Wintry weather temporarily loosened its grip across much of the U.S. just in time for Thanksgiving, after tangling holiday travelers in wind, ice and snow and before more major storms descend Friday.
There were some exceptions to the respite, particularly involving Interstate 5 in California, which was shut down early Thursday as heavy snow softly blanketed the region.
But high winds that on Wednesday had ripped a wooden sign from scaffolding on Chicago’s Willis Tower and nearly felled a Christmas tree to close Cleveland’s Public Square were calm enough by Thursday morning to allow the Macy’s Day Parade in New York to proceed, albeit with balloons flying at lower levels.
The National Weather Service predicted things could get dicey — if not impassable — for holiday travelers’ trips home. Forecasters warned against travel Friday night through Saturday night in a stretch of country form northeast Wyoming to northwest South Dakota due to expected blizzard conditions.
The next storm system is expected to drop up to 2 feet of additional snow from the Sierra Nevada to the central and northern Rockies as it rolls across a large swath of the western and central United States.
Long stretches of two interstate highways in northern Arizona’s high country also were expected to be closed between late Thursday and early Friday because of expected heavy snowfall.
In Ohio, crews had restored power to about 90% of those affected by power outages Wednesday caused by high winds. At peak, 42,000 customers in central Ohio and 39,000 in northeast Ohio were without electricity.
President Trump made an unannounced Thanksgiving visit to Afghanistan on Thursday, a rare trip by him to a war zone, and announced “progress” in peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban.
The engagement seemed designed to underscore his stated commitment to withdrawing U.S. troops from America’s longest war.
Amid secrecy, Trump arrived at Bagram Airfield shortly after 8:30 p.m. Thursday and spent more than 2 ½ hours on the ground.
Dressed in his customary blue suit and red tie, he stood in a cafeteria serving line and dished out turkey and fixings to camouflage-clad troops. He also sat down with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, whose government has been largely excluded from U.S. talks with the Taliban.
Between 12,000 and 14,000 U.S. forces remain in Afghanistan, and Trump said he wanted to reduce the number to 8,600.
The surprise visit came amid controversy over Trump’s decision to grant clemency to a Navy SEAL convicted of a war crime, bypassing military leadership. Defense Secretary Mark Esper fired the secretary of the Navy, Richard V. Spencer, who objected to Trump’s decision.
Traveling with a small group of aides and a handful of pool reporters, Trump was escorted around the base outside Kabul by trucks full of heavily armed soldiers as the smell of burning fuel and garbage filled the air.
The resumption in peace talks comes after Trump broke off negotiations this year. In September, Trump was arranging a secret — and, eventually, much-criticized — proposed meeting with the Taliban at the Camp David presidential retreat. Several U.S. officials opposed such a meeting at Camp David, and it contributed to the departure of former national security advisor John Bolton.
Amid the controversy, a car bomb killed an American soldier near Kabul. Though it was not the most deadly of Taliban attacks, Trump abruptly canceled the Camp David meeting and said he was calling off talks.
Until that moment, while the administration insisted it was making progress in talks with the Taliban, Afghan government officials, diplomats and members of various civil society groups warned that Washington appeared to be making too many concessions to the group that has long fought for a return to power and already controls large parts of the country. The Taliban consistently refused to declare a cease-fire in those negotiations.
On Thursday, without offering an explanation for what might have changed, Trump said that the Taliban and U.S. officials were again having fruitful talks.
“The Taliban wants to make a deal — we’ll see if they make a deal,” he said. “If they do, they do, and if they don’t they don’t. That’s fine.”
He contended that the Taliban “wants to make a deal” and is keen on establishing a cease-fire.
“I believe it’ll probably work out that way,” Trump said.
Trump made his only other trip to a war zone last year when he visited Iraq around Christmastime. He was accompanied then by First Lady Melania Trump, but she was not present in Afghanistan.
As is usually the case when a senior U.S. official travels to a zone of conflict, Trump’s trip was cloaked in secrecy. He traveled in an unmarked airplane from his Mar-a-Lago resort, where he was vacationing, to Washington. Cellphones were confiscated from all travelers, including his senior aides.
