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  Published Date: 2020-07-27 

 Swiss pianist Alain Roche’s first performance after the lockdown turned out to be high flying both figuratively and literally as the man and his instrument were hanging from a crane 40 meters above ground. More than a hundred music-lovers gathered at a construction site in the French city of Nantes on Friday to witness the unconventional show. They were all seated in deck chairs and given headphones so they could conveniently observe the levitating performer while listening to his music in good quality. Putting a massive piano in the air at 90 degrees was all about “overturning codes and conventions,” Roche explained to RT’s Ruptly video agency. “It’s to confront the classic side of a pianist… with this raw, strident and dirty world of a construction site." Also on rt.com 'Music is best medicine': Italian musicians join flash mob to cheer up nation amid coronavirus scare (VIDEOS) And the audience was left impressed with what they saw and heard. “It was an extraordinary, magical experience, urban poetry,” one of the witnesses of the concert said. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! 

  Published Date: 2020-07-27 

 An old photo of a French warship was used by Egypt’s Defense Ministry to report on joint drills with France, while an Egyptian corvette was photoshopped into the image, Turkey’s Anadolu news agency said. The statement on the exercises in the Mediterranean Sea, in which Egyptian corvette Tahya Misr and its French counterpart, F713 Aconit participated was posted on the Defense Ministry’s website and social media on Saturday. The joint training with France focused on “cooperation in conducting combat missions on the sea against naval forces of the enemy using live fire.” The drills showed that both Cairo and Paris were committed to “maritime security and stability in the Mediterranean Sea,” the statement, which was accompanied by a photo of the two ships in action, read. The news was picked up by the media abroad and at home, with many Egyptian outlets also using the image from the Defense Ministry in their articles. But Anadolu insisted that the Egyptian military was disseminating “fake photos” in relation to the drills with the French Navy. “It was established that the image of the Egyptian military vessel was added to the photo of the French corvette F713 through photo editing,” it said. Turkish journalists even found the source photo of the Aconit, saying that it came from the US Navy’s website and was made during American-French naval drills back in 2013. There were no comments from either Cairo or Paris. Relations with Egypt and France remain tense over Libya. Ankara is actively supporting the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) in the conflict in the oil-rich country, while accusing Cairo and Paris of being on the side of the rival Libyan National Army (LNA) of Khalifa Haftar. Also on rt.com Erdogan slams Egypt’s ‘illegal’ actions in Libya as Cairo mulls military intervention Last month, France accused the Turkish Navy of acting aggressively and preventing a French ship enforcing the arms embargo on Libya from inspecting a freighter in the Mediterranean. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! 

  Published Date: 2020-07-27 

 Spain’s Covid-19 death toll could be off by 60 percent, according to calculations by the country’s leading newspaper, El Pais, which suggest Spain has the second-highest number of deaths in Europe after the UK. An El Pais investigation published on Sunday found that the official figure of 28,432 deaths is likely far less than the true number of people who have died with the virus. Spain’s official death toll only includes people who had a confirmed Covid-19 diagnosis, and not those who were suspected of having it but were never tested. Also on rt.com SHAMBOLIC: Labour slams Johnson’s sudden quarantine on holidaymakers in Spain El Pais looked at regional statistics on all suspected and confirmed deaths from the virus and concluded that 44,868 people died with Covid-19. This figure is close to the number of excess deaths recorded by the National Epidemiology Centre and National Statistics Centre (INE) in June. It found that there were 43,945 more deaths between January and May 2020 than the previous year. The Spanish Association of Professionals and Funeral Services and the Carlos III Health Institute also calculated similar excess mortality figures during this time. If El Pais’ figures are accurate, it would mean that Spain has seen the second most deadly outbreak in Europe after the UK, which has recorded over 45,000 deaths. Also on rt.com Spain orders slaughter of 92,700 mink to avoid human transmission as Covid-19 rips through farm in Aragon There was a lack of widespread testing carried at the beginning of the outbreak, which might explain the discrepancy with the official figures. At the end of May, the country lowered its death toll by 2,000 as a result of duplicate records and some regions reporting suspected cases as confirmed cases. Spain’s Health Ministry has not commented on the report. The country has seen a surge in cases over the past few weeks, raising fears of a second wave. Countries tally Covid-19 cases differently, with some only reporting confirmed deaths, or hospital deaths, while others report all actual and suspected cases and include those who die outside of hospital settings. If you like this story, share it with a friend! 

