Bar Crobar

Coronavirus: better than hydroxychloroquine, cannabis.

Canadian scientists have discovered that 13 varieties of cannabis could prevent Covid-19 infection.

What if, after hydroxychloroquine was called into question by the WHO, all eyes were now on cannabis? Surprising as it may seem, Canadian researchers have just published a study affirming the benefits of the plant against coronavirus, reported The Next Web.

According to their study, which has yet to be verified, scientists have identified thirteen varieties of cannabis sativa that are effective not in treating but in preventing infection by the virus. By modulating the ACE2 enzyme, cannabis is thought to limit the entry and proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs.

The non-psychoactive substance (CBD) extracted

To achieve this result, the Canadians extracted cannabidiol (CBD), the plant's non-psychoactive substance, from 800 varieties of cannabis. These varieties are not sold on the market and were developed by the researchers.

CBD-based treatments are nothing new. For several years now, therapeutic cannabis has been prescribed across the Atlantic for the prevention of certain diseases. In some cases of cancer or epilepsy, it is recommended to help patients cope better with therapies and their side effects. Its virtues are even said to reduce migraines and headaches by half.

Kanye West is officially a US presidential candidate

While a member of Yeezy's campaign declared yesterday that the rapper was "out of the running", a representative of Kanye West has filed the first official papers for his candidacy.

" We must now fulfil America's promise by trusting God, unifying our visions and building our future. I'm running for President of the United States! Kanye West announced it personally on his Twitter account on 4 July, and he has kept his promises. According to People magazine, as of Wednesday 15 July the rapper is officially a candidate in the US presidential election to be held in November, pitting him against Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. This is despite a member of his campaign declaring him "out of the race" and his voting intentions of 2 %.

Kanye 2020 or... Birthday Party

Also according to People, Kanye West's team has filed a Statement of Campaign Organization -titled Kanye 2020- with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The Declaration of Organization form states that the Kanye 2020 Committee will serve as the "Principal Campaign Committee" with Kanye West as its candidate. His party is called the "BDP", which stands for "Birthday Party". A joke? Contacted by Rolling Stone magazine, the FEC confirmed that a committee dubbed "Kanye 2020″ had indeed submitted a form, before adding that it could not "not to confirm the legitimacy of this deposit". Kim Kardashian's husband still has to fill in the second presidential application form, in which he will have to prove that he has raised or spent more than $5,000 on his campaign.

Candidate in Oklahoma... but not in the other US states

But that's not all. According to a spokesperson for the Board of Elections, a representative of Kanye West filed the necessary documents for his candidacy as an independent candidate in the Oklahoma election on Wednesday 15 July, the deadline for filing his candidacy. According to Forbes, the billionaire rapper paid the $35,000 required for his registration and also submitted a declaration of candidacy.

But because his candidacy arrived too late in some parts of the USA (deadlines vary from state to state), Kanye West will not be able to appear on the ballot papers anywhere in the country. For example, voters in Texas and Florida will not be able to elect Kim Kardashian's famous husband. For other states in Uncle Sam's country, Kanye West's candidacy will require several thousand signatures from residents. And there's no word yet on whether he's already collected them... So stay tuned.

By Pierre-Yves Paque

In France, it will be compulsory to wear a mask in enclosed public places from "next week".

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday that the measure would come into force on 1 August.

The decree making it compulsory in France to wear masks in enclosed areas open to the public will come into force "next week", French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced to the Senate.

"We were planning for these provisions to come into force on 1 August", said the Prime Minister. "I understand that this deadline was too late (...) so the decree will come into force next week", he said during his general policy statement to the senators.

"An effective prevention and protection measure".

"Wearing a mask is an effective preventive and protective measure, along with observing barrier procedures", he stressed.

Emmanuel Macron's announcement on 14 July that it would be compulsory to wear a mask in "enclosed public places" from 1 August had pleased those who advocated this measure, but they were calling for it to be applied without delay, including in the workplace.

Jean Castex pointed out that "in so-called professional premises, this implies a change in the health protocols governing the activities concerned".