In Washington, he boarded Air Force One for the flight to Afghanistan. Cabin lights off and shades drawn, the plane landed under cover of darkness at Bagram. Meanwhile, Trump’s staff was sending out tweets in his name so that no one would miss him.
For at least a year, U.S. officials have sought a political settlement with the Taliban, which sheltered the Al Qaeda extremists who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. The U.S. launched a war on the Taliban after those attacks, but it has dragged on for nearly two decades, claiming the lives of tens of thousands of Afghans — mostly civilians — and about 2,500 American service members.
Trump is pushing for a political deal so that he can finally withdraw all American forces in keeping with his campaign promises to extricate the United States from wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East. He ordered U.S. troops out of Syria last month, a devastating blow to the Kurds, U.S. allies who were then overrun by troops from neighboring Turkey.
Still, Trump said, the U.S. will stay in Afghanistan “until we have a deal or we have total victory.”
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said the visit had been planned for weeks.
“It’s a dangerous area, and he wants to support the troops,” Grisham told reporters before Trump landed. “He and Mrs. Trump recognize that there’s a lot of people who are away from their families during the holidays, and we thought it’d be a nice surprise.”
She added that the purpose of the trip was “truly about Thanksgiving and supporting the troops” and “nothing about the peace process” with the Taliban.
Security forces shot dead 40 anti-government protesters during 24 hours of bloodshed amid spiraling violence in the Iraqi capital and in the country’s south, security and medical officials said Thursday, one day after an Iranian consulate was torched.
Iran condemned the burning of its consulate in the holy city of Najaf as violence continued into the night across southern Iraq, where security forces had killed 36 protesters and wounded 245 since Wednesday evening, the officials said. Four additional protesters were shot dead in Baghdad, the capital. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Police and military forces were deployed across key oil-rich provinces to reopen roads closed off by demonstrations.
The escalating violence and heavy response against demonstrators by a largely Iranian-backed government threatened to intensify tensions, especially if efforts to implement electoral and anti-corruption reforms fail to placate protesters.
Crisis committees were created to enhance coordination between Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and governors in provinces affected by the protests “for the importance of controlling security and enforcing the law,” said a statement from the joint operations command.
Security forces shot dead four protesters in Baghdad and wounded 22 when they tried to cross the important Ahrar Bridge leading to the nearby Green Zone, the heavily fortified seat of Iraq’s government. Protesters occupy parts of the Jumhuriya, Sanak and Ahrar bridges, all of which lead to or near the fortified area.
In Najaf, five protesters were fatally shot and 32 wounded when security forces opened fire to prevent them from torching a central mosque named after the father of a prominent political leader, officials said.
The deaths came after a day after protesters burned Iran’s consulate in Najaf. It was one of the worst attacks targeting Iranian interests in the country since the anti-government protests erupted two months ago.
The unrest in Iraq began Oct. 1, when thousands took to the streets in Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite south. The largely leaderless movement accuses the government of being hopelessly corrupt and has also decried Iran’s growing influence in Iraqi state affairs.
At least 350 people have been killed by security forces, which routinely use live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds.
Iran has called for a “responsible, strong and effective” response to the burning of its consulate, Abbas Mousavi, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in statements to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack, saying it was perpetrated by “people outside of the genuine protesters” seeking to harm relations between the countries.
One demonstrator was killed and 35 wounded when police fired live ammunition in a failed effort to prevent protesters entering the consulate building. Once inside, the demonstrators removed the Iranian flag and replaced it with an Iraqi one, said a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
A curfew was imposed in Najaf after the attack on the consulate. Security forces were heavily deployed around main government buildings and religious institutions Thursday morning.
Najaf province is the headquarters of the country’s Shiite religious authority led by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. He has been largely supportive of protester demands, siding with them by repeatedly calling on political parties to implement serious reforms.
Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr called on Iraq’s government to resign “immediately to stop the bloodletting,” while imploring protesters to maintain the peace.
“If the government does not resign, this will be the beginning of the end of Iraq,” he warned.
Toro Rosso’s pre-season testing form in Barcelona, where the team’s new STR11 was put through its paces by Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen, has prompted Red Bull boss Christian Horner to predict that the junior squad may well have the upper hand over its senior outfit.
