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world news Diamars 1 December 2020

Turkey toughens curfew measures amid coronavirus surge

(AP) — Turkey’s president With strong pressure from The new curfews begin
on Monday announced the medical community and Tuesday. Sectors including
the country's most wide- the public, Turkey last week production, logistics, health
spread lockdown so far resumed reporting all posi- care, agriculture and forestry
amid a surge in COVID-19 tive tests for the virus, after would be exempt from the
infections, extending cur- releasing only the number of curfews, while grocery stores
fews to weeknights and symptomatic cases for four and food delivery services
putting a full lockdown in months. That caused daily would be allowed to operate
place over the weekends. cases to shoot up to around within certain hours during
30,000 and put Turkey among the weekend lockdowns.
Speaking after a Cabinet the hardest-hit nations in Eu-
meeting Monday, Turkish rope during the pandemic. In the spring, Turkey institut-
President Recep Tayyip Er- Health Ministry statistics on ed temporary weekend and
dogan said a curfew would be Monday showed 31,219 con- holiday lockdowns to fight
implemented on weekdays firmed new infections and the spread of COVID-19, with Turkish media showing transparency since March,
between 9:00 pm and 5:00 188 new deaths. Daily fatali- but current infections and packed public spaces. said 20 health care workers
am. He also announced to- ties in Turkey have hit record deaths have surged beyond died in one week from CO-
tal weekend lockdowns from numbers for eight consecu- the spring numbers. Week- The Turkish Medical Asso- VID-19 complications. ICU
9:00 pm on Friday to 5:00 am tive days, bringing the coun- end night curfews for the past ciation, which has been criti- bed occupation was around
on Monday. try's acknowledged virus two weeks have done little to cal of the government’s poli- 71%, according to the health
death toll to 13,746. curb people’s movements, cies and has called for more ministry.

French lawmakers to rewrite proposed bill on filming police

(AP) — Lawmakers from of police officers with in- on special operations “are not up to a year in jail and fined
French President Em- tent to cause them harm. In an apparent effort to quell protected enough ... We must 45,000 euros ($53,000).
manuel Macron’s party criticism, the head of Ma- absolutely keep it."
will rewrite the most criti- The move comes after tens cron's party at the National The bill, championed by Ma-
cized article of a proposed of thousands of protesters Assembly, Christophe Cas- For him, the controversial ar- cron’s party, was first voted
security law, involving a marched Saturday in Paris taner, said Monday “there is a ticle isn't a hindrance to the on at the National Assembly
measure aimed at banning and across the country to re- need to clarify the measure.” media. last week. It is expected to be
the publication of images ject the draft law. “We are going to propose a debated in the Senate early
new, complete rewrite of the “Protecting the police and next year.
article 24,” he added. protecting the press are not in
competition,” said the inte- The government said the
Meanwhile, Interior Minis- rior minister, who is respon- measure is needed to better
ter Gerald Darmanin refused sible for the measure. “There protect police officers from
to simply withdraw the con- is no victory of one without online calls from violence.
troversial Article 24, saying the other.”
that events haven't changed Critics fear that if enacted,
his position. In its current version, the the law would impinge on
article of the proposed law freedom of information and
“I don't have a fetish for criminalizes the publishing media rights. They also say
numbers ... but I do have a of images of police officers that it could restrict the pub-
fetish for protecting police with the intent of harming lic from filming police in cas-
and gendarmes,” Darmanin their “physical or psychologi- es that could be considered
said Monday before a parlia- cal integrity.” Anyone found abuse or police brutality.
mentary commission. Police guilty could be sentenced to

Scottish leader says she could seek 2021 independence vote

(AP) — Scotland’s leader said “That inalienable right of self-de- But Sturgeon’s SNP, which leads lowed broadly similar public health
Monday that she hopes to hold termination cannot, and will not, be the government in Edinburgh, says policies, and both countries have seen
an independence referendum subject to a Westminster veto,” she Brexit has transformed the situation high death tolls.
as soon as next year, setting up a said, referring to the U.K. govern- by dragging Scotland out of the Eu-
political showdown with a U.K. ment in London. ropean Union against its will. A nar- The whole of the U.K. has recorded
government that refuses to coun- row majority of U.K. voters opted to more than 58,000 coronavirus-relat-
tenance another secession vote. Scotland voted to remain in the leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, ed deaths, the highest toll in Europe.
U.K. by a margin of 55%-45% in a but a large majority in Scotland voted Sturgeon has not said what she will
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said 2014 independence referendum that to stay. do if the U.K. government refuses
she would campaign in the May 2021 was billed as a once-in-a-generation to grant a referendum, though some
Scottish Parliament election for a event. Recent opinion polls suggest a major- pro-independence campaigners have
mandate to hold a vote on indepen- ity of Scots now favor independence suggested she could seek a ruling
dence “in the early part of the new A new binding referendum requires from the U.K., with Brexit and the from the U.K. Supreme Court.
parliament,” which will run from the U.K. government’s approval, and coronavirus pandemic boosting sup-
2021 to 2025. Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists port for Scotland going its own way. In an apparent reference to Presi-
he’ll say no. dent Donald Trump’s fruitless efforts
In a speech to a conference of her Sturgeon’s calm, clear communica- to overturn the result of the U.S.
Scottish National Party — held virtu- “The people of Scotland had a vote tion style during the pandemic has presidential election. Sturgeon said
ally because of the coronavirus pan- on this (in 2014), and they voted to been widely praised, with many con- that “we are seeing across the Atlan-
demic — Sturgeon said Scotland had remain part of the United Kingdom,” trasting it to Johnson’s more ram- tic what happens to those who try to
a right to choose independence, “if a Johnson spokesman Jamie Davies shackle approach — though the U.K. hold back the tide of democracy."
majority of us want it.” said Monday. and Scottish governments have fol- “They get swept away,” she said.