By APF LE TEMPS

"The first person to catch the virus at the party gets paid".

Young Americans took part in a series of corona parties. The aim of the game? Invite infected people to a party, catch the virus and win the lottery.

The United States is still reeling from the first wave of the coronavirus epidemic, and the number of cases is rising rapidly in some states. Short confinements, too few restrictions, regions affected one after the other - there are many reasons for this.

To which we can add recklessness and stupidity. A group of young people in Alabama have reached a milestone in this area by deciding to organise "Covid-19 parties". The concept is very simple: "Invite as many people infected with the coronavirus as possible. The first person to catch it also gets paid! To collect the prize money, the "lucky one" has to go and have his or her infection confirmed by a doctor. He then receives the money for the tickets to the famous evening.

"They can bring the coronavirus home".

It's hard to imagine the motives of the people involved in this dangerous game. When informed of the existence of this type of party, the authorities in the town of Tuscaloosa didn't believe it at first: "We thought it was a rumour before carrying out any research. But the doctors' offices and the State of Alabama received the same information as we did", explained to CNN Sonya McKinstry, from the city council.

Worse still, this is not an isolated phenomenon. Several similar "private parties" are reported to have taken place in towns in this southern US state. "I'm furious that such a serious and deadly virus should be treated in this way. It's not just irresponsible, they can bring the coronavirus home and contaminate their parents or grandparents", she continued.

The city has therefore decided to sound the alarm, and police checks will be stepped up. Since the beginning of the health crisis, Alabama has recorded more than 39,000 coronavirus infections and almost a thousand deaths.

by Thomas Holzer/L'essentiel

Judge refuses to block release of John Bolton's explosive book on Trump

In his book, excerpts of which have been published in newspapers, the former national security adviser criticises the US President's decisions, which are "motivated by re-election calculations".

The White House's efforts to prevent the publication of John Bolton's book, scheduled for 23 June, will have been in vain. On Saturday 20 June, a US judge refused to block the release of the explosive book by Donald Trump's former adviser, John Bolton, in which he flays the president-candidate, who is already under pressure just a few months before the presidential election.

The American president reacted by saying that his former adviser would pay a price "very strong for publishing his book without White House authorisation.

John Bolton "put the national security of the United States at risk". and "has put his country in dangerIn his decision, Washington federal court judge Royce Lamberth emphasised this point. But "The government has failed to establish that a ban would prevent irreparable damage. Its claim is therefore dismissed".he concluded.

Judge Lamberth pointed out that the book had already been widely circulated and that it was now "An open secret. According to the publisher, over 200,000 copies have already been sent to bookshops across the country.

"Today we welcome the Court's decision rejecting the government's attempt to eliminate the book". commented his lawyer Charles Cooper.

The image of an incompetent and mocked President

The judge acknowledged that John Bolton did not appear to have asked for a"written authorisation to the White House prior to publication, which would have certified that none of the elements "Classified did not appear in the book. He implied that a separate lawsuit, also brought by the government, could result in Mr Bolton losing the $2 million advance he had received to write the book, due to breaches of confidentiality agreements. The magistrate is also in charge of this other case.

"The Government intends to hold Bolton to account for honouring his agreements and ensure that he receives no benefit from his shameful decision to place his desire for money and attention above his commitment to protecting national security."insisted the White House.

Title The Room Where it Happened (The Room Where It Happened) chronicles the author's seventeen months as National Security Advisor to the occupant of the Oval Office in 2018-2019.

In this vitriolic book, the former White House adviser fuels the image of an American president who is incompetent on the international stage, mocked by senior members of his own administration and who puts his thirst for re-election on 3 November before the interests of the country.

"SUPER JUDICIAL VICTORY against Bolton. Obviously, as the book had already been circulated and leaked to many people and the media, there would have been nothing the highly respectable judge could have done to stop it."Donald Trump reacted on Twitter.

"Bolton broke the law and has been exposed and blamed for doing so and will pay a very high price. He likes to drop bombs on people and kill them. Now bombs will fall on him", threatened the American President, referring to his ex-advisor's war-mongering diplomatic stance.