  Published Date: 2020-07-27 

 Olivia de Havilland, who starred in 'Gone with the Wind,' has died aged 104. The two-time Oscar winner was the last remaining star of the iconic film, and is credited with taking on the Hollywood studios in a landmark court case. De Havilland played Melanie Hamilton Wilkes, a friend who is seen as a rival by protagonist Scarlett O'Hara in the 1939 classic. #oliviadehavilland , star of a bygone Hollywood age has died aged 104. She had a storied career ,winning best actress ?@TheAcademy? awards for To Each His Own & The Heiress. To many though , she’ll be remembered as kind-hearted Melanie in Gone With the Wind.#RIPpic.twitter.com/W20CPhiIMR — Baz Bamigboye (@BazBam) July 26, 2020 The actress won two Oscars for her performances in 'To Each His Own' (1946), and 'The Heiress' (1949). She was also known for her roles in ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood,' and ‘The Snake Pit.’ De Havilland is credited with helping to take down Hollywood’s studio system after she sued Warner Bros. in the 1940s to be free after her contract had expired. At the time, Hollywood lawyers viewed contracts as being suspended when an actor wasn’t working, so Warner Bros. wanted to keep de Havilland after her seven-year deal expired. The courts ruled that all artists’ contracts were to be limited to the calendar terms set out in their deals. “No one thought I would win, but after I did, flowers, letters and telegrams arrived from my fellow actors,” she said in a 1992 interview. “This was wonderfully rewarding.” De Havilland died of natural causes at her home in Paris, where she had lived since the 1950s with her late husband Pierre Galante, who died in 1998. She is survived by her daughter Gisele, son-in-law Andrew, and niece Deborah. She was previously married to Marcus Goodrich in 1946. Born in Tokyo and raised in California, de Havilland had a strained relationship with her younger sister, actress Joan Fontaine, who won an Oscar before her, in 1942, when de Havilland was also nominated in the same category. De Havilland was given the US National Medal of Arts by George W. Bush in 2008, and the Knight Legion of Honor by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010. She was the first female jury president at the Cannes Film Festival in 1965. 

  Published Date: 2020-07-27 

 No one wants to give Iran the opportunity to buy and sell weapons, Washington has claimed, arguing that regional security would suffer if an arms embargo on Tehran is allowed to expire. There is no desire to give Iran a chance to enter the arms trade, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Sunday. He supported the rather presumptuous claim by insisting that the conflict in Syria would worsen if the current weapons embargo on Tehran is lifted. The official accused Iran of bypassing international restrictions and warned that Middle East peace would be threatened if the current sanctions were loosened or done away with. Washington has repeatedly called on the international community to extend the arms embargo, which is set to expire in October. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned earlier this week that China would begin selling weapons to Tehran once the restrictions expire. “They have been working on it, waiting for this day, waiting for midnight on October 18 for this arms embargo to expire,” Pompeo said on Wednesday. Also on rt.com Rouhani warns of ‘dire consequences’ if US extends arms embargo on Iran The embargo on conventional arms dates back to 2010 when the UN Security Council took action after Iran declined to grant UN inspectors full access to its nuclear facilities. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), colloquially known as the Iran nuclear deal, stipulated that the embargo would be lifted after five years. The JCPOA provided greater oversight of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the removal of international sanctions. Washington unilaterally withdrew from the accord in May 2018, and soon after began re-imposing sanctions. The move was widely criticized by America’s European allies. Iran has slowly begun to pull out of its commitments under the accord, arguing that it is under no obligation to keep its side of the bargain if the agreement’s other signatories refuse to honor their own promises. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!  

