywood.

She is also starring in “Personal Shopper”, a ghost story set in the Paris fashion world which is in the running for the Palme d’Or, teaming up again with “Sils Maria” director, France’s Olivier Assayas.

Stewart, a Los Angeles native, was first discovered by a talent scout who spotted her in a school play at the age of eight.

Her breakout role came opposite Jodie Foster in the 2002 thriller “Panic Room” and at 17 her career rocketed into the stratosphere when she landed the role of Bella Swan in “Twilight”.

Her relationship with “Twilight” co-star Robert Pattinson made her a tabloid favourite, particularly after she was pictured cheating on him with then-married director Rupert Sanders in 2012.

Up-and-comers
The festival will also feature young up-and-comers with plenty of celebrity blood in their veins, Lily-Rose Depp and Elle Fanning.

With parents like Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp and French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose was never going to fly under the radar, and the 16-year-old has already turned to acting and become the teenage face of Chanel.

She makes her Cannes debut as legendary American dance prodigy Isadora Duncan in “La Danseuse” (The Dancer) which will be shown in the “Un Certain Regard” section of the festival.

The young Depp made her cinema debut alongside her famous father in Kevin Smith’s 2014 horror comedy “Tusk”.

She also stars in the upcoming French drama “Planetarium” alongside Natalie Portman.

Another Cannes teen star is American actress Ellie Fanning, 18, who features in Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn’s horror thriller “The Neon Demon” about cannibalistic models.

The film is being shown in competition and is Refn’s first at Cannes since his “Only God Forgives” was booed three years ago.

Elle Fanning is the younger sister of former child star Dakota Fanning. Her ascent into stardom began when she was just two years old, playing a younger version of her sister’s character in the 2001 Michelle Pfeiffer/Sean Penn film “I am Sam”.

She has also appeared in Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “Twixt”.

 Dunst on jury duty

Another Cannes queen is American film star Kirsten Dunst, one of four women on the nine-member jury who will decide who wins the Palme d’Or, the top prize at the world’s most prestigious film festival.

Dunst, 34, lifted the best actress award at Cannes five years ago for her part in Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia”.

Like some of her fellow Cannes royalty, she was a child star before building a glittering career by mixing arthouse hits like “Interview with the Vampire” and “The Virgin Suicides” with the “Spider-Man” films.

She will soon be seen in “Woodshock”, a first foray into film-making for Los Angeles fashion designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Global winds chill business optimism in Europe

FRANKFURT, Germany — Business confidence fell in Germany and France this month, increasing concern that the global market turmoil may be weighing on the economy of the 19-member euro currency union.

Germany’s closely watched Ifo confidence index fell to 105.7 points in February from 107.3 last month, the third decline in a row. France’s INSEE index dropped to 100 points in February from 102 in January.

The data released Tuesday bolsters the argument for the European Central Bank to expand its monetary stimulus efforts at its next meeting March 10.

The central bank is currently pumping 60 billion euros ($66 billion) per month in freshly printed money into the financial system through bond purchases in an attempt to push up weak inflation and support a modest recovery. The eurozone grew 0.3 percent in the last three months of last year; unemployment remains high at 10.4 percent.

In Germany, the eurozone’s largest economy, business executives’ view of current conditions improved but their outlook for the next half-year worsened significantly.

Economist Carsten Brzeski at ING-DiBa called the reading a “wake-up call.”

“Global events have finally reached German companies’ boardrooms,” he wrote in an email research note.

The euro fell in currency markets, from around $1.1040 to under $1.10 before rebounding slightly.

The German survey indicated executives share worries about the global economy that have sent financial markets lower recently. China’s economy is slowing down, with unpredictable consequences for the rest of the world, while low oil and commodity prices have hit emerging market economies that supply much of the world’s growth these days. Financial market turmoil itself could have an impact by making businesses cautious about risking more investment in production.

The Ifo index is valued as a guide to where the economy is headed. The survey is based on monthly responses from about 7,000 firms.

Germany, the biggest economy in the 19-country euro currency union, is enjoying low unemployment of 4.5 percent and steady growth of 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. While exports have slowed, spending by consumers and the government has picked up.

The French confidence index slipped due to declining confidence among retailers. Manufacturing held up, suggesting global headwinds were not yet severely affecting the country’s gradual recovery.

Analyst Chantana Sam at HSBC Global Research said the fall in retail confidence could suggest that the impact from the terror attacks that left 130 people dead in November was lingering more than expected. Retail confidence remains below the level seen before the attacks.