Donald Trump no longer wants to talk to Xi Jinping "for the time being".

The relationship between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping has continued to deteriorate since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis.

I have a very good relationship [with him] but at the moment I don't want to talk to himsaid Mr Trump on Fox Business.

Asked about the various retaliatory measures he could envisage, he was threatening: There are many things we could do. We could break off all relationships.

What would happen if we did?he continued. We would save 500 billion dollars if we broke off all relationshe added.

For weeks, US President Donald Trump has been accusing the Chinese authorities of concealing the scale of the epidemic, which appeared at the end of 2019 in the city of Wuhan (central China), and thus facilitating its spread.

Beijing denies this and claims to have passed on all the information to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other countries, including the United States, as quickly as possible.

They could have stopped himhe hammered home on Fox Business.

Agence France-Presse

DECONFINING On the dancefloor, the anger!

Ten days ago, Swiss nightclubs were able to reopen their padded doors. But the conditions, in particular the reduced opening hours from 6pm to midnight, have caused some people to cringe. Some clubs are standing firm, believing the measures to be inadequate, not to say absurd.

Saturday evening, 6.30pm. At the D! Club, the disco balls are already shimmering. Behind the turntables, a masked DJ is churning out hip-hop hits, but the dancefloor is still empty. This weekend, like many other nightclubs in French-speaking Switzerland, D! reopened its doors for the first time under the restricted opening hours required by the Federal Council - from 6pm to midnight.

After the reception and security staff had taken their temperature (using a contactless thermometer), and checked that they had downloaded the traceability application required by the establishment, the first revellers trickled in. Three foreign students who had come to celebrate a birthday timidly took to the dancefloor, soon to be joined by a group of friends, determined to take advantage of the free entry until 7pm - and to enjoy the evening. It doesn't matter how small the crowd, I've come to dance, I've missed it," says one young woman between songs. What I'm really looking forward to is getting back to normal.

Alternative plan

But "normal" is not exactly the word nightclub professionals would use. Since the Confederation authorised the reopening of nightclubs on 27 May, many have been complaining that the conditions under which they are being reopened are unacceptable and even dangerous.

See also our editorial: Deconfinement: relaxation subject to conditions

At first, the 2m distance between each dancer was strongly criticised - how could the soul of clubbing survive it? - before being relaxed. PromoterSuisse, the umbrella organisation for music event promoters, took the initiative and drew up an alternative protection plan (neither approved nor rejected by the FOPH), which was adopted by most establishments. As well as maintaining social distancing (drinks can also be consumed standing up), the plan requires the data of 300 party-goers to be collected at the door - they will thus be warned if a case of Covid-19 occurs within 14 days, and potentially subjected to quarantine. Some of the clubs are refusing to be tracked and are putting up a fight. And let's not forget the most controversial issue: the midnight closing time. Can night owls really be motivated to go out earlier?

Postponing the problem

"There's no way it's going to work when it's warm and sunny," says Thierry Namer, Folklor's manager. If the club, located on the Place de la Riponne, sold out when it reopened on 6 June, it's because it was able to count on fans of electronic music, its speciality, but also on the gloomy weather, he believes. "When the weather's fine, people will logically prefer to go out and play sport or meet their friends on the terrace at these times. So despite ourselves, we're becoming competition for bars and cafés.

Competition is not always welcome. In Geneva, the Baroque Restaurant, for example, has partially resumed service, but not the affiliated discotheque on Place de la Fusterie: the new opening hours would require a change of concept, points out the group's general manager, Julien Torrado. "Modify our menu by offering dishes, but also change the prices, because drinks are traditionally more expensive in a club."

Reservations, frustrations, incomprehension too. Like that of Thierry Wegmüller, a member of the Rencontres La Belle Nuit committee, which works to improve the quality of nightlife in Lausanne. The man who also runs the D! Club and ABC is convinced that closing at midnight only postpones the problem. "In reality, clubbers go out in frustration and continue to party on the public highway or at private parties, where there is no sanitary framework. This leads to complaints of night-time disturbance, as was the case in Geneva on the opening weekend," he notes. And when you see that the casinos have reopened until 3am, with thousands of people lining the streets, there's something irrational about these measures.