  Published Date: 2020-07-27 

 By Gabriela Bernal , Korea analyst and founder of the Peninsula Report, a blog on Korean affairs. She regularly tweets about North and South Korea @gabrielabbernal Troubles with the deadly coronavirus in North Korea may be worse than expected after the country publicly reported its first suspected case of Covid-19 and the complete lockdown of an entire city. North Korea’s battle with Covid-19 took a dire turn on Sunday when Kim Jong-un ordered the implementation of a “maximum emergency system” aimed at fighting the coronavirus after a defector displaying symptoms of the virus allegedly crossed the border into the country on July 19. Kim also ordered the large border city of Kaesong to be completely sealed off as the defector is believed to have passed through the area. Read more Even though the government has only alluded to one official Covid-19 case publicly, the fact that one of the country’s major cities has been completely closed off could potentially point to a much larger outbreak than a single, isolated case. Another tell-tale sign has been the government’s continuous efforts in enforcing coronavirus containment measures. The country’s borders – including that of its main trade partner, China – have remained closed for months and reports of increased border inspections remain frequent as part of the government’s aim to prevent the spread of the virus. The continued border closure is particularly significant since it has apparently resulted in a serious setback for the economy. In particular, Asiapress reported citing sources in the country that several areas of North Korea have witnessed increased levels of child poverty and people forced into beggary as they lost their jobs. Given that the North Korean economy relies immensely on trade with China, it is highly unlikely the border closure would remain in place for longer than necessary. Since the border has yet to reopen, it should be assumed that the North Korean authorities continue to see Covid-19 as a major threat worth temporary economic hardship. Adding to the assumption that the coronavirus situation is probably of a greater scale than just one suspected case is the Politburo meeting Kim Jong-un presided over earlier this month. That meeting was completely focused on the coronavirus situation. At the time, Kim said the country managed to prevent the virus entering its territory. However, he also described the country’s containment efforts as a “matter of national existence.” Only national priorities are discussed at such meetings and for that one to be completely focused on just one issue is rather telling. That is especially the case given the presence of Kim at the gathering when official statistics put the number of infected to zero. The timing of the announcement of the first suspected case could also play a role. Reports have indicated that the country has been dealing with Covid-19 cases for months. It is therefore possible that the timing has to do with the country’s inability to deal with the amount of cases they currently have. Due to the border closure, medicine shortages have likely become an increasingly serious problem and it’s possible the country is running out of ways to treat the sick. Pyongyang may have chosen to make this public now in order to have an excuse to receive foreign medical aid. Besides the timing, the choice of case to make public is also eye-catching. Since the first suspected Covid-19 case in North Korea is said to have come from a person who crossed into the country from South Korea via the North-South border, it could provide Pyongyang with a chance to blame a possible future internal Covid-19 crisis on external factors. Also on rt.com Kim Jong-un sends VERBAL MESSAGE to China’s Xi, commends him for battling Covid-19 Such a move would allow the country to start publicly sharing virus statistics and possibly receive aid through the World Health Organization or NGOs. This would, in turn, help ease the already severe economic burden the country is currently enduring. Moreover, South Korean President Moon Jae-in had previously said the Covid-19 crisis could “be a new opportunity for inter-Korean cooperation,” so a spread of the virus in the North may even end up somehow easing the recent tense vibes between both nations. Whether the case of the defector turns out to be true or not, it is likely that Covid-19 cases in North Korea not only exist but are spreading. If the country is to beat the virus, it will undoubtedly need help from the outside world. And that might be the exact reason why Kim is choosing to speak out now. Like this story? Share it with a friend! 

  Published Date: 2020-07-26 

 Ein Richter in Nantes hat Untersuchungshaft für den Verdächtigen angeordnet. Die französischen Ermittler werfen dem freiwilligen Gemeindediener Brandstiftung vor. Staatsanwalt Pierre Sennès teilte der Zeitung "Le Monde" mit, der 39 Jahre alte Mann habe gestanden, für das Feuer verantwortlich zu sein. Er war am Samstag nochmals vernommen worden. Die Polizei riegelte die Kathedrale nach dem Brand ab Der Anwalt des Verdächtigen erklärte, sein Mandat bedauere zutiefst seine Handlungen und kooperiere mit den Behörden. Im Falle einer Verurteilung drohen dem Verdächtigen laut Staatsanwaltschaft zehn Jahre Haft und eine Geldstrafe in Höhe von 150.000 Euro. Frankreichs Regierungschef Jean Castex informierte sich nach dem Feuer über das Ausmaß der Schäden Die gotische Sankt-Peter-und-Paul-Kathedrale in Nantes war in der Nacht zum Samstag vergangener Woche bei einem Feuer schwer beschädigt worden. Die große Orgel verbrannte. Weitgehend zerstört sind zudem ein großes Buntglasfenster in der Fassade und mehrere Gemälde. Das Feuer war an drei weit voneinander entfernt liegenden Stellen in der Kirche ausgebrochen. Laboruntersuchungen erhärteten den Verdacht auf Brandstiftung. Der Brand verursachte schwere Sachschäden Bereits wenige Stunden nach dem Feuer war der Verdächtige festgenommen, aber einen Tag später wieder auf freien Fuß gesetzt worden. Er arbeitete als Freiwilliger für die Diözese Nantes und war am Vorabend des Brandes für die Schließung der Kathedrale verantwortlich. Da es keine Spur für ein gewaltsames Eindringen in das Gotteshaus gegeben hatte, war der Mann, der aus dem ostafrikanischen Ruanda stammen soll, rasch ins Blickfeld der Ermittler geraten. se/ww (afp, rtr, dpa) 

  Published Date: 2020-07-26 

 Ein nordkoreanischer Staatsbürger, der illegal die Grenze zu Südkorea überquert habe, stehe nach seiner Rückkehr unter dem Verdacht, "mit dem bösartigen Virus infiziert zu sein", meldete die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur KCNA. Bei einer Dringlichkeitssitzung des Politbüros der Arbeiterpartei habe Machthaber Kim Jong Un den "maximalen Alarmzustand" erklärt. Über die Grenzstadt Kaesong (Artikelbild) wurde eine Ausgangssperre verhängt. Mutmaßlich Infizierter soll Überläufer sein Wie KCNA meldete, soll es sich bei dem mutmaßlich Infizierten um einen Überläufer handeln, der vor drei Jahren nach Südkorea gegangen sei. Am 19. Juli habe er dann die scharf bewachte Grenze "illegal überquert" und sei nach Nordkorea zurückgekehrt. Von südkoreanischer Seite wurde jedoch keine Überquerung der mit Minenfeldern gespickten Grenze gemeldet. Laut KCNA ist die Person auf das SARS-CoV-2-Virus getestet worden. Das Ergebnis stehe aber noch aus. Daher sei vorsorglich Quarantäne angeordnet worden. Außerdem solle untersucht werden, mit wem die Person möglicherweise in Kontakt gekommen ist. Es handele sich um eine "gefährliche Situation", die zu einer "tödlichen und zerstörerischen Katastrophe führen" könne, schrieb die Nachrichtenagentur. Bislang kein offizieller Corona-Fall Sollte sich der Verdacht bestätigen, wäre dies der erste Corona-Fall, der offiziell von den nordkoreanischen Behörden anerkannt würde. Bislang hatte das extrem abgeschottete und autoritär geführte Land nach offiziellen Angaben keinen einzigen Fall des neuartigen Coronavirus registriert. Nordkorea hatte seine Grenzen wegen der Ausbreitung des Coronavirus Ende Januar geschlossen. Allerdings gilt die 1400 Kilometer lange Grenze zu China als durchlässig, vor allem im Winter, wenn zugefrorene Flüsse den Übertritt ermöglichen und der Schwarzmarkt entlang der Grenze blüht. Beobachter vermuten, dass das Virus schon vor der Grenzschließung ins Land gelangte. ww/ se (dpa, afp, rtr) 

  Published Date: 2020-07-26 

 Nach einem Leben voller Höhen und Tiefen, das vielfach der Fahrt in einer Achterbahn ähnelte, ist Peter Green im Alter von 73 Jahren gestorben - friedlich im Schlaf, wie seine Familie mitteilte. Im Jahr 1967 gründete Green gemeinsam mit Schlagzeuger Mick Fleetwood und John McVie in London die Band Fleetwood Mac. Er stand hinter Songs wie "Albatross" und "Oh Well", die den Sound der Band definierten und sie zu Weltruhm brachten. Doch schon drei Jahre später musste er wegen mentaler Probleme und Drogenmissbrauch die Band verlassen. Fleetwood Mac feierten ihre größten Erfolge ohne ihn - und für den begnadeten Musiker begann der soziale Abstieg. Fleetwood Mac 1969: Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan und John McVie (v.l.n.r.) Der Blues-Rock-Gitarrist litt unter Drogenmissbrauch und Schizophrenie, wie Biografen berichteten. Lange Zeit wurde Green in der Psychiatrie behandelt. Den Großteil der 1970er Jahre verschwand der Musiker von der Bildfläche. Er soll zeitweise auf der Straße gelebt, als Friedhofsgärtner gearbeitet und eine Zeit in einem israelischen Kibbuz verbracht haben, hieß es. Hochbegabter Teenager Schon in jungen Jahren begeistert sich der 1946 als Sohn einer jüdischen Arbeiterfamilie im Londoner Stadtteil Bethnal Green geborene Green sich für US-Bluesmusiker wie B.B. King und Muddy Waters. Mit elf Jahren lernte er die ersten Gitarrengriffe. Im Alter von 15 Jahren begann der Teenager professionell Gitarre zu spielen und bekam fünf Jahre später die Chance, als Leadgitarrist für die Instrumentalband Peter B's Looners auf der Bühne zu stehen. Wenig später wurde er als Ersatz für sein Idol Eric Clapton bei den Bluesbreakers engagiert. Aus dieser Band stammten auch die beiden anderen Fleetwood-Mac-Gründer Fleetwood und McVie. Welthit "Albatross" - und dann der Absturz Der von Green komponierte Song "Albatross" bescherte der Gruppe im Winter 1968/69 den ersten Nummer-1-Hit und katapultierte sie an die Spitze der britischen Musikszene. Doch der schnelle Aufstieg zeigte bald seine Schattenseiten: Green verkraftete den Medienrummel nicht und seine Experimente mit der Droge LSD wurden immer extremer. Sein Leben zwischen Musik und Drogen kommentierte er später einmal in einem Interview: "Das Schlimmste, was mir im Leben passiert ist, sind die Drogen - das Beste war, einen Nummer-1-Hit zu landen." 1979 gelang Green überraschend ein Achtungserfolg mit einem von religiösen Themen inspirierten Album. Fleetwood Mac schwamm währenddessen in neuer Formation auf einer Erfolgswelle. Vom 1977 erschienenen Album "Rumours" verkauften sich weltweit mehr als 40 Millionen Exemplare. Comeback ohne Drogen Trotz verschiedener kleiner Solo-Erfolge gelang Green kein größeres Comeback, bis er 1996 mit einer Gruppe befreundeter Musiker neu an den Start ging. Der britische "Daily Telegraph" sprach damals vom auf die Erde zurückgekehrten Rockstar. Peter Green (li.) und andere aktuelle und ehemalige Fleetwood-Mac-Mitglieder 1998 in der Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Frei von Drogen veröffentlichte Green mit der Peter Green Splinter Group einige Alben, bis sich die Band 2004 auflöste. Für Musikexperten war er schon zu Lebzeiten eine Blues-Legende und mit seinem sanften Sound einer der einflussreichsten Gitarristen der vergangenen Jahrzehnte. 1998 wurde er zusammen mit anderen ehemaligen und aktuellen Fleetwood-Mac-Mitgliedern in die Rock and Roll Hall of Fame aufgenommen. mak/ack (dpa, afp, ap) 

  Published Date: 2020-07-26 

 Begleitet von einer beeindruckenden Geräuschkulisse aus lauten Trommeln und Hörnern protestierten Tausende Israelis im ganzen Land gegen Arbeitslosigkeit, Korruption und den Umgang von Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu mit der Corona-Pandemie. Protest vor der Residenz Demonstriert wurde unter anderem vor der privaten Villa des Regierungschefs in der Küstenstadt Caesarea, nahe seiner offiziellen Residenz in Jerusalem (Artikelbild) und in einem Park in Tel Aviv. Erneut forderten die aufgebrachten Demonstranten den Rücktritt des wegen Korruption angeklagten Regierungschefs. Auf Plakaten waren Slogans zu lesen wie "Du bist korrupt, wir haben genug von dir" und "Wo bleibt die Moral?" Tausende versammelten sich zum Protest vor der Residenz von Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu In Jerusalem und Tel Aviv hat es zuletzt mehrfach Demonstrationen gegen Netanjahu gegeben. Dieser muss sich seit Mai wegen des Vorwurfs der Bestechlichkeit, des Betrugs und der Untreue vor Gericht verantworten, weshalb viele Israelis seinen Rücktritt fordern. "Chaotische Corona-Politik" Zudem halten die Demonstranten dem Regierungschef seine ihrer Meinung nach chaotische Corona-Politik vor: Restaurants, Strände und Sportstudios wurden zunächst geschlossen, dann zügig wieder geöffnet und dann angesichts einer zweiten Infektionswelle wieder geschlossen. In Israel mit seinen rund neun Millionen Einwohnern wurden bisher nach offiziellen Angaben mehr als 60.000 Corona-Fälle registriert, 455 Menschen starben. Zuletzt gab es täglich mehr als tausend neu gemeldete Ansteckungen. mak/ack (dpa, afp)