But Carlos Sainz, while admitting the potential speed of his new Ferrari-powered mount looks promising, has tempered down Horner’s claims.
“I cannot disagree with my boss but I can be a bit more calm and moderate than him,” Sainz said.
“Red Bull last year were six-tenths in front of us, and the Ferrari engine should give us those six-tenths.
“But Red Bull in the winter should do a massive step compared to Toro Rosso due to budget so they should still be in front in my opinion.
“They have a much bigger budget and a Renault power unit which will be developed over the year. I expect them to be in front.”
Nevertheless, Sainz left Barcelona feeling resolutely positive about the STR11’s promising performance level and reliability.
“More than lap times and raw pace I liked the confidence the car was giving me, this is what I take to Melbourne.
“On all the days there were no mistakes, not one single lock-up, everything went really smooth and the most important thing is I have a lot of confidence which hopefully we can translate in Melbourne.”
FEATURE: Race Zero – Barcelona to Melbourne via Milton Keynes
INTERVIEW: Max Verstappen: The man in demand
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Un film pop pour Peter Jackson ! Le cinéaste s’apprête à réaliser un nouveau documentaire, encore sans titre, autour des Beatles. Ce film sera basé sur près de 55 heures d’images inédites des Beatles en studio tournées entre le 2 et le 31 janvier 1969. Ces sessions ont débouché sur la sortie l’album Let it be, édité en mai 1970, plusieurs mois après la dissolution du groupe.
Comme le précise un communiqué annonçant le tournage, ces images étaient “à l’origine destinées à une émission spéciale pour la télévision, mais [le tournage] s’est transformé en une chose complètement différente, dont le point d’orgue fut le concert légendaire des Beatles sur le toit des bureaux d’Apple à Londres, il y a exactement 50 ans.”
“Avec ces 55 heures d’images inédites et les 140 heures d’audio mises à notre disposition, ce film sera l’expérience ultime “d’être la petite souris dans le studio” dont rêvent les fans des Beatles depuis longtemps. Bien que les Beatles aient abondamment été filmés au cours des années 1960 (en concerts, lors d’interviews et dans leurs films) ces images sont l’unique témoignage de leur travail en studio, déclare Peter Jackson dans ce communiqué. L’album et le film Let It Be, sortis dans les mois qui ont suivi la séparation des Beatles, ont souvent été analysés par le prisme des disputes que le groupe traversait à l’époque. J’ai été soulagé de découvrir que la réalité est très différente du mythe“.
Peter Jackson retrouvera ses partenaires du documentaire They Shall Not Grow Old, la productrice Clare Olssen et le monteur Jabez Olssen. Il s’agit d’un documentaire sur les soldats néo-zélandais de la Première guerre mondiale réalisé par Peter Jackson pour le centenaire de la fin de la guerre.
C’est les vacances ! Vous avez envie d’aller au cinéma avec les enfants ? Découvrez nos conseils ciné en fonction de leur âge.
1. P'tites histoires au Clair de lune – A partir de 3 ans
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Le pitch: Attirés par sa lumière, des enfants, des loups et même un renard voudraient décrocher la lune. Mais que se passera-t-il si la lune venait à disparaître au beau milieu de la nuit ? Ce programme offre aux tout-petits, curieux et désireux de s’amuser, une porte vers un imaginaire où la lune attise tous les désirs.
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A partir de 3 ans
P'tites histoires au Clair de lune Bande-annonce VF
P’tites histoires au Clair de lune (sortie le 30 janvier)
Ce programme de 4 courts métrages dont l’héroïne est la lune mélange animation 2D (Où est la lune ? (2017)), 3D (Il était une fois… la lune et le renard (2005)) et films faits à partir d’éléments découpés (Ma lune, notre lune (2016) et P’tit loup (1992)). Différentes techniques qui permettent aux plus petits de comprendre le changement d’histoires et de ne pas s’ennuyer. D’une durée de 39 minutes, le film est parfait pour un premier cinéma en famille et offre aux tout-petits une porte vers un imaginaire où la lune attise tous les désirs.
Les Ritournelles de la Chouette Bande-annonce VF
Les Ritournelles de la Chouette (sortie le 6 février)
Ce programme de 5 petits films d’animation fait suite au programme La Chouette entre veille et sommeil, sorti en 2016. L’oiseau de nuit est de retour avec de nouvelles histoires qui s’articulent, cette fois-ci, autour de thématiques qui se font écho à travers chacun des films présentés : l’humilité et la simplicité. Des sujets qui permettent aux enfants de comprendre qu’il faut savoir apprécier ce qu’on possède déjà. Le réalisateur et scénariste Arnaud Demuynck explique “Par leurs conclusions, ces films nous invitent à ne pas nous croire les plus forts, mais à profiter de la vie.“
La Cabane aux oiseaux Bande-annonce VF
La Cabane aux oiseaux (sortie le 6 février)
Après 2 saisons de la série La Cabane à histoires et son adaptation au cinéma, la réalisatrice française Célia Rivière revient avec La Cabane aux oiseaux. Le film, d’une durée de 42 minutes, regroupe 9 histoires de la littérature jeunesse dont les héros sont des oiseaux (parmi lesquelles Poucette, Le Pingouin qui avait froid ou encore Papa à grands pas). Les jeunes spectateurs découvrent émerveillés les illustrations des albums prendre vie au fur et à mesure de la lecture.
Les Aventures de Rita et Machin Bande-annonce VF
Les Aventures de Rita et Machin (sortie le 20 février)
Un an après Rita et Crocodile, la fillette est de retour sur grand écran avec un nouvel ami : un chien prénommé Machin. Adapté de la série de bandes dessinées (20 livres au total) de Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod illustrée par Olivier Tallec, le film est composé de 5 histoires. Les dessins pastels de ce programme sont d’une grande douceur et conviennent parfaitement aux plus petits. La fillette et son fidèle ami déboulent donc sur grand écran après avoir été les héros d’une série télévisée d’animation diffusée en 2012 sur France 5.
A partir de 6 ans
Le Château de Cagliostro Bande-annonce VO
Le Château de Cagliostro (sortie le 23 janvier)
Le premier long métrage du maître Hayao Miyazaki sort sur les écrans français 40 ans après sa sortie au Japon. Adapté de la série animée Lupin, très populaire dans les années 70, le film est alors une commande du studio TMS Entertainment Limited. Il n’est jamais sorti en salles en France. Découvrir ce film sur grand écran ravira les fans du maître de l’animation qui y verront les prémices de l’univers onirique qui fait aujourd’hui la marque de fabrique du metteur en scène, tandis que les jeunes spectateurs se laisseront emportés par cette enquête.
Minuscule 2 – Les Mandibules du Bout du Monde Bande-annonce VF
Minuscule 2 – Les Mandibules du bout du monde (sortie le 30 janvier)
Quatre ans après La Vallée des fourmis perdues, la coccinelle, la fourmis et l’araignée sont de retour pour une grande aventure qui les emmènent à la découverte de la faune et la flore de La Guadeloupe. Grands amoureux de l’île, les réalisateurs Thomas Szabo et Hélène Giraud ont choisi de délocaliser leurs héros afin de leur faire vivre de nouvelles situations et de nouvelles rencontres (une mante religieuse gourmande ou encore une petite coccinelle noire). Un grand film d’aventure écolo qui permettra aux petits et aux grands de comprendre que les insectes ont aussi une vie trépidante.
Dragons 3 : Le monde caché Bande-annonce VF
Dragons 3 : Le monde caché (sortie le 6 février)
Après cinq années d’absence – et neuf ans après le premier film – Harold et Krokmou font leur grand retour au cinéma pour le dernier volet de la trilogie. Nos deux héros sont devenus les leaders de leur espèce, mais Krokmou aspire à une vie loin des humains… Sa rencontre avec une femelle Furie Eclair va tout bouleverser. Pour le réalisateur Dean DeBlois – déjà aux commandes des précédents films de la saga – il était important d’envisager l’âge adulte pour le dragon, “Pendant très longtemps, il a été le fidèle compagnon d’Harold, mais ce lien commence à se déliter à mesure qu’il est attiré par l’appel de la nature et par son instinct. (…) À ses yeux, la Furie Éclair en est le symbole ; elle lui offre une existence pleine d’innocence, à l’abri des humains”. Un épilogue émouvant qui ravira les fans des précédents volets.
Mango Bande-annonce VF
Mango (sortie le 6 février)
Mango est une taupe et doit suivre la tradition familiale en allant travailler à la mine locale, Mais Mango rêve de devenir joueur de foot professionnel… Peu banal ! Le réalisateur Trevor Hardy et ses équipes ont mélangé animation et stop-motion, la fourrure des personnages a été créée à partir de laine de Mérinos, une technique originale et nouvelle. Le réalisateur confie :“La laine leur donne une très belle sensation de douceur (…) J’ai adoré l’allure qu’elle offre, elle absorbe vraiment bien la lumière du plateau et donne une impression de chaleur, de sûreté et de réconfort.” Un long métrage qui encourage les spectateurs à croire en leurs rêves les plus fous.
Ralph 2.0 Bande-annonce VF
Ralph 2.0 (sortie le 13 février)
7 ans après Les Mondes de Ralph, le héros costaud d’un jeu des années 80 et Vanellope, héroïne d’un jeu de course, débarquent dans le monde merveilleux d’Internet! Au programme : rencontre avec les princesses Disney, course-poursuite avec des stormtroopers, découverte des différents sites (notamment AlloCiné)… Le réalisateur Rich Moore revient aux manettes de ce second opus après avoir réalisé Zootopie. Il explique “Nos héros sont un peu comme des gamins de la campagne qui découvrent la ville. Tandis que l’un tombe sous le charme de ce nouvel univers, l’autre n’a qu’une hâte : rentrer chez lui.” Un film d’animation très actuel qui conviendra parfaitement aux enfants à partir de 6 ans.
La Grande Aventure Lego 2 Bande-annonce VF
La Grande Aventure Lego 2 (sortie le 20 février)
Tout n’est plus super génial à Bricksburg depuis le fameux Mardi des Tacos qui avait laissé la ville sens dessus dessous à la fin de La Grande Aventure Lego. Le deuxième volet du film d’animation prend place 5 ans après les événements du premier, et voit Emmett, Lucy et toute leur bande affronter des envahisseurs de l’espace. Avec ses références à Mad Max, Star Wars et Chris Pratt qui, en plus de prêter sa voix à Emmett dans la version originale, le personnifie désormais grâce au personnage lego Rex (qu’il double également) et qui est à la fois défenseur de la galaxie, archéologue et dompteur de Raptor. Avec plus de 1,5 millions d’entrées dans le monde, le premier long métrage avait convaincu les jeunes et les moins jeunes spectateurs. Le second film fera-t-il aussi fort ? Quoi qu’il en soit, prévoyez de longues heures de jeux à votre retour du cinéma…
Le Cochon, le renard et le moulin Bande-annonce VF
Le Cochon, le renard et le moulin (sortie le 6 mars)
Ce programme en 10 chapitres est adapté d’un court métrage réalisé en 2014 par Robert Kondo et Dice Tsutsumi. Présenté au Festival de Berlin et nommé à l’Oscar du meilleur court métrage d’animation en 2015, The Dam Keeper (le titre original) est un succès. Si bien que les auteurs décident de l’adapter en roman graphique sous le titre “Le Veilleur des brumes”. L’année suivante, la société de production Tonko House décide de coproduire un ensemble de 10 parties. Le cochon, le renard et le moulin est une sorte de prequel au court métrage qui raconte les souvenirs d’enfance de Cochon et explique pourquoi il a la lourde responsabilité d’être celui qui empêche la brume d’atteindre le village. Composé de 31 000 photogrammes peints à la main, la production du film a duré 8 mois. Erick Oh, qui assurait la direction de l’animation sur le court métrage, réalise le film tandis que les auteurs d’origine le produise.
A partir de 10 ans
Wardi Bande-annonce VF
Wardi (sortie le 27 février)
Dans la veine de Persepolis (dans un tout autre style visuel), Wardi raconte l’histoire d’une petite fille palestinienne de 11 ans qui vit avec toute sa famille dans le camp de réfugiés où elle est née. Un sujet fort qui met en lumière la vie dans les camps et permet au jeune public de découvrir la vie telle qu’elle peut être ailleurs. Mis en scène par le réalisateur norvégien Mats Grorud, dont la mère a été infirmière au Liban pendant la guerre, le film suit une galerie de personnages inspirés de personnes que le metteur en scène a rencontré durant ses différents voyages. Il a d’ailleurs séjourné durant un an dans le camp de Bourj El Barajneh où se situe l’action du film. Mélangeant dessins (pour le temps passé) et marionnettes (pour le temps présent), le film s’adresse parfaitement aux enfants (à partir de 10 ans). Le fait que l’héroïne soit une petite fille de 11 ans permet aux spectateurs de se projeter dans l’histoire du film et dans la grande Histoire.
Le long métrage “Alita : Battle Angel” s’installe en tête du box-office américain avec 27,8 millions de dollars de recettes. “La Grande Aventure Lego 2” et “Isn’t It Romantic” complètent le podium.
Le long métrage Alita : Battle Angel s’installe en tête du box-office américain avec 27,8* millions de dollars de recettes. L’aventure réalisée par Robert Rodriguez et produite par James Cameron est certes bien loin du démarrage de Black Panther l’an dernier à la même période (202 millions !), mais il s’agit toutefois de très bons débuts, supérieurs aux attentes de l’industrie.
Box-office américain du 15 au 17 février 2019 : le Top 10
4 (2e)
What Men Want
10 920 000
36 150 328
5 (Nouveauté)
Happy Birthdead 2 You
9 816 000
13 527 500
6 (3e)
Sang froid
6 000 000
21 122 332
7 (4e)
The Upside
5 590 000
94 197 031
8 (5e)
Glass
3 859 000
104 489 915
9 (6e)
The Prodigy
3 150 065
11 015 539
10 (7e)
Green Book : Sur les routes du sud
2 751 000
65 756 401
Le podium du week-end est complété par La Grande Aventure Lego 2 et Isn’t It Romantic. Le film d’animation ajoute 21,2* millions de dollars de recettes dans son escarcelle pour un cumul de 62,6 millions de billets verts. On est cependant très loin des hauteurs du premier opus, qui avait bouclé sa carrière américaine avec près de 258 millions de dollars de recettes. Quant à la comédie emmenée par Rebel Wilson, qui sera disponible sur Netflix le 28 février, elle effectue de jolis débuts avec 14,2* millions de billets verts au compteur. Notons enfin le passage du Glass de M. Night Shyamalan au-delà de la barre symbolique des 100 millions.
Alita, Leïa, Ripley… Les icônes féminines de la SF au cinéma
* Les chiffres mentionnés dans l’article sont des estimations, publiées dimanche soir par la société spécialisée Exhibitor Relations et annoncés par le Film français.
BMW Andretti’s Alexander Sims was finally able to successfully convert one of his three consecutive pole positions, clinching his first-ever ABB FIA Formula E championship victory in the second race of the Dirirayh E-Prix doubleheader weekend.
Sims calmly controlled the race and warded off an early threat from Techeetah’s António Félix da Costa, who was subsequently penalised for clashing with Nissan e.dams’ Sébastien Buemi.
That allowed Sims’ team mate Max Guenther to claim second place and make it a BMW 1-2, despite controversy over whether the German driver had gone too early and jumped one of the restarts.
Lucas di Grassi was in the mix throughout but the Audi ultimately ended up having to settle for third place ahead of Mercedes’ Stoffel Vandoorne.
Sims seals third consecutive Formula E pole position
When the lights had gone out to start the race, Sims had produced a perfect start to jump away from the rest of the field with Buemi initially holding on to second place while da Costa was able to get the better of di Grassi down the inside of turn 18.
Sims made early use of his first attack mode activation to consolidate his advantage, while a fine opportunistic pass by Sam Bird through turn 1 put the Envision Virgin Racing ahead of Mitch Evans for fifth place.
Unfortunately Da Costa’s move on Buemi shortly afterwards proved lass successful, and contact between the pair ended up spinning the Nissan e.Dams. It left the Swiss driver struggling to get back into the train of cars without causing an even bigger accident in the process, and he eventually managed to reinsert himself in 14th.
Da Costa went for attack mode on lap 13, and in doing so briefly handed back second place to di Grassi. The Techeetah immediately used his power boost to force his way back in front, and behind them Bird and Evans tried to make use of the opportunity ahead of them through the long turn 4 right hander.
Unfortunately the gap they were going for disappeared as fast as it had opened up, and Bird and Evans made crunching impact and Bird was squeezed into the wall while duelling for the position. It damaged both cars, with Bird suffering a coup de grace from Pascal Wehrlein’s Mahindra putting him out of the race and triggering a safety car. Meanwhile Evans limped his way back to pit lane for repairs, and was able to rejoin at the back.
The full course caution was good news for reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne who had been obliged to make a stop-go penalty after needing a replacement battery. The safety car closed the field up, with Sims slowing the field for the restart before using his final attack mode at the green flag.
Da Costa and di Grassi held on to second and third place ahead of Max Gunther who appeared to have picked up two places before the end of the caution. He also made contact with Stoffel Vandoorne alng the way, with the Belgian left running in fifth place followed by Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara, Virgin’s Robin Frijns and Porsche’s Andre Lotterer.
However the stewards then took a hand in the proceedings, issuing a drive through penalty to da Costa for his original contact with Buemi, and a ten-second time penalty to Buemi for his ensuing unsafe rejoin. Evans was also handed a belated drive-through for his collision with Bird, although it made little difference to his situation.
Moments later the race was back behind a safety car after Robin Frijns spun and slid sideways across the track downhill into the barrier at turn 9, ending a miserable day for the Virgin team after their success just 24 hours earlier on Friday.
A worrying glitch with the restart process saw the race briefly resume while marshalls were still on track retrieving Frijn’s car. Once that was sorted out and the race resumed for real, Sims made a fast start and quickly pulled away to safety to claim his maiden all-electric series victory, and his first single seater victory in six years.
Guenther crossed the line in second place having passed di Grassi when the Brazilian made his second attack mode activation, with Vandoorne just missing out on the podium ahead of Mortara, Nissan’s Oliver Rowland, and Nyck de Vries who had fought his way up from the back row to claim seventh for Mercedes.
Despite the safety car, Vergne was unable to make his way into the top ten by the chequered flag, making it a pointless first weekend in the Frenchman’s 2019/20 title defence.
Da Costa finished in 13th place just ahead of his nemesis Buemi, with Lotterer suffering a late penalty for overtaking behind the safety car that dropped him to 16th place as a result.
Also during the race, Venturi’s Felipe Massa was handed a penalty for being out of position on the starting grid, while Daniel Abt also fell foul of the stewards over his Audi’s throttle map.
After making it through to the superpole round and qualifying in fourth place on the grid, Jérôme d’Ambrosio stalled and the Mahindra had to be pushed off the track before the start of the race.
As a result of the two races, Sims leads the drivers championship with 35 points ahead of Vandoorne (27 pts), Sam Bird (26 pts) and Rowland (20pts) with Lotterer and Guenther tied on 18 points, and di Grassi and Mortara level on 16 points.
In a move that would give the boost to India’s attempt to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar as “global terrorist”, France will move a proposal in the United Nations in a “couple of days” to ban JEM chief Masood Azhar who claimed responsibility for Pulwama attack in which over 40 CRPF soldiers died.
This is for the second time, France will be a part of such proposal at the UN as earlier the US supported by UK and France, had moved a proposal at the UN’s Sanctions Committee 1267 in 2017 to ban Masood Azhar, but the move was blocked by China and this time too, all eyes are on China as Russia, another member of P-5 supports Indian position to ban Masood Azhar.
Amidst heightening border tensions between India and Pakistan after suicide attack on CRPF convoy that killed 40 personnel on February 14, nations across the world have urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue.
The United States favoured India post Balakot airstrikes carried out by Indian Air Force and subsequent escalation of tension. US has asked Pakistan to adhere to UN Security Council commitments and deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds.
Lawmakers and officials advised Pakistan to take “meaningful action”.
“The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability,” the spokesperson said.