Analysts say the ECB could try to help the economy by increasing its bond-buying stimulus program. It could also cut the interest rate on deposits it takes from commercial banks, currently minus 0.3 percent. The negative rate is a drastic step aimed at pushing banks to lend money rather than let it pile up at the central bank’s super-safe overnight deposit facility. The negative rate has also helped push the euro lower against other currencies, helping exporters. TVJ

source: business.inquirer.net

Supposed ISIS video threatens attack on Washington, other countries

CAIRO - A video supposedly from Islamic State warned on Monday that countries taking part in air strikes against Syria would suffer the same fate as France, and threatened to attack in Washington.

The video, which appeared on a site used by Islamic State to post its messages, begins with news footage of the aftermath of Friday's Paris shootings in which at least 129 people were killed.

The message to countries involved in what it called the "crusader campaign" was delivered by a man dressed in fatigues and a turban, and identified in subtitles as Al Ghareeb the Algerian.

"We say to the states that take part in the crusader campaign that, by God, you will have a day, God willing, like France's and by God, as we struck France in the center of its abode in Paris, then we swear that we will strike America at its center in Washington," the man said.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the video, which purports to be the work of Islamic State fighters in the Iraqi province of Salahuddine, north of Baghdad.

The French government has called the Paris attacks an act of war and said it would not end its air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

French fighter jets launched their biggest raids in Syria to date on Sunday targeting the Islamic State's stronghold in the city of Raqqa. The operation was carried out in coordination with US forces.

Police raided homes of suspected Islamist militants across France overnight following the Paris attacks.

"Al Ghareeb the Algerian" also warned Europe in the video that more attacks were coming.

"I say to the European countries that we are coming, coming with booby traps and explosives, coming with explosive belts and [gun] silencers and you will be unable to stop us because today we are much stronger than before," he said.

Apparently referring to international talks to end the Syrian war, another man identified in the video as Al Karrar the Iraqi tells French President Francois Hollande "we have decided to negotiate with you in the trenches and not in the hotels." — Reuters

Israel gives France intelligence on Paris attackers – media

JERUSALEM - Israel's spy services are helping France investigate the Paris gun and bomb attacks, Israeli media said, with one radio station suggesting the assistance drew on surveillance of militant groups in Syria and Iraq.

Israel had no advance warning of Friday's rampage that killed at least 129 people, but within hours of it happening gave France information about some of the Islamic State militants who claimed to have carried it out, the top-rated television station Channel Two said, quoting an unnamed senior Israeli official.

Without providing details, Channel Two said Israeli intelligence saw a "clear operational link" between the attack in the French capital, Thursday's Beirut suicide bombings and the Oct. 31 downing of a Russian airliner in the Egyptian Sinai.

Israeli spy services are monitoring Syria and Iraq—where Islamic State insurgents have conquered swathes of territory—which may have yielded intelligence on the organisation of the Paris attacks, Israel's Army Radio said.

Israeli officials contacted by Reuters had no comment, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Saturday: "I've instructed Israel's security and intelligence services to assist their French counterparts and counterparts from other European countries in any way possible."

A Western diplomat said last year that Israel was providing the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State with information gleaned from international travel databases about Western citizens suspected of joining the insurgents. — Reuters

Solidarity messages over deadly Paris attacks set social media ablaze

The multiple attacks across Paris Friday night (Saturday morning in the Philippines) that killed over a hundred people have shocked the world, and social media have been ablaze with millions of solidarity messages from all corners of the world.

#PrayForParis immediately became trending topic on Twitter in the Philippines and worldwide, with more than 4 million tweets about it as of posting time.

World leaders, as well as international and local celebrities expressed their sadness and solidarity for Parisians on Twitter.

source: gmanetwork.com

Gunmen in Paris attacks killed

A total of eight militants were killed, including seven by their suicide belts, during Friday's attacks in Paris that left at least 120 dead, a source close to the investigation said.

Four of the attackers were killed in the Bataclan concert hall, three by activating their suicide vests and one shot by police, a report from agence France-Presse said.

Three more died near the national stadium and a fourth was killed in a street in eastern Paris.
"The terrorists who were not far from here were killed," Hollande said on television after visiting a security command centre near the Bataclan concert hall where the gunmen held people hostage before an assault by security forces.

Three of the attackers activated explosive belts while the fourth was hit by police fire, AFP added.

At least 100 people were killed in the concert hall. —with reports from Agence-France Presse and Reuters