The pandemic may have started as early as October, according to a new joint study of its genetic make-up by researchers at University College London and the University of Reunion Island.The pathogen wreaking havoc on the world, known scientifically as SARS-CoV-2, is thought to have made the jump from its initial host to humans at some point between October 6 and December 11.The findings – based on analysis of more than 7,000 genome sequence assemblies collected from around the world since January – will be published in a forthcoming edition of scientific journal Infection Genetics...…The pandemic may have started as early as October, according to a new joint study of its genetic make-up by researchers at University College London and the University of Reunion Island.The pathogen wreaking havoc on the world, known scientifically as SARS-CoV-2, is thought to have made the jump from its initial host to humans at some point between October 6 and December 11.The findings – based on analysis of more than 7,000 genome sequence assemblies collected from around the world since January – will be published in a forthcoming edition of scientific journal Infection Genetics...WW…

The envoy to is to be tried in Paris in November on charges of sexual assault on four men, one of whom - a male Paris City Hall staffer - claimed he was.Luigi Ventura, 74, had served as the Papal Nuncio  — the pontiff’s diplomatic representative — in Paris since 2009.He was first accused of “inappropriately touching” a man at City Hall on January 17, when the Nuncio attended a New Year’s address to diplomats, religious leaders and civil society figures by the mayor, Anne Hidalgo.The first plaintiff was described as a member of City Hall’s General Delegation for International Relations....…The envoy to is to be tried in Paris in November on charges of sexual assault on four men, one of whom - a male Paris City Hall staffer - claimed he was.Luigi Ventura, 74, had served as the Papal Nuncio  — the pontiff’s diplomatic representative — in Paris since 2009.He was first accused of “inappropriately touching” a man at City Hall on January 17, when the Nuncio attended a New Year’s address to diplomats, religious leaders and civil society figures by the mayor, Anne Hidalgo.The first plaintiff was described as a member of City Hall’s General Delegation for International Relations....WW…

Emmanuel Macron on Thursday approved a plan to rebuild Notre-Dame's famed spire as it was before it crashed to earth in last year's devastating fire in the Paris cathedral."The president trusts the experts and approved the main outlines of the project presented by the chief architect which plans to reconstruct the spire identically," said the Elysee. His green light to restore the 19th-century spire atop the 13th-century edifice constitutes a change of heart for the president, who had suggested in the aftermath of the disaster he wanted a "contemporary gesture".It came as the French...…Emmanuel Macron on Thursday approved a plan to rebuild Notre-Dame's famed spire as it was before it crashed to earth in last year's devastating fire in the Paris cathedral."The president trusts the experts and approved the main outlines of the project presented by the chief architect which plans to reconstruct the spire identically," said the Elysee. His green light to restore the 19th-century spire atop the 13th-century edifice constitutes a change of heart for the president, who had suggested in the aftermath of the disaster he wanted a "contemporary gesture".It came as the French...WW…

Coronavirus is "under control" in , which will not impose another nationwide lockdown even in the event of a second wave in the autumn, according to the head of the country's scientific council."We can reasonably say the virus is currently under control," Jean-Francois Delfraissy,  the president of the scientific council advising the French government on public health strategy during the epidemic, told France Inter radio."The virus is still circulating, in certain regions in particular... but it is circulating slowly."The number of daily deaths has fallen, with just 44...…Coronavirus is "under control" in , which will not impose another nationwide lockdown even in the event of a second wave in the autumn, according to the head of the country's scientific council."We can reasonably say the virus is currently under control," Jean-Francois Delfraissy,  the president of the scientific council advising the French government on public health strategy during the epidemic, told France Inter radio."The virus is still circulating, in certain regions in particular... but it is circulating slowly."The number of daily deaths has fallen, with just 44...WW…

British intelligence tipped off Belgium that China was spying on the European Commission via the Maltese embassy in Brussels, according to French reports.According to Le Monde, British agents warned their Belgian counterparts that the Chinese were using Malta’s embassy as a , which is in close proximity.It said that China had covered the €21m bill to buy and refurbish the nine-floor, state-of-the-art embassy building known as “Dar Malta” in 2007.According to Le Monde, Belgian state security has long accused the embassy of containing surveillance equipment installed by Chinese secret...…British intelligence tipped off Belgium that China was spying on the European Commission via the Maltese embassy in Brussels, according to French reports.According to Le Monde, British agents warned their Belgian counterparts that the Chinese were using Malta’s embassy as a , which is in close proximity.It said that China had covered the €21m bill to buy and refurbish the nine-floor, state-of-the-art embassy building known as “Dar Malta” in 2007.According to Le Monde, Belgian state security has long accused the embassy of containing surveillance equipment installed by Chinese secret...WW…