"Lack of confidence

Thierry Wegmüller, like other nightclub managers, regrets a lack of listening and even consideration from the nightlife world. "We have a tendency to blame them for all the ills, but we shouldn't underestimate our social role. There's a real need among the population to get out and about, and without the festivals this summer, I think it will go from strength to strength."

Some simply denounce a lack of knowledge of the industry. "Why the midnight limit? Perhaps they have the impression that we have orgies from 1am onwards," quips Zabou Elisabeth Jaquet, co-president of the Grand Conseil de la Nuit, an association promoting nightlife culture in Geneva. "We don't understand this lack of confidence, given the prevention efforts our members put in place throughout the year." All of its members - some twenty bars and clubs, including Audio, Usine and Chat Noir - have decided to remain closed.

Another complaint is the ten-day delay between the Federal Council's announcement and the actual reopening of the clubs. "This gives very little credit to the organisation of our events. A good programme takes several months to prepare," adds Zabou Elisabeth Jaquet. Live music concerts, in particular, have become complex to organise in view of cancelled tours. "For our members, it simply didn't make sense to open now," she sums up.

Financial pressure

For others, despite the acrobatic conditions, relaunching the machine is a question of survival. It's a way of mopping up the fixed costs that continue to fall. All the more so as, depending on the canton, nightclubs do not receive any subsidies. "In Fribourg, because they are set up as SA or Sàrl, the clubs are not considered to be part of the cultural world. Yet we have a programme, DJs and comedy shows," points out Stéphane Jaton, manager of the Crapule Club. A request for financial support, in conjunction with other establishments in Fribourg, has so far gone unanswered.

Their hopes are now pinned on the announcements on 24 June, which could include a potential easing of the measures. For Stéphane Jaton, however, there is no question of waiting until then to revise his formula: the Crapule Club will offer a cocktail bar in the greenery of a park all summer long.

Source: Le Temps Virginie Nussbaum

China wants to pull out all the stops at the UN

Showing its role as a major power, China is becoming increasingly involved in a United Nations that has been weakened by the Trump administration's blows. Its financial contributions are increasing, as are the number of posts at the head of the UN's specialised agencies.

Source: swissinfo.ch

United States: Donald Trump wants to strip social networks of their protection

On Thursday, the US President signed an executive order aimed at limiting the protection afforded to services such as Twitter and Facebook.

Donald Trump took action on Thursday 28 May. Upset by Twitter's decision to add a link to two messages published on Tuesday stating that it was advancing untruths about the reliability of postal voting, the President of the United States signed an executive order inviting the federal agencies concerned to re-examine the cornerstone on which social networks have developed. This is section 230 (c) of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 law, which states that sites and services that allow Internet users to publish messages are not directly responsible for these messages.

"They have the unchecked power to censor, edit, conceal or alter any form of communication between individuals and large public audiences. There is no precedent in American history for such a small number of companies to control such a large sphere of human interaction", the US President railed against the social networking behemoths. The charge is paradoxical, given that the former businessman built part of his political career on his unbridled use of Twitter. His account now has over 80 million followers.

Source: Le Monde

Trump and Twitter: they loved each other so much.

Nothing is going well between the President and the social network, which - for the first time - reported a tweet from Trump. @realDonaldTrump has promised revenge.

Donald Trump has been on a rampage in recent days. Using his favourite weapon, the tweet, he has accused the host of a political programme of murder - without a shred of evidence, he has mocked Joe Biden for wearing a mask, he has retweeted the rantings of a right-wing extremist who called Hillary Clinton a "whore", he has mentioned conspiracy theories accusing Obama of espionage... He has been saying anything and everything to his 80 million followers for years. With the blessing of Twitter, which has always defended his freedom of expression.

Source: Le Point.fr