Almost half of the French see Marine Le Pen as the “probable” victor of next year’s presidential elections, a new poll suggests, amid signs the “Republican front” to block the far-Right leader at all costs is crumbling.The opinion poll by Elabe surveyed a cross section of more than 1,000 French voters and found that 43 per cent see her victory against incumbent Emmanuel Macron as “probable” while a further five per cent saw it as “certain”.The figure was seven percentage points higher than the previous survey six months ago.With the mainstream Right and Left in disarray...…Almost half of the French see Marine Le Pen as the “probable” victor of next year’s presidential elections, a new poll suggests, amid signs the “Republican front” to block the far-Right leader at all costs is crumbling.The opinion poll by Elabe surveyed a cross section of more than 1,000 French voters and found that 43 per cent see her victory against incumbent Emmanuel Macron as “probable” while a further five per cent saw it as “certain”.The figure was seven percentage points higher than the previous survey six months ago.With the mainstream Right and Left in disarray...WW…

'Scenarios of disruption': sci-fi writers asked to help guard FranceWe’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.DismisscloseAdvertisementBy Log in, or to save articles for later.Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeAdvertisement Paris: Attacks from floating pirate states and hackers on soldiers with neural implants are just two scenarios dreamed up by a "Red Team" of 10 leading science fiction writers tasked with helping the French army anticipate future threats to national security."Astonish us, shake us up, take us...…'Scenarios of disruption': sci-fi writers asked to help guard FranceWe’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.DismisscloseAdvertisementBy Log in, or to save articles for later.Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeAdvertisement Paris: Attacks from floating pirate states and hackers on soldiers with neural implants are just two scenarios dreamed up by a "Red Team" of 10 leading science fiction writers tasked with helping the French army anticipate future threats to national security."Astonish us, shake us up, take us...WW…

France’s embattled interior minister on Thursday announced raids on dozens of mosques suspected of Islamist extremism following in the wake of terror attacks.Gérald Darmanin said 76 mosques out of the more than 2,600 Muslim places of worship had been flagged as possible threats to Republican values and its security. Any mosque found to be fomenting extremism would be closed down, he added.Eighteen of the 76 are in the Paris area and 18 face imminent closure, according to reports. The first swoops were due on Thursday afternoon."There are in some concentrated areas places of worship which...…France’s embattled interior minister on Thursday announced raids on dozens of mosques suspected of Islamist extremism following in the wake of terror attacks.Gérald Darmanin said 76 mosques out of the more than 2,600 Muslim places of worship had been flagged as possible threats to Republican values and its security. Any mosque found to be fomenting extremism would be closed down, he added.Eighteen of the 76 are in the Paris area and 18 face imminent closure, according to reports. The first swoops were due on Thursday afternoon."There are in some concentrated areas places of worship which...WW…

Each child in France will be given an ID number to ensure they are attending school and not in “the clutches of Islamists” under a proposed French law on preventing radicalisation in the wake of a string of attacks.In September, President Emmanuel Macron had already set out plans to tackle what he called the "Islamist separatism" in poor French neighbourhoods, citing claims of children from ultraconservative Muslim families being taken out of school, and sporting and cultural associations being used to indoctrinate youth."We must save our children from the clutches of the Islamists,"...…Each child in France will be given an ID number to ensure they are attending school and not in “the clutches of Islamists” under a proposed French law on preventing radicalisation in the wake of a string of attacks.In September, President Emmanuel Macron had already set out plans to tackle what he called the "Islamist separatism" in poor French neighbourhoods, citing claims of children from ultraconservative Muslim families being taken out of school, and sporting and cultural associations being used to indoctrinate youth."We must save our children from the clutches of the Islamists,"...WW…

France's education minister has said that Western multiculturalism does not do enough to protect democracy, as his country doubles down in its defence of secular values over Islamism.Critics who have accused president, Emmanuel Macron of being anti-Muslim are "waging a war against democracy, not Emmanuel Macron", said Jean-Michel Blanquer in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.His comments came as President Macron said France would double the number of police guarding its borders to tackle the "growing threat" of terrorism in the wake of a spate of attacks,Mr Blanquer was speaking just...…France's education minister has said that Western multiculturalism does not do enough to protect democracy, as his country doubles down in its defence of secular values over Islamism.Critics who have accused president, Emmanuel Macron of being anti-Muslim are "waging a war against democracy, not Emmanuel Macron", said Jean-Michel Blanquer in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.His comments came as President Macron said France would double the number of police guarding its borders to tackle the "growing threat" of terrorism in the wake of a spate of attacks,Mr Blanquer was speaking just